Tuesday 25 May 2010

4th Plinth Gets More Shit


Overheard in the caravan while watching a programme on opera:

Hay: “Opera leaves me cold.

Chairman: “Me too – strangely enough, dad loved it.

Hay: “Did he often go to see it?

Chairman: “What? You mean to the world famous Southport Opera House?

A ship in a bottle has been unveiled as the new occupant of the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. The artist, Yinka Shonibare, said his version of HMS Victory, with its textile sails with African and batik prints, reflects the multicultural and diverse capital.

Give me strength!

From Wiki:

The fourth plinth on the northwest corner, designed by Sir Charles Barry and built in 1841, was intended to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but remained empty due to insufficient funds. A statue of Edward Jenner, funded largely by public subscription, was unveiled on the fourth plinth in 1858, but protests by anti-vaccinationists led to its removal to Kensington Gardens four years later. Later, agreement could not be reached over which monarch or military hero to place there.”

Rather than putting an endless carousel of shite masquerading as art on the plinth, I say we should bring back the statue of Edward Jenner, a man whose work has been responsible for saving more lives than any other individual in history. In fact I’ve started a Facebook campaign.


Jenner resided for a time in Chipping Sodbury, not a mile from where I live.

Read this Wiki article to find out more about the campaigns against vaccination, some of which are extant.


4 comments:

Steve Borthwick said...

We don't need no stinking vaccinations; far better to inspect some freshly gnawed chicken bones for instructions from the great JuJu up the mountain, everyone knows that CB.. :)

Alan Burnett said...

I am surprised that the anti-vaccinationists didn't manage to get a statue to Dr Andrew Wakefield erected in place of Jenner. I am with you and have already signed up for your brave campaign against injustice.

phil Nicholas said...

Multicultural? wakes you wonder if they ever thought what status our dark skin brothers held in the day of Trafalgar....
Don't ever recall seeing aforesaid in an Admirals outfit !

Steve Borthwick said...

At least the cannon balls from Victory and other ships of the line killed and maimed plenty of different nationalities...