The construction cone and the Duke of Wellington

To go to the Glasgow Museum of Modern Art, you have to walk past the Duke of Wellington’s equestrian statue. I was a little surprised to see a red and white cone on the duke’s head. At first, I thought it was a little joke, but it’s actually a tradition.

For decades, as soon as the cone is removed by the town hall, someone comes to put another. I was told that the authorities wanted to raise the statue, to prevent climbing. But they had to give up in the face of a petition signed by thousands of people.

Since then, the tradition continues. The Glaswegians see it as an expression of the city’s humour. I admit that it made me smile. The Duke of Wellington and his cone have even become one of the most famous monuments of the city. The ultimate selfie is to take a picture of yourself in front of the statue, a cone on your own head. I did it!