NS5965 : Wellington with golden traffic cone
taken 10 years ago, near to Glasgow, Scotland
Nobody is quite sure exactly why or when (during the 1980s) the 'tradition' of placing a traffic cone on Wellington's head started, but it has now become a minor tourist attraction in its own right. Sadly, many come to see and photograph the cone without taking the time to appreciate the fine statue and its plinth which are Category A Listed Link and are by Baron Marochetti in 1844.
The 2011 Lonely Planet guide featured the coned statue in its list of the ‘Top 10 Most Bizarre Monuments On Earth’.
In 2013, plans by Glasgow City Council to 'cone-proof' the statue by increasing the height of the plinth met with fierce local opposition and were quickly abandoned.
In recent years different flavours of cone have been used to mark various different events, including the 2014 independence referendum.