The Ploenchit Fair, to be held at Bangkok Patana School next Saturday, functions as a yearly suggestion that the year is waning. The reasonable constantly advises me of Queen Victoria, or rather her statue, which beautified the reasonable in the days when it was held at the British embassy.
Prior to the fair was moved in 2001, Victoria commanded procedures in imperious style, although I’m not rather sure what she made from all the amusing hats. She should have felt a bit lonesome after the fair was moved. Even even worse, the embassy sold a piece of its land and she was shunted off from her standard area to another part of the premises.
Victoria had not suffered such indignity given that The second world war when the Japanese crated her up and stuck her in a corner. It might have been even worse. Japanese soldiers wished to smash up the statue however the cultural attache actioned in to conserve the day and even set up that the dog crate had a peephole so that Victoria might see out.
Quick forward to 2017. With the embassy obviously preparing to transfer to a brand-new, smaller sized place, it will be fascinating to see what fate waits for Victoria’s statue. That brings us to the following tale, which has actually appeared in this column prior to however is especially essential now.
Back in 1897 when it was recommended a statue of Queen Anne be moved, Victoria said indignantly: “Move Anne! The majority of definitely not! Why, it might be some day recommended that my statue needs to be moved, which I ought to much do not like.”
So while you are delighting in the reasonable on Saturday, please extra an idea for Victoria. She’s been in home at the embassy given that the mid-1920s, so it’s going to be a wrench for her, anywhere she might wind up.
Working-class heroes
I was pleased to see a statue revealed recently of author George Orwell at the BBC in London where he worked as a radio manufacturer in The second world war.
The words on the wall behind the statue were initially to appear in a beginning to Animal Farm however were never ever released. Nevertheless, they deserve duplicating: “If liberty indicates anything, it indicates the right to inform individuals what they do not wish to hear.”
Somebody who is constantly offering individuals an earful is cartoon character Andy Capp, who has his own statue in Hartlepool, house of his developer, Reg Smythe. The statue is properly beside a bar– the Harbour of Sanctuary– with Andy in a familiar posture, raiding a bar, clutching a pint.
Mr Capp is the most politically inaccurate cartoon in the Bangkok Post and some would argue that we should not make fun of the shenanigans of an out of work intoxicated lout. However it’s just a cartoon after all and offers social talk about human characteristics.
Nevertheless, I would not wish to satisfy Andy Capp in reality. Pertain to think about it, I have actually fulfilled a couple of like him throughout the years.
Homage to lack of exercise
Perhaps there ought to be statues constructed throughout Thailand to honour residents who have actually acted above and beyond the call of task.
There ought to be some sort of sculpture of a snoring third-grade authorities, potentially in a hammock, in honour of countless authorities moved to non-active posts. Then there’s the brave Sgt “Serpico” Nop, possibly on a bike, leading a flying team raid on Pattaya bridge gamers.
And there certainly ought to be a statue of a tuk-tuk chauffeur carrying out a U-turn on a sixpence.
Plain truth
There are countless statues around the globe, however they seldom make the news unless there is some ridiculous debate.
Statues of naked individuals frequently trigger little a stir. There was a case some years ago in Connecticut where a school bus path was altered after an anguished moms and dad declared his child was paying excessive attention to a streetside recreation of Michelangelo’s well-known naked sculpture David and his anatomically generous appendages.
Another issue with statues is that they can end up being prime targets of abuse. Absolutely nothing looks more pitiable than a statue with an arm or leg missing out on. One statue that has actually especially suffered is Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid, who lost her head back in 1964. Ever since, she has actually been beheaded, exploded and ruined in every imaginable way.
Off the wall
Some statues appear in the oddest of locations. In 2011 eyebrows were raised when Fulham Football Club chairman Mohamed al-Fayed revealed a statue of the late vocalist Michael Jackson outside Craven Home arena. The vocalist had actually gone to the ground as soon as, a years previously.
Fulham fans were not delighted, choosing to have statues of footballers. Not assisting the circumstance was the reality that the statue looked a bit naff, looking like a turn down from Madame Tussauds, potentially the Chamber of Horrors. Others stated it appeared like something that had actually gotten away from a second-rate amusement park.
Amongst observations on the statue were “hilariously bad”, “inexpensive and ugly” and merely “Oh dear!”. The owner reacted by mentioning if the fans didn’t like it they might “go to hell”, which didn’t decrease too well.
When the London club was offered 2 years later on, the very first act of the brand-new owner was to take apart the statue and pack it off the to the National Football Museum in Manchester.
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