A bank holiday prankster has fixed a model of a Walnut Whip chocolate bar onto the head of a statue of Queen Victoria in St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex. The bronze statue, erected in Warrior Square in 1902, has previously been adorned with traffic cones, but this latest makeover has raised eyebrows.
The artist, known as DLR, placed a polystyrene Walnut Whip atop the monarch’s head. He explained that a friend who works in TV and film scenery gave him two Walnut Whips 14 years ago. 'They were going to go in a skip, so he turned up to my house and asked if I wanted them,' DLR said. 'We actually did the same thing 13 years ago. I’ve been thinking of doing it again for ages, and I just wanted to get rid of it actually.'
Local photographer JJ Waller described the prank as a 'simple, fun idea' that has caused much laughter among locals and tourists over the bank holiday weekend. 'The town is full of surprises, and a walnut whip on the statue fits very well with the quirky and inspirational goings-on I have been photographing for the past 18 years,' Waller said. 'Queen Victoria herself might well have been very amused at this original escapade.'
Not all such pranks have been well received. Last year, a woman was accused of 'reckless indifference' after defacing an iconic Australian sculpture, Cast in Blue, with googly eyes. The city of Mount Gambier faces an estimated A$2,500 repair bill after the stickers caused damage to the paintwork. Mayor Lynette Martin described the act as 'wilful damage' rather than harmless fun.
