Is it Darwin or Merlin? Some pranksters thought it would be a good idea to furnish a statue of Shrewsbury’s most famous son with a traffic cone, leaving him looking more like the mystical wizard of Arthurian legend.
The bronze figure of the world famous naturalist, which stands outside his former school – now Shrewsbury Library – is thought to have been decorated with the orange cone last night.
Staff at the library said they had turned up for work to be greeted by the additional feature. Caroline Buckley, librarian, today said: “We have no idea exactly when it happened but it was probably last night because it wasn’t there in the afternoon when we were open.”
Evolving Statues
Ah! Now we see. The Creationsits will evolve into coneheads! 😉
R. Lee Hadden (These are my own opinions!)
Culturally biased interpretation
Long before the cone-shaped hat was assoicated with wizardry, it was used to punish and mock children in Victorian era schoolrooms. It was called a Dunce cap, and the victim would have to wear it while sitting on a stool up in front of the rest of the class.
However, I suspect this prank is not based on either interpretation of the cone. No doubt someone just thought, on the spur of the moment, that it would be amusing to perch a traffic cone on top of a statue.
There is nothing that cannot be found offensive by someone, somewhere.