It's a while since I've been back to Durham, and in that time, they've rung the changes in the Market Place. The statue of Neptune has been moved to a diametrically opposite location from where it was, and the equestrian statue of Lord Londonderry has, for some unfathomable reason, been moved a few yards and turned round, so that the pedestrian walking up Silver Street to the market is greeted by the sight of a horse's arse pointing at them.
In life, Lord Londonderry was a pretty obnoxious guy. He was a loutish, drunken boor, who, when abroad, would think nothing of picking fights with Johnny Foreigner, and sexually assaulting women. He established a number of pits in the Durham coalfield, and treated the men (and women) who worked in them like slaves, and I've no doubt he would have fitted in very well with this granny-bashing, pasty-taxing bunch of spivs who are governing us at the minute. Why there has to be a statue to such a man - the epitome of the ruthless colliery owner and corrupting power of greed - is beyond me.
I'm starting a petition to have him smelted down. Just Lord Londonderry - not the horse. The horse is a fine and noble beast, and the statue would be better without the rider.
No comments:
Post a Comment