jeffrx

Can any Londoners or anyone who has been there lately tell me what's going on at Trafalgar Square? I've seen on a webcam that's there's major construction around Nelson's Column. Also, do you know if it will be completed by May? I'm going to London in May and it won't be the same without pictures on the lions!

PatrickLondon

General spruce up of Nelson's Column, due for completion in July:
http://tinyurl.com/r3jfk

jeffrx

Thank you Patrick. How disappointing for me though!

PatrickLondon

Try pictures on the sphinxes by Cleopatra's Needle instead..

ASouth914

Just arrived home from London, what a great trip. Even if you can't get pictures of the lions, the fountains are beautiful.

PalQ

Back to Trafalgar Square and London, a long way from Bahamas, look on the plinth on the northwest corner of the square for a controversial temporary statue of a naked pregant woman amputee - rather discrete so you wouldn't notice it unless looking for it. Statues are set up on a temporary status every year or so here on the so called empty plinth - it could be gone by May.

Pumbavu

They are replacing the statue of Lord Nelson with that of Nelson Mandella. The work is being done tomorrow morning (Saturday) and can be followed on the webcam.

The decision was made because no one could remember who Lord Nelson was but they didn't want to change the name and confuse tourists.

Robespierre

Awww, and I always thought Nelson's Column was a formation of ships of the line, ahead and to windward of Collingwood's Column.

DiAblo

Pumbavu, cute, funny, and all that, but just plain wrong and wrong headed and shame on you for being so "flip".

The statue is NOT being replaced by one of Nelson M., rather it is being replaced by a bronze statue of American pop star Rick "Ricky" Nelson. So, hello, Mary Lou, goodbye heart.

Robespierre

Yeah, but Rick has made a lot of stops all over the world...

DixieChick

I attended his Garden Party once.

wombat7

"naked pregant woman amputee - rather discrete so you wouldn't notice it unless looking for it"

It's probably close to 3 metres high 0 guess it all depends on one's definition of discrete nakedness!

PatrickLondon

Consdiering she's about 10 feet off the ground, you can't see her rude bits. That's discretion for you.

wombat7

But still find it difficult to think you might miss it. I rather like her - fills in the corner nicely

JN

How ironic. I believe it was Wikipedia.com that just broke the story that both Ricky Nelson and Nelson Mandella are descendents of Admiral Nelson. Rumors to the effect that this applies also to Willie Nelson are not to be believed until the latter agrees to a DNA test.

PatrickLondon

Here's an update on the repairs to Nelson's Column:
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/stor...762166,00.html