Ah, the testament to the humour the people of Glasgow possess, the good vibes of the city and somewhat of an iconic statement that is the cone atop the head of Duke of Wellington’s statue. Well, the cone of good vibes has been removed, as weegies woke up to it being “stolen” straight from under our (very watchful, especially on a Friday night) noses.
The tradition that lasted since around the 198os and cost Glasgow City Council tens of thousands of pounds in an attempt for it to be removed over the 30 years, is no more. While Edinburgh and Stirling have their awesome castles, the cone was OUR THING: no matter how many times it took, locals would put the cone back onto the duke’s head.
What is more, in 2011 the cone was named as “one of the most bizzare monuments on Earth” by Lonely Planet. In 2013, the council officially gave up their plans to remove the cone, so who did it this time is a mystery.
What does the cone mean to Glasgow?
One does not need to dig deep to understand the true meaning behind our love of The Cone. It is a representation of the local people’s sense of humour. While it was a harmless way of rebelling against the authorities a few decades back, now it is a bright orange the icon of the friendliest city in the UK.
We don’t take ourselves too seriously, and always find the bright side to life. Let’s face it: the cone means more to us than the statue itself ever has, and that’s just me being honest.
April Fools! If you have read this far with the absolute fear of the cone being removed, don’t worry – that’s just Secret Glasgow’s version of an April Fools joke. The cone is very much still there, and it’s not going away any time soon!