'Duke of Wellington on Copenhagen'

A long day today...a two hour drive to Hampshire to visit my Mum-in-law in hospital .....she will be 95 next month! Kelly met us there...hopefully we all cheered her up. Drove home this evening in torrential rain...but no rain here in Sussex..the garden still as dry as a bone!

We went to look at this colossal statue in Aldershot, of the Duke of Wellington with his horse Copenhagen. It is HUGE!. 40 tons of mostly, cannon bronze, 30ft high and 26 ft long. Made by Matthew Cotes Wyatt as a tribute to the Duke, Victor at the Battle of Waterloo. Originally unveiled in 1846 in Hyde Park Corner it was eventually relocated to Aldershot..a military Army town , in 1885 .

Folklore...Local tradition says there is a bottle of Guiness and a packet of sandwiches sealed up inside the base, left by a forgetful workman when the statue was moved from London to Aldershot.

I meant to say that the Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo has been re enacted in Belgium etc this week.. 18th June 1815 - 18th June 2015 to any history addicts!