Marching to the beat of a different drummer

I rarely visit the city of Truro during the period when Vizturs outnumber residents. As it was mizzly, the campsites are virtually empty and there are few vizturs the boss took me out on a wander. I saw, for the first time, the Drummer, installed on Lemon Quay. It's outside the Hall for Cornwall theatre, where you can see the next company unloading their stage props ready for the next bit of "Art" to be thrust upon us.

The statue was unveiled by Queen drummer Roger Taylor, who lives close by on the Fal Estuary.
The bronze sculpture - containing Cornish tin and copper - is a figure standing on a sphere beating a drum. Artist Tim Shaw defended his work which he says portrays a sense "celebration' and Cornwall's "steely determination". Mr Shaw added: "People have to face the fact that throughout the history of mankind, naked figures have existed all over the world."

'Pornography'
Lesley, a shopper on Lemon Quay said: "It's a monstrosity, it's ugly. What's it got to do with Cornwall? There's some deep-rooted meaning in it isn't there, that nobody is ever going to understand."

Another shopper, Nina, added: "It's pornography and I'm actually quite disgusted by it."
But Heather Bell from Truro Farmer's market, said: "It's fascinating, I hadn't realised it would be this big and he's naked, but I don't mind, it's amazing."

Inspiration for the piece came from memories of Mr Shaw's arrival in Cornwall 25 years ago, describing it as a place "where the drum beats differently".

The original quotation was by Henry David Thoreau, who wrote:

"If a man loses pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured, or far away. "