7th November, you say? Then I suppose we must address the subject on everyone’s lips: the 145th anniversary of the escaped polar bear of Dundee.
It came in on a whaling ship, was bought to go on show in the town, and had other ideas. In 2021, the city council installed a statue to commemorate this great event:
If you’re wondering, as I did, why there appears to be a man running away from the bear with the words, “No, this is my railway sleeper, and you can’t have it”, allow me to me explain. On this day in 1878, the Dundee Evening Telegraph reported…
So, that’s a bolt of cloth he’s carrying. If you look at the statue from a different angle, you can see the rolled fabric:
Apparently, the beast was captured when a former sailor who worked for the Theatre Royal made a noose, went in, found the bear momentarily distracted by a mirror, and threw the rope round the bear’s neck.
And, happily, this is not the only baffling sculpture commemorating a famous local animal which has been unveiled in recent years…
