A Pedestal and a Book
Posted Friday 25 March 2011 ~ 10:03am
There was a large turnout to hear William Windram speak about his one hour last year on the empty plinth in Trafalgar Square.
In 2010, 2400 people were each allowed to spend one hour atop the empty plinth.
The only restriction on what they were allowed to do was that it must not be illegal, offensive or racist. What should he do on the plinth?
William is a member of the Penguin Books collectors’ club, and he told the fascinating history of Penguin Books from the original idea in 1935 of Allen Lane until the present day. Allen Lane was travelling from Exeter to London, and could not find anything suitable to read at the station. He decided that there ought to be a range of affordable paperback books.
The original price was 6d. - 2½p today, and books were colour coded according to their topic. There was even a special range of books issued during the war, which were sent free of charge to soldiers and prisoners of war.
For his time on the plinth, from midnight until 01am, William took with him his Penguin memorabilia, complete with Penguin deckchair, tee-shirt and mug. He sat, wearing a microphone and entertained the onlookers below by reading from some of his large collection of Penguin Books. Allen Lane would have been very proud.
The ladies of the Women’s Fellowship enjoyed a most entertaining afternoon and a delightful afternoon tea was provided by Trudy and Murielle.
Categories: General, Groups, Women's Fellowship