OMG… we’ve put a hat on Lord Nelson!
Climbing 52 meters is a tall order in any circumstances, not least under the following conditions - in a crane, in a breeze, and wielding a bicorn hat measuring 1.6 metres wide. The aim was to place it on the head of one of our most revered military figures – and one of London’s tallest, most iconic, monuments. And it had to be done under cover of darkness, in the dead of night, so as to preserve the element of surprise in our ingenious hat project.
But that was exactly the task for the team from Mayor of London’s office and Blonstein, HATWALK's production company. Because of Nelson’s height there are only two cranes in the entire country that could extend high enough to reach the pinnacle of the column. And that’s only after piles of paperwork needed to be rubber stamped to authorize road closures around the square!
Although he might not look it from the ground in Trafalgar Square, Nelson himself is 5.5 meters tall – which means a whole lot of hat is required! Luckily, HATWALK were able to call on a firm of hatters with the experience and pedigree necessary for the task. And how did we know Lock & Co would be able to rise to the challenge? Well, it was the very same firm, 200 years ago, who made the hats for the real-life Admiral Horatio Nelson.
Up until the very eleventh hour Sunday morning it was still not absolutely certain if Nelson would receive his giant new hat for the HATWALK since any adverse weather conditions – and this is Britain, remember? – would have made the task too dangerous to attempt.
Tweet us your picture of Lord Nelson with his hat on – and any other of the statues you chance upon today – to @grazia_live with the hashtag #hatwalk
But that was exactly the task for the team from Mayor of London’s office and Blonstein, HATWALK's production company. Because of Nelson’s height there are only two cranes in the entire country that could extend high enough to reach the pinnacle of the column. And that’s only after piles of paperwork needed to be rubber stamped to authorize road closures around the square!
Although he might not look it from the ground in Trafalgar Square, Nelson himself is 5.5 meters tall – which means a whole lot of hat is required! Luckily, HATWALK were able to call on a firm of hatters with the experience and pedigree necessary for the task. And how did we know Lock & Co would be able to rise to the challenge? Well, it was the very same firm, 200 years ago, who made the hats for the real-life Admiral Horatio Nelson.
Up until the very eleventh hour Sunday morning it was still not absolutely certain if Nelson would receive his giant new hat for the HATWALK since any adverse weather conditions – and this is Britain, remember? – would have made the task too dangerous to attempt.
Tweet us your picture of Lord Nelson with his hat on – and any other of the statues you chance upon today – to @grazia_live with the hashtag #hatwalk