Trafalgar Square has long been home to the Lord Admiral Nelson surrounded by his noble lions.But this week London's most famous square will welcome Elvis Presley, a Morris dancer and a cow as the living statues prepare to take their place on the fourth plinth.
As part of Antony Gormley's living sculpture, One and Other, a total of 2,400 people will each spend an hour on the plinth and are free to do or wear whatever they like.
Picked from 15,000 applicants, many of the participants have devised elaborate costumes for their moment in the spotlight.
Patrick Purves from Lincolnshire is determined to highlight the plight of the Morris dancer for his shift on Tuesday. He told the Telegraph: "There have been suggestions that it is a dying tradition but it is alive and well and there are still 15,000 dancers in the UK."
Others were less patriotic in their choice. Paul Schofield, a 35-year-old electrical engineer from Paisley, said: "I used to have a cow costume and that was why I thought of doing that.
"And I managed to find another costume on the web."
Insisting that he will change his pose every five or 10 minutes, he also plans to "do a little cow dance."
And with the likes of Mark Fitch, a solicitor from Norwich, keen to don his white jumpsuit and perform his favourite Elvis tracks at 8pm on Thursday, the fourth plinth is sure to come to life.
As each of the participants takes their turn, One and Other looks certain to become not just a work of art but more of an event.
shopping spree
