Another happy accident. The camera AF focussed on the background rather than the plinth, and out of the shots I had where the focus was done properly, I actually preferred this one. This is the empty plinth in Victoria Gardens, just up from Brighton Pavilion and where this statue stands.

What I’m wondering is, what was on the plinth originally? Was there a statue? What did the writing say? Why was it removed? Perhaps it was a statue to someone who turned out bad…

UPDATE: Aha! From the Encyclopedia of Brighton: “In the garden also are two blind plinths which once bore allegorical figures. Originally five in number, they represented ‘Morning’, ‘Welcome’, ‘Fidelity’, ‘Truth’ and ‘Night’, and were presented in 1897 by Sir Edward Sassoon; one plinth went to Preston Park, one to the Wild Park and the fifth was ‘lost’ along with the statues.”