Fourth Plinth 'to let'... but not for long

Finally after 100 days the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square is unoccupied again.

Emma Burns, the final participant in Anthony Gormley's living art work entitled 'One and Other' was lowered to the ground from the top of the fourth plinth to Trafalgar Square below. Burns was 2400th member of the public to stand - or otherwise - occupy the plinth for an hour. The final occupant of the plinth was allowed an extra three minutes in situ, so she could read the names of the 96 victims of the Hillsborough Disaster in 1989.

Gormley, who is perhaps best known as the sculptor of the Angel of the North in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear was quoted by the Press Association as saying that: "It's a very strange mixed emotion. On the one hand you've finished, we've done what we said we were going to do, we've had 2,400 unbroken hours of occupation by living, human people in a place of bronze public sculpture and that's an achievement."

Nine out of the 2400 participants chose to appear nude on the plinth for some, or all, of their hour long stint.

Visitors can hear more about royal and monumental London with the Palace Trail audio travel guide. Listeners will hear about the furore that surrounded the installation of Nelson's Column - the monument that dominates the Square.

A temporary statue of New Zealander Sir Keith Park will be installed on top of the fourth plinth for six months from November 4, 2009. The temporary 2.78m (9ft) memorial in Trafalgar Square will be dwarfed by the 5m (16.4ft) permanent statue which will be erected in Waterloo Place in 2010.

To find out more about Sir Keith Park, the Air Vice Marshal, who commanded the defence of London and South East England during the Battle of Britain, take a look at our blog post 'Flying Ace set for fourth plinth' from October 30 last year. The bronze statue of Sir Keith Park in Waterloo Place will be erected in September, 2010 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain (July 10 - October 31, 1940).

There are five Walk Talk Tours of London in all. Each Walk Talk Tour city guide is available in English, French, German and Spanish. Each audio walking tour of London costs just £5.95. To hear an audio sample (from the English version of the tour) from the Palace Trail please click here.

Buy one Walk Talk Tour and get a second free by entering the following promotional code in the shopping basket page: BI123.