Long Boi

Long Boi

Image Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

An item on BBC Radio 4 caught my attention on Thursday evening. The University of York had held a ceremony in the morning to unveil a bronze statue of a much-loved duck.

Long Boi was a very tall duck, initially incorrectly identified as the tallest mallard, though he was actually a cross between a mallard and an Indian runner duck. He had the height of an Indian runner duck and the colouring of a male mallard. He was first seen in 2018 in the grounds of the University of York, near the lake at Derwent College, where his statue will be sited. He was named Long Boi by the students.

When he had not been seen for two months in May 2023, it was assumed that he had died. He had been brought to public notice through the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show, hosted by Greg James, and was regularly featured on the programme. He became an unofficial mascot for the University and amassed an Instagram following of more than 59,000 fans.

The unveiling ceremony was broadcast live on BBC Radio 1.

After the unveiling there was a minute’s quacking.

The Vice-Chancellor of York University, Professor Charlie Jeffery, said that Long Boi had become ‘a symbol of community, channelling the great spirit that we have at the university.’ The Students’ Union raised more than £5,300 to pay for the statue.

Addressing the audience at the ceremony, the art curator of the University, Helena Cox, said, ‘It is believed by myself and by this mighty institution that if you rub the beak of Long Boi, your essays will sparkle with genius, your exams shall be a breeze and luck will follow you wherever you go . . . whenever life gets difficult, go and rub that beak for good luck. You have the curator’s blessing.’

Greg James said, ‘Some people might not get why we are doing this . . . but silly things are important, silly things get us through the day and, look, silliness brings us together.’

The statue is life-sized, standing at 70 centimetres, and was carved in clay by Neil Mason, the award-winning wildlife sculptor. It was cast in bronze in Greece.