I’m not sure it’s a tradition but, in the early 90s a statue was installed in the town centre. The gossip about its true form went round the town like wildfire and, despite regular threats to remove it in the first few years, it remains to this day and directions to any stranger will always start with ‘walk past Wote Street Willy’ . The artist tells us it’s meant to be:

“I was asked to design a sculpture to go in the position where a church once stood. That is why it took the form it did - in order to bring some peace and tranquillity to the hustle and bustle of the commercial centre there. It reflects the history of the area. There is a woman praying, which refers to the church, a Roman amphora water jar, reflecting nearby Silchester, and the post and lintel format of the piece relates to the standing stones and monoliths of Stonehenge. It is a monumental piece of granite and it forces people to think about their own mortality and spirituality. It is a calming, tranquil, static image."

I’ll let you decide .......