Tower Bridge draws up to let a 50' rubber duck sail the Thames

Yesterday, Tower Bridge's drawbridge was raised to allow a 50-foot-high yellow rubber duck to sail down the Thames. It was part of the launch of "Facebook Fundation, a bursary granting funds and rewards for daft ideas to encourage Brits to have more fun."

Tower Bridge forced to open for 50 foot rubber duck [ITV] (via Making Light)

(Image: thumbnail from "Tower Bridge opens for the giant duck" by Lewis Whyld/PA Wire)

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MORE: london • uk • Weird

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peteywheats

“daft ideas to encourage Brits to have more fun”

Removing the police state surveillance systems would be fun.
oasisob1

How about taking the stick out…
- Andrew Singleton
  
  That’s only to be done as an emergency backup weapon when they’ve run out of ammo.
limeduck

I, for one, welcome our new giant rubber duck overlords.
Brainspore

Reminds me of a float I helped build for the Bermuda Day parade back in the ’90s.
Scurra

By fluke, I happened to see it and I’m still smiling. It’s a shame it was a promotion for a gambling website but…
Xof

“Forced to open”? Honored to open, more like it.
oasisob1

I must add that I read it as ‘draft ideas’.
Ramone

Will we get to see it on land and causing a ruckus in downtown Gotham?
Nash Rambler

The 75′ loofah was airlifted in, while the 35′ bar of soap just squeaked under. They’re still working on the logistics for the 100′ tub caddy.
Niels Post

Cheap Florentijn Hofman rip-off: http://florentijnhofman.nl/dev/project.php?id=154

One of his ducks will be on display in the harbour of Sidney next month http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2013/Family/Rubber-Duck-at-Darling-Harbour/
- danielpresling
  
  I had assumed it was one of his. I saw his Auckland, NZ one and it was really cool. It’s pretty poor form to copy his work and use it publicly in the exact same way he would use it (floating on/down public waterways)
  - Ramone
    
    Totally! Like, anyone else could possibly conceive of a giant rubber duck in water!
niktemadur

Next time a ship approaches the bridge and seems too tall to pass under, they could tell the captain to, you know… DUCK!
CLamb

Great improvement over the traditional large wooden rabbit.