The Albert Memorial
It is a perennial joke amongst those returning from their holidays that the things they had most hoped to see on their journey were lost from view – closed, removed for restoration, or sent away for exhibition elsewhere.
Anyone coming to London at the moment could be forgiven for suspecting that there was a systematic campaign in progress to conceal the most popular and distinctive features of the capital.
The Houses of Parliament have been wrapped in scaffolding, Eros has taken flight while Piccadilly Circus is rearranged, and St Stephen Walbrook, the most celebrated of Wren's City churches, has been under restoration for at least three years. It now seems likely that before long the Albert Memorial will join this list of favourites that have gone into hiding.