I’ve been doing a few things behind the scenes on the site which should be rolled out fully in a few weeks, but until then I thought it was high time to post a picture of something surprising.

I’ve been driving to and from Liverpool on the M62 for nearly a year now (not every day mind) and it was only a few days ago, now the nights are light, that I noticed what looks to be a large stone on the horizon.

It’s one of those things that, as you zoom past, you try and glance at but soon lose site of and immediately forget. Not so on Saturday, where I got the opportunity to go and investigate what the monolith on the hill near the motorway is.

It’s surprising for a few reasons. Firstly, that it’s a statue – The Dream to be correct. Reading about a large statue (or seeing pictures of it on blog posts) can never convey what a 20 meter high object feels like to stand next to. And, most surprisingly of all, that it’s in St Helens.

For those of you that haven’t been to Liverpool or the surrounding area, you’ve probably not heard of St Helens. I’ve not actually been into it but from what I’ve overheard people saying about it, it’s not the place you’d expect for a modern piece of art. And that is exactly why it should have it – art should be about accessibility, about bringing new audiences to new places.

I don’t know if it’s just because I’m getting a bit older, or if everyone is just becoming more sceptical, but April Fools just doesn’t seem as innovative as it did a few years ago. It’s almost like people assume that everyone will see straight through the gag, and thus there’s no fun to be had.

So it’s nice to see a few people putting a lot of effort in. (I’m fully aware I’m not one of them this year. Next year, definitely!)

Yes, it’s obviously not real. But it’s fun. And that, surely, is the essence of April Fool’s.