Here are some more of Sarah’s pictures from an emotional morning at the university.
More pictures as Long Boi statue is revealed to the world
Long Boi statue unveiling – as it happened
26 September 2024
These were our updates as the legendary duck’s memorial was unveiled
• Key updates
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Video: Watch the moment when the Long Boi statue is revealed
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‘Let’s all celebrate the life of Britain’s tallest duck’ – Greg James
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‘I’m from India. And my family said – you go to the same university as Long Boi!’
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Here’s Long Boi waiting to be unveiled
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‘A wonderful, engaging, distinctive duck’: Vice chancellor Charlie Jeffery
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Tributes pour in to Long Boi: ‘A staple of my life’
Video: Watch the moment when the Long Boi statue is revealed
Without further ado, here’s the unveiling of the Long Boi statue!
Greg James did the honours at the University of York Central Hall, followed by a minute of quacks.
‘Let’s all celebrate the life of Britain’s tallest duck’ – Greg James
Here’s what Greg James has been saying in his Long Boi eulogy today.
“When I first spoke about long boy on the Radio One breakfast show in May 2021 I had no idea that a fleeting comment about a very tall duck would lead to this now, three years later.
“There are hundreds of people here in person to remember and to celebrate him. Millions listening to this ceremony right now on the radio, and even more people all around the world following this story.
“So thank you to everyone who’s taking the time out of their day to listen to this ridiculous event, and thank you to you for your attendance here today.”
He went on: “Some people might not get why we’re doing this today. They might wonder why everyone put in so much time and effort for something that, on the surface, looks silly.
“But silly things are important. Silly things get us through the day.
“And look silliness brings us together, and our favourite animals get us through the day too.
“We love them because they show us the best of ourselves. So when you get the chance to celebrate silliness and to celebrate animals at the same time, you have to seize it with both hands, and that’s what we’re going to do today.
“So without further ado, Let’s all celebrate the life of Britain’s tallest duck.”
BBC star Greg James takes to the stage
After broadcasting his Radio 1 breakfast show live from the University of York today, Greg James is now addressing the hall.
He is dressed in suitably funereal black, complete with veil.
Greg composed his eulogy to Long Boi on the train up to York last night.
‘I’m from India. And my family said – you go to the same university as Long Boi!’
Tanisha Jain, sports officer for the University of York Students’ Union, was involved with the fundraising for the Long Boi memorial.
She told Sarah Dunphy that the duck had global appeal.
“We realised that there’s so much overwhelming love for Long Boi.
“I’m from India, and my friends and family in India knew who Long Boi was and they were like, “Oh my god, you go to the same university as Long Boi’.
“We knew we needed to commemorate his life somehow.”
The full interview is below.
Here’s Long Boi waiting to be unveiled
People are gathering in the Central Hall of the University of York now ready for the ceremonies to begin.
The spotlight is on the statue of the willowy waterfowl, hidden under a sheet.
Here are some more pictures from Sarah at the scene.
‘A wonderful, engaging, distinctive duck’: Vice chancellor Charlie Jeffery
Here’s the University of York vice chancellor Charlie Jeffery paying his tribute to Long Boi.
Absolutely no idea that a duck, a wonderful, engaging, distinctive duck, could generate so much passion.
So we’re going to have at Central Hall at the university, 700 or so students. It’s eight o’clock in the morning, and they’re all ready.
Students don’t normally do that! So this, this is a big thing for the university and for our students. They just love our animals on campus, and this one really took their imagination.
‘My mum was so excited to see Long Boi’
Here’s another personal memory of the lofty lake dweller, this time by Gen Andrews…
Tributes pour in to Long Boi: ‘A staple of my life’
Our Sarah Dunphy has been talking to folk on the University of York campus about their memories of Long Boi, the tall duck.
Here’s Kaitlyn Beattie-Zarb:
I saw him pretty much every day if he was on campus, I saw him, and I would walk past him on my way to lectures, and it was great, and you would feed him. And, like, it was just such a he was such a staple of my life there in first year.
Pictures from the University of York before the ceremony
Our reporter Sarah Dunphy is at the scene of the unveiling, the University of York.
Greg James’s is broadcasting his Radio 1 Breakfast Show live from the scene (you’ll be listening to YorkMix Radio of course).
Here’s what’s going on there today.
Long Boi is on Wikipedia
As befits a global legend, Long Boi is on Wikipedia.
Here’s how the entry begins…
Long Boi (fl. 2018 – April 2023) was an unusually tall male duck that lived by Derwent College, University of York, England. He was thought to be an Indian Runner duck-Mallard cross, standing out among the other ducks on the campus due to his height. He went viral and became an internet meme in 2021. His popularity saw him become an unofficial mascot for the university. At least one commentator has branded him ‘Britain’s most famous duck’.
In early May 2023, students expressed concerns that Long Boi had not been seen in at least a week. On 11 May, the university concluded that he was presumably dead. He had not been seen on campus for nearly two months.
You can read the whole entry here.
Some pictures of the great duck
Here are a few Long Boi pictures from our archives to remember him by.
There is more to today than a mere statue unveiling.
That of course is the apogee of today’s events when we will finally see Long Boi immortalised.
But there’s a whole order of service. It includes a very serious minute of quacking.
Here it is in full:
- Welcome: Greg James, friend of Long Boi
- Charlie Jeffrey, vice chancellor of University of York
- Long Boi bedtime story – Calum Leslie
- Reflection: University of York students
- Making Long Boi: Neil Mason, Long Boi’s sculptor
- Reflection: University of York delegates
- Musical interludes: Duck-themed 10 minute takeover
- The Sing Song Society – Hot To Go (Long Boi’s version)
- Tribute messages: Friends of Long Boi
- Long Boi Statue Unveiling
- Minute of quacking
- Burial on Derwent Lake: Jordik Viking Centre’s Vikings
The day is finally here
York is preparing to say goodbye.
The city’s favourite waterfowl, Long Boi, will be honoured at a service held at the University of York today (Thursday, 26 September).
And BBC star Greg James will be broadcasting his Radio 1 breakfast show live from the campus – and unveiling the long-awaited statue to the web-footed legend.
You can read our full preview here.