[title]
In Michael Handford's famous 'Where's Wally?' picture books, the stripy-sweatered Wally is a bit of an elusive character:
© Where's Wally
Not so on the charming @WallyFound Instagram. According to the account's anonymous creator – 'an ordinary young man living the London dream!' – when he's off-duty, Wally likes nothing more than a bit of peace and quiet.
‘Wally likes all kind of things. Sure, he loves a good crowd, but he can be silly on his own or enjoy some "me time" in the city's quieter locations. I can’t tell you where Wally will be found but you might want to be more curious when you are out there. Perhaps Wally will start being more public!’
On the origin of the account, he says: ‘Wally was big when I was little. They were pretty much the only books I'd take care of! There’s something magical about searching through those busy crowd scenes. Sometimes, I'd be out somewhere in a public place with my mum and hide myself until she could find me after much wandering... and security calls.
‘As a photography lover, when I started using Instagram more seriously, I wanted to create some kind of project where I could have fun and improve my skills. It had to be something meaningful and yet to be done.’
‘I'm the person in the photos. A few friends – @avayvod, @tobyziff and others – have helped me carry on the project since I started. And there are some self-portraits, too.’
‘Getting funny looks when we're out and about is all part of the fun. The thing is: because Wally is so popular, pretty much everyone recognises him straight away!’
‘I've had party people in Leicester Square screaming that they've found Wally, children whispering “Mom, that’s Wally!” and even people waving hello at me from across the Royal Albert Hall.’
‘Where would I love to take Wally next? In London, maybe the Houses of Parliament, or even the Royal Balcony. Worldwide, I'd have to choose either Iceland, because the sublime, cinematic cleanliness and beauty, or Tokyo, because there’s nowhere in the world I could find a bigger crowd!’
We'll have to keep our eyes peeled.