GuesterTester76 - Nude Gardening - Which Bridge?

This statue, by a French sculptor, adorns the pedestrian entrance to a bridge in Budapest. Which bridge? UPDATED with Winner!

Photo: Spotted by keen Tester Bester Thomas Chilton this week - he thought this would make an ideal GuesterTester. He also insisted on writing the clue in an effort to thwart googlers. (Tom - you hypocrite!) Quite how the lady would actually go about gardening in her attire as sculpted rather boggles the mind - doesn't seem too practical to me if she's got a lot of stinging nettles to root out, let alone a thicket of brambles. And one suspects she might attract a few folks who are interested in more than just how she raised her late-flowering rhododendrons. But I suppose the sculptor (and he was French, after all) found her a more interesting subject than some wizened old bloke he might have found ready to model for a few centimes on a Paris allotment. (Do they have les allotments in Paris? Hubert? Philippe?) I'm pretty sure thousands pass by her every day, and chances are that includes most readers based in Budapest at some time or another. So if you think you know, please message via the website system or send an email. And if you are still puzzled by the last Tester - A bit of Baroque - I put the answers up last night. I would also like to thank Misi Hollós, who also wrote in last week as he wanted to comment on the story on the Inota Chocolate Bar - but the system wouldn't accept his email address for some bizarre reason. (The Wix controlling system can be cantankerous in the extreme.) Anyway, Misi fondly remembers these proletarian sweeties, and so I've added his comments in an update to the post. (Believe it or not, communist chocolatiers managed to concoct a Yuri Gagarin bar - I supposed they trying to get one up on Mars.) Have a great weekend - but don't forget the sleuthing. I think the chances are I'll need to post more clues next week.

UPDATE: Additional clues:

In the communist era, the bridge had a very 'ideological' name. That changed in 1989-90 time to the present Habsburg-sounding name.

​ The bridge was originallly built in the latter half of the 19th century. ​ The sculpture was moved to its current location when the bridge was rebuilt in 1940-42. ​ I think any more clues will make it too easy!

​UPDATE2: The Contestants and Winner!

Sorry for the nail-biting delay on this one. I've been away in Slovenia, fingers to the keyboard doing interviews. Well, I must say this GuesterTester produced a good variety of answers - so well judged, Mr Chilton, whose Guester it was. Very quick with the first answer was Mt Steven Soley, with a very short, but precise: “kester, petofi híd, bst steve” This was soon followed up by Steve Anthony: “I'll have a wild stab without looking... Margit hid Buda side?” In fact, Margit híd proved a popular choice – with Frank Hegedus, Gábor Rimner, and Mihály Hollós all plumping for the angled bridge north of the parliament building. And, may I say, they were in excellent company, because I myself guessed it was Margit híd.

Alas … A very early contestant, Alex Faludy, is usually rude and demeaning whenever he bothers to comment. He reckoned it was not on the river at all. “It is the one which allows one to cross between the VI and XIIIth districts (as separated by railway tracks) in the vicinity of Nyugeti station,” he intoned. Well, I've never heard nor seen of a Nyugeti station, so I've nixed that entry Jerry Taylor, who's always prepared to have a go, and in good spirits wrote: “Hi Kester One I think I know! Is it the pedestrian entrance to the Ferdinand Hid railway flyover? Frequently use it to get to west end and pay my telecom bill Cheers, Jerry Then we had Des McGrath coming in: “The impractically attired gardening lady is at the Ferdinand Bridge,” sayeth he, before Amy Módly had her go: “Oh Kester, you gave it away with the last clue: Hapsburg sounding name = Ferdinand Bridge! Very much a softee you are! All best, Amy” Before long, John Cantwell launched into the affray:

“Dear Kester, Yes, I know that spot. Ferdinánd híd, a bridge over train tracks, not the river. It's “Communist” name was Élmunkás híd. Reserve me a spot in the EU approved black hat. John” As per instructions, reserved, John, you are number 6. Bénédicte Williams was next in, sounding a bit grumpy.

“Ferdinánd híd. Not my favourite bridge in Budapest. BTW, you completely ignored my (correct) answer to KT72! B.” I didn't ignore you, Bénédicte (perish the thought). Your number did go into the EU-approced black woolly hat (promise) – it just didn't come out. Then we had a very late entry, one Alan Sutton: “Is this still open? I am on the train back to Ukraine and my taxi to Nyugati this morning went right past it - or at least past something looking like it, breasts gleaming in the early morning sun. Podmaniczky utca, behind Nyugati, near Ferdinánd híd. I think in the régi szép idők this was Karl Marx Bridge.” Gosh, Alan, you are heading back to Dnipro? Well, good luck.

As for the Communist-era name - see answer from John Cantwell. And so we come to the moment we've all been waiting for, barely able to contain the excitement – THE DRAW!! And first out of the hat is number 1 – er, … heck, Alex Faludy. Wait a minute, he misspelled the station, says I. Not so, says the Competition Committee – who ruled that a typo is no reason for exclusion. What? I can't run this competition to my own rules? I have to suffer indescribably insults from Alex and he can still win a coveted GuesterTester? Outrageous. Brussels interferring again in a private matter, says I. Well, at least I should get my two beers before he quits Budapest for more clement climes this summer. But I have to mention one other entrant (who went into the hat as number 3), none other than David Thompson, who helpfully wrote in with: “Hi Kester, I recognised this one instantly. The bridge is the Ferdinand Hid and this statue is at the pedestrian entry on Podmaniczky utca end of the bridge (opposite Sziv utca). For bonus points??, I then found a photo of the original statue here http://www.ilyenisvoltbudapest.hu/ilyen-is-volt/hatodik-kerulet-terezvaros/item/1900-tajan-podmaniczky-utca which expains: 'When the bridge was built in 1873, an ornamental well with a female figure by the French sculptor Louis Victor Michel Mercier (1810-1894) was placed at the bottom of the parapet of the Podmaniczky street driveways. This statue was re-carved in 1927 and then in 1999 (the latter by Tamás Varga).

David” You definitely get bonus points, David! Sorry you didn't win with all that effort too. But better luck next time! Meanwhile, we still have KT77 and 78 out there – I think I'll have to add yet another clue to the latter, it seems to be a difficult one. Thanks to everyone who took part, it all adds to the fun. Have a great Sunday!