Helpmeimmad.com

What?
Some graffiti on a bridge over the eastern end of the M62 westbound.

When?
early 1980's -

Why?
On family holidays down to Cornwall, this odd little message was always there. Something about the abstract, cryptic nature of it just niggled at me. After a good twenty years, it's still on the go and as fresh as the day it was painted.

What happened?
The graffiti in question is shown on the right. The whole thing is painted on in a sort of blue green enamel paint. It shows no signs of fading, and still has the drips from the day it was painted visible, so it's likely to be there a long time. Incidentally, the motorway has been there since 1976, so presumably the message could be nearly thirty

years old. Growing up in Hull and holidaying a lot in Cornwall as a kid, I saw it quite a lot, and it was always a bit of a landmark when going on a journey any further afield than Brough (so basically any journey). The fact that it doesn't make a great deal of sense, yet lends itself to interpretation by passers by, is sort of intriguing. Particularly when I was younger, I used to find myself doodling it all the time. Nowadays, I often pass it on the way to work, and it always makes me smile. A bit like a lunatic.
As you can see, the message comprises of six parts, making a teasing whole. In order (assuming you are reading from left to right), they are:

The leggy bird-like creature. Almost certainly some type of wader I would say. Could also conceivably be some metaphorical reference to a leggy woman.
The 'plus' sign, indicating that the two terms on either side should be summated (my crappy non maths expert explanation - see here to learn why maths is not my strong point).
The hedgehog. To me, possibly the definitive part of the whole equation. I don't know why, I suppose everyone who passes has their favourite bit.
The equals sign, connoting the completion of the equation. Hence leggy bird and hedgehog is equal to...
The heart. Indicating love, presumably.
The closing observation, 'Hi Kaz'.

Therefore, in its entirety, we can assume that leggy bird, plus spiky hedgehog, results in love. Whether the whole union is implied to have resulted in the eponymous Kaz is open to interpretation in my view. If this were the case, we can assume that the phrase 'Hi Kaz' indicates that fact. Alternatively maybe the artist who produced the whole thing just wanted to say hello to their friend Kaz, and the whole bird / hedgehog union is incidental.

When Will it End?
Mmm. Not sure about this. I think Kaz will always be with me in some way. Seeing it every day or so definitely keeps this on the boil, so it might relent a bit if I move.

Loose Ends
The following loose ends still remain. If you can answer them, please contact me.

Were you responsible for Kaz? What did you mean to tell us?
Have you seen Kaz? What's your interpretation?

Play Along at Home
There's two ways to do this one, the quick and the slow.

Taking the quick first. You need to get on the M62 Westbound, leaving Hull. Shortly after you pass the point where the A63 turns into the M62, keep your eyes peeled for the first bridge passing over the motorway. Kaz is on the lower part of the bridge, over the left hand embankment. Be quick - unless you fancy crashing the car, you'll only have a few sweet seconds to admire the message.

If you want to have a proper look at it, come off the M62 at junction 38. Follow the B1230 for Gilberdyke. As you enter the village of Newport, keep an eye out for a right turn called Thimblehall Lane. Take it, park just before you reach the bridge at the end, and vault the barrier to your right. Being very careful not to slip down the grassy embankment onto three lanes of rushing traffic, feast your eyes. I'm not sure of the legality of this by the way, and it's almost certainly not really all that safe, so don't do it! Maybe if enough people lobby the Highways Agency, they'll put up a viewing area for all Kaz fans.