Here’s a riddle for you:
Q. What do you call a man with a metal pyramid on his head?
A. Dominic, apparently.
That answer probably isn’t the clever pun you were expecting. But it is the truth. Now you’re wondering which man is wearing a pyramid on his head. Let me show you. It’s this man:
I spotted him yesterday in the Leicester Square Pret A Manger, sketching in a notebook.
And how do I know he’s called Dominic? I’ll get to that…
Previous sightings
When I got home I searched the internet for mentions of the man sporting this idiosyncratic headgear. It turns out he’s something of a quiet phenomenon, and has been spotted wearing a pyramid since at least 2006.
Sightings have been recorded on Ni.cho.las’s blog (July 2006), Yahoo Answers (2007), The Answer Bank (Feb 2009), a Ning blog (Nov 2010) and plenty more in the comments on those pages – not to mention various appearances on Flickr.
And this being today’s modern world, he’s even been captured on video. Wearing a pyramid on your head does make him look a bit conspicuous, so that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Here he is being stalked back in August 2010 by a ‘docupoetrydramatist‘:
But in fact it is Hayley’s report from 2008 that has proven most enlightening. Her post has attracted plenty more sightings in the comments – eventually resulting in a response from the man himself. Brilliant!
So what’s with the hat?
The pyramid hat is apparently called a ‘Raydome’, “a 9-inch steel based headgear pyramid that is orgone plated, applying layers of 24 Karat gold and silver” according to the Pyradyne website that sells them.
Wearing a Raydome supposedly:
- Creates a natural field of negative ions
- Increases concentration
- Promotes greater attention span
- Boosts memory
- Detoxifies body
- Decreases appetite
And Dominic says “it’s very good in terms of what it says it does”.
He continues,
“My pyramid costs only about £35 and I find it just to be a useful device for focusing my mind and not being worn out so much by the central London pollution. I haven’t seen anyone else wearing a pyramid although many people ask me where to get them from so maybe there might be a few others who have bought one since asking me. I heard a couple of years ago that there have been a few people wearing them in High Street Kensington and there have been people wearing them around Camden.”
It looks like the Raydome isn’t the only model of metal pyramid hat, though. The perfect hat for beginners is the Pyradome (pictured left), “specially recommended to those new to Pyramid Technology”, while the highest grade pyramid hat is the Powerdome, a pyramid hat made of PURE TITANIUM.
Finally, if you’re wondering the best way to “treat and energize you water, foods and beverages, balance the taste of wine and coffee, increase the potency of vitamins, restore enzymes of frozen foods” and “promote healthy plant growth”, then the Vitamid is the triangular solution for you:
Naming names
But I digress. I should explain how I know Dominic’s name. It’s because it’s on his Twitter profile, of course!
In the pre-internet age of ignorance (e.g. 1990), a local legend such as the Pyramid Hat Guy would spread mainly in rumour and would be terribly difficult to verify. These days it’s exciting but also a little disturbing to see one man’s life documented so casually and yet – if someone was to join the dots more than I have – so potentially intrusively.
Thankfully, having seen Dominic (or Wmmvrrvrrmm)’s commentary in various places, I am pretty confident he won’t mind yet more coverage – it’s not as if he doesn’t know that his headgear makes him a talking point.
So, although I don’t believe in the powers of the pyramid hat (or ‘pyramid power’ in general), I’m very glad that the tradition of the great British eccentric is being kept alive. So hats off (and back on again) to you Dominic, and your marvellous triangular headgear.
It’s been so many years since I last saw him, but somehow I can now feel some closure. Good job
I went to Amersham College with Domonic believe it or not. He was on my foundation course. A real loner. And very quirky. All he ever did was scribble in his note book and listened to Vanessa paradi on his walkman. I saw him on the Bakerloo line just yesterday afternoon (11th Aug)….and I Knew instantly that this was is was Domonic. This is so Strange…I last saw him in 1994. Can’t believe it….I thought I’d never see this guy again.
He was at Pret Leicester Square last night (17th). Same table, same clothes, same book… I’ve got a pic, I can upload.. let me know where
Hi Sara-Jane! Good spot. You can always upload it to a photo-sharing site like Flickr, Picasa, Twitpic etc.
I would feel a bit weird posting it here though, now we sort of know who he is and all…
Sounds good… weird thing is.. same clothes, same seat, same Pret! I’ll leave the upload for now.. it’s on my facebook with your link to this article
I see him often on my way home at 6.05 pm, Dominic is usually leaving the pret a manger where everyone else has been meeting him!!
My work colleague saw this guy in Forbidden Planet last week. I sent him your blog post, David, and I can now confirm that “you have made his week”.
Good work!
I was in Forbidden Planet yesterday and saw him! Did a bit of a search and found this page, good to know I’m not the only one who has seen him!
Thank you all
Theres a man here in danbury ct in the us who has been sporting a metal one like that for at least 10 years now.I have never seen him without it.
I saw him in Harrow last week, at the train station. He was spotted there a couple of years ago too, and might actually be based in the area going from an old blog post I found.
On met line direction Watford right now, he’s infront of me no joke. He also has a medallion, he looks quite normal
I just saw this man on a Chiltern Line train to Harrow-on-the-Hill. He had company (another man without a pyramid hat) and seemed to be relatively normal apart from the wacky headgear.
I saw him today! He was at baker street tube station and going to marylebone station to get on the chiltern line. He was wearing the exact same jacket and, of course his pyramid! It definatly looked very strange but not many people seemed to be staring at it.
This is fascinating. I have only just resorted to google after seeing this guy around London off and on for years. I was prompted to do so by seeing him in Leicester Square yesterday. I have also seen him at Baker Street tube occasionally. I wonder if he actually works for a living, and if so, as what.
I’m sure he works! I don’t think he’s that strange, really. He just has an unusual taste in headgear…
He works in desktop publishing and is a very good draughtsman. You should look at his sketch book. The word neurodiversity comes to mind!
He is in Forbidden Planet, Leicester Square every Wednesday as this is the evening that new comics come out
We saw him this Wedensday buying that weeks comics 
I just saw him in foyles bookshop and googled man with a metal triangle on his head and found this page. Awesome!
I saw him in Foyles bookstore near Tottenham Court Road too! It was a couple or so weeks ago, I asked him in a polite way why he wears that thing and he told me the same things, like it clears his brain of toxins, keeps him focused, etc. His voice was a bit monotone, robotic in a way. He then said “thank you for talking to me” and I said “thanks” and he walked away. He seemed a little odd, but otherwise he just seemed like a normal guy browsing through a bookstore. I’ve seen him or someone with the same headgear thing quite a few times around this city, so that’s why I had to ask, I’m a curious person. He’s awesome.
We saw him on Saturday night just gone in Pret in Leicester Square and about 4 months ago in Oxford Street Pret. I hope to make it a hatrick soon….
We saw him yesterday, 14th Jan on the London underground!!!
Just seen Dominic on Piccadilly circus!
Seen at Leicester Square Station, changing at piccadilly circus for bakerloo