£100 million budget shortfall for UK’s greatest attractions

by Sean McLachlan on

Some of the United Kingdom’s most-visited sights may have to put off or cancel improvements after it has been revealed that they face a £100 million ($164 million) funding shortfall.

The Guardian newspaper reports the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport has promised far more than it can spend in fiscal years 2009-10 and 2010-11. Department officials failed to explain why they are so bad at math but claim they are looking into the problem. Well, I guess everything will be OK then.

This can’t be good news for the directors and staff at places like the British Museum or Tate Modern, which both planned large expansions, or Stonehenge, which was promised a visitor center, or the British Film Institute, which was supposed to get a whole new building complex. Some of the funding for these projects is coming from other sources, but the department’s portion is a vital part of the planning and now all of these projects will have to be reviewed.

Now that the Empire’s sun has permanently set, the UK needs to realize its two major sources of income are the financial services sector and tourism. Since the financial services people have shown their utter incompetence, the government should be managing its profitable tourist attractions a little more carefully.

Mongol Rally sends drivers on a 10,000 mile road trip

by Kraig Becker on

The sixth edition of the Mongol Rally got underway earlier this week when 400 teams, making a simultaneous start from the U.K., Spain, and Italy, set off on the ultimate road trip. Over the next month, their 10,000 mile journey will span two continents, pass over mountains, through deserts and jungles, and will only end once they reach the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar.

But the Mongol Rally isn’t just any road race. There are some strict rules that the competitors must adhere to. For instance, this isn’t a rally for speed demons, as the largest engine allowed in the competition is a mere 1.2 liters in size. And since the race is used to raise money for a number of charities, the teams are required to raise at least £1000, which is roughly the equivalent of $1650.

Perhaps the most important rule however, is that the teams are completely on their own once the race is underway. That means they have no back-up, no support, and if they run into any kind of trouble, they’ll have to find their own way out. The race is completely self-supported, and all the participants will have to be quite resourceful to over come the inevitable ostacles that will arise on their way to Mongolia.

There was a new rule added to the rally this year which requires that all the cars that are used in the race must be less than ten years old. The reason for this, is that the vehicles are also donated to charity once they reach Mongolia, and the government there has stipulated this change in order to ensure the cars that arrive are of high quality and safer for the environment.

One of the more interesting aspects of the race is that there is no set route that the teams must follow on their journey to Ulaanbaatar. In fact, they are encouraged too “get out there into the world, get lost, stuck and in trouble”, as they make their way across Europe and Asia. The Mongol Rally website does offer some examples of past routes however, and you can see that teams have ranged as far north as the Arctic Circle and as far south as Afghanistan in their wanderings.

This looks like the ultimate driving adventure. Who wouldn’t want to load up a few friends, stock up on drinks and snacks and hit the road for a 10,000 mile drive?

Gadlinks for Wednesday 7.22.09

by Brenda Yun on


There’s nothing really great about summer coming to a close for many. For me, however, this is the time of year I look forward to. It’s time to pack my bags and hit the road! Come Thursday, I’ll be on a plane to California to spend nearly the whole month road tripping and writing. While I look forward to this time, though, there are other things I have to consider. For instance….




  • Before you hit the road, you have to break it to your loved ones, which is never (ever) easy. Here are a few tips on telling friends and family of your travels. [via BootsNAll]
  • Traveling abroad inevitably means arranging for your travel visas, which my cousin quickly realized can be quite a headache. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of his trip to D.C. to acquire visas.
  • This is the best time of the year to see Europe, and if you’re there, you should check out these scenic mountain railways. [via OpenTravel]
  • The keyword this summer has been green tourism, and this article muses on all the new hype on this mode of travel. [via GoGreenTravelGreen]

‘Til tomorrow, have a great evening!

More Gadlinks HERE.

For Helsinki, Design Week 50% longer

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Seven days just won’t work for those crazy Finns. These design-savvy northern Europeans thus had to stretch its design celebration to 10 days. From September 4, 2009 to September 13, 2009, Helsinki will host the Fifth Helsinki Design Week: Do Touch! With workshops, seminars and shopping, you can turn this into a hands-on experience. Don’t worry, the usual exhibitions, fashion shows and studio visits (some spaces normally closed to the public) will be available, too.

The primary exhibition will be at the Cable Factory, featuring designs from the Netherlands. At the same space, The New Draw will introduce nine young Finnish architecture offices that are celebrating a book launch. The Design Market will be home to dozens of vendors selling fashion to furniture on September 5 and 6.

The Open Studios show, on September 9 and 10, sounds most interesting. Creators will open the back doors to their workspaces, offering a rare look at how something goes from idea to product. This is the type of opportunity available only during design week.

While you’re in Helsinki, check out the doughnuts at Snellman’s by the harbor. It’s worth the trip.

Baboons + car + your luggage = one hilarious video

by Scott Carmichael on

Most people know that baboons are naturally curious – but watch the video above to see just how curious they are about the contents of roof boxes.

The video was created by the staff at Knowsley Safari Park in the UK, and acts as a warning to let visitors know that the baboons will open anything they can get their hands on.

Apparently the baboons have mastered the art of opening roof boxes, and that they are very efficient at ripping the contents to shreds. The results are absolutely hilarious.

Of course, this warning applies to any safari, so be sure to listen to the park rangers, and remember that cute and cuddly only goes so far in life.
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