£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.

Enjoy Iran in London (at a discount)

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Step back in time with the latest exhibit at The British Museum. Sha ‘Abbas: The Remaking of Iran highlights the religious, social and cultural impact of this ruler on seventeenth century Iran. To make this unique experience more accessible, the Montague Hotel is offering a unique deal.

For only £189 a night (based on two guests), you’ll get a luxury room, breakfast, two tickets to the Sha ‘Abbas exhibit and the accompanying catalogue, as well as a two-course lunch in the Montague’s Blue Door Bistro. The package is available starting today and extends through June 14, 2009.

The Montague, a Red Carnation Hotels property, is within walking distance of the West End and The British Museum, and it’s not far from London’s Financial District and Covent Garden. So, spend a few nights there, and soak up the city.

[Photo via The Montague Hotel]

Now at the British Museum: Babylon

by Grant Martin on

Winter’s special exhibition at the British Museum, Babylon: Myth and Reality, is up and running and will be open until March 15th.

Inside, the collection details the rise and fall of the ancient city, highlighting on the reign of Nebuchadnezzar and pulling from biblical, ancient and even modern references. You’ll see 16th century artist’s renditions of the Tower of Babel, Hanging Gardens, various historical accounts on a host of ancient media and silently wander past models of Babylon at it’s prime. You also will learn about the site in it’s current condition today, where a US military base has astonishingly placed restrooms over sensitive archaeological content in the desert.

Babylon: Myth and Reality is an excellent opportunity to peer into the window of Babylon, learn about its history spend a few hours wandering through the well presented exhibit.

As always, access to the British Museum is free to all visitors, but to get into the special exhibition, an adult ticket will cost 8£. Alternatively, if tickets are sold out or you wish to further support the museum, you can become a member for 45£, after which all exhibitions are free for a year.

Photo of the Day (12.16.08)

by Grant Martin on

I’m off to the UK today, pushing back from Detroit airport at precisely 6:15 to coincide with this article’s publication. After spending the tail end of the workweek at Loughborough University I’ve scheduled some downtime in London where the British Museum, captured above by ultraclay!, is one of my top destinations.

Though I’ve been there several times, you just can’t beat the feeling of walking into the central atrium to stare up at the magnificent ceiling above the main reading room. And once you manage to pry your eyes away? You’ve got about two weeks of content to browse through in the halls of the museum. How exciting.

Have any cool photos you’d like to share with the world? Add them to the Gadling Pool on Flickr, and it might be chosen as our Photo of the Day.

See you tomorrow in London, and thanks to Marilyn and Janelle at the ITB for the rest of my itinerary.

24 Hour Museum website: a resource to tour for hours

by Jamie Rhein on

If you are in the United Kingdom or if you are heading there anytime soon, the website “24 Hour Museum,” is a handy reference guide. This is where you can find out about the listings and features of 3,000 museums and heritage sites around the United Kingdom from the large to the small venues. Instead of just listings with brief descriptions, there are downloads of art, other websites and articles about what is going on pretty much everywhere.

One thing I like about the site is that you can find places you may not have thought about. Sure the British Museum in London may be on your list of places to go, but how about The Chinese Arts Centre in Manchester? There’s an exhibit going on with the theme Collective Identity that features the work of 10 Chinese artists.

The 24 Hour Museum also has a feature called Trails. Each trail has a theme that shows travelers what museums and cultural spots have a particular connection to each other. For example, the trail “A History of Enlightenment, Buddhism in London” leads travelers to various museum exhibits, temples and gardens that show a Buddhist influence. There are detailed descriptions of each place so you can brush up on each site’s importance beforehand.

I wish I had known about this site when I was in London for just a day. It would have been great to know what exhibits to look for when we popped in and out of museums in a mad dash to see as much as possible.