Millennium Dome closed for good

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, DEC. 31. Britain's most controversial millennium project, the multi-million pound Dome, closed this evening for good, leaving behind a trail of recrimination and bitterness, besides a lot of red faces in the Government.

Ironically, it was its last moments that turned out to be the best for the Dome as people, braving chill and freezing temperatures, thronged the attraction giving it a truly affectionate farewell. Over 30,000 visitors said goodbye to the Dome which in the past 12 months struggled to attract even 10,000 visitors a day.

When the doors were shut for the last time and the lights were switched off, a little over six million people were estimated to have visited the attraction since it opened in January 2000 as the New Labour's millennium gift to Britain. In the event, it ended up as a symbol of bureaucratic muddle and sheer incompetence with the Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, acknowledging that his Government had learnt a few lessons from the fiasco.

The sombre closure of the Dome was in stark contrast to the show on the opening night a year ago when the Queen was among those who raised a toast to it, though only a few months later, Prince Charles denounced it as an architectural monstrosity. A party was held this evening, but it was reported to be so low-key and gloomy as to pass for a ``wake'' rather than a celebration.

The six million figure that the Dome reached in its final moments was half the projected target which, with hindsight, even the Government admits was a grossly exaggerated estimate. Clearly, an attraction whose viability was decided on the assumption that over 12 million people would visit it every year turned out to be a financial disaster when the estimate went wrong so horribly.

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Section  : International
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