Wales’ Filmtastic Coast or The National Museum of Prams?

Last year, Scotland’s tourist attractions proliferated in number according to a report by the Report Issuing Authority and tourist numbers increased by 10%.  Obvious contributions were made by the Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle and the Robbie Burns Birthplace Museum.  Now Wales, a particularly poor part of England, is selling its heritage as a film and TV set – Moby Dick, Larry of Arabia, Gavin and Stacy.  It is tough times across the UK but with the Olympics, we’ve a great opportunity to fleece the sports tourists who’ll be heading our way, wallets at the ready.  We have Hardy and Bronte Country. Whitby does a roaring trade in Gothic weekends. King Arthur got around in Cornwall and there are plenty of places down there where he apparently sat. If you’re one of those lucky visa card holders with tickets for the synchronized swimming heats and are really pushed for ideas on what to do once the singing and dancing is over how about the Pram Museum in Rugby or the Museum of Mental Health in Wakefield if it all gets too much? Another hot ticket is the Mustard Museum in Norwich. If you are from, say, Mozambique or Ontario and you have been misled by a tour company who boasted Grimsby is right in the thick of it in this year’s games you can always lick your wounds and get hooked on the National Fishing Heritage Centre.

The most ludicrous museum, however, is a mere stone’s throw from the steroids and ralgex: the Sherlock Holmes Museum in Baker Street. It is abundantly clear that the greater number of the people standing on the pavement giggling at the life sized, very human replica of a 19th century Peeler  actually think Sherlock lived. Cut to the chase: head off instead to the Museum of Lawnmowers.