quizballs 50 -- part 2 - Google Groups quizballs 50 -- part 2 41. What Cumbrian town was used as a 2007 pilot for the digital TV switch-over? 42. It was announced in April 2007 that Lord Justice Scott Baker would replace Baroness Butler-Sloss in what position? 43. What remarkable sale price did Damien Hirst's diamond-encrusted skull achieve? 44. Which world champion 400m runner successfully overturned her Olympic Games ban for missing drug tests? 45. Monks featured strongly in the September protests in which country? 46. Which northern England city was flooded by torrential rain on on 25 June 2007? 47. In what US city did Barack Obama announce his presidential candidacy in February 2007? 48. Which Bollywood actor was at the centre of the 2007 Big Brother TV Show racism uproar? 49. Shinzo Abe resigned in September 2007 as prime minister of which country? 50. Which corporation bought 1.6% of Facebook for $240m? 51.

The Kate Moss Collection was launched by what store chain? 52. The two CDs lost by the UK department HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) contained personal details of 20m people relating to claims of what? 53. Who resigned as England cricket coach after the 2007 Ashes series 5-0 defeat? 54. What nickname was used by the media for the senior policeman in charge of the Cash for Honours investigation? 55. In May 2007 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the biggest what in history to date? 56. Intensive British forces operations in Afghanistan through 2007 were centred in which province? 57. In what significant UK location was the August 2007 Climate Change Camp sited? 58. Which movie star left the much publicized 'rude pig' phone message for his twelve year old daughter? 59. In a bizarre 2007 confessional frenzy, Ruth Kelly, Jacqui Smith, Harriet Harman, Hazel Blears and Alistair Darling where among several British government ministers to make what admission? 60.

At the end of 2007 how many England Premiership football (soccer) clubs were foreign owned? 61. In June 2007 the Millennium Dome re-opened under what name? 62. Which famous aviator and adventurer went missing over the Nevada Desert in September 2007? 63. The perfume brand 'Mwah' was launched in 2007 by which 'celebrity'? 64. What country celebrated on August 15th 2007 its 60th anniversary of independence from British rule? 65. Who resigned as World Bank President after failing to disprove allegations of his nepotism? 66. Which country won the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup? 67. Following an Ofcom investigation which TV company was judged in September 2007 to be the worst offending in the premium line phone-in scandals? 68. What film won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Picture? 69. Speculation towards the end of 2007 suggested that Rupert Murdoch's News International Group was in discussion to buy what significant business networking website? 70.

Which rapper cancelled his UK tour when refused entry to the country? 71. What was the name of the Space Shuttle which launched on June 8th 2007? 72. Who made this amusing statement: "I have expressed a degree of regret that may be equated with an apology..." ? 73. Whose secret donations of over half a million pounds caused a big problem for the Labour Party when they were exposed in November 2007? 74. Who became the new French president in 2007? 75. Who was charged with fraud when he reappeared five years after going missing in a canoe off the Cleveland coast? 76. Clarence Mitchell was appointed media spokesman for whom in September 2007? 77. Which Formula One racing team was expelled from the 2007 Constructors Championship for spying on a competitor? 78. Blake Fielder-Civil achieved notoriety as whose errant husband? 79. Which former newspaper owner and business mogul was sentenced to 78 months imprisonment for fraud in December 2007? 80.

Which major city switched off its lights for an hour on the evening of 31 March 2007 as a political statement about climate change? 81. What was the village and laboratory site name connected with the August 2007 foot-and-mouth desease outbreak near Guildford in Surrey? 82. Garments of which famous clothes label were found being made by child labour in India in October 2007? 83. Which organization announced euphemistically it would 'transition' its modestly performing '360' social networking website? 84. What Richard Dawkins' book attracted huge popularity and controversy throughout 2007? 85. In 2007 according to World Health Organization statistics what are the only two non-African countries with an under-five infant mortality rate of more than 10%? ANSWERS: 42. Coroner at the inquests into the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed 60. Nine (Manchester Utd, Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Fulham, Portsmouth, West Ham and Sunderland.) 61. O2 (or to be precise, O2) 62.

Steve Fosset (fully James Stephen Fossett) 63. Channelle Hayes (UK 2007 Big Brother contestant) 64. India 65. Paul Wolfowitz (arranged a big pay rise and promotion for his partner and World Bank employee Shaha Riza) 66. Germany (becoming the first nation to retain the title, with a 2-0 final victory over Brazil) 67. GMTV (Good Morning Television Ltd - 75% owned by ITV, and 25% owned by Walt Disney Co., as at 2007.) 68. The Departed (directed by Martin Scorsese) 69. Linkedin.com 71. Atlantis (its five sister Space Shuttle craft are/were Enterprise, used for testing only, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery and Endeavour - interestingly not the US spelling 'endeavor' because the craft was named after the English explorer James Cook's ship HMS Endeavour. Challenger was lost shortly after launch in 1986; Columbia was lost on re-entry in 2003.) 72.

Des Browne (UK Defence Minister, after conveniently allowing the distracting purchase and publication by the press of stories from British sailors captured and held by Iran) 73. David Abrahams Millennium Dome - 必应 Sign in Millennium Dome The Millennium Dome, consequently referred to simply as The Dome, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium. Located on the Greenwich Peninsula in South East London, England, the exhibition was open to the public from 1 January to 31 December 2000. The project and exhibition was the subject of considerable political controversy as it failed to attract the number of visitors anticipated, with recurring financial problems. All ... (展开) of the original exhibition and associated complex has since been demolished. The dome still exists, and it is now a key exterior feature of The O2. The Prime Meridian passes the western edge of the Dome and the nearest London Underground station is North Greenwich on the Jubilee line. Millennium Dome Construction The dome is one of the largest of its type[clarification needed] in the world.

Externally, it appears as a large white marquee with twelve 100 m-high yellow support towers, one for each month of the year, or each hour of the clock face, representing the role played by Greenwich Mean Time. In plan view it is circular, 365 m (one metre for each day in a standard year) in diameter. It has become one of the United Kingdom's most recognisable landmarks. It can easily be seen on aerial photographs of London. Its exterior is reminiscent of the Dome of Discovery built for the Festival of Britain in 1951. The architect was Richard Rogers and the contractor was a joint venture company, McAlpine/Laing Joint Venture (MLJV) formed between Sir Robert McAlpine and Laing Management. The building structure was engineered by Buro Happold, and the entire roof structure weighs less than the air contained within the building. Although referred to as a dome it is not strictly one as it is not self-supporting, but is in fact a giant Big Top, the canopy being supported by a dome-shaped cable network, from twelve king posts. For this reason, it has been disparagingly referred to as the Millennium Tent.

The twelve posts represent the twelve months of the year, another reference to time in its dimensions, alongside its height and diameter. The canopy is made of PTFE-coated glass fibre fabric, a durable and weather-resistant plastic, and is 52 m high in the middle – one metre for each week of the year. Its symmetry is interrupted by a hole through which a ventilation shaft from the Blackwall Tunnel rises. As with all tent canopies, the roof has a finite, weathering, life and once this is reached the decision will need to be made, either to replace it, at enormous cost, or to remove the entire structure. The critic Jonathan Meades has scathingly referred to the Millennium Dome as a "Museum of Toxic Waste", and apart from the dome itself, the project included the reclamation of the entire Greenwich Peninsula. The land was previously derelict and contaminated by toxic sludge from East Greenwich Gas Works that operated from 1889 to 1985. The clean-up operation was seen by the then Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine as an investment that would add a large area of useful land to the crowded capital.

This was billed as part of a larger plan to regenerate a large, sparsely populated area to the east of London and south of the River Thames, an area initially called the East Thames Corridor but latterly marketed as the "Thames Gateway". Millennium Dome Background to the Dome project The Dome project was conceived, originally on a somewhat smaller scale, under John Major's Conservative government, as a Festival of Britain or World's Fair-type showcase to celebrate the third millennium. The incoming Labour government elected in 1997 under Tony Blair greatly expanded the size, scope and funding of the project.[citation needed] It also significantly increased expectations of what would be delivered. Just before its opening Blair claimed the Dome would be "a triumph of confidence over cynicism, boldness over blandness, excellence over mediocrity". In the words of BBC correspondent Robert Orchard, "the Dome was to be highlighted as a glittering New Labour achievement in the next election manifesto".

However, before its opening, The Dome was excoriated in Iain Sinclair's diatribe, Sorry Meniscus – Excursions to the Millennium Dome (Profile Books: London 1999, ISBN 1-86197-179-6), which accurately forecast the hype, the political posturing and the eventual disillusion. The post-exhibition plan had been to convert The Dome into a football stadium which would last for 25 years: Charlton Athletic at one point considered a possible move but instead chose to redevelop their own stadium. Fisher Athletic were a local team interested in moving to the Dome, but they were considered to have too small a fan base to make this feasible. The Dome was planned to take over the functions performed by the London Arena, after its closure. This is the function which The O2 Arena has now undertaken.

The interior space was subdivided into 14 zones (with the lead designers of the zones): Who we are: Body, sponsored by Boots, supported by L'Oréal and Roche (Branson Cortes Architecture) Mind, sponsored by BAE Systems and Marconi (Office of Zaha Hadid) Faith comprised 5 sections: History of Christianity, Making of Key Life Experiences, How Shall I live?, Night Rain (a contemplation area designed by James Turrell) and Faith Festivals Calendar (Eva Jiricna Architects with Jasper Jacobs Associates) Self Portrait, sponsored by Marks & Spencer (Caribiner with Lorenzo Apicella at Pentagram), sculpture design by Gerald Scarfe What we do: Work, sponsored by Manpower Inc.

(WORK) Learning, sponsored by Tesco (WORK) Rest (Richard Rogers Partnership) Talk, sponsored by BT Group (Imagination Group) Money, sponsored by the City of London (Caribiner with Bob Baxter at Amalgam) Journey, sponsored by Ford Motor Company (Imagination Group) Where we live: Shared Ground, was made from recycled card sponsored by Camelot Group plc (WORK) Living Island (WORK) Home Planet, sponsored by British Airways and BAA plc (Park Avenue Productions) Many of the Zones were perceived as lacking in content. The Journey Zone, outlining the history and development of transport, was one of the few singled out for praise.[citation needed] Surrounded by the zones was a performance area in the centre of the dome. With music composed by Peter Gabriel and an acrobatic cast of 160, the Millennium Dome Show was performed 999 times over the course of the year. Throughout the year, the specially-commissioned film Blackadder: Back & Forth was shown in Skyscape (a separate cinema on the site sponsored by BSkyB).

There was also the McDonald's Our Town Story project in which each Local Education Authority in the UK was invited to perform a show of their devising which characterised their area and its people. As well as the above, the first ever series of Techno Games was filmed there and shown on BBC Two the same year. Other attractions There were a number of other attractions both in and outside of The Dome. Inside the Dome there was a play area named Timekeepers of the Millennium (featuring the characters Coggsley and Sprinx), The Millennium Coin Minting Press in association with the Royal Mint, the 1951 Festival of Britain Bus, and the Millennium Star Jewels (focus of the failed Millennium Diamond heist.) Outside was the Millennium Map (thirteen metres high), the Childhood Cube, Looking Around (a hidden installation), Greenwich Pavilion, the Hanging Gardens at the front of the Dome, as well as a number of other installations and sculpture. Dispersal of exhibits Following closure of the Dome, some Zones were dismantled by the sponsoring organisations, but much of the content was auctioned. This included a number of artworks specially commissioned from contemporary British artists.

A piece by Gavin Turk was sold for far below his then auction price though Turk stated that he did not think the piece had worked.[clarification needed] The Timekeepers of the Millennium attraction was acquired by the Chessington World of Adventures theme park in Surrey. A unique record of the memorabilia and paraphernalia of the Millennium Experience is held by a private collector in the United States. Many of the fixtures and fittings were also purchased by Paul Scally, chairman of Gillingham F.C., for the club's stadium. Temporary reopenings Despite the ongoing debate about the dome's future use, the dome opened again during December 2003 for the Winter Wonderland 2003 experience. The event, which featured a large funfair, ice rink, and other attractions, culminated in a laser and firework display on New Year's Eve. It also served as the venue for a number of free music festivals organised by the Mayor of London under the "Respect" banner. Over the 2004 Christmas period, part of the main dome was used as a shelter for the homeless and others in need, organised by the charity Crisis after superseding the London Arena, which had previously hosted the event.

In 2005, when work began for the redevelopment of the Dome, the London Arena hosted the event again. 1994: Millennium Commission established by Prime Minister John Major and handed over to Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine. 1 March 1995: chief executive Jennie Page appointed. 19 June 1996: Greenwich Peninsula site selected over Birmingham by the Millennium Commission. The Birmingham NEC, Pride Park in Derby and Bromley-by-Bow in East London were the other locations on the final short list.[citation needed] December 1996: Government decides to support the project with public money after being unable to raise private capital.[citation needed] 19 June 1997: New Prime Minister Tony Blair visits Greenwich to announce that the Millennium Dome has been saved. The decision was taken only after a difficult Cabinet debate which lasted for more than an hour. 20 June 1997: Tony Blair appointed Peter Mandelson to the role of Minister for the Millennium after his announcement that the beleaguered £580 million dome would go ahead. 10 January 1998: Creative director Stephen Bayley quits the project.

He is said to have been at "loggerheads" with Peter Mandelson as to who was in charge with the project. 23 December 1998: Peter Mandelson resigns from government after a financial scandal. 4 January 1999: Lord Falconer of Thoroton replaces Mandelson. May 1999: The Jubilee Line Extension opens, putting the Dome on the London Underground. This too is seen as disorderly, opening 14 months late and with station facilities not yet complete (e.g. lifts for wheelchair access). 22 June 1999: structure of Dome completed. 31 December 1999: the BBC Balloon was Flying during 2000 Today and used throughout 2000. 31 December 1999 and 1 January 2000: VIP guests are kept waiting outside for hours because of a ticketing problem. 1 January 2000: Dome structure opens to public as the Millennium Dome containing an exhibition to celebrate the third millennium. 5 February 2000: chief executive Jennie Page sacked.

26 July 2000: Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee publishes adverse report on Dome's management. 7 November 2000: Thieves break into the diamond exhibit during opening hours but are foiled by waiting police. Four men were jailed for the attempted robbery on 18 February 2002. 9 November 2000: National Audit Office publishes report blaming unrealistic attendance targets for the Dome's financial problems. 14 November 2000: Michael Heseltine (MP for Henley), the Dome's original political supporter, states "I have seen the inside story, and of course, with hindsight, all of us would do it differently". 31 December 2000: Dome closed to the public, having attracted just over six million visitors. The initial projected figure was twelve million. 27 February 2001 – 2 March 2001: One Amazing Auction Sale: Four-day public auction with 17,000 lots of Dome/NMEC items, managed by auctioneer Henry Butcher.

18 December 2001: Announcement of sale of site to Meridian Delta Ltd, who plan to turn it into a 20,000-seat sports and entertainment venue. Houses and offices will be built on the surrounding land, subject to the consent of the London Borough of Greenwich 6 December 2003: opening of Winter Wonderland 2003. 25 May 2005: Anschutz Entertainment Group sells the naming rights to the former Millennium Dome to O2 plc, a British mobile phone company. Millennium Dome In popular culture During the political controversy surrounding the dome in 1996 Wonderbra ran an advertising campaign with the slogan 'Not all domes lack public support'. Within the foundations of the Dome in 1998, a time capsule was buried by Katy Hill and Richard Bacon, two of the then current presenters of the long running BBC children's programme Blue Peter. The capsule is due to be opened in 2050. The Dome was featured in a chase sequence of the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough, culminating in Bond rolling down the roof of the Dome.

The song "Silvertown Blues" from Mark Knopfler's album Sailing to Philadelphia deals with the construction of The Dome. Since its construction in 1999, it has been a prominent feature in the title sequence of the popular soap opera EastEnders, having been built in that area of London. During a climactic scene in October 1999, involving an argument and fight between Grant and Phil Mitchell, the Dome was a part of the background as the scene took place directly on the opposite side of the river. Two books about the attempted robbery of the De Beers diamonds from the Dome were published in 2004: Diamond Geezers – The Inside Story of the Crime of the Millennium (ISBN 1843171228) written by Kris Hollington, published by Michael O'Mara Books Ltd, and Dome Raiders – How Scotland Yard Foiled the Greatest Robbery of All Time (ISBN 1852271949) written by Jon Shatford and William Doyle, published by Virgin Books. Gideon's Daughter is a BBC television drama written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff.

Starring Bill Nighy, Miranda Richardson and Emily Blunt, it was first broadcast in the UK on BBC One on 26 February 2006. It is set against the backdrop of New Labour's rise to power, the death of Princess Diana, and the development of The Dome. Both Nighy and Blunt received Golden Globe Awards for their performances. The show won a Peabody Award in April 2007. ^ UK CPI inflation numbers based on data available from Gregory Clark (2015), "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)" MeasuringWorth. ^ Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved November 10, 2015. ^ Millennium Dome site in £44m work bonanza Construction News, 28 May 1998 ^ Long span structures Architecture Week, 26 March 2003 ^ Hellman, Louis (26 June 1997). "Letter: Millennium Tent". Letters to The Independent (London). Retrieved 29 June 2009.

^ "House of Commons Hansard Debates 13 November 2000". Commons Hansard Debates. 13 November 2000. Retrieved 29 June 2009. ^ "Stephen Bayley on the rebirth of the Millennium Dome". The Observer (London). 24 June 2007. Retrieved 29 June 2009. ^ "11 Secret Features Of Famous London Landmarks". Londonist. 20 October 2015. ^ "Four Documentaries – Abroad Again in Britain". BBC. Retrieved 10 August 2011. ^ "Dome woes haunt Blair". BBC News. 15 February 2001. Retrieved 31 January 2007. ^ Millennium Experience. p.26. EAN 5060006651519. ^ Millennium Experience. p.60. EAN 5060006651519. ^ SkyScape Greenwich 2000 ^ "Timeline: Dome diamond heist". BBC News. 18 February 2002.

Retrieved 30 June 2008. ^ Sunday Times. 1st February 1998. ^ Off message. Bob Marshall-Andrews ^ Page, Jennifer (4 May 2000). "My Crown of Thorns". guardian.co.uk (London: Guardian News and Media). Retrieved 26 July 2008. ^ "Winding-up the New Millennium Experience Company Limited" (Press release). National Audit Office. 17 April 2002. Retrieved 3 January 2007. ^ "Experience". New Millennium Experience Company. Archived from the original on 24 June 2007. Retrieved 4 July 2007. ^ "Legacy loses exclusive dome bidding rights". guardian.co.uk (London: Guardian News and Media). 18 December 2001. Retrieved 3 May 2008. ^ "Legacy loses exclusive dome bidding rights". guardian.co.uk (London: Guardian News and Media). 15 February 2001. Retrieved 3 May 2008. ^ "The Millennium Dome: A collection". Retrieved 4 July 2007.

^ Tongue, Steve (19 January 2003). "Football: He paid £1 for the club. Now the Gills are quids in". The Independent on Sunday. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 8 November 2007. ^ Respect Festival 2003 The Situation ^ Over 30 acts to perform at respect festival's Comedy Dome Greater London Authority, 17 July 2003 ^ Heald, Claire (24 December 2004). "Dome hosts homeless for Christmas". BBC News. Retrieved 12 May 2010. ^ "Christmas services for homeless". BBC News. 14 November 2005. Retrieved 12 May 2010. ^ Bon Jovi open new O2 venue inthenews.co.uk, 25 June 2007 ^ a b "Mandelson: Dome alone". BBC News. 23 December 1998. Retrieved 4 March 2007. ^ "A hollow man and an empty tent". guardian.co.uk (London: Guardian News and Media).

7 July 2006. Retrieved 31 January 2007. ^ "The Dome: A Message from Tony Blair". Greenwich2000. 24 February 1998. Retrieved 2 March 2007. ^ Evening Standard, 19 June 1997 ^ Evening Standard, 20 June 1997 ^ The Times, 10 January 1998 ^ Birmingham Post, 14 November 2000 Millennium Dome | London Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia See also The O2 Arena The Millennium Dome, often referred to simply as The Dome, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium. Located on the Greenwich Peninsula in south-east London , England, the exhibition opened to the public on 1 January 2000 and ran until 31 December 2000. The project and exhibition was the subject of considerable political controversy as it failed to attract the number of visitors anticipated, leading to recurring financial problems.

While all of the original exhibition and associated complex has since been demolished, the canopy or shell of the dome still exists, and it is now a key exterior feature of the The O2 entertainment district. Contents The dome, seen from the Isle of Dogs . The structure is the largest of its type in the world. Externally it appears as a large white marquee with twelve 100 m-high yellow support towers, one for each month of the year, or each hour of the clock face, representing the role played by Greenwich Mean Time. In plan view it is circular, 365 m in diameter — one metre for each day of the year — with scalloped edges. It has become one of the United Kingdom's most recognisable landmarks. It can easily be seen on aerial photographs of London. Its exterior is reminiscent of the Dome of Discovery built for the Festival of Britain in 1951. The architect was Richard Rogers and the contractor was a joint venture company, McAlpine/Laing Joint Venture (MLJV) formed between Sir Robert McAlpine and Laing Management. The building structure was engineered by Buro Happold, and the entire roof structure weighs less than the air contained within the building.

Although referred to as a dome it is not strictly one as it is not self-supporting, but is a mast-supported, dome-shaped cable network. The canopy is made of PTFE coated glass fibre fabric, a durable and weather-resistant plastic, and is 50 m high in the middle. Its symmetry is interrupted by a hole through which a ventilation shaft from the Blackwall Tunnel rises. Apart from the dome itself, the project included the reclamation of the entire Greenwich Peninsula. The land was previously derelict and contaminated by toxic sludge from an earlier gasworks that operated from 1889 to 1985. The clean-up operation was seen by the then Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine as an investment that would add a large area of useful land to the crowded capital. This was billed as part of a larger plan to regenerate a large, sparsely populated area to the east of London and south of the River Thames, an area initially called the East Thames Corridor but latterly marketed as the "Thames Gateway".

Background to the Dome Project Edit The Dome project was conceived, originally on a somewhat smaller scale, under John Major's Conservative government, as a Festival of Britain or World's Fair-type showcase to celebrate the third millennium. The incoming Labour government elected in 1997 under Tony Blair, greatly expanded the size, scope and funding of the project. It also significantly increased expectations of what would be delivered. Just before its opening Blair claimed the Dome would be "a triumph of confidence over cynicism, boldness over blandness, excellence over mediocrity". In the words of BBC correspondent Robert Orchard, "the Dome was to be highlighted as a glittering New Labour achievement in the next election manifesto". However, before its opening, The Dome was excoriated in Iain Sinclair's diatribe, Sorry Meniscus - Excursions to the Millennium Dome (Profile Books: London 1999, ISBN 1861971796 ), which accurately forecast the hype, the political posturing and the eventual disillusion. The post-exhibition plan had been to convert The Dome into a football stadium which would last for 25 years: Charlton Athletic at one point considered a possible move but instead chose to redevelop their own stadium.

Fisher Athletic were a local team interested in moving to the Dome, however they were considered to have too small a fan base to make this feasible. The Dome was planned to take over the functions performed by the London Arena, after its closure, along with the Croydon Arena which is currently being built. This is the function which The O2 arena has now undertaken. Millennium Experience Edit The Millennium Dome at night, Sept 2000 After a private opening on the evening of 31 December 1999 the Millennium Experience at the Dome was open to the public for the whole of 2000, and contained a large number of attractions and exhibits.

The Exhibits The interior space was subdivided into 14 zones (with the lead designers of the zones): Who we are: Body, sponsored by Boots, supported by L'Oréal and Roche (Branson Coates Architecture) Mind, sponsored by BAE Systems and Marconi (Office of Zaha Hadid) Faith (Eva Jiricna Architects with Jasper Jacobs Associates) Self Portrait, sponsored by Marks & Spencer (Caribiner with Lorenzo Apicella at Pentagram), sculpture design by Gerald Scarfe What we do: Talk, sponsored by BT Group (Imagination Group) Money, sponsored by the City of London (Caribiner with Bob Baxter at Amalgam) Journey, sponsored by Ford Motor Company (Imagination Group) Where we live: Shared Ground, sponsored by Camelot Group plc (WORK) Living Island (WORK) Home Planet, sponsored by British Airways and BAA plc (Park Avenue Productions) Some of the Zones were perceived as lacking in content and pandering to political correctness. The Journey Zone, outlining the history and development of transport, was one of the few singled out for praise.

The Tower that ate People arose from the floor during the stage show Surrounded by the zones was a performance area in the centre of the dome. With music composed by Peter Gabriel and an acrobatic cast of 160, a stage show was performed 999 times over the course of the year. Throughout the year, the specially-commissioned film Blackadder: Back & Forth was shown in Skyscape (a separate cinema on the site sponsored by Sky Television plc). These features escaped a great deal of the criticism that was heaped on the rest of the project, although the lyrics and meaning of the stage show were considered difficult to follow by many, and the Blackadder film was noted for being neither as sharp or funny as the original four television series and specials. The music from the stage show was later released on Gabriel's album OVO (complete with lyrics). There is apparently no video record of the show, though arguably it would be difficult to capture a show of such large scale on video. There was also the McDonald's Our Town Story project in which each Local Education Authority in the UK was invited to perform a show of their devising which characterised their area and its people.

As well as the above, the first ever series of Techno Games was filmed there and shown on BBC Two, the same year. Other Attractions Edit There were a number of other attractions both in and outside of The Dome. Inside the Dome there was a play area named Timekeepers of the Millennium (featuring the characters Coggsley and Sprinx), The Millennium Coin Minting Press in association with the Royal Mint, the 1951 Festival of Britain Bus, and the Millennium Jewels (focus of the failed Millennium Diamond heist). Outside was the Millennium Map (13 metre height), the Childhood Cube, Looking Around (a hidden installation), Greenwich Pavilion, the Hanging Gardens at the front of the Dome, as well as a number of other installations and sculpture. Financial and Management Problems Edit The project was largely reported by the press to have been a flop: badly thought-out, badly executed, and leaving the government with the embarrassing question of what to do with it afterwards. During 2000 the organisers repeatedly asked for, and received, more cash from the Millennium Commission, the Lottery body which supported it. Numerous changes at management and Board level, before and during the exhibition, had only limited, if any, results.

Jennifer Page was sacked as chief executive of the New Millennium Experience Company just one month after the dome's opening. Press reports suggested that Blair personally placed a high priority on making the Dome a success. But part of the problem was that the financial predictions were based on an unrealistically high forecast of visitor numbers at 12 million. During the 12 months it was open there were approximately 6.5 million visitors — slightly more than the 6 million that attended the Festival of Britain, which only ran from May to September. Unlike the press, visitor feedback was extremely positive. It was the most popular tourist attraction in 2000, second was the London Eye; third was Alton Towers, which had been first in 1999. According to the UK National Audit Office, the total cost of The Dome at the liquidation of the New Millennium Experience Company in 2002 was £789 million, of which £628 million was covered by National Lottery grants and £189 million through sales of tickets etc. A surplus of £25 million over costs meant that the full lottery grant was not required.

However, the £603 million of lottery money was still £204 million in excess of the original estimate of £399 million required, due to the shortfall in visitor numbers. The Aftermath Edit Following the closure of the Millennium Experience at the end of 2000, the dome remained closed for most of the next 6 years. It was, however, still of interest to the press, the government's difficulties in selling the Dome on being the subject of much critical comment. The amount spent on maintaining the closed building was also criticised. Shortly after it had closed, Lord Falconer reported that The Dome was costing over £1 million per month to maintain. Dispersal of Exhibits Edit Following closure of the Dome, some Zones were dismantled by the sponsoring organisations, but much of the content was auctioned. This included a number of artworks specially commissioned from contemporary British artists. A piece by Gavin Turk was sold for far below his then auction price though Turk stated that he did not think the piece had worked. The Timekeepers of the Millennium attraction was acquired by the Chessington World of Adventures theme park in Surrey.

A unique record of the memorabilia and paraphernalia of the MEX is held by a private collector in the U.S.A. Kiosks, bins as well as assorted souvenirs appeared at Dreamland amusement park, Margate, Kent. Temporary Reopenings Edit Despite the ongoing debate about the dome's future use, the dome opened again during December 2003 for the Winter Wonderland 2003 experience. The event, which featured a large fun fair, ice rink, and other attractions, culminated in a laser and firework display on New Year's Eve. It also served as the venue for a number of free music festivals organised by the Mayor of London under the "Respect" banner. Over the 2004 Christmas period, part of the main dome was used as a shelter for the homeless and others in need, organised by the charity Crisis after superseding the London Arena, which had previously hosted the event. In 2005, when work began for the redevelopment of the Dome, the London Arena hosted the event again. Redevelopment as The O2 Edit For more information about the redeveloped Dome site, see The O2 . Originally, some suggested that the dome be torn down.

By late 2000, a proposal for a high-tech business park be erected under the tent area, creating an "indoor city" complete with streets, parks, and buildings. The business park was actually the original 1996 proposal for the site of the peninsula before the plans for the Millennium Dome were proposed. In December 2001 it was announced that Meridian Delta Ltd had been chosen by the government to develop the Dome as a sports and entertainment centre, and to develop housing, shops and offices on 150 acres (0.6 km²) of surrounding land. It is also hoped to relocate some of London's tertiary education establishments to the site. Meridian Delta is backed by the American billionaire Philip Anschutz, who has interests in oil, railways, and telecommunications, as well as a string of sports-related investments. The dome was publicly renamed as The O2 on 31 May 2005, in a £6 million-per-year deal with telecommunications company O2 plc, now a subsidiary of Telefónica O2.

This announcement, which presaged a major redevelopment of the site that retained little beyond the shell of the dome, gave publicity to the dome's transition into an entertainment district including an indoor arena, a music club, a cinema, an exhibition space and bars and restaurants. This redevelopment was undertaken by the dome's new owners, the Anschutz Entertainment Group, to a design by HOK SVE and Buro Happold. It cost £600 million, and the resulting venue opened to the public on 24 June 2007, with a concert by rock band Bon Jovi. Effects on Political Careers Edit Issues related to the Dome damaged Peter Mandelson's and John Prescott's political careers. The scheme was seen as an early example of what some saw as Tony Blair's often excessive optimism: "In the Dome we have a creation that, I believe, will truly be a beacon to the world". The green light and foundations for this project were provided by the previous Conservative government. Chronology of the Project Edit 1994 : Millennium Commission established by Prime Minister John Major and handed over to Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine. 19 June 1996 : Greenwich Peninsula site selected over Birmingham by the Millennium Commission.

The Birmingham NEC, Pride Park in Derby and Bromley-by-Bow in East London were the other locations on the final short list. December 1996 : Government decides to support the project with public money after being unable to raise private capital. 19 June 1997 : New Prime Minister Tony Blair visits Greenwich to announce that the Millennium Dome has been saved - on his personal say-so. The decision was taken only after a difficult Cabinet debate which lasted for more than an hour (Evening Standard - Thursday, 19 June 1997). 20 June 1997 : Tony Blair appointed Peter Mandelson to the role of Minister for the Millennium after his announcement that the beleaguered £580 million dome would go ahead (Evening Standard - Friday, 20 June 1997). 10 January 1998 : Creative director Stephen Bayley quits the project. He is said to have been at "loggerheads" with Peter Mandelson as to who was in charge with the project (The Times - Saturday, 10 January 1998). 23 December 1998 : Peter Mandelson resigns from government after a financial scandal.

4 January 1999 : Lord Falconer of Thoroton replaces Mandelson. May 1999 : The Jubilee Line Extension opens, putting the Dome on the London Underground. This too is seen as disorderly, opening 14 months late and with station facilities not yet complete (e.g. lifts for wheelchair access) 22 June 1999 : structure of Dome completed. 31 December 1999 & 1 January 2000 : VIP guests are kept waiting outside for hours because of a ticketing problem. 1 January 2000 : Dome structure opens to public as the Millennium Dome containing an exhibition to celebrate the third millennium. 5 February 2000 : Chief Executive Jennie Page sacked. 26 July 2000 : Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee publishes adverse report on Dome's management. 7 November 2000 : Thieves break in to the diamond exhibit during opening hours but are foiled by waiting police. Four men were jailed for the attempted robbery on 18 February 2002 9 November 2000 : National Audit Office publishes report blaming unrealistic attendance targets for the Dome's financial problems.

14 November 2000 : Michael Heseltine (MP for Henley), the Dome's original political supporter, states "I have seen the inside story, and of course, with hindsight, all of us would do it differently" (Birmingham Post - Tuesday, 14 November 2000). 31 December 2000 : Dome closed to the public, having attracted just over six million visitors. The initial projected figure was twelve million. 27 February 2001 - 2 March 2001 : One Amazing Auction Sale: 4-day public auction with 17,000 lots of Dome/NMEC items, managed by auctioneer Henry Butcher. 18 December 2001 : Announcement of sale of site to Meridian Delta Ltd, who plan to turn it into a 20,000-seat sports and entertainment venue. Houses and offices will be built on the surrounding land, subject to the consent of the London Borough of Greenwich.

6 December 2003 : opening of Winter Wonderland 2003 25 May 2005 : Anschutz Entertainment Group sells the naming rights to the former Millennium Dome to O2 plc, a British mobile phone company. In Popular Culture BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | Can you rebrand a bad memory? Can you rebrand a bad memory? Five that rebranded and one that didn't By Craig Smith What has Abu Ghraib got in common with the Millennium Dome? They've both been shut down only to reopen under new names. But the rebranding trick is a hard one to pull off, especially when bad memories are fresh. Sellafield, Altria, Sea River Mediterranean, Xe - the rebranding club recently gained a new member in the guise of Baghdad Central Prison. That most of these names will be unfamiliar illustrates the difficulty, or futility, of attempting to wipe clean the slate of history with a mere name change. Even with the benefit of five decades passing, the British nuclear reactor formerly known as Windscale looms large in the public consciousness for the disaster that occurred there in October 1957 when a fire led to a radioactive leak.

Abu Ghraib should be knocked down, turned into a community centre, a park area or even a parking lot. Anything but a prison Joel Biswas Futurebrand What chance then for Altria, formerly Philip Morris, to shed its associations with tobacco, or the oil tanker Exxon Valdez to put ecological disaster behind it with a pleasure cruiser-type moniker such as Sea River Mediterranean? Iraq, and the US's presence there, has opened up a new chapter in such "rebranding" exercises. The reputation of Blackwater, the security contractor operating in the country under a US State Department contract, was already badly damaged by the time of a 2007 shooting involving Blackwater guards that left a dozen Iraqi civilians dead. Earlier this month it renamed its group companies Xe (pronounced "zee") is an attempt to limit its losses to the State Department contract that once represented a third of its annual revenue. Saddam past Abu Ghraib prison will find it less easy to eradicate an ugly past.

It gained notoriety in 2004 when the world witnessed shocking images of prisoner abuse at the hands of their US military captors - an episode that former US President George Bush described as the low point of his tenancy at the White House. Before the arrival of the Americans, the prison had held inmates and enemies of Saddam Hussein in their tens of thousands. This is the most vivid association with Abu Ghraib prison The Iraqi officials now running the prison are at pains to point out that Baghdad Central Prison is a very different institution to the one the Americans eventually shut down in 2006. It now houses a modern medical centre, mosque, hair salon and recreational area for visiting families. The authorities have capped the number of inmates it will hold at 14,000. Such efforts to improve the "product" are understandable, commendable even, yet its "repackaging" faces one, seemingly insurmountable, hurdle. Whatever name the prison goes by, it still sits squarely in that district between Baghdad and Fallujah called, well, Abu Ghraib. And while marketing gurus can do what they like with a company or institution, they have little sway over the renaming of an entire neighbourhood.

This is the new Baghdad Central Prison "This isn't so much an attempt at commercial rebranding as an attempt at reconstructive surgery, changing one's identity and trying to live under an assumed name," says Joel Biswas, senior strategy consultant at branding agency Futurebrand. "The only problem is that Abu Ghraib can't actually physically relocate." In fact, the rebranding is an insult to the Iraqi people and a major black eye for the branding industry, says Mr Biswas. "Abu Ghraib should be knocked down, turned into a community centre, a park area or even a parking lot. Anything but a prison." Whether or not the branding industry suffers by the efforts of Baghdad Central Prison or vice versa, the fact is that its management faces the same difficult decision as any crisis-hit organization - whether to keep, change or cull the brand. In 1982, the US's leading over-the-counter medicine, Tylenol, was rocked by the so-called Tylenol Murders, when capsules on shelves were laced with cyanide, killing seven customers. Although the deaths were all in the Chicago area, the effect was felt nationwide and few believed the brand could survive the disaster.

Owner Johnson & Johnson responded swiftly, launching a then unprecedented mass recall, public information campaign and relaunch. Within a year, not only had the household name survived, it had regained its market share and more than restored public trust. Dome crisis What Johnson & Johnson realised is that the residual value of a well-known brand is greater than the damage that can be done to it by even the worst of crises, assuming you respond to the problem ethically and effectively. It is a fine line, however, and the trick is in being able to spot the difference between a brand survivor and one that is in its death throes. Though little else was wounded in its making than a few political egos, by the time the Millennium Dome opened for business on 1 January 2000, it was already a brand suffering a catastrophic crisis of reputation. Over budget and overhyped, the exhibition that the structure housed attracted just over half the number of visitors forecast. A year later the venue was closed and struggled for purpose for six years until it was reopened as "the O2" in June 2007.

Although it had shed the Millennium Dome name and had benefited from a ï¿½600m interior refit, the building, its location and, fundamentally, its purpose as an entertainment venue had not altered. What had changed was that with the passing of time the public mood toward "Britain's biggest white elephant" had softened sufficiently to allow its use once more. Craig Smith is a marketing author and editorial director at publishing agency Velo. Below is a selection of your comments. How awfully British! Do you seriously think such considerations feature in the day-to-day thoughts of the average Iraqi citizen? Mick Mahone, Halifax, Canada Some artefacts ought to be able to overcome the memories without a change of name. The "O2" is meaningless. "The Millennium Dome" at least describes what it is, and what it looks like (a clue - its a dome). Andrew Smith, Eastbourne Just a word in praise of the Millennium Dome. The dome itself was a success: open on time and to budget, it deservedly won several prizes. The exhibition inside it was a public relations disaster - attendance predictions were plucked out of the air, it wasn't actually possible to get the predicted number of punters inside in the time available.

A lesson in how not to run a major event. Dave Parker, Bishop's Stortford Another parallel with the Baghdad Central Prison story is the renaming in the 1970s of Long Kesh Internment Camp into HMP Maze outside Belfast. 'The Kesh' moniker however survived just as long as the prison (and the troubles) did. Tony Craig, Northern Ireland London Olympics next - rename it 'Sports Day', and fast. Steve, Tunbridge Wells Far more than the public mood softening towards the millennium dome/O2, it is the fact it is now one of the largest concert venues in the UK. Were it still primarily an exhibition venue it would still be struggling along. Amazing what changing something into something actually useful will do to its popularity! Edd, Crewe Re-branding, for me, does not work. I buy nothing that is re-branded, I now do not have anything to do with 'Aviva' 'Nestle' 'Snickers' 'starburst' etc. Roger, Birmingham You forgot Disneyland Paris from Euro-Disney.

Manjit Singh, Kent Millennium Dome - The O2 Dome phone (for tickets): UK Customers: 0870 534 4444 Customers outside the UK: 00 44 161 385 3211 nearest train station: North Greenwich 0.1 miles (0.1 km) The O2 may forever be referred as to as the Millennium Dome even though its name was officially changed on May 31 2005. The most recognisable landmark in central London when viewed from a plane the O2 Millennium Dome can be seen as a large white circular building. It's actually the worlds largest fabric structure. The mobile phone company O2 bought the right to name the building and so changed the name to their own for obvious promotion and publicity reasons. Together with Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) a £500 investment in the site will see it reopen in 2007 as a major sports and events venue with a capacity for up to 23,000 visitors. The structure is sited in Greenwich on the Meridian line by the River Thames.

Almost alongside the Blackwall Tunnel which gives access to the North side of the River Thames. Built to commemorate the current Millennium and designed by architect Richard Rogers. The dome opened to the public on January 1st 2000 and closed its doors on December 31st of that same year. The Dome held a massive range of exhibits with 20 major attractions divided into 14 zones. Body, Work, Learning, Money, Play, Journey, Self Portrait, Living Island, Talk, Faith, Home Planet, Rest, Mind, and Shared Ground. At the time the Millennium Dome came under a lot of criticism for its poor management both in terms of spending and spiralling costs and the originality and quality of the exhibits. During its open the exhibition saw 6.5 million visitors. Since 2007 the O2 has been used for major music, exhibitions and sports events. Its main building can handle up to 20,000 spectators while the smaller indigO2 caters for up to 2350. The Dome was credited as being an integral part of the successful bid for the 2012 Olympics in London. The venue will be used for gymnastics and the basketball finals.

Millennium Dome Facts for Kids | KidzSearch.com The Millennium Dome looking over the River Thames The Millennium Dome in daylight The Millennium Dome is a large dome -shaped building in Greenwich in South East London , UK . It was built in 1997/2000 to celebrate the beginning of the third millennium . The name was officially changed to The O2 when Telefónica O2 Europe plc bought the naming rights from the developers, Anschutz Entertainment Group. From 31 December 1999 until 31 December 2000 the Dome and some surrounding buildings were the home of the Millennium Exhibition which was meant to show the best of Britain to the world. The most successful part of the Exhibition was the stage show that was held two or three times each day in the middle of the dome. The show had dozens of dancers and acrobats , music by Peter Gabriel , and a tower that rose out of the dome's floor. The rest of the Exhibition was not as successful as the Dome's owners had hoped. About 6 and a half million people visited the Exhibition, which was only half the number its owners hoped for.

The dome was sold to US Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) and reopened in July 2007 as the O2, an entertainment complex including a 22,000 seat concert and sports venue, cinema, music club and exhibition spaces. Among the first artists to perform there were Bon Jovi and Prince . The Rolling Stones performed there in August 2007, Led Zeppelin played a reunion show there in December 2007, and the Spice Girls took residence in the arena from December 2007 to January 2008. In 2012, as part of the Summer Olympics in London, the building was renamed the "North Greenwich Arena" and was used to host gymnastics and basketball . [1] A walkway across the top of the dome's structure has been opened, allowing visitors to cross the roof at a height of 60m. [2] The O2 Roofwalk tourist attraction is now partially powered by solar energy.

[3] References Millennium Dome 'was bankrupt' within weeks of opening | Daily Mail Online Millennium Dome 'was bankrupt' within weeks of opening By MATTHEW HICKLEY Last updated at 17:45 07 December 2007 The Millennium Dome ran out of money almost from the day it opened its doors seven years ago, newly released documents have revealed. The grandiose project turned into a political catastrophe for New Labour as the expected 12 million paying visitors failed to materialise and the scheme had to be bailed out repeatedly with vast rescue grants from Lottery funds to stave off bankruptcy. Now papers released by the National Archives show that the Dome's operating company struggled to pay its bills from the start and ran out of cash completely by January 28, 2000 - just four weeks after the attraction's notoriously chaotic opening night - and was forced to go cap in hand to the Millennium Commission to beg for more Lottery money to stay afloat. Mike O'Connor, head of the Commission at the time, said: "We always felt like we were dancing on the edge of doom.

"The option was give them the money they want, or let it go into insolvent liquidation." Mr O'Connor - who now heads the Olympic Lottery Distributor, in charge of making similar grants to fund the 2012 games - recalled how the Millennium Commission struggled to force the Dome's operators to raise their game. He told the BBC: "We set condition after condition after condition asking them to improve matters. To be fair they met some, but many they didn't. "But when they hadn't, the only option we ever had was the nuclear option of letting the project go to the wall. In the end that wasn't a decision my board was willing to take." Throughout the year the operating company NMEC struggled to pay its bills, documents have now revealed. In July alone the company had 34 County Court judgements issued against it for non-payment. In the end the Dome needed four rescue grants from the Commission over the course of the year, and the amount of Lottery money swallowed up by the project spiralled from a planned £399million to a massive £628million. The Dome became a millstone around the necks of Tony Blair's government.

He inherited the plans from the Tories in 1997 but embraced them enthusiastically, and the Dome became a symbol of New Labour's "Cool Britannia" image. Former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott famously predicted before the project opened: "If we can't make this work we not much of a government." From the start the Dome's content was criticised as bland and vacuous. Ticket receipts were dismal. A string of senior bosses were sacked, and the financial meltdown turned the ambitious scheme into a political running sore. Documents now reveal that Mike O'Connor actually recommended early closure when the Dome's operators asked the Millennium Commission for yet more money in April, with the company again just hours from financial collapse. According to minutes of board meetings some commissioners agreed. Lord Glentoran told his colleagues another rescue grant for the Dome was futile, adding: "There were not many people visiting it, there was little joy about it around the country and it was not seen as a great national achievement." Yesterday he insisted that seven years on he still believed the Dome should have closed early, saying: "I think it would have saved us a huge embarrassment which people are still talking about." When the Dome exhibition finally closed the Government struggled for years to find a buyer.

Eventually ministers gave up and in 2002 handed the site over for free to developers, in exchange for a hoped-for share of future profits. It finally re-opened this summer, housing the successful 20,000-seat O2 concert and sporting arena. Interior of O2 (C) Richard Dear :: Geograph Britain and Ireland IMPORTANT: Please read the Buckets Article before picking from this list Interior of O2 After extensive internal alterations the Millennium Dome was re-opened and renamed O2 at the end of June 2007. It now contains a 20,000 seats Arena, 2000 seats concert hall, several screens cinema and many restaurants and cafes.

Question: In June 2007 the Millennium Dome re-opened under what name?
Answer: O2