Dismaland

My hometown has been blessed with a five week exhibition in the Tropicana (our abandoned beach-front lido) by Banksy, who used to visit when he was younger. This is not an entirely Banksy show, like the exhibition in bristol a couple of years ago, but invloves a vast range of international artists creating objects, experiences, sculptures, rides and paintings.

It wont be easy to get in as there are only 4,000 tickets a day but fortunately for locals Banksy provided a "locals only" day and then the Dismaland website crashed meaning that you had to actually turn up and queue ... then came the rain which kept some people away leaving only a small line of people on the Sunday and a wait of less than 30 minutes.

Warnings; there will be a queue, wear sensible shoes, no writing implements allowed, chemical toilets. Advice; pizza looks good, plenty of soft drinks, coffee is dismal, gift shop is ok (great kids t-shrts £10) and the programme (£5) is fab.

As it happens, my mother has a flat literally opposite the event and we had watched the construction - the local story was that it was a film set for "Grey Fox" so the announcement last week was a real surprise.

Expect the unexpected. Plenty of art that will make you smile, or make you think. Political statements, dismal events, sour-faced staff, great videos (plenty of deckchairs around for you to sit in) and food and drink stalls. There are children around but it is not aimed at them and you have to hope some of it goes slightly over their heads - but then you can say the same of panto scripts! The Carousel has a slaughterhouse section, Disney is distorted, Damien Hirst has a small pony in formaldehydemade up as an unicorn ... parental guidance required ;-)

Coming soon? Events on a friday night.

A journey around will take a couple of hours, some events require you to queue again which is a good thing as it means nowhere is overcrowded.

What you get from these exhibits will depend on you and how you approach them. I adored the whole experience and felt challenged and excited in equal measure. There is a link to some of my photos at the bottom of this article or check out the Weston Mercury.

Personal favourites; scaffolding horse, crazy teaset, some of the paintings, Hirst's beachball and Banksy's Princess and the Paparazzi. Will I visit again? Yes, as soon as the roof bar gets its licence - what a brilliant place for a cocktail at sunset!

Brilliant ...