TV Kirsty impressed with museum
Blists Hill Victorian Town in the Ironbridge Gorge "blew the socks off" celebrity judge Kirsty Young when she stopped off to run the rule over it for the prestigious Art Fund Prize 2010.
Blists Hill Victorian Town in the Ironbridge Gorge "blew the socks off" celebrity judge Kirsty Young when she stopped off to run the rule over it for the prestigious Art Fund Prize 2010.
Kirsty was in town yesterday with fellow judges to look around the Shropshire tourist attraction which is in the running for the £100,000 award. The attraction is up against strong competition but is so far the front runner.
Fellow Art Fund Prize judges Lars Tharp, Jonathan Yeo and Sally Osman were also on hand yesterday to check their scorecards in the competition for museums and galleries.
Radio and TV presenter Kirsty said she was impressed with what she saw at Blists Hill. She said: "I want to stay here for another day. I don't want to leave."
The attraction has just over 35 per cent of the votes with its nearest rival, The Leach Pottery in Cornwall, having just over 22 per cent.
The seven-strong panel of judges is to visit all 11 attractions which have made it through to the finals.
They will look at a number of areas including green credentials, work with the community, the range of activities on offer to educational groups and the overall quality and integrity of exhibits.
The museum also needs to win the public vote and people across the country have been busy voting online.
Steve Miller, chief executive of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum, said: "We have been touched by the level of support that the museum has seen from people far and near, promising to vote for us and pass the website address onto friends, family and colleagues."