The Bayeux Tapestry in London

Is it worth the hype?

The celebrated Bayeux Tapestry has been brought to London for a few months.

The British Museum's fantastic marketing campaign has made it the event of the year. Tickets for the tapestry are this year's version of last year's Oasis scramble.

Each visitor gets 40 minutes to pass along the 70 metre embroidery. Apparently, that results in a kind of synchronised sideways shuffle.

Suddenly London's full of people boasting that when they saw the tapestry in Bayeux in the past, there were few people there and they could take as long as they liked.

Well, maybe. But that's not currently on offer, so standing in line at the BM is what it is.

It's our turn late this afternoon, and I'm looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about.

Maybe it's all worth the hype, maybe not.

Whatever happens, my wife and I will take the opportunity of being Up West on a Friday night to pop to the pub and have dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.

So yes, the tapestry will be interesting, but it won't be anything like as rewarding as hanging out with Anita and eating great food (and yes, she's one of those people who keep telling me how great it was to see the tapestry in Bayeux…).