From Little SEEDAs Big Turnips Grow

Breaking news! The final tranche of funding for Margate's putative Turnip Centre has been confirmed! Hurrah! Or 'Boo!', depending on how you feel about the project.

Anyhoo, thanks to one of my regular contributors I have in my sweaty mits today's press release announcing that £8.1m of funding will be guaranteed by the Arts Council and SEEDA, the South East England Development Agency. Among all the self-congratulating and back-slapping is this gem from our Sandy:

This news is fantastic as Turner Contemporary will be a landmark building and one that will help with Margate’s economic regeneration. The council are working hard to regenerate Margate's old town and it is being transformed into a vibrant new cultural quarter. Much of that work has been because of the prospect of Turner Contemporary, which shows the impact it is already having on Margate and the town's regeneration.

As well as confirming that there will be works by the great Turnip painter himself exhibited in the gallery, the PR wallahs have, as you can see, appended a brand new artist's impression of the place to their statement. Although they'll be wanting a few more people to visit than that, surely, if the old town is to be transformed into 'a vibrant new cultural quarter'!