The £70 million International Centre for Life in Newcastle - one of 14 UK millennium landmark projects - is still growing. Unlike the doomed Greenwich Dome, the Tyneside venture has had a flourishing first year.

Its visitor attraction, Life Interactive World, has already pulled in more than 230,000, beating the first year target of 250,000??!! Ed. It is already looking to the future, with fitting out due to start on a new pub and a nightclub scheduled to open in September. A hotel, offices and shops development is also on the cards on the site of the adjacent Cattle Market car park.

"We are already in the final stages of negotiation with developers," said Linda Conland, director of Life Interactive World. The centre was set up to explore and increase understanding of life sciences and the building blocks of life - DNA. Its Bioscience centre, which houses businesses in the life sciences field, is 90% full and 150 research scientists from Newcastle University's department of human genetics plus NHS clinical staff are due to move into the centre's Institute of Human Genetics in the next three months.

"It's the first time anywhere in the world that science and technology, research and education, entertainment and ethics, have been brought together on a single site," said Conlan. "This unique working campus is helping to establish the region as a serious player in this field."

The centre was backed with £31.5 million from the Millennium Commission.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

Answers

Anyone Been?

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

I've driven past and wondered what the fluck it was....

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

No - I'd like to though. Bummer about the Cattle Market. I usually park there before the game!

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

Thought about going when I was over in January, but the brochures make it look very child-oriented so wasn't sure it would be interesting enough to an unaccompanied adult.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

Very good for a one off visit. Ben and Isla thought it was great, Lady MacBeth wasn't so impressed. Doesn't have the same atmosphere as the Marlboro bus station

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

Ciara you should have taken screacher along, as he's always acting like a big kid.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

Almost all of the ground floor is empty, I was there when the police were putting wax seals on all of the manholes in the area prior to the Queens visit, but I never got to see anything interesting apart from the receptionist.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

Unless the receptionist is male, that exhibit won't do much for me. ;-))

Thanks for the tip, Syme! So Screach...what are you doing in December? Then again if they're putting a pub into the place, perhaps we can plan a BBS gathering there. Cake and...errr, plant life(?!) party?

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

F*** off Syme or I'll take my ball away. Boo hooooooooooooooo.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

Then that would leave you without any balls then screach! Sorry, mate you walked right into that one.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

Oooh - a totally unexpected response from the windy city! Boooo hoooooooooooooo (he said, in a high voice).

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

IF the Dome had a night club attached to it maybe it'd be a success.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001