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Turner Contemporary in Margate welcomes its two millionth visitor after opening just five years ago

Margate's Turner Contemporary predicted it would welcome its two millionth visitor on Tuesday, June 7 - and they were right.

Staff at the gallery, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, were eagerly anticipating when their two millionth visitor would arrive, expecting them to walk through the doors today.

They had plenty of treats in store for them, including Chapel Down Brut and a special Turner Tea for Two.

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Turner Contemporary, Margate
Turner Contemporary, Margate

Director Victoria Pomery said: "Two million visits is a tremendous milestone for Turner Contemporary. The gallery has made a real difference to the cultural life of Margate and Kent and our artistic programme has developed a national and international reputation.

Peter Heslip, director of Visual Arts and South East, Arts Council England, added: "They say that time flies when you're having fun and to be sure, the past five years of Turner Contemporary feels like an instant."

The gallery original forecast there would be 150,000 visits a year, but this estimate has been broken each year.

Based on the original forecast, it would have taken 13 years to reach the two million mark.

Instead, there have been an average of 400,000 a year in the five years since it opened.

Two million visits equates to more than 35 times the population of Margate and 500,000 more than the population of Kent.

It also equates to 1,095 visits a day and almost one visit every minute.

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