WITH Dundee’s V&A museum announcing that it would open its doors to the public on September 15, one local scribe took to Twitter to pen an hilarious tribute in the style of Scotland’s worst poet, and Dundee’s favourite son, William McGonagall.
Sheena Devlin wrote: “On the 15th September this very year “The doors to the V & A will open with a mighty cheer “From the people of #Dundee & further too “Desperate to see inside the ship, bold and new.
“I'll be there, in the queue, on the banks of the Tay “For what will undoubtedly be an auspicious day!”
The museum’s own twitter account took up the baton, and replied: “We cannot wait for you all “To come along and be enthralled “We still have a wee bit to do “To be ready to welcome you “But when it comes, that exciting day “We hope you cheer with us: hooray!”
When it opens in the early autumn, the new Dundee site will be the only V&A Museum outside London.
The stunning building on the city’s waterfront has been designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, and will be the centrepiece of the £1 billion transformation of the city's waterfront.
When it opens the V&A will feature permanent galleries of Scottish design as well as an ambitious international programme of changing exhibitions showcasing the very best of design from around the world.
Philip Long, director of V&A Dundee, said: "After many years of planning for V&A Dundee, we are absolutely thrilled to announce the date of the new museum's opening.
"In just eight months we will be opening the doors and welcoming our first visitors.
"V&A Dundee is set to be a vital new cultural organisation for Dundee, the UK and beyond, helping to change understanding of just how important design and creativity are to people's lives.
"We are enormously grateful to all our supporters for helping to make this happen."
At the heart of the museum, the Scottish design galleries will tell the story of the country's international design heritage.
Curated in collaboration with the V&A in London, they will be free to enter and feature about 300 exhibits drawn from the V&A collections, museums and private collections across the world.
At the centre of these galleries will be Charles Rennie Mackintosh's magnificent Oak Room, fully restored and preserved for future generations.
There’s been no word yet if the museum, being primarily centred on design, will have space for any McGonagall.
The unemployed weaver became an unlikely celebrity in his hometown after penning a poem about the collapse of the Tay Rail Bridge in 1879 as a train was passing over, killing all on board.
Unfortunately, McGonagall’s heartfelt poem about the “Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv’ry Tay” was met with laughter.
Reportedly he was even forced to carry an umbrella at all time to protect himself from the rotten fruit being flung his by way by fellow Dundonians.
Though, he may have had the last laugh, he managed to make a living out of bad poetry until he died, age 77 in 1902, and his work has been in print pretty much ever since.
The galleries will also feature a decorated 15th century Book of Hours, a Cartier "Valkyrie" diamond tiara, original Beano artworks from Dundee publishers DC Thomson.
The Michelin Design Gallery, meanwhile, will showcase contemporary design talent, starting with an exhibition presenting design prototypes created by young people in communities across Scotland from Orkney to Govan.
A design residency studio, multi-purpose auditorium for conferences, "design jams", community events and a restaurant with views over the River Tay are also envisaged.
Long added: "V&A Dundee brings something new to Scotland. It is the country's first museum dedicated to design, which visitors will be able to experience and get involved with in very many ways.
"Particularly important is that the new museum enables major V&A exhibitions to be seen more widely by more people across the UK.
"I am especially excited that part of V&A Dundee's opening programme will be the breath-taking exhibition Ocean Liners: Speed & Style, the first of many ambitious exhibitions at V&A Dundee that will show how our lives have been - and always will be - shaped by design."
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