BANKSY BRISTOL EXHIBITION - £10 million into the city's economy!

The homecoming exhibition of Bristol boy Banksy finished yesterday in Bristol. I was lucky enough to catch it last

month and have to say it's probably one of the best exhibitions I've ever seen. Braving the rain in a queue for 1.5 hours,

sometimes reaching 6 hours long, the show did not disappoint with many of the pieces made especially for this

one-off homecoming exhibition. See the promo clip here...

A couple of things that made it great, for one thing it was free, so attracted a far wider audience who maybe aren't

your usual art goers. The wide spectrum of ages, from kids to grannies... great for kids to see the animated

animals which are a reflection on animal rights and where food comes from. You could take photos (without flash)

thus spreading the exposure to friends, family and the world! Also by making it free it created quite a shift of posters

and books in the gift shop. Smart move!

More amazing facts below...

- £10 million into the city's economy and doubled the turnover of a number of local businesses.

- Over 12 weeks more than 300,000 people, around 4,000 each day, matching the museum's own annual number of visits.

- Visitors queued come rain or shine for between two and six hours to see more than 100 works.

In a statement sent by text message, Banksy said: "It's nice to see it's been so popular but it makes me a bit suspicious.''

See why in the full article...