ROSIE MILLARD: Once again the Tate provides an irresistible social draw. The new galleries mean Tate Britain now presents the world's most comprehensive display of British Art. Last night's launch party was attended by the heart of the British Art world, some of whom had some pretty radical ideas about what should go into the new galleries.

TRACEY EMIN:I think they should have an opium den and a smoking room. Firstly, as it's so Victorian and so beautiful let's like think about the ideas that the Victorians wanted and let's have a room that we can relax in… couches, red sofas, big plush velvet curtains, somwhere where we can smoke our cigarettes… would be really fantastic.

ROSIE MILLARD: 800 people have been invited here tonight. All week many, many more have been begging Tate British for an invitation to what's definitely the cultural party of the season.

MAN 1: Tate Modern was a huge success for all sorts of very particular reasons, it's a great buildings, an astonishing achievement. But, it's the building and the actual existence of it er, you know, which is impressive the… that's not, th… that's not to deride it in any sense but Tate Britain is actually rather different. The extraordinary new extension on the east side of the gallery which we're in now I mean, what it is actually letting the art, you know, speak, you know, for itself.

ROSIE MILLARD: Officially opening the development, even the Prince of Wales admitted visual arts in Britain were truly popular.

PRINCE CHARLES: Art after all, is hardly elitist. In the last 30 years art has jumped off its pedestal and broken out of the gilt frame to launch itself into all aspects of life and disclourse.

ROSIE MILLARD: So will Tate Britain take off? It's suffered with the opening of Tate Modern, there was a distinct falling off of visitors, but Tate Britain is making no bones about placing the emphasis of its new extension on the art, as the director of Tate explained.

STEPHEN DEUCHAR: That there was an opportunity within an existing courtyard to choose between creating some great galleries or making simply an architectural experience. And we dicided that we needed galleries for the … that great collection of British art which, so much of which, has remained in store for many, many years.

ROSIE MILLARD: Meanwhile at the launch everyone was considering our two new Tate galleries.

MAN 2: I quite like the fact this is a little more sober and that they, the redesign isn't flash, it's very sympathetic with what the building was before. And so it's a little bit more relaxed, it's not going for the er, if you like the sort of um, stunning effect, modern effects of the , of the Tate Modern and I think it suits the collection better.

ROSIE MILLARD: The re-launched Tate Britain offers quite a revealing experience after all those flashy new art galleries where the architecture is sometimes more important than the art inside. This is a subtle, accessible building wholly focused on the purpose of telling the story of British Art through great paintings and sculpture. Rosie Millard, BBC News, Tate Britain.

-Rosie Millard, 31 October 2001.

ANNA FORD: Just one day of rest, after the long weekend of Golden Jubilee celebrations, and the Queen is back at work today. She and Prince Philip are on the road again with their Jubilee tour - this morning to north London. And instead of a golden coach, a London bus is the favoured mode of transport. Later, the Queen will make her first ever visit to a Hindu temple. Our Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond reports.

JENNIE BOND: The new royal Bentley in a bus garage. It was a dramatic contrast to the pomp and pageantry of the Jubilee weekend. This, though, was the Queen's way of thanking the thousands of transport workers who were on duty then. After a reign of 50 years, there are few official events that can offer anything new. This was one of them. For the first time the Queen stepped onto a London bus. It was a state-of-the-art bus with low-level access and closed-circuit television. She asked whether it had power steering, and wanted to know how much the whole thing cost. The answer, ＄150,000. One of the drivers, who worked through both the Silver and Golden Jubilees, was impressed that she'd made the effort to come.

EUGENE COLLYMORE: Well, I think that will be a, is a good thing, you know, for *she(her) to come and see how, you know, the bus people work, how the transport service and everything, you know. How we transport the people from, you know, from A to B.

JENNIE BOND: And even on a wet Thursday morning after all the festivities around the Palace, hundreds of people wanted to see her. This afternoon will provide another first, when the Queen goes to this Hindu temple in north London. The Tamil community who use it recognise the significance of her visit.

DR NARAYAN RAO: It's very significant in the annals of our history, of this temple, that we have her majesty step into… it is like next to God. We think the royalty is very important to us.

JENNIE BOND: And, in the coming weeks, the Queen will meet representatives from all the major faiths in the UK, underlining the Jubilee theme of inclusiveness.

ANNA FORD: Jennie, I think it's clear that the Queen is making a real effort on this Jubilee tour to visit people and places that she's never ever been to or met before.

JENNIE BOND: Yes, it is becoming a jubilee of firsts, isn't it really, with the concerts in the Palace, the bus garage this morning, and now this magnificent Hindu temple in Archway in north London. Curiously enough it was a synagogue in fact, 15 or so years ago, but is was bought by the Tamil community. And when the Queen comes here, she's going to be shown all around, it is extremely ornate, and taken to see this inner sanctum, which is the idol of Lord Murugan, who is the chief God of the Tamils. Both she and Prince Phillip will then be garlanded with some of the garlands that you see decorating the statues around. And also, in keeping with tradition, both will have to take off their shoes. A special room has been set aside. It's got nice gold and red chairs so they can do that in comfort before this visit, which is part of the Jubilee theme of making sure everyone feels included.

ANNA FORD: Jennie, thank you.

-Jennie Bond, 6 June 2002.