When In The Dome Do As The Domans Do.....Day Out At The Dome Part 2: The Conclusion To The Epic Saga

...Pokémon World Exhibition...1:59pm...
Although not strictly speaking part of the Millennium dome - the Pokémon exhibition was only gonna be around for a couple of days within the grounds, so our Meowth-mad mates thought it would be only right to queue up and report on the event.
Decked out with all things Pokémon, the exhibition hall was completely mental! Kid's wearing Pikachu face paint roamed around clutching their Gameboys (you could download a special Pokémon into your console from the exhibition that day) and official merchandise stalls stocked everything you could ever need...should you really need a yellow Pikachu backpack that is.
After watching the official Pokémon championship for a little while (basically just loads of kids hunched around their Gameboys and N64's screaming randomly at their screens) Ed and Chris thought it might be good time to go back to The Dome and sample some more of it's Y2K delights.
Oh, and just one more thing - wondered Chris M to the official Pokémon attendant - "Could I have one of your official Pokémon T-shirts please? I'm a really important journalist and everything!", "No you can't" came the reply from the attendant. Damn....denied.

...YO! Sushi Bar...2:20pm...
The deep rumbling sound which Ed Vista first thought was some kind of exciting event within The Dome was, in fact, the sound of Chris M's stomach - "Seriously, I can't go on if I don't eat..." he complained. So, to ease his hunger - connoisseur Chris M thought it would be a good idea to visit the YO! Sushi bar and sample some juicy Japanese grub....why he couldn't just settle for a burger I'll never know. The Sushi bar worked in a quite peculiar way - basically, customers sat down in front of long conveyer belts which carried lots of different coloured dishes - each colour corresponded to a different priced sushi speciality. So there sat our two fishy friends, selecting the different dishes as they trundled along - "Hey! That one looks good" shouted Ed as he selected dish after dish of Sushi - "Yeah, but you're not the one paying!" responded Chris M "I've already had ten quid's worth!"

Needless to say, after munching his way through countless plates of the stuff - Chris M's legendary appetite was satisfied and the pair agreed that it was time to explore the dome some more....

...Living Island Zone...2:53pm...
The Living Island Zone was designed to show the effects of environmental damage on our countryside and coasts - y'know, the damage caused through leaving things on the beach, flushing toothbrushes down the toilet, that kinda thing. Set in a mock seaside-resort setting, this informative exhibition was really bright and colourful - so much so in fact, that Chris M rapidly began to apply the sun-tan lotion and put on his swimming trunks....no, not really! It was cool to learn about the causes and effects of pollution on our natural environment they both agreed - although they did both think that this exhibit was probably more suited to the younger visitor to the big D. Another cool thing about this Zone was the inclusion of an authentic games arcade (the sort you'd find in every seaside resort in good old blighty) which had loads of environmentally-friendly-themed games to play - which were all absolutely free! Needless to say, the boys had loads of larks trying to beat each other at the "Hit The Lady With The Soap" game...umm, you really had to be there ok?

...The Work Zone...3:30pm...
"Hmmm, not sure I like the idea of this one..." Chris M warned, "A zone all about work and working?!!?...this is supposed to be a relaxing, informative day-out!". Chris M was partly right - yup, this was a zone dedicated to the world of work and employment - but like all the zones here at the dome, the idea was to make it an enjoyable and educational experience.

"Well OK, as long as there's no hard labour involved!" half-mocked Ed Vista. He needn't have worried though, the Work Zone was more about mental prowess than anything else - comprised of facts and figures about British employment today, the different skills you need to do certain jobs and loads of quizzes and little games designed to test your dexterity.

Well OK, to be honest this was probably the least exciting of the zones on offer here at the Big D - at least according to Ed and Chris. It just seemed a bit....stuffy they thought, but then maybe the grown ups might like it - so at least it offered something for them to look at!

So despite the inclusion of a cool "secret-garden-style" area (really good, all dark and mysterious with fake grass on the floor and everything!) this was a zone that didn't really capture the boys imagination. Yeah, the exhibits were nicely laid out and very factual, but really; how interesting could a zone based on W-O-R-K really be? Not very, they both thought.

...Home James!...4.03pm...
Well, there is was then. The official lowdown on the pupiline day-out-to-the-dome. Tired and weary (and with their lunchboxes now empty of marmite sarnies) our two heroes said goodbye to the soon-to-be-no-more exhibition and got on the train back home. They both agreed that the whole day had been really great fun, and together they reckoned you'd need much more than just a day to realistically see the whole thing - it was that massive! Yup, according to these two, the Millennium Dome gets the big thumbs up...and with the whole thing destined to disappear at the end of the year - you'd better book your tickets and catch it while you still can!

- Eddy Vista