Celebrations have been taking place across the country to mark the 10th anniversary of the National Lottery. Since it was established in November 1994, £1.86bn of Lottery generated income has been spent on the arts including £1.32bn on capital projects.
In the North East, brass bands from across the region performed together under The Angel of the North. Easington Colliery Band (pictured), the first brass band in the North East to receive National Lottery funding, performed a special version of Robbie Willams? Angels to mark the occasion. However, in a poll to determine the public?s favourite Lottery-funded initiatives, no arts projects were selected. Cultural landmarks such as Tate Modern, the Lowry and the Angel of the North were overlooked in favour of the Millennium Coastal Park in Wales and the National Cycling Network.