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26 January 2010 - 15:31 - #chair’s blog

The NUJ members who can’t get into see her?

Reading the minutes from last month ahead of tonight’s meeting, I am reminded that I’d promised to add a letter from Le Louvre to the site.

Branch secretary Alison Culliford was denied free access to Le Louvre despite her NUJ press card. We wrote and the Director of Communications apologised saying that this was because the entry staff are sub-contractors. In fact, I think museum staff have been on strike over this issue.

We’ve posted the letter online so members who have similar problems can print it off.

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28 January 2010 09:00

Very sadly, I’ve come to despise the Louvre in the last few years. You’d think that a EUR 9 special exhibition entrance fee for regular ticket-buyers (this was 2 years ago; more now, I’ll bet) would get you into the main galleries - you’d be wrong. The toilets are impossible to find and are usually revolting - unless you want to pay - I kid you not - EUR 3 for the "trendy toilets" across from the Virgin Megastore. Now they’re putting in a fucking McDonald’s to go with the Starbucks. Have the French lost all pride?

But the NUJ press card has only NOT got me into three places any time I’ve tried it in six or seven countries now, two of these in small museums in other French towns. But Sarko is screwing with the museums’ ways of operating now, so all bets are off.

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