Sale of tapestry tickets for Hastings residents opens

A priority sales window to buy tickets to see the Bayeux Tapestry in London has opened for people living near the site of the Battle of Hastings.

A two-day booking window for residents to see the historic work at the British Museum opened at 10:00 BST on Monday.

The early medieval masterpiece, which tells the story of the events leading up to 1066 and the Norman Conquest, has been loaned to the UK as part of an agreement with France, and will open to the public until 11 July next year.

People living near to the site of the famous battle can book by calling the British Museum box office and they will need to give a postcode and use a payment card registered to a Hastings or Rother billing address.

Dr Kieran Mullan, MP for Bexhill and Battle, said: "It is only right that people living in the area where these historic events took place have the opportunity to see the Tapestry while it is here in Britain."

The first day of general sale tickets saw more than 65,000 people joining the online queue and a record 100,000 sold on 1 July. There will be a further two windows, with one starting in two days and a third in January.

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