A Truly Great Briton

Charles Darwin was born 250 years ago this year, and his greatest work On the Origin of Species was published 200 years ago this year. Both are significant anniversaries and are rightly being celebrated in a number of ways in this country.

The Natural History Museum Guidebook tells us a little about the museum's newest important building - the Darwin Centre. This two-stage building project (the first part opened in 2002 and the second part is to be opened later this year) sees the provision of new laboratories and storage areas for the museum's collection of specimens not on display, which number in the millions.

The guidebook also tells us that a statue of Charles Darwin keeps visitors company as they drink a cup of coffee in the cafeteria situated behind the Central Hall, the first area that you enter from the Cromwell Road entrance to the museum.

Fortunately, the statue has been moved from the cafeteria to a position at the top of the stairs at the end of the Central Hall.
Let us hope that the museum authorities leave it in this prominent position after this anniversary year. The cafeteria is hardly a fitting location for such an eminent and important scientist, who was a truly great Briton.