Hastings residents missed out on early access to Bayeux tapestry tickets after the British Museum's phone booking system failed to connect them during a promised pre-sale window, according to their MP.
Helena Dollimore, who represents Hastings and Rye, said the system was "glitchy and shambolic" on Wednesday when locals were given first chance to buy tickets before the general public sale opened. Residents of the East Sussex town, historically significant as the site of the 1066 Norman conquest, had been promised priority access.
"It has been almost impossible for her constituents to get through to the British Museum," Dollimore said. She characterised those who succeeded in buying tickets as "queue jumpers," suggesting others obtained them without experiencing the same technical barriers.
The tapestry, a 70-meter medieval embroidery depicting the Norman invasion of England, is on loan to the British Museum and ticket demand has been substantial. The promised local access was a gesture to the Hastings community, given the battle's foundational role in the town's identity.
No statement from the British Museum on the technical failures or plans to offer affected residents alternative access has been included in available reports.