The novelist Ian McEwan tells a good story about the opening party for Tate Modern on 11 May 2000, when he was introduced to the then prime minister, Tony Blair, by the Tate director, Nicholas Serota. Mr Blair shook the author’s hand and told him that he was a big fan of his work and had some of his paintings in Downing Street.
Yoko Ono, Jarvis Cocker and Neil Tennant were also there, along with Queen Elizabeth II. As the gallery celebrates its 25th anniversary, it is hard to imagine such an extravaganza happening today.
