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More by accident than by design in the two weeks either side of Christmas I found myself at four new or recently revamped sporting or theatrical venues. Even if it is a show I don鈥檛 particularly want to see I am always curious to see how well the construction industry has performed.

I am prepared to see almost anything at the Albert Hall because it is such a beautifully well laid out building and almost impossible to get lost in, whereas wild horses wouldn鈥檛 drag me to Earl鈥檚 Court, and despite its ease of access ExCel is utterly without charm.

It does not need a genius to establish that I am not the principal demographic for anything to do with the Spice Girls. One of my daughter鈥檚 friends dropped out, and although her boyfriend wouldn鈥檛 be seen dead at a Posh n鈥� Gerry fest, I was very curious to see how The O₂ Arena turned out.

I鈥檇 seen it as a tent, and I鈥檇 been to the dispiriting Millennium show when it was the Dome, but I hadn鈥檛 seen it since New Labour had given up trying to turn it into Las Vegas. I thought it was Brilliant. Well organised.

There were masses of food outlets interspersed with toilet facilities. I managed to buy five lots of drinks and eats with barely a jostle, and the designers have thoughtfully put a series of zinc covered peninsula units at elbow height all the way round the radius of the auditorium opposite the bars.

I don鈥檛 suppose one can have a more vocal test run than 20,000 young women aged 25 screaming at the top of their voices

Each of these has a pair of built-in mustard and ketchup dispensers at one end, with an enormous rubbish bin underneath it. It may not be Egon Ronay but it works seriously well.

The auditorium manages to be very atmospheric, with comfortable seats even if it鈥檚 quite a climb. It can鈥檛 be easy making an effective acoustic ceiling inside a Teflon tent, I don鈥檛 suppose one can have a more vocal test run than 20,000 young women aged 25 screaming at the top of their voices, but it all seemed to work.

Back in the tube within half-an-hour of the end of the show, it was altogether a very impressive achievement. And Mel B and the girls? A good advertisement for having a personal trainer if nothing else.

Gus鈥檚 venue verdict: Spice Girls 3. O2 8.