Financial safety net needed for theatre

ALTHOUGH the financial investment and sale of Lincoln's Theatre Royal is welcome news, I think City of Lincoln Council should be cautious about what it does with the proceeds and consider why the theatre was bought by their predecessors.

Judging from letters (July 16 and 17) there seem to be many people who are not aware of the radical changes that were taking place in Lincoln in the 1970s and which followed the 1960s urban regeneration schemes in other cities that are now seen as concrete jungles.

Wigford Way, originally named Lincolia Way, was built in 1972 as part of an inner ring road system which would have curved round Newland, then up The Avenue and along West Parade.

The Lincoln City Police Headquarters, popularly known as Ryvita House, shows the direction of the upper leg which would have seen the demolition of various buildings including the old Boots store, now the Job Centre and Lincoln Theatre Royal.

The road would have had a fly-over at Lindum Road with a third leg starting between Rosemary Lane and Montagu Street and terminating at Broadgate car park to feed into Broadgate.

This explains why Boots moved from its former house and as the proposed Brayford Theatre with no orchestra pit never had the necessary finance forthcoming, Lincoln would have been left without a theatre.

City of Lincoln Council bought the Theatre Royal in 1976 because it was then facing severe difficulties with a bankrupt repertoire company.

I suggest therefore that profits from the sale of the Theatre Royal should be put into a special ring-fenced account as a safety net against any future problems.

The situation may be fine at present but as Britain is likely to be facing severe financial restraints I think the theatre's future needs a fall back plan.

THOMAS E. ROOKES Ruskin Avenue, Lincoln.