SIR: I refer to the front page headline news last Friday.

I feel I must comment on the £1.68 million donation from the National Lottery to the Bolton Octagon Theatre. This company is a professional one. The administration and performers are all paid a salary. Due to this and their running costs, many of their productions have made little money or even lost money.

Somehow or other they have always managed to have been bailed out. Our local people ie. amateur operatic and dramatic societies are not so fortunate. These societies get no help from the Corporation or Arts Councils. But for the sterling contributions from unpaid, dedicated people the town would be less rich in live theatre at reasonable prices. It would be nice if the vast amount of money going to one company could have been more evenly distributed.

R Brayshaw, Markland Hill Lane, Bolton

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.