I HAVE been a volunteer guide at Smithills Hall for the past four years, and am appalled that Bolton Council is proposing to scrap the trust which now runs the hall and hand over the running to the Museum Service.

In my time there, I have seen no evidence that the museum people are really interested in the Hall.

Suggestions for improvements have been blocked. When the outside lights failed recently, it took six weeks for them to be restored. On two separate occasions, leaks in the roofs took more than three months to be fixed.

The trust chairman is correct in stressing that the hall is more popular than ever, with many visitors from outside this area and even abroad. It is proving very popular for weddings, and ghost evenings are more and more popular.

Bolton and its council have something very good going for them in having Smithills Hall run as it is by the trust and the many volunteers, who do the guiding, run the shop and help with the school groups which come every week.

Incidentally, all the historic costumes worn by the school children were donated by the Friends of Smithills Hall.

Whenever governments and local authorities interfere, things only go downhill. So please, leave us alone to get on with the job we love to do.

Bill Sheppard

Millstone Road

Bolton