Regarding your report “Cash Lifeline for Arts and Culture” it is deeply ironic that this should arrive when the town council has just shut down a much valued and popular arts centre in Oswestry.

When Holbache House was acquired for the town in 1991 it was decided that one benefit it could provide was to support artists and craft workers to develop their skills and exhibit their work.

Since then the “Heritage Centre” (later renamed the Visitor and Exhibition Centre) has provided that service for hundreds of Oswestry people, and there are many indeed who find pleasure in creative and tactile work, and solace in the fulfilment of self expression.

It has been especially encouraging to the elderly in discovering unknown abilities and gaining a new focus in retirement, but also young people studying for careers needing art and design skills.

The annual competition attracted many entrants and produced some work of a remarkable quality.

The Advertiser regularly showcased exhibitions under the heading “Centre of Attention”.

The Town Council’s stated reason for bringing all this to an end was, predictably, the costs involved.

In fact it was run on a shoestring, with a dedicated coordinator of 20 years service paid the minimum wage for just twenty-five of the hours she worked in a month, and who paid for her own telephone calls.

The average grant now being given for art and cultural facilities would have kept this one going for at least a decade.

George Miller

Oswestry