Sir – I can’t believe all the fuss being made over the latest plan for the Guildhall – they tried an ambitious plan and couldn’t get the funding.

Four years ago, the town council was given (they didn’t buy it) the Guildhall with, I believe, £1.5m to spend on it.

So far, apart from doing up the Royce room and kitchens, I would like to know how much has been spent on the pie-in-the-sky plans over the past four years.

At the time we pointed out that for well under the £1m they could put in superior raked seating and a new digital cinema projector and surround-sound.

With some acoustic work it would make a full-blown cinema in the main hall but still allow it to be used for other purposes eg theatre, seminars etc.

Wallingford Corn Exchange is an excellent example of this.

Had they started the current affordable plan four years ago, they would have had several years of income from the cinema instead of losses on an under-used building.

Mike Davies
Castle Street
Steventon