... Coco and the kids of Hyndburn SIR, While I realise the aim of your letters column is to cover a variety of subjects without playing host to tit for tat battles, I feel the letter from Cather ine Carpenter (Clown Shandy), Let Them See For Themselves, March 16, should be corrected. The letter claimed that schoolchildren had been told to write to their council to say that they did not want to see ...

... SIR-I was interested to read Act for Equity's back page Equity Council Election advertisement, (June 9) which shows a much reduced list of candidates. What does this tell us? Then I noticed all the successes for which they claim the credit. Don't be bamboozled by this. All important matters arc first of all dis cussed at committee level, and spe cialist advisory committees are made up of ...

... SIR Mr J Ollivant suggests that by not wearing his army service medals on the Sunday Morning With Secombe programme covering the D-Day anniversary, that my father, Sir Harry Secombe, was letting down every ex-serviceman, (Too big to remember? Letters, page 9). My father has an impressive row of medals from his army service the '39- '45 Star, the Africa Star with 1 st Army clasp, the Italy ...

... VAT's quite a problem SIR I am fascinated by The Secret Agent and his views on VAT. (To reg ister or not to register, page 7, July 29). The article correctly highlights the problem of small businesses when they are dealing with customers who are not VAT registered. I deal with a number of people who strive very hard not to go above the limit for compul sory registration in order to stay in ...

... SIR In response to Mr Breckmans letter (1'ht State, December 1 7) I wish to present perhaps a glimmer of hope. In 1992, Centre Stage with Edwardian Hotels sponsored the new musical Oscar by James Clutton and Damian Landi and the restoration of The Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville. Both projects will continue into 1993 as well as our association with the wonderful West End. We particularly ...

... SIR I have just finished reading The Britannia Diaries of Frederick Wilton edited by Jim Davis, and published by the Society for Theatre Research. Frederick Wilton was stage manager of the Britannia Music Hall in Hoxton from 1846 until 1875. I thought the following extract might be of interest to your readers: 'Monday, January 5, 1863 Pantomime Abu Hassan introducing Tom Sayers. (Tom Sayers, ...

... 'Gypsy Princess' music salvation SIR,--A few months ago, a letter from Peter Tallis appeared in your columns, in which the writer confessed little surprise at the lack of success of modern musicals in London since he considered them deadly dull, with music that was particularised only because it was so instantly forgettable. Instead, he pointed to the runaway success of the little heralded ...

... Audrey Barr SIR, I would like to pay tribute through your columns to the marvellously talented actress, Audrey Barr, who has recently died. She will be sadly missed, not only by those of us who worked with her, but also by theatregoers in Liverpool, Ipswich and in particular Lincoln, where she lived and worked for many vears. Sam Kelly 97 Canbury Avenue Kingston-upon-Thames Surrey ...

... 'Don't forget the new faces' SIR -- I heartily agree with Stan Boardman (February 1 3). Live entertainment is waiting for the undertaker to move in, and the sad demise of television variety shows and the loss of Opportunity Knocks and New Faces is one of the mam reasons for the disappearance of the good old days of the big cabaret clubs. Although George Sawa and some of his col leagues have ...

... SIR Recently watching an old British film on Saturday afternoon television., I was yet again amazed, and appalled, to see the amount of smoking packed into 90 minutes. Admittedly, these films were made in pre-health-hazard days (in what my daughters, when younger, used to call the black-and-white world), but it's extraordinary how often a director directed and/or an actor chose, to light up ...

... SIR Without wishing to appear sycophantic I do think that Robert Breckman's article on arts administration (Leader Page, August 5), encapsulates all the problems. The buck certainly stops more with them than an artistic director. S Morgan Sussex Way Cockfosters Herts ...

... SIR In reply to last week's article by Suzan Leavy regarding walk-ons and the FAA (Walk-ons warned over non union deals), we would like to clarify a few points and hopefully clear up any misunderstanding. Firstly, the so called cut price deals referred to are in fact not cut price. They are above the PACT/FAA basic rate and artists are required to work for 12-13 hours or less for the fee. ...