The debt owed to Sir Rodney for theatre work

A LETTER appeared in your paper (The Yorkshire Post, September 8) under the heading “Theatre of Dreams” from Sir Rodney Walker, who with typical modesty gave praise to the many good people who helped rescue one of the small number of Matcham Theatres in the country from its fate as bingo hall, roller skating arena and cinema, with an enormous amount of work.

It was following the Wakefield Festival of 1980 that I became involved in a modest way, carried along by the drive and influence of one man. Rodney, in those days, wasn’t a knight but his enthusiasm for rescuing that building was infectious and

I cheerfully signed up as a guarantor, one of 40 brave people (although Rodney did include a note limiting our guarantee to a maximum of £5). The passage of time has sadly seen the original 40 dwindle to only seven but there has never been any doubt amongst us of the debt Wakefield owes to Sir Rodney Walker, now a well respected Freeman of the City.

The excellent article in your paper last week (The Yorkshire Post, September 3) served as a reminder of the place the Theatre Royal now holds, and 
if I might just add, my thanks to our Murray, our excellent manager.