I WOULD like to offer a few words of support for Geraldine Smith's idea to relocate the Dukes Theatre to the Winter Gardens in Morecambe.

After reading Mr Roultons letter in the Citizen I must say I admire his staunch defence for the Dukes to stay exactly where it is but would ask him to consider these following points.

Like him I have also been a regular customer of the Dukes since it first opened its doors to the public taking part in seminars, enjoying plays, pantomimes, films and even wonderful meals in the former restaurant.

I have also put pen to paper to defend the Dukes when it has received criticism.

I am unashamedly a Dukes fan and it is for that reason that I think the company could do a great job in running a larger theatre such as the Winter Gardens with assistance from other parties.

To my knowledge the Dukes have only just secured a financial package to see them through the next three years and, if work was started tomorrow on the interior of the Winter Gardens I would imagine that there is at least two years painstaking work to compete so I don't see any immediate panic over relocation.

The one huge plus factor of the Dukes taking on the Winter Gardens would be the position of an end user for the theatre which is why the lottery bid was returned without being viewed by the lottery board.

A restored Morecambe theatre run by a Lancaster based theatre company could work wonders for inter-town rivalry. It can be done! There's a Manchester football club who has done quite well in the adjoining suburbs of Stretford. At the very least allow the Dukes to be given the opportunity of discussing Geraldine Smith's idea. Whatever the outcome, I hope Mr Roulton has as many happy hours at the theatre as I hope to have wherever the Dukes decide to entertain us.

Malcolm O'Neil,

Friends of the Winter Gardens and Dukes supporter

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.