Conference Towns
slit,-1 have just read Watchman's paragraph headed `Conference Town' in the Spectator of October 1. It is true that at Blackpool the conference hall can house the Conservative party conference, which is generally reckoned to be the largest conference meeting in this country, but it should be noted that this hall is privately owned and has not been pro- vided by the local authority, and is part of a large entertainment set-up. Besides, Blackpool is Black- pool! For the ratepayers of a town to provide a hall to seat 4,000 plus, which would only be used to capacity,on isolated occasions, would be a very costly and uneconomic proposition.
Two years ago, we opened our new Congress Theatre, which, for conference meetings, can seat 2,100 on two floors. We could have done with another 300 or 400 seats, but this was chiefly a ques- tion of £ s. d., as there is a legal limit on the amount which may be spent from the rates in this connection.
We have had the Liberal party conference in East- bourne. I think the Labour party would like to come, but apparently the particular layout of the theatre does not meet their requirements. We can offer the Conservative party over 4,000 seats in two adjoining halls, which are wired for closed-circuit TV, but they tell us they must meet in a hall large enough to take everyone.
We have ample hotels. We now have anything between fifty and seventy conferences a year bring- ing some 25,000 delegates to Eastbourne, but to provide a hall seating 4,500 would be a very costly affair and heavy on the rates. R. L. J. TICEHURST
3 Cornfield Terrace, Eastbourne. Sussex
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