Merseyside arts Sir: Though I agree with much that Norman
Rosenthal says about Roy Strong's proposal to disband the V&A's Regional Services riepartment—a proposal that has now been accepted by the Secretary of State—I take issue with him over his denigration of IsIlerseyside's own efforts.
In the years 1975 and 1976 there were twenty-two temporary exhibitions in the Merseyside Museum; only seven came from the V&A. In this period the museum opened an additional 10,000 sq ft of permanent eXhibition space. The Walker Art Gallery, another responsibility of the County Arts Committee, Mounts from its own resources, and the generosity of the Moores family, the John Moores Exhibition and the Peter Moores Exhibition every year on an alternate basis. Both these exhibitions have international reputations, and to use Mr Rosenthal's own words, I would have thought that this was enough to generate any amount of genuine and informed enthusiasm amongst the local public.
It is precisely because Merseyside's reputation for self-help in the cultural field is beyond criticism that the County Arts Committee felt able to take the lead amongst local authorities in the protests against this proposal.
John Last Conservative spokesman,
Merseyside County Arts Committee, The Knoll, Meols Drive, Hoylake, Wirral
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