THE proposal to charge for the Art Gallery is wrong (The Press, July 22).

Why again do we all have to pay towards the £8 million refurbishment?

The reason for the Art Gallery in the past was to show collections that had been given by gentlemen that used to buy works from Italy and Greece.

It, like other museums, will have to justify itself.

A building like Reynards Garage was allowed to decline and now there are cries of “knock it down”. So hopefully the same fate will happen to Stonebow House.

My view about the garage was it had great potential to add a different attraction to the city and add to the success of the National Railway Museum. There are plenty of other places that could be developed for housing such as Ryedale and United House, which remain empty.

Timothy Wynn, Dodgson Terrace, Acomb, York

 

REGARDING the application to withdraw the use of the York Card to have free access to our museums and art gallery, much of which most residents have already funded (The Press, July 22).

It would seem as usual the people who control the purse strings have taken the axe to the most vulnerable and highly visible sites in York.

These people have no vision for the future and have a very narrow view and only see the bottom line and use this to judge themselves.

It’s all too easy to cut back on the sites you have targeted, it’s an accountant’s dream, but it’s a nightmare for the young minds whose parents cannot afford to take them to these educational sites in York.

So instead of curtailing these young and inquisitive minds, we should be giving them the opportunity to study our history in our beautiful city and give them opportunity to learn from our past.

Education is the only way out of poverty.

Joan O’Reilly, Martin’s Court, York

 

CITY of York Council, please listen: if you take away our free entry to the Castle Museum etc you will lose a vast amount of money (The Press, July 22).

Let me quote you an example.

My husband and I have many overseas visitors to stay and we like to show off our museums.

Yes, we are admitted free, but our guests are not. I will not be taking any more visitors to these sites if the City of York Council proposals go ahead.

Nobody will pay £17 a year, so if this was to be the case City of York Council have lost out already.

I would be willing to pay £5 and still bring along my visitors.

Come on, think again please.

Anne Church, Severus Avenue, Acomb, York