WE know that York is one of Europe’s glories with fine museums and galleries, not least the redeveloped York Art Gallery. Yet we must keep pushing forward as other cities raise their profile.

London’s museums and galleries have expanded nationwide. Liverpool has the Tate, Salford the Imperial War Museum North. But nothing similar has come to York since the National Railway Museum over 40 years ago.

But it is easy to imagine creating a new institution in the city, the new Yorkshire branch of a leading London museum or gallery, sharing the same brand and status.

Why not, say, a British Museum (York) or a V and A (Yorkshire)? The economic and reputational boost could be enormous.

Furthermore we know that storerooms in London and indeed in York are full of world-class treasures, surplus to displays, and that lottery and private sector funding is often available for convincing new schemes.

Such ideas take years to develop but I wonder if The Press could act as a catalyst, yet again, for something new and positive for York, before all remaining potential projects are snapped up by other cities?

John Gemmell, Collingwood Drive, Great Barr, Birmingham