Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National

When Burnley was the UK’s cultural capital

Emily Suzuki in The Rite Of Spring by Mats Ek from the Triple Bill by English National Ballet at Sadler's Wells.
Emily Suzuki in The Rite Of Spring by Mats Ek at Sadler's Wells in London. Photograph: Tristram Kenton/The Guardian

Amid the drama surrounding English National Opera’s mooted move to Manchester (We’re not all heathens in Manchester, Andy Burnham tells ENO, 23 November), it is perhaps appropriate to remind all concerned that such a relocation is not without precedent.

For two years in the 1940s, the Old Vic and Sadler’s Wells ballet and opera companies (later to become ENO) relocated from a Blitz-torn London to take refuge in Burnley’s Victoria theatre.

From their northern redoubt, they organised four tours at a time – two drama, one opera and one ballet, performing to enthusiastic audiences across the north-west.
Austen Lynch
Garstang, Lancashire

Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.