PERHAPS the excellent programme of events marking the 150th anniversary of Kidderminster Town Hall featured in the Shuttle/Times and News will tempt those Wyre Forest District Council officers who have not yet done so, to attend a concert there and thus discover for themselves what a gem they are planning to ruin.

In spite of redevelopment, Kidderminster does retain one facility which is the envy of every other small town in the West Midlands - namely the town hall music room.

This excellent small concert hall, with its good acoustics, superb organ, and adjacent "interval crush-bar" in the shape of the Corn Exchange, is unique in this area.

By all means refurbish generally and improve seating etc, but even the slightest reduction of these facilities in order to provide what would, at best, be inadequate theatrical provision, would be disastrous.

One need look no further than the Stourport Civic Centre hall (purpose-built for multiple usage) to see how unsatisfactory such premises are.

My immediate concern is to prevent a venue which regularly receives plaudits from artistes of international calibre, being ruined in pursuit of a chimera.

Although council officer Andrew Dickens considers present concerns to be premature, it is surely high time for a public meeting to be called, at which this issue can be openly discussed before the preparation of detailed plans renders it too late.

JOHN COTTERELL

Hillgrove Crescent

Kidderminster