Sir
In the “Hopes and dreams for 2008” article of Friday the 28th of December, Inverness Courier, the Andy Dixon findings INSERTED(eliciting) of the views of, among others, of David Sutherland, chairman of Tulloch Homes Group, I shudder at the very large sum of money of £150,000 - at least it is to me and many others of my ilk – donations given by his company towards the £23 million re-development costs of the Eden Court Theatre, INSERTED (and in particular) earmarked for the Tulloch Link entrance area, which has been classed by one of your letter writers as being
"…so depressing”.
In my view, such a description is far from stinging enough to justify the vast cost and time that it took in presenting this Cathedral city of Inverness, with such an edifice that lacks a sizeable, distinguished, designated, ornate, well lit up name piece grand entrance showpiece, spectacular enough for our citizens to be proud. INSERTED (of)– I’m not - instead of the small lettered elongated signalled one that is exampled by your photograph, not showing the part of it that intrudes upon the centuries old Bishops Palace, so diminishing its structural beauty with insensitivity that this latest stuck with mundane styled monstrosity, renovated theatre has done.
What - Had Inverness not got a better home inspiring architect in it, or was it Council indifference to find out whether or not, to prevent another Crofters Association type building blotch?
Perhaps the Tulloch Link entrance area is commensurate within the outrageous £23 million price tag paid for this two-cinema structure.
I think not.
Ian King
1 Ardross Court
20 Ardross Street
Inverness, Scotland IV3 5NH
Sir
Your editorial caption “Eden Court – déjà vu… again” seen in the Tuesday 6th of May, copy, which I read with interest, and I agree with you that Inverness needs a modern, vibrant theatre the best we can get, but if you had chosen to find out the cost of keeping a super giant lifting frame idle for a year during the construction period of Eden Court, plus making a judgement on the “Cowboy” type of workmanship carried out recently on the steps leading up to the front door of the Bishops Palace as part of the theatre then your last paragraph – “What choice have councillors, at this late stage, but to vote in favour” for a further £200,000 “shell-out” handout - is out of kilter” with sound judgement.
Was it because the Eden Court has honoured your late editor with a studio in it?
I agree with you that calling for a “councillor’s investigation” spells out ever more costs. Having two cinemas in a theatre when one of them aesthetically designed should have been earmarked for another part of a growing city, and with a scrawling steel girder stuck-on overhanging structure making it difficult to find the insignificant, glass sheeted unspectacular front door entrance, also for one to come specially seeking out a £24 million edifice, only to see what is on offer onsite - is laughable.
Keep to the castle to promote Inverness sorting out the arboretum below it for artists and photographing visitors, leaving what we’ve got in the Eden Court sprawling theatre structure for the peoples not persons entertainment – no more.
Ian King, 1 Ardross Court, 20 Ardross Street, Inverness, Scotland.
Saturday the 17th of May 2008