Sir.-What a wonderful achievement!

After 30 years of struggle for survival, Basingstoke should be very proud to have retained its professional repertory company when so many theatres in the country lost theirs many years ago.

I joined the Horseshoe 25 years ago this month.

Little did I know that the company and the theatre would become my life for so long.

I was based at the Shrubbery until the disastrous fire destroyed it, and I then went to the Haymarket to work for James Flintoff. The Shrubbery was such a happy house and all the actors enjoyed coming to work there.

The house was full of character and characters. When I first joined as secretary, there were no computers - not even a photocopier. All copies either had to be produced with carbons or on "skins" fed through the temperamental duplicator. Hannah Williams reckoned I was the only one able to use this without destroying her press releases!

In addition to the few of us running the whole company, we were responsible for the day-to-day running of the house.

We were fortunate in having a very loyal, hard-working band of volunteers who helped to clean and maintain the house and gardens. They also worked their socks off to raise funds to supplement the tiny budget we were allocated.

We let out rooms for the actors and hired out rooms for various local activities to bring in income for the house.

All of these people will be delighted, as I am, to know that all their time and effort to "hold the fort" has proved worthwhile.

-Jean Luffrum, Cayman Close, Basingstoke.

Sir.-What a striking contrast last week's letter by Hannah Williams revealed between two "children" of the '70s - the Redgrave, Farnham, lying derelict, and the Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke, really flourishing.

I am lucky enough to be a member of the Haymarket board - and, having just appointed an exceptionally well-qualified new artistic director, I know this company is really beginning to get its act together, with the support of a visionary borough council.

It certainly has something to celebrate at the gathering that Hannah Williams is helping to set up on December 10 - both for its past and in its future.

I am less lucky in that, for the last six years, with Ian Mullins and Hannah Williams, I have been campaigning to restore the Redgrave to its former glory, in the face of a visionless borough council.

This combination of circumstances made me realise just how fortunate Basingstoke is to have such a quality theatre at its heart - and the good fortune has been worked for and is deserved.

But nothing can be taken for granted and I promise you, once you let go of an asset that you have created, it's mighty hard to get it back - and you'll miss it. Farnham certainly does.

Please, value your assets, cultivate them, cherish them. They are like good deeds in a naughty world and will give you cause for great pride and satisfaction.

-David Wylde, St James Terrace, Farnham.