I would like to thank Croydon local studies and archives service and the Croydon Guardian for the help they have given me in my research about Richard Wattis and his time at the famous Croydon Repertory Company.

The local studies department sent me copies of the articles which appeared in Croydon Guardian on April 12 and 26.

These have certainly informed me about the fascinating general history linked to the Croydon Repertory Company.

Hopefully one day somebody will write a book about this great former Croydon institution the Brit School of its day. At least its memory lives on a little in my book about Richard Wattis.

Perhaps the present Brit School could consider covering aspects of Croydon Rep in its curriculum, so as to educate and inform present students of Croydon's artistic and theatrical past just a thought.

To know the present and future one also needs to understand the past.

It is also good to see that the Rep did carry on after World War Two because I was under the impression that it ceased during 1940.

I was also saddened by the demolition of the Grand Theatre. It is only now in the early part of the 21st century that people are wishing that the planners of the 1950s and 1960s had instead decided to preserve many of Britain's great Victorian and Edwardian theatres.

My home town of Wolverhampton has a Victorian theatre The Grand Theatre and it is still going strong and as popular as it was when it was first built. It also trained future stars like Kenneth More, Sean Connery and Leonard Rossiter.

Who knows, perhaps Croydon's Grand Theatre would have been enjoying the same popularity today if it had not been demolished.

Ian Payne
Harrington Walk
Lichfield
Staffs