Having worked at Elstree Studios for more than 30 years unti the Brent Walker fiasco in 1991, I have naturally followed their fortunes since then by reports in your paper, so far without comment.

However, I find that I am unable to ignore the report on the front page on May 13, which states that most of the total investment of around £10million by the council has to be repaid. My question is, where on earth from and by when?

The members of the council should know that even when the studios operated with ten sound stages, a highly-utilised post-production facility and a film production and a Pathé newsreel library, it was not possible to generate large profit levels, certainly not sufficient to repay even a £5million loan without difficulty.

The production representatives on the new board of management will be aware of the fluctuations in the level of film production and the constant demands for discounts on tariff rates by the production companies.

The cries of "when am I going to get my money back?" and "if things do not work out we will sell the studios" are certainly echoes from the past.

John Shepherd,

Ex finance/admin director,

Elstree Film Studios.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.