I WRITE regarding live music venues, eg: Lord Nuffield and Romanway. The Oxford Irish Society lost money when The Lord Nuffield closed its doors a couple of years ago.

We had paid for a year up-front but because of losses we will never see this money. In my opinion, the new venue should never have been built. Morris’s had a perfectly good club that just needed refurbishing – they could have sold some of the land for housing and spent the money on upgrading the old clubhouse. It is our belief that if this had happened the club would still be going.

The ballroom had the best sprung dance floor in Oxford. We, as the Oxford Irish Society, put on live music every first Friday for those who enjoy live country and Irish music, having found a new home at the Headington Conservative Club where we have been made most welcome. Romanway ballroom is a very large room holding around 500 people.

It’s a lovely venue but much too large for us, although we have held the occasional large dance there.

Another venue that regularly holds music nights is the Cowley Workers Social Club. As for young people, they have the 02 in Cowley Road but we all get older and do need to keep supporting music venues that are struggling.

BERNIE DOWNES (Secretary of Oxford Irish Society) Temple Road Oxford