Sir - To those of us living out in the county's stygian wilds, Oxford seems to be eager to promote itself as a city of culture, with a surprising proportion of its population claiming to be writers, artists or academics.

Yet whenever I and my friends visit its theatres (which we do quite a lot, even though this involves considerable effort and planning) we see too many empty seats. Even the rare appearance of the Royal Ballet with their wonderful That's Jazz didn't get a full house. So due to outdated cultural snobbishness perhaps or whatever else . . . a good many "cultured" folk missed a treat. But the real point is: will these great touring companies, of one kind or another, continue to come if they're not fully appreciated and supported?

E Kelly, Middle Barton