Contempt

I have sent the following email to the Philharmonia and to Westminster Cathedral after I returned my ticket and walked out half an hour before a concert this evening. (Names removed...)

I wish this to be drawn to the attention of , the Concerts Manager of the Philharmonia, or an appropriate equally senior manager, and the Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral. I expect a reply from both organisations addressing the issues I have raised.

Dear ...

I am writing this at ten past eight on Thursday evening despite having purchased a ticket for this evening's Philharmonia concert at Westminster Cathedral. On my way in, I asked the volunteer doorman where the toilets were; he suggested that I went to McDonalds. I was shocked and decided that I had no further wish to attend a concert in this venue. I returned my ticket to the Philharmonia representative inside the cathedral explaining that I thought it was disgusting. I pointed out that I am relatively young (in my thirties) and I am not pregnant, nor have I ever given birth, nor do I have an ageing prostate. I did not add that I also do not have any bladder or bowel ailments which make it necessary to be near a toilet. That, therefore, puts me at an advantage over most of the audience, if it were to be any way typical of previous Philharmonia concerts I have attended.

I have severe concerns about people being directed to McDonalds. Not specifically McDonalds (although I do have issues there): I know other alternatives in the vicinity - House of Fraser and various pubs - because I have spent most of my working life within walking distance of Westminster Cathedral. I imagine that many of the audience were less familiar with the area.

My objection is that, in general, when I use the facilities of a commercial premise I feel a moral obligation to buy something. As it happens, there is nothing in McDonalds I would wish to buy; just to buy a cup of undrinkable tea is a very expensive way to spend a penny, and would exacerbate the problem. I do not know whether or not Westminster Cathedral or the Philharmonia informed the manager of McDonalds that hundreds of people were being directed to use their toilets, to the detriment of their customers. I dread to think what is happening in the interval. I also believe that, as the evening progresses and most working people have gone home, McDonalds on Victoria Street is not a salubrious environment, not one I would wish to enter, and certainly not one where elderly ladies from the suburbs and beyond would feel at ease. I do not know whether the toilets in that McDonalds are even accessible - it's not unusual for that kind of "restaurant", especially in prime city centre locations to have toilets in the basement. Even if they have a disabled toilet on the ground floor, this in inadequate provision for the many infirm people who frequent concerts on the South Bank and elsewhere.

I appreciate that the Philharmonia has venue difficulties whilst the RFH is being refurbished, but I do not believe that Westminster Cathedral is a suitable venue for a concert. I will be writing separately to Westminster Council to find out whether the Cathedral has a licence for public performances, or whether it has managed to find a loophole that exempts places of worship from such requirements. When I served on the licensing committee of LB Lambeth we never granted a licence for entertainment unless the organisers could demonstrate they would be providing toilet facilities. Even the most amateurish rock festival is obliged to provide toilet facilities.

However, I would not describe the Philharmonia, and especially, Westminster Cathedral, as amateurish. The latter is the Headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, which yet again, has demonstrated its cynical greed and total contempt for the basic dignity of individual people, not least the elderly and disabled.

I would be interested to know how much money Westminster Cathedral is receiving - from taxpayers, donors, and the ticket-buying public - to host this concert series.

I note that the websites of neither organisation nor the ticket contains any information about the limitations of the venue, which is indicative of both organisations' contempt for the public. I can only surmise that there were also no arrangements for even basic refreshments.

In a wider context, I am surprised that the Cathedral has no toilet facilities for worshippers and casual visitors. I would imagine this must be in breach of the Disability Discrimination Act - or do religious organisations believe themselves to be above the law? What was it that Christ said - render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's; render unto God that which is God's. I also recall an incident in the Bible when Christ ejected the money lenders from the Temple.

I shall be posting this on the Usenet groups rec.music.opera, and rec.music.classical, and on the Yahoo Group Parlour of Opera Lovers, as well as on my personal blog, (with names of individuals removed) - although the concert is not directly relevant to opera, many opera lovers are also lovers of choral music, especially of great opera composer such as Mozart.

I shall be contacting the Box Office in due course to confirm that I will receive a refund of my ticket price, and to return my tickets for the remaining concerts in this series. No doubt I shall be charged a handling charge. I trust there will be no difficulties regarding the refund.

Yours sincerely