There was a flurry of activity in London on Monday by the Rose Theatre Trust, set up to work to 'save' the remains of the 16th C. ROSE THEATRE in London. I thought that people might find this copy of the press release that they issued interesting: PRESS RELEASE MONDAY 4 NOVEMBER l99l at 7.30pm CAMPAIGNERS GATHER FOR REUNION AT ROSE THEATRE WORK UNDER WAY TO RETURN ROSE TO PUBLIC AGAIN Campaigners for the preservation and re-opening to the public of the Rose Theatre, came together for an historic reunion tonight - returning for the first time to the site of the world famous theatre they fought to save some two and a half years ago. Although tonight's event was not held in the original site of the Rose Theatre - it was held immediately above it, in Rose Court, the Imry Merchant Developers building which was redesigned to house the theatre after the protestors, led by Dame Peggy Ashcroft, won their battle not to damage the l6th century site. At tonight's Rose Theatre Trust gathering - a briefing organised with the co-operation of Imry - the Trust announced: - that the (British) Government is at last now considering scheduling the Rose as an historic monument - that the Government has, however, so far refused a request for funding the work of restoring the Rose - and that the South Thames Training & Enterprise Council has contributed #15,000 pounds towards the costs of the working party. The working party, comprising representatives from all the interested parties (English Heritage, Imry Merchant Developers, The Museum of London, The London Borough of Southwark and the Rose Theatre Trust), is currently preparing agreed plans and costings for the theatre's restoration and reopening. The Trust needs a further #60,00 0pounds to complete this work. Simon Hughes, MP for Southwark and Bermondsey and a Trustee of The Rose, said: "After two and a half years of enforced absence, friends and supporters are delighted today to be back at the Rose. Everybody concerned is now unitedly working together to find the best archaeological and technical method of preserving and presenting this most important of British cultural sites. The sooner the working party can finish its job and come up with its recommendations, the sooner the Rose can be open to the public again." For further information, please contact Jennifer Jones at the Rose Theatre Trust, P O Box 1587, London SE15 4PW Tel:071-732 4067 Fax:071-732 5573 END OF PRESS RELEASE My feelings when I saw the very short TV news item on the gathering was that the Trust could perhaps do with some messages of support (at the very least! - if you have, or could raise, the money they need ...). If you feel like responding then the Trust's address is in the Press Release - or you could send e-mail to me and I will send it on. Subscribers to the REED-L list may remember the fuss and bother when the remains of the Rose Theatre were dug up in 1989 - that eternal triangle (GOVERNMENT [public purse] vs DEVELOPERS [private purse] vs CONCERNED-PERSON-IN-THE-STREET [academics]) had a fine old stand-up fight (questions in the House of Commons, sit-ins by casts of actors, petitions etc) leading to a passable solution/compromise to 'carefully' adapt the remains into the foundations of the builing that was scheduled for the site. Plans to open these up to people are now foundering (it would seem) for lack of money. Simon Rae | [log in to unmask] (World) Research Adviser, Academic Computing Service | [log in to unmask] (JANET) The Open University, Walton Hall, | phone: (0908) 652413 Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, United Kingdom | fax: (0908) 653744