I congratulate The Argus and your photographers and reporters on the excellent coverage of the fire in your editions on March 28 and 29.

With many others, the Brighton and Hove Operatic Society feels special sadness at the loss of another piece of Brighton's theatrical history.

With it goes another piece of our own story. The society was formed in 1886, only 20 years after the West Pier was first constructed and before the theatre was added.

In the early Twenties and Thirties, a number of our productions were given in the pierhead theatre, the scene of the current catastrophic conflagration.

Looking through the list of these shows, there are two which give rise to a wry smile.

The opening scene of The Yeoman Of The Guard (set in the Tower of London, another historical building) is of "a fire in the Beauchamp Tower" and, while our production in 1922 of The Mikado was in the traditional style, this year we shall be presenting The Hot Mikado (well, you did report that the fire spread to the former clairvoyant booth).

My final point is a request.

Does anyone have any programmes of any of our shows they might be willing to donate, sell or lend (for photocopying) for our archives?

Neither we nor the West Pier Trust has any and I should be most grateful to hear from anyone who can help.

Call 01273 418498 - thank you.

-Eve Hale, Brighton and Hove Operatic Society