I agree with Sadler's Wells. Without such a policy there would be all kinds of problems arising. People who change their minds and then deny they ever made a phone call. People who lie about what they said on the phone. People without authority who call. Allowing faxes could lead to a whole other set of problems.

If the money means nothing to you, and you don't know anyone who wants to see the opera, then give the tickets to someone who would value the money and tell them to go get a refund. Faced with similar situations in the past I've given the tickets away.

Or maybe it's not too late to sell them on eBay.

Ah, but so many other venues are happy to take them over the phone - including some public sector venues, such as the Wigmore Hall. It helps everyone.
There is no explanation for Sadler's Wells' rule than bloody mindedness.

"Ah, but so many other venues are happy to take them over the phone - including some public sector venues, such as the Wigmore Hall."

Then they are acting in an amateurish, unbusiness-like fashion.

Full marks to the management of Sadler's Wells for conducting operations, at least in so far as this matter is concerned, in such a professional manner.

In any event, far better that you give the tickets away yourself. Not only will you add yet more lustre to your well-established reputation for generosity, but also you will have the great pleasure of seeing the delight in the face of the recipient.

Sadlers wells is not the public sector, its registered as a private company at Companies House. Suspect its a company with charitable status.

So why are you making such damning statements about the public sector attitude?

And if you're so not bothered about the money, why not give the tickets away for free on ebay on condition of payment for courier charges or picking them up from you in person. Use a little imagination instead of whingeing.

"Sadlers wells is not the public sector,"

Given the despicable way it was funded, it might as well be:

"The current theatre opened on 11 October 1998 after being rebuilt with money from the National Lottery."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadler's_Wells

"So why are you making such damning statements about the public sector attitude?"

I imagine because as a general rule anything in the public sector is grossly mismanaged. That's not because the people within the public sector are necessarily lazy and stupid, although many obviously are just that. For the most part it's just that the public sector encourages those qualities. That's the nature of socialism.

If the world had many more Stephen Pollards, individuals who will fight and fight again for the cause of freedom, and far fewer Neil Clarks, it would be a much better place in which to live.

"Use a little imagination instead of whingeing."

You mean the kind of imagination it takes to be a complete nobody like yourself? I think he'd want to pass on that.

Point taken about its status. But the fact is that without its subsidy, Sadlers' Wells would go bust almost immediately.
As for giving the tickets away...do you really think that I wouldn't if I could? There is, however, a small problem. I am in a different country and the performance begins in 5 hours.

I'd be more sympathetic with this attempt to turn your experience into an attack on the public sector had I not read it less than 24 hours after a very similar encounter, albeit with one crucial difference.

Yesterday morning, my laptop power adapter short-circuited, and as it was essential for my work I had to get hold of another one as quickly as possible. After ringing around, I found that there was nothing to be had where I lived, but that a shop some 30 minutes' drive away had two in stock (they were absolutely certain that they had the right product, as I was able to give them the catalogue number off the now-defunct one). I later discovered that my wife had also been doing similar research at work, and had alighted on the same shop – only in her case the same guy (presumably) told her that they had three.

So off I set, cursing the fact that I had to take 90 minutes out of a busy work schedule, but reasoning that at least it wouldn't be a wasted journey. But when I got to the shop – well, you can probably guess what they told me. But because I couldn't identify the person who'd misinformed me (sorry, us), they weren't willing to do anything about it. They weren't even prepared to recommend another shop locally, despite having wasted my time and money (in petrol).

Fortunately, I dimly recalled another shop reasonably close by, and they had the item I wanted, so at least there was a happy ending. But this does rather prove that incompetence and inefficiency aren't exactly exclusive to the public sector!

The claim is hardly that all “private” sector is good, nor is it that all “public” sector is bad; it is that choice, however limited, enables you select the better over the worse.

I find the above exchanges amazing. Of course it's stupidity that they insisted they were physically returned - what was wrong with the fax idea? Not only that but isn't that the primary reason people don't go somewhere - they physically can't? There is just mindlessness in this and all the other words above may be logical but they still don't detract from the main point in the post.

Now my turn. Stephen - your e-mail is blocking me. If it's intentional - so be it. If not, could I be unblocked?

"Now my turn. Stephen - your e-mail is blocking me. If it's intentional - so be it. If not, could I be unblocked?"

Don't take it personally. He blocks me all the time. I expect it's intentional, but I have learned to live with it. So should you.

"I find the above exchanges amazing. Of course it's stupidity that they insisted they were physically returned - what was wrong with the fax idea?"

I've just written to Sadler's Wells expressing my admiration for their good sense in this matter.

'The claim is hardly that all “private” sector is good, nor is it that all “public” sector is bad;'

When a private business does not provide good service it's very likely that its profits will drop or it will even go bust. Sadly that is not the case in the public sector.

Pooh - sorry, I don't know who you are but I'm certainly not blocking you. I don't block anyone except spambots! Feel free to write to me via the email button above. But there is a spamblocker system in place - you simply have to press return when you get the message.

And James, the same applies - I don't have your email address so I can't white list you until you email me.

Hi Stephen

Just a point of information. You described the Wigmore Hall as a public sector venue. As far as I know, the Wigmore Hall receives no public funding whatsoever.

I would also say that the Wigmore Hall is not usually very helpful in the kind of situation you describe (I find myself in that situation quite often and, like you, my main concern is that it's a shame to have empty seats when there are likely to be people who want to hear the music on offer). the box office staff usually insist on having the tickets returned. Curiously, though, they're always happy to issue duplicate tickets if you turn up having forgotten to bring them (as I have on a couple of occasions).

That quibble aside, though, I have always found the Wigmore Hall to be well-run and friendly, and it offers consistently excellent programmes which avoid the modish nonsense that most venues feel they have to offer in order to endear themselves to the various government funding bodies.

I'm not entirely against public funding of the arts, but it is clear that there's a lot of dreary rubbish out there designed to appeal to the Clerkenwell intelligentsia that would not see the light of day were it not for the public-purse gravy train and which we could well do without.

Just as a point of general information, it's the pantomime season soon. Or has it already started here?

Having observed greengoddess' performance today, I would have to say, that at least in the alternative universe inhabited by Clarkie and his handful of admirers, pantomime season is obviously in full swing. In Russia too where Putin's consiglieres are still insisting that he is not a murderer.