Letter:Late show

Sir: One simple measure which Charles Saumarez Smith ("How to pull them in off the streets", 25 June) didn't mention in his plans for London's galleries is to revise their archaic opening hours.

While it is possible to buy more or less anything until at least 8pm, the Tate, National and National Portrait Gallery regularly turf everyone out at 6pm. Those of us not shackled to our desks by guilt and insecurity often have an hour or two to kill between finishing work and starting the evening's hedonism; there's not much to do in the capital at this time except shop or drink.

VYV HOPE-SCOTT

E-mail: Vyv.HopeScott@europeonline.com