"My wife and I go to the ballet regularly now and I'm signed up to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation's scheme providing cheap tickets to everyday folk."
That's what multi-millionaire author Andy McNab told the Sun today.
Cheap ticket scheme? What's that all about? The Paul Hamlyn Club was set up by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation "to encourage return visits by first time audiences for opera and ballet." It does this by providing up to 20 tickets at subsidised prices for each main stage performance throughout the year. Prices are £20 for opera and £12 for ballet.
The scheme is not means-tested, nor explicitly designed to benefit the poor. But I'm sure most of us (including probably the Paul Hamlyn Foundation itself) would rather see the subsidised tickets go to families who can't afford to pay full price.
I don't begrudge Andy McNab his wealth one bit. But shouldn't a man who told the Daily Telegraph "I don't travel first class out of principle – I go business class. I can't see the point of spending an extra four grand" be given orders to stump up the full whack at the double?
(Thanks to the ROH blog for the link)
