More than 70 youngsters from Cumbrae Primary in Millport took part in a new project by Scottish Opera based on the island off the Ayrshire coast.

A decade or so ago, the big touring companies all came to Liverpool, but bit by bit they have dropped away Time was when the excellent Welsh National Opera almost had a second home in Liverpool, with two or even three seasons at the Empire attracting good audience figures, and we could also rely on an annual week from the equally excellent Scottish Opera.

The factory's canteen was transformed into a small theatre as Scottish Opera Go Round gave the workers a taste of Jacques Offenbach's comic pieces from the late 19th Century.