Regarding the letter “Roger is not a fan of art gallery” (March 13), I have good news for Roger, and every visitor to Firstsite.

My understanding from frequent conversations with director Sally Shaw is that from now on, there will always be art on show to see and enjoy due to new flexible scheduling of exhibitions whenever you visit Firstsite, which is open seven days a week 10am to 5pm.

On March 5, the gallery was indeed “dark”, to borrow a theatrical term, while three new exhibitions were in preparation to open five days later.

But in response to feedback like Roger’s, this will no longer be the case.

In fact, some lucky early visitors who came in that week (myself included) had the added experience of witnessing art being painted live as artist Zhang Enli took to great heights on a mobile ladder, or cherry picker, to paint his vast forest mural for his exhibition Gesture and Form now on show until March 31.

Also on show you can see #WorldsUpsideDown a Pop-Up exhibition about Riots, Revolts, and Revolution.

My personal favourite of the new exhibitions is Firstsite’s very own Wunderkammer; a permanent display in contrast to the transient nature of Firstsite’s rolling programme of temporary exhibitions.

It will develop over time to feature objects from collections across the region.

This is also a response to local calls for Firstsite to be a place where regional collections can be celebrated and enjoyed.

The treasures included in this version have been selected for their relationship to Colchester and in context to the town’s historical importance and contemporary culture.

The exhibition is made almost entirely of loans from the important collections of Colchester and Ipswich Museums.

There is now, so much happening at Firstsite – as a quick peek on firstsite.uk/whats-on will reveal.

There really is something for everyone including amazing coffee and cake at We Walk The Line, an initiative which helps young people into work, and the much loved Pop-Up Syrian Cafes by Colchester’s newest welcome residents from war torn Syria.

Next time you visit Firstsite, ask for a member of the team and they will come and say hi and walk you through the exhibitions and their forthcoming plans.

Wendy Bailey Maldon Road, Colchester

  • Planned growth the key to housing

Mr Marks’ letter on March 10 questions the “pressure” West Tey would put on the road network and other services.

However, by developing a larger scale community, such as West Tey, we are responsible for ensuring that schools, medical facilities, shops and parks are developed in parallel with new housing so the community is fully supported and can thrive as it develops.

As the plan includes a 100-acre business park, West Tey will be a place where people choose to live and work.

Of course, some will commute out of West Tey but our aim is to support economic growth in the local area and we will do this by providing a range of flexible workspaces in the business park as well as opportunities for start-ups and small businesses.

West Tey will come forward in a number of phases and the lifetime of the scheme spans 30 years.

This means we will build housing and infrastructure side by side, so local needs are met as required.

We think the best way to meet local housing needs is via a well-planned new garden community rather than simply expanding existing villages without providing any community benefits.

Adam Dixon-Smith Gateway 120

  • Could army deliver unwanted food?

The media tell us there is an humanitarian crisis and our overseas aid budget is being misspent.

So long as this is not “fake news” is the Government planning on redirecting these funds to the humanitarian crisis? We are also told major supermarkets throw away perfectly edible food because of sell by dates.

Could the army be used to collect this food and fly it to the areas affected by the humanitarian crisis?

Ian Goldsworthy Colchester

  • Europe is a mostly Christian union

Very nice to hear from Sandra Rae about her Christian faith.

I too am pleased to declare my Christian Faith though I am male, 95 and not all that keen on pink.

Sorry she’s a Brexiteer though – I think we’d have been much wiser to remain in the European Union.

Most, if not all, European countries have a Christian background.

Ernest Hall Dudley Road, Clacton