The cringing self-abasement of Britain’s museums

This is National Vandalism Week, and I have been celebrating it in style. First stop – the London Coliseum for the opening night of English National Opera’s inspiring new production of The Rhinegold. The Arts Council says that the ENO is ‘one of the most dynamic and imaginative organisations working in the country’. One can believe it, listening to the orchestra on top form playing Wagner’s spellbinding score. You would never guess that the Arts Council has condemned the company to death. As vandalism goes, this is quite something. The Council has decreed that, in return for a grant significantly less than its current level, ENO must move its base out of London by next year, doing no more than a short season at its home in St Martin’s Lane. This will involve giving redundancy notices to the entire orchestra and chorus who are its heart and soul. ENO will no longer be a company.