The arts and entertainment world has been among the worst casualties of the pandemic, its plight made worse by Brexit.
Pop stars, symphony orchestras, opera, stage and ballet companies have had a huge following there and they have earned Britain billions.
But due to the failure of the EU to keep to the established rules that benefit both the EU and Britain, disaster threatens.
It means substantial costs involving visas and work permits and transporting instruments.
I appreciate the frustration of event organisers and performers through an experience many years ago.
It was to be a highlight in the 1985 Cardiff Music Festival. a symphony concert with a world premiere and a sell out audience, plus royalty.
The main work called for two little known Chinese instruments.
We had booked two members of the Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra. With just a few days to go we heard they could not make it - no work permits.
It was getting increasingly desperate. I was getting regular middle of the night calls from Hong Kong but it seemed hopeless.
Our last chance was to appeal to Cardiff MP and former prime minister Jim Callaghan for help.
The day before the concert Robert, my son, and I drove to Westminster to meet him in his Westminster office. He immediately phoned Alan Clark, the minister for employment and a Plymouth MP. His message, ‘Come on, Alan, as a Plymouth man, make Drake’s drum roll.' (Callaghan came from that other great naval town, Portsmouth.) That did the trick, and we received the precious work permit in a couple of hours.
A phone call to Hong Kong, a courier with the precious work permit dispatched to Heathrow and our players were on their way.
The concert was a great success.
The EU and Britain must solve the problem but our government says it is not a priority.
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