WHEN Stephen Maguire lifted the UK Snooker Championship trophy last November, that was supposedly that.

We were told there would be no more public entertainment at the Barbican Centre until after its refurbishment by Absolute Leisure.

So the Barbican's brief resurrection as a concert venue is odd, to say the least.

The clue is in the reopening dates: June 14 to June 18. Absolute Leisure is aiming to cash in on Royal Ascot.

Nothing wrong with that. Half the city hopes for a windfall from the racing festival. But this sudden U-turn raises a question pertinent to the future of the site: if the Barbican can stage concerts in Ascot week, why has it not been staging entertainment since its premature closure in November?

The Barbican was built by the community for the community. Since it closed, local sports users have been offered alternative facilities.

But those who enjoyed going to the live performances - by such star names as Van Morrison, Tom Jones, Peter Kay and Brit award winner Robbie Williams - were told they had to wait for the new auditorium to be built. That was an undoubted loss to the city's nightlife.

But out of nowhere, Absolute Leisure decides it can still stage concerts at the centre - for the benefit of Ascot visitors. York residents, already angered by plans for a 2am drinks licence at the new Barbican, will be furious at this latest example of Absolute Leisure's seeming preference for tourists before locals.

Updated: 10:37 Thursday, February 10, 2005