I wish Continuum every success with The Sweet History Of York but I find it quite ironic that Nestlé should say: “The city is perfect for such an attraction with its strong heritage as The Chocolate City”.

Indeed it is and was back in 1988 when plans were well advanced for a visitor attraction, The Chocolate Experience, created by Rowntree Mackintosh (remember them?).

Two floors of the venue at Rowntree Wharf in Navigation Road were converted to house the attraction. The designs were completed and the exhibits were all prepared from the extensive archive that existed at Rowntree at that time. A bridge to link the attraction with the Castle Museum was also installed and negotiations were well under way to link the two attractions.

Sadly, the whole project was abandoned by Nestlé following the takeover and the fantastically-preserved Rowntree archive was split up in various directions – some to a packaging museum in Gloucester, some to the Castle Museum, some to the Borthwick Institute and some no doubt to private collectors.

There were many former employees of Rowntree who were involved in the planning of this project, including myself, who were greatly saddened by the short-sightedness of Nestlé at the time.

It is incredible that it has taken so many years to bring such an obvious attraction to the city of York.

Soon after the abandonment of the plans, Cadbury opened Cadbury World, which has now become one of the main visitor attractions in the UK.

Richard Atkinson, Canterbury Close, Wigginton, York.