THE Shafts of Light exhibition at the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle is brilliant.

More than 70 paintings of life in the northern coalfield – most by artists who were working miners.

It’s a fascinating exhibition, curated by local experts Dr Robert McManners and Gillian Wales. And interesting that there were so many men there, many of whom, I’d guess, weren’t normally exhibition goers – and all enthusiastic about that they saw. Excellent.

I might have been able to tell you more – but I couldn’t read the labels….

Why does the information next to the paintings have to be unreadable? It’s not just me – in among the generous comments in the visitors’ book was a host of complaints.

Tiny print on a dark blue background in a dimly lit room doesn’t make it easy to read, even for the hawkeyed.

Hopeless for the rest of us.Public buildings, quite rightly, have to make expensive adaptations for people in wheelchairs. Meanwhile, a huge chunk of gallery visitors are over 50 and reaching for their specs. Making print clearer and print bigger costs very little, yet galleries and museums refuse to do it.

It’s time the Bowes led the way.

  • Shafts of Light is on at the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle until 21 September. Don’t forget your specs…