I RECENTLY spent a wonderful afternoon at the Showmen's Guild annual luncheon at Duckinfield Town Hall in the company of the mayors and mayoresses from all over the north west and north Wales.

I am writing to you in support of the showmen and the fairs and markets they provide in the hope that for once Bolton Council will actually act on some of the things that are mentioned by the guild's chairman Mr Billy Hill and president Mr David Wallis.

Of all the towns represented by their mayors and mayoresses it was shameful that Mr Hill should single out Bolton as the only town that didn't have a New Year fair this year and asked the question why? Considering I was in the company of Mayor Donaghy and his Lady Mayoress and also MP David Crausby and other members of Bolton Council who didn't have any answers as to why this occurred, then I would like to know why Bolton Council paid £47,000 to have a Winter Wonderland and the owners of these rides charged sums of money to go on said rides thus pocketing a huge income.

As I point out most years, if Bolton Council provided better pitches for Showmen's Guild members to provide a fair in the centre of town to attract more people then this would be a positive step to make some amends for the way this town seems to treat the travelling fair.

It has been said that the guild could provide a full winter fair and market for the town and would cover their own costs as it is in their interests to make it a success for the people of Bolton.

After speaking with some Bolton members who pay rates and rent like everybody else, it became clear that the showmen would not have asked a penny from the council as it would have been an honour to represent their home town by doing a Winter Wonderland throughout December.

I would like to ask what was the £47,000 of taxpayers' money used for when this could have been provided free and why was there no New Year's fair on Cheadle Square?

Gary Charlton

Lord Clyde

Folds Rd

Bolton