I WOULD like to reply to the article (Jan 5) and subsequent letters concerning the fair at Radcliffe.

Firstly, I must apologise for the damage caused on our fair leaving the site at Redbank playing fields. Obviously, as with all the sites we visit, we do try to avoid any damage, especially where residents have to look out on the site every day.

When we arrived at Redbank last year the weather was fine and in a suitable condition to set up our fair. Unfortunately, severe weather over the weekend caused floods in some parts and sites such as playing fields and recreation ground were hardest hit.

Had the weather been bad beforehand we would have cancelled the fair, but we had already set-up and opened before the heavy rain came. It lasted from Saturday until Tuesday and never stopped!

We do our best to maintain the sites we visit, while we are there and on vacating. The picture in the article shows that we were still moving off the site at the time and one week later the site was 100 over cent better. We return to all our sites to reinstate and clear all the rubbish, then the local council come to inspect the site.

If it is not to their satisfaction then they will reinstate the site themselves for which we pay all costs and it is a major cost after events such as this.

I apologise again for any ill-feeling from residents but hope that one year of devastating weather will not cancel out 100 years of tradition.

J. E. SILCOCK