Concerns over May Fair Committee future
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
DEAR Editor,
I am deeply disappointed that members of Newtownabbey Borough Council think that last years' May Fair was not a successful event and that they want to get this event 'up and running'.
For the record, last year, the may fair committee got reprimanded for going to press about events rather than discussing it with council members. I think the words 'pot' and 'kettle' spring to mind and they should practice what they preach!
I find it beyond belief that May Fair Committee members will now have to be interviewed if they wish to be on this new sub committee of the council. It is a real slap in the face for those who have been on the committee, some for the region of 20 years! It makes them feel that all their hard work and dedication has been for nothing and they are not good enough! It is fine having more councillors on the committee than independent members, but are the councillors going to put in the same amount of effort and work in the same way as the May Fair committee do? I don't think so! It is the independent ordinary members who are the workers, all the councillors do is turn up to vote and change everything then never reappear at another meeting. Do they expect these folk to work even harder than ever because there are less on the committee? I think they would be mad!
I agree that last year's events were nothing to be proud of, but after the arguing had been done, and what was left of the committee got their teeth stuck into organising the event, the Ballyclare May Fair was arguably one of
the best festivals which the town has had in years. How can the present Mayor and Deputy Mayor possibly comment on whether the issues were resolved or not, when neither of them have been at a recent May Fair Meeting. If they had attended a meeting they would have witnessed the way the present committee pulled together and worked as a team. It is hardly fair to call it a farce!
It seems to me that many of the councillors do not really know the correct version of events and have been listening to the rumours which others have been going around. I think it would be an idea for members of the may fair committee to meet with the development committee and voice their opinions, rather than meeting behind closed doors and then letting chinese whispers and newspapers get to work! It is sad to think that we are going to have another saga like last year - if they would just let the committee get on with organising another great
event, it would save a lot of hassle. The May Fair committee has a difficult enough time trying to get people to
help with the festival, if they have to be interviewed, my fear is that
there will be even less folk interested and the fair will fall into ruins as
there will be no-one to put in the hard work and pull everything together!
A very disappointed Michelle McGuigan
Chairperson May Fair Steering Committee
