But last Wednesday night I attended a May Fair Steering Committee meeting and was totally disgusted. At a previous meeting it had been discussed about the length of the festival and it had been voted on democratically that the festival was to last from Saturday to Saturday as in previous years. It had also been voted on that the amusements were to stay in The Square car park for the duration of the fair and the week before (to set up).
On attending the November 28 meeting in Ballyclare Town Hall I, and other members, discovered that these items were back on the agenda for this meeting although previously discussed and democratically voted on.
When asking the Chairperson (Councillor Etta Mann) why this was so, she stated that as there was a postal strike just before the previous meeting, some members did not receive their agenda and therefore were not happy with these items being decided upon and were therefore up for discussion again. It was pointed out to the Chairperson that there were 12 people at the previous meeting and five people who sent their apologies, that is 17 people in total out of approximately 25, who all knew that the meeting was on.
Myself and other committee members (who are not councillors or Chamber of Trade members) are disgusted at this. It seems that our 'Joe Public' vote doesn't count for anything.
The public members, I hasten to add, do the majority of the hard graft during the week of the fair every year.
I am really disheartened about this as I have been a member of the May Fair Steering Committee for six years and feel that our vote doesn't count and that no matter what decision is made, if it doesn't go the way certain people want, then it can be overturned. Hardly fair.
Myself, another previous Chairperson, Mr Ted Turkington, and a number of other members walked out of the meeting last wednesday night, totally disgusted at the way we had been treated.
The fair has now been shortened to Tuesday until Saturday and the amusements are now out of The Square car park and a continental market has already been booked for the same car park.
Where are the amusements to go? Why was the continental market already booked for The Square car park when the amusements are in there every year? Who made that decision? It wasn't the Steering Group.
The people of Ballyclare last year were horrified to find that the fair had been shortened as there was always a Mayor's Parade on the first Saturday to kick start the fair and to open it. Last year the fair just happened, no real opening and people were ringing me up, complaining that they were at the fair on the first Saturday and there was nothing on. They will be really disgusted to find that this year the same thing is happening but also that there will be no amusements in The Square car park, which is taking all the heart out of the fair.
A number of years ago an attempt was made to take the amusements out of The Square and a petition was set up and hundreds of Ballyclare people signed this petition to keep the amusements in The Square. I think this will have to happen again.
Where do these councillors get off? Do they think that the ordinary committee members are stupid? That they can do what they like and we will just follow them? I don't think so. It is ridiculous.
Michelle McGuigan
Former Chairperson and current member, Ballyclare May Fair Steering Committee.