I retired from the CLA at the end of August 2006, to spend more time in The Gambia, but was asked to return to help on the site from the start of July 2007 and focus on the needs of the fairs many Sponsors and Special Features.

The heavy rains in June, that devastated Sheffield had soaked the ground at Harewood, but the advantage of the site (always something of a disadvantage in past years) was the sloping terrain, and given sunny and breezy days the ground dried out quickly.

During July we had rain and then a few days of perfect drying weather, but followed by showers that set the ground conditions back. The site team pressed on with the construction of the site, the tentage contractors erected the marquees ordered by exhibitors, water pipes were commissioned, the toilet blocks erected the sewage system installed. The miles of cables for the electrics were all laid to the individual pitches.

On the 16th July my former colleagues from the permanent office in Basingstoke, moved up on site and during a good drying week we were all frantically busy with the final buildup, site stewards were being briefed, plot numbers placed in the ground, 10 days to the shows opening and exhibitors starting to arrive to set up their individual stands.

The ground was still wetter than I had ever seen it for a GameFair but 1000's of meters of metal trackway and 100's of tons of barkchip had created solid roadways for exhibitors to arrive.

THEN on the Friday before the show was to open and just a day afer we had issues a press release to say the show was on, the heavens opened and 24 hours of rain followed by showers finally drowned this years show, there was simply no solution to the problem.

In the old days it would have been called an ACT of GOD.

The days that followed were intensly busy making sure all exhibitors knew that the show was off, setting upo a virtual GameFair on the internet to help exhibitors sell their stock and starting to clear the site.

We all hope that the Gamefair will survive and taht despite the difficulties the exhibitors will return next year - Foot and Mouth, bad weather in teh past nothing has stopped the show but inches of water during the worst weather ever recorded for a July - crippled us.

It is difficult to imagine the disappointment among the team, a whole years hard work FINISHED - the after show days are always depressing after the incredible BUZZ of the show days but this was awful, for the team, for the exhibitors, many of whom I now know really well after 5 years as Exhibitor Manager, any reading these pages my sympathies go out to you and I'm so relieved not to be facing you all in the hard months to come. The local economy benefits by around £50 million so all have lost out by the cancellation.

Next year the show should be at Blenheim Palace - the 50th, I hope it will happen and that I am again invited to return from Gambia to help with teh task I started this year..

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