I WAS saddened to read the letter of complaint about Congresbury Village Fete in your newspaper last week.

I WAS saddened to read the letter of complaint about Congresbury Village Fete in your newspaper last week.

The fete is organised by the Fete Planning Committee, on which every village club and organisation is entitled to be represented. It takes place on St Andrew's School playing field. Many people are surprised to learn that there is a charge for its use, which has increased significantly over the last three years (at the behest of North Somerset Council not the school). There is also a charge for use of the school's toilet facilities. Other costs include insurance, events licence, publicity and hire of a generator.

Some of these costs are shared with the horticultural society, which holds its annual summer show at the same time, and the organisers of the 'Do After the Show', an evening social event. The �12 pitch fee plus 50 per cent of the gate receipts that the Fete Planning Committee receive are used to cover the remaining costs.

I'm not sure who the 'chosen few' are that are referred to but the Fete Planning Committee, without which the fete would not take place, is not one of them.

Mr Prowse, and the village, would have been better served if he had addressed his complaint to the Fete Planning Committee rather than haranguing visitors to the fete. Hardly an action, in my view, 'for the good of the village'.

CLAIRE WINTER

Scout and Guide Group Representative

Fete Planning Committee

Stonewell Park Road

Congresbury