TRAGICALLY, Otley Victorian Fayre will not go ahead this year, but at least the daytime events have been saved with schoolchildren singing carols in the streets and businesses and shops being encouraged to at least dress the part.

Unfortunately, the event has never been given the wholehearted backing of the majority of shops and businesses and has, instead, been left to the efforts of a few hardworking volunteers to put it together every year.

Although thousands flock into the town for the event, just a handful of shops have supported it with few even bothering to dress the part or decorate their windows. Every year the cry goes up for more volunteers or the fayre will be forced to close and every year at the very last minute maybe just one person comes forward to save the event for one more year.

Now it has been cancelled - because of the firefighters' strike - maybe at long last Otley traders will realise what they are missing.

The Wharfedale and Airedale Observer is just one Otley business that will be backing Otley Children's Christmas on Friday, December 6. We will be decorating our window and dressing up.

The organisers are right in stressing the event will not be Otley Victorian Fayre so as not to disappoint those who may travel long distances for the usual organised attractions. But the town will have its day with singing schoolchildren and hopefully a real traditional Christmas spirit.

Let's just hope that those who have criticised the organisers for taking the sensible decision this year will be behind them next year when the event will be held once again.

Enough is enough as far as many people in Otley are concerned about the level of heavy traffic coming through the town.

In a short time the number of wagons trundling down Newall Carr Road and across the ancient Otley Bridge has increased massively. Something needs to be done and at long last the wheels are being put in motion.

Heavy wagons will always be able to find another route and one thing's for certain - Otley with its narrow streets and tight bends was not designed for heavy traffic.