The decision to cancel the CLA Game Fair, made just over a week before it was due to take place, has brought heartbreak to thousands – but several other companies stepped in to hold their own events.
Helen Woolley, CLA director general, said: “The heavy rain in the run-up to this year’s CLA Game Fair has left us with no choice but to take the heartbreaking decision to cancel the show. It is a devastating blow for the CLA team, contractors, exhibitors and the hoards of visitors and guests who make the CLA Game Fair the world’s greatest country show. I feel enormously sorry for all those who were so looking forward to this year’s event.
“The show’s construction team worked tirelessly to make it happen, battling the elements from dawn to dusk. Sadly, you can’t always buck the weather and, with the exceptionally high level of rain in the weeks running up to the show, it has proved impossible to build the event and to run it safely.”
CLA Game Fair Director Andrew Crawford also said: “This was to be my first CLA Game Fair and, naturally, I am incredibly disappointed that the show has been cancelled. I can only say sorry to all those affected, and we promise to make the process for them now as painless as possible. We will, of course, honour the terms and conditions of all contracts, and members of the public who have bought advance tickets should visit the CLA Game Fair website at www.gamefair.co.uk to apply for refunds.”
But a number of companies, including York Guns and EJ Churchill, decided to hold their own fairs – while yet more brought their show launches and offers into their own retail outlets. We’ve collated the best of the fair substitute deals in our special feature in the September issue of Sporting Rifle.
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