Robin Dadson, of Churchfield, Dartmouth, writes:

Prior to retiring to Dartmouth, my wife and I, resided at Biggin Hill, Kent for 39 years. For the majority of the time we lived there we were treated to at least one air fair per year which were always very well attended although, in my estimation, the support was diminishing in later years.

In the earlier times the various flying displays were supplemented by numerous stalls which were set up upon Biggin Hill airfield and these included some selling military memorabilia while others offered clothing, books, model construction kits and many other diverse items.

There were also static displays of varying natures which served to attract the interest of visitors.

During the last fifteen years or so that I spent in the area I helped out at a local hostelry which overlooked the airfield and, as time passed, it became very noticeable that visiting patrons started to remark on the marked reduction in the number of stalls offering general wares and the explosion of fast food outlets.

It was quite usual to hear people complaining that they had spent a good deal on entry fees only to look at 'a load of burger bars'.

Sadly the air fairs at Biggin Hill are no more.

My memories of Dartmouth Royal Regatta also stretch back a long way as we used to make a point of visiting this area on an annual basis purely to enjoy the event.

As with the earlier air fairs at Biggin Hill I recall the stalls which set up along the embankment during regatta once offered a whole variety of goods for sale.

There were regular traders who marketed china ware and linen ware and there was more than one stall that sold shoes, T-shirts, watches, leather goods, socks and a whole variety of other items.

Yes, there were also a limited number of fast food outlets but, as with Biggin Hill, their numbers seem to have exploded in recent years whilst stalls offering general merchandise have diminished.

On Wednesday I was speaking to a friend of mine who lives in the Torbay area and had made his way to Dartmouth during regatta.

During the course of conversation he suddenly remarked 'Bit of a waste of time walking through the street market, I can see as many burger bars as I want where I live'.

Admittedly there is no entry fee to attend regatta but the sentiments were uncannily similar to many I had heard previously.

Talk about deja vu.