IN reply to R B Long of Horwich (July 30).

First of all, he wants to get his dates right. The 27th was Saturday (there was nothing going on on Sunday) and the Mountain Bike event was on Monday, July 29.

I was born and lived in Bolton until I was 34. My husband was born in Wigan and we moved to Horwich in 1984 and we have always said what beautiful countryside there is.

After watching the BBC coverage of both Saturday's event and the Monday Mountain Bike Race, I just thought, along with many more people, that they had put Horwich on the map and I was very proud to be a part of it (and so should R B Long if he/she is a true Horwicher).

I would also like to praise the management and staff of the Squirrel at Anderton for the fact that they thought about the young children who didn't really understand what was going on. They put entertainment on to keep them happy and busy while their parents could keep an eye on the events.

Hilary Higham

Church Street

Horwich