THE ELF Fair is returning to Hatherleigh this summer due to popular demand — and is promising to be one of the most family-friendly events of the season in West Devon. The event, on Saturday June 30, will be the second Elf Fair Hatherleigh has enjoyed, and this year it will feature a new children's 'play till you drop' area, complete with huge slide and 'every kind of children's play equipment'. There will also be animals from Exmoor Zoo there which children can get to know, and heavy horses, whose manes can be plaited. The day will include demonstrations by Arab stallions, a dog show, archery competition,casting contest, ferret racing, and a gun dog scurry - as well as various stalls to browse and a plant sale. A few stalls are still available for the event — anybody interested in having one should contact Diana Ridgeway on 01647 231348. The fair is being organised by Hatherleigh leukaemia survivor Susie Lascelles, in aid of Exeter Leukaemia Fund (ELF). She said: 'We held our first fair in 2005. Last year, we just had a clay-pigeon shoot. But we've been persuaded to have a full Elf fair again, this time with even more emphasis on things for children to do.' A clay pigeon shoot will again be an important centrepiece of the day's events. This will include both individual and team competitions, as well as the opportunity for absolute beginners to have a go with a qualified instructor. Susie said: 'The same team has won the Elf challenge two years running, so it's really time for a new team to start practising to challenge them for this year's title.' Last year, the clay shoot alone raised £1,500 for Exeter Leukaemia Fund — and since 2000 Susie has raised a total of £25,000 for the charity. The fund supports the work of the haematology centre at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, which treats blood cancer victims, performs bone marrow transplants, and conducts research into the causes and treatment of leukaemia. ELF raised 63% of the cost of the centre's new unit which opened in Exeter in 2002 as one of the most innovative and modern haematology units in Europe. Leukaemia is now one of Britain's fastest-growing killer diseases, and cases in the South West have increased more than anywhere else in the country over recent years. For further information about the Elf Fair, call Susie Lascelles on 01837 810928, or Annabel Lewers on 01837 682935.