what the City of Hamilton wants, the organiser of Christmas Expo '93 said last night.

Mr. Junius Durrant said he received a letter from Corporation secretary Mr.

Roger Sherratt expressing concern "about the selling of products'' at the show.

"But that was at a point where we had already told the vendors and the exhibitors that there would be sales,'' he said. "We have legal advice saying that we are not doing anything different from previous shows.

"I'm just going ahead. I'm just taking my advice from my attorney.'' Saladmaster Bermuda organised the first Christmas Expo, which begins today and continues until Sunday. More than 60 exhibitors are to fill the two floors of the Front Street passenger terminal.

But there was panic yesterday among vendors -- who each paid $900 to $1,600 for a booth at the show -- as word spread about the letter from the Corporation.

"I'm going to have price tags on everything,'' said antique and fine arts dealer Mr. Stephen Lusher. "I wouldn't have done this if I hadn't been able to sell things.'' Mr. Lusher said he was involved in previous exhibitions at Number One Shed like Women '90, and sales were permitted at those.

If sales were not allowed this time, "I want my money back,'' he said. Mr.

Sherratt last night attempted to clarify the situation. "The people who hired Number One Shed hired it for a trade demonstration, to show Bermudians what is available for sale in Bermuda,'' he said.

At such exhibitions in the past, some sales of specialty items and refreshments were allowed, but the primary purpose was display, Mr. Sherratt said.

The Corporation was alarmed a few weeks ago when a newspaper advertisement appeared describing Number One Shed as "an actual shopping mall'' during the exhibition. "It was completely different from what the Corporation had been led to believe,'' he said. The letter that organisers were sent asked: "Are you running a trade show, or are you running a shopping mall? "The organisers did give us an assurance the vast majority of stalls are there just to display items.'' While sales would be permitted from the antique and food booth and some others, sales were not to be the main activity, he said.