Hi there boys and girls!

Spare thought for Dapper Dave this Christmas. He has been having a rough time recently. An annus horribilis indeed, ( thank goodness I can spell ).

Firstly, he was passed over for the top job. Scant reward for all those years of loyal service. And then there was the little matter of Aysgarth Farm. I expect you have read the official version on Wealden Council's website. Minor details were missed out so bear with me if I hang a few clothes on their bare bones.

Mr. Reeves "repeatedly ignored warnings". Well not quite. He explained the ( high silica ) sand was wanted for the 'orses. He has a lot of those because he and Mrs. Reeves breed 'em. So he put in a £200 application for a level area for the covering of mares. Wealden even nailed up the site notice. But then they came along with their little blue bulldozer before the application had been heard ( just like at Bushy Wood ). If you discuss this with Mr. Bradshaw, he will stare at the carpet. The words "pecuniary advantage by deception" spring to mind. He had moved out his horsebox. But the Best bit comes next. The sand was loaded into Bunny's lorry and taken where? To the destination on the quotation? Dream on. Eight loads went to Rock Hill House, Broad Oak, which is a registered waste tip? Er, no. Or a waste transfer station? Apparently not. It is, ( or was then ), the home of a dealer in equestrian artefacts, Mr. Terry Magmer. Of course this begs the question whether the sand was sent by Dapper Dave to a more appropriate location than that which it left. But questions do not get answered by senior Wealden officers, and of course we all have infinite confidence in his discretion.

Bunny's big bill got paid very promptly. In fact it was paid long before Mr. Reeves found out where his sand had gone, or that his bricks, destined for rubble, had been carefully hand loaded at his expense and taken back to Best's yard. And then he challenged the massive overcharge. In fact he hired David Randall Sinnatt to take up cudgels. And David got the bill reduced from £6,400 + VAT to around £3K. At least that was the last we heard before the deal was done and the gagging order kicked in. So that just begs one teeny little question. Who keeps the difference? 'Cos Bunny got paid a lot more than the Council did. Does Bunny halve the difference with Dave and put a smile on his face for Christmas or keep the lot? Never mind, it's only public money.

Dapper was invited up to Court 21 in the Ice Queen's Palace shortly after the settlement. Brian Goodacre was grumbling about similar treatment received during his Direct Action. He had a good name for it - "feeding frenzy". When that pesky Wealden Action Group was mentioned, Dapper's hands started trembling uncontrollably.

Dave may well be going back there in the New Year. His daily rate may be a bit different to the £30 an hour plus this and that which he would have charged Mr. Goodacre, ( likewise for Mr. Kean and Mr Bradshaw, all times seven days ). This time it may only be £70 a day because Crusty Mr. Kruschandl at the Old Steamhouse is attempting a counterclaim to Wealden's Statutory demand. Mr. K has received this imposing document, ( odd how all these things always happen at Christmas ), and has counterclaimed with subpoena's for twenty witnesses. We grabbed a shot of Coucillor Parsons receiving his. If it ever gets to court I don't think it will be a cheap one. But never mind, it's only public money.



Check out Best Demolition's website here





And it's not the first time Bunny Best's taken goods, ordered to be tipped, back to his yard for sale is it ?

Cosy !