Page 178 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

No sooner had we received this communication,
than our “obnoxious” farmer “friend” found bright new
signs literally all over his farm.
He became apoplectic and seemed to think that I
was solely responsible for his “punishment”.

One of his numerous farms comprised some several
hundred acres behind where we lived in the village
and had four access roads to this land within the
village.
Not long after the footpath signs arrived on his land,
he called at our house and very unpleasantly
demanded a right of way through the yard at the side
of our house into his fields beyond. This would be in
about 1981/2.
He was so abusive and unpleasant he put my wife
Ruth immediately in tears.

I naturally refused this unreasonable demand although did not immediately realise what
had prompted this confrontation. I was only one councillor among some 7 or 8.
The man had pots of money and it was not long before Court papers began to arrive at our
home.
I had never had much in the way of spare finance, in fact the transport business my wife
and I had started was always scraping along the bottom as it were. We existed and paid
most of the bills most of the time!
So there was no spare money for solicitors or legal advice.

IN COURT
The first hearing was in Lincoln before a Judge.
I had to wait a little while in an anti chamber, as is the norm. The solicitor for the farmer
was a most charming man who really did not wish to do what he was doing. He could see
right thorough the reasons for the action and very kindly told me how to handle my end of
the problem!
I never did see him again after the hearing, I do hope he was not discharged for assisting
me.
The outcome of this first court hearing I do not remember too well, but after I had said my
piece to the Judge it appeared to be a stalemate.

Nothing happened for some time but our business was not doing too well. A lucrative
contract with an international client (Uniroyal) had come to an end.

I had been working for over a year on a replacement national contract (TMC), but that was
subsequently “sunk” by competitors within the industry I worked for.
Because of financial conditions in the new contract they managed to make me dissolve my
business and I lost the new contract in so doing!

We strongly believe that the Lincoln Spiv had put his not unsubstantial pressure on our
Bank in Lincoln to get them to withdraw support to our business.
Consequently in 1983 ECYB Transport came to an end. With no income to pay the

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