Once we had decided to actually go ahead with the project to create a visitor centre based around horses we began to find who our “friends “ really were!

Firstly, a planning application had to be submitted for change of use at Northcote. 

I had been a local Parish Councillor for about five years by this time. My colleagues were not convinced it was a good idea. All kinds of stupid objections were raised locally and at the District Council. 

Of course, nobody actually confronted us with their suggestions, objections, questions or queries. They just assumed this and assumed that and consequently created a huge problem that took us ages to sort.

Thank you for listening to our Buzzsprout audio stories.
You can follow many of these with added film and photographs as videos and slide shows
on our YouTube Channel at  "cracker books on youtube".

WEB SITE CHANGE:  New Web site at  www.crackerbooks.fr

At the same time, Cracker Books have produced 10 complete page turning
e-books on their own Site.
All the books are free to download to any device.
Have a look at our bookcase and view all the book details.  http://online.flipbuilder.com/crackerbooks/

Finally for lots of further information about what we publish and why 
have a look at our website at  www.crackerbooks.fr

"Meldrew" is one of a series of stories written for the Mortons Group of Newspapers.

Mortons were my last employers back in 1988 when I was "The" photojournalist,  ad salesman and designer and circulation manager for the new "Spilsby News".

The newspapers are now owned by the Johnson Press Group who kindly gave their permission for the reproduction of these stories.

The artist is Janet Allinson.

Thank you for listening to our Buzzsprout audio stories.
You can follow many of these with added film and photographs as videos and slide shows
on our YouTube Channel at  "cracker books on youtube".

WEB SITE CHANGE:  New Web site at  www.crackerbooks.fr

At the same time, Cracker Books have produced 10 complete page turning
e-books on their own Site.
All the books are free to download to any device.
Have a look at our bookcase and view all the book details.  http://online.flipbuilder.com/crackerbooks/

Finally for lots of further information about what we publish and why 
have a look at our website at  www.crackerbooks.fr

This is a story from Its a Rum Life Book Three. The action is mainly in Boston UK.

"As soon as 5 o' clock arrived the area suddenly teemed with white smocked Porters wearing their classic flat leather hats. The main impression I remember was the smell and ice in all the gullies and drains.
The noise level increased rapidly as instant auctions took place for the countless varieties of fish and shellfish. Auctions on the back of lorries, auctions in the isles between the stalls, and auctions in the open air.

As goods were sold, the porters loaded kits of fish on their heads or boxes on their quaint long low barrows. Off they went at top speed, singly or in pairs to another part of the yard where eager buyers waited patiently to load their precious purchases. Fish from all parts of the UK was destined to travel yet again to “pastures new”!

Thank you for listening to our Buzzsprout audio stories.
You can follow many of these with added film and photographs as videos and slide shows
on our YouTube Channel at  "cracker books on youtube".

WEB SITE CHANGE:  New Web site at  www.crackerbooks.fr

At the same time, Cracker Books have produced 10 complete page turning
e-books on their own Site.
All the books are free to download to any device.
Have a look at our bookcase and view all the book details.  http://online.flipbuilder.com/crackerbooks/

Finally for lots of further information about what we publish and why 
have a look at our website at  www.crackerbooks.fr

the scene is the Solent just outside Southampton Water and not far from the Isle of Wight.
The year 1958.....
"I was hauled off the wheel rapidly with a lot of strong language and sent back down to the forecastle to continue being quizzed….especially on buoys!

The lesson I learned was once at the helm, do not take your eyes of the course or “road” no matter how interesting other things are around you!!

I was not allowed on the helm again on that trip! 

But it was a lesson well learned and put into practice in all our future family sailing and power craft to come……….well all but one, and that will have to another tale. 

Thank you for listening to our Buzzsprout audio stories.
You can follow many of these with added film and photographs as videos and slide shows
on our YouTube Channel at  "cracker books on youtube".

WEB SITE CHANGE:  New Web site at  www.crackerbooks.fr

At the same time, Cracker Books have produced 10 complete page turning
e-books on their own Site.
All the books are free to download to any device.
Have a look at our bookcase and view all the book details.  http://online.flipbuilder.com/crackerbooks/

Finally for lots of further information about what we publish and why 
have a look at our website at  www.crackerbooks.fr

The subtitle could be "How Brian our Motor Coach owner /driver had to sit all day in lemonade-soaked trousers!"
The story of course involves the 1st Boston Sea Scout Cubs on another Annual outing.
This time to the beautiful Norfolk Broads.
A small slice from the story goes like this......

"Back to our boat, and by now Philip has taken Geoffrey’s remark so literally that he has begun to cast Geoffrey’s sandwiches to the countless ducks and other mixed waterfowl that have by now realised they are witnessing their lifetime dream. An infinite traveling food bar."

Thank you for listening to our Buzzsprout audio stories.
You can follow many of these with added film and photographs as videos and slide shows
on our YouTube Channel at  "cracker books on youtube".

WEB SITE CHANGE:  New Web site at  www.crackerbooks.fr

At the same time, Cracker Books have produced 10 complete page turning
e-books on their own Site.
All the books are free to download to any device.
Have a look at our bookcase and view all the book details.  http://online.flipbuilder.com/crackerbooks/

Finally for lots of further information about what we publish and why 
have a look at our website at  www.crackerbooks.fr

This time the Cubs nearly had to walk home, our bus driver would not let them into his coach!

Admittedly, they were a mess. They had only been on a three-hour ramble in the countryside!
It was a good job we had plenty of old newspapers to cover the bus floor and seats.

Yes, some of the boys were a bit wet and some a bit muddy, one or two were covered in mud from head to foot!
How had they possibly got in this awful mess?
We were with them all the time, three adult leaders, supposedly responsible. 
...and then there was "sludge"!

Who can remember who this one was, I can,  but perhaps it would be embarrassing for him now, after 56 years or so.   He might well be grown up and have a family of his own!

Thank you for listening to our Buzzsprout audio stories.
You can follow many of these with added film and photographs as videos and slide shows
on our YouTube Channel at  "cracker books on youtube".

WEB SITE CHANGE:  New Web site at  www.crackerbooks.fr

At the same time, Cracker Books have produced 10 complete page turning
e-books on their own Site.
All the books are free to download to any device.
Have a look at our bookcase and view all the book details.  http://online.flipbuilder.com/crackerbooks/

Finally for lots of further information about what we publish and why 
have a look at our website at  www.crackerbooks.fr

I announced the couple who were to perform without mentioning that neither of them had ever seen each other before. 

Never mind not having the chance to practice the piece together before the performance.

I dare not mention that neither the pianist nor the mezzo soprano singer had any sheet music to follow either.

They were both confident and enthusiastic and with a glance at each other off they went.

David's beautiful playing of that most difficult of piano pieces accompanied by Heather who had a lovely commanding voice was simply magnificent.

David was note-perfect, the piece went on for perhaps four minutes and he finished with that memorable very twiddly complicated beautiful music which is “the Trout”.

I was enthralled as were the rest of the audience. 

Thank you for listening to our Buzzsprout audio stories.
You can follow many of these with added film and photographs as videos and slide shows
on our YouTube Channel at  "cracker books on youtube".

WEB SITE CHANGE:  New Web site at  www.crackerbooks.fr

At the same time, Cracker Books have produced 10 complete page turning
e-books on their own Site.
All the books are free to download to any device.
Have a look at our bookcase and view all the book details.  http://online.flipbuilder.com/crackerbooks/

Finally for lots of further information about what we publish and why 
have a look at our website at  www.crackerbooks.fr

In conclusion, I felt confident that the Inspector of Taxes had good acceptable answers to all his questions and could find no reason to take the matter further. 

Indeed, I did not hear anything more from that Government Office.

But you can read or listen to other unpleasant incidents where various folk have seen fit to “have a go “ at us in other ways over the years.

The worst and longest-lasting is covered in the story “Litigation”.

It all began in 1982 during the time I was a Parish Councillor at New Bolingbroke and Carrington and continued for over 20 years!

The final one was when Barclays Bank tried to “grab” the Northcote property and close the Animal Sanctuary back in 2012.

You can follow this later incident in two stories, “A Lesson in Faith in the 21st Century” and “Travel Nightmare, I am a Terrorist!” 

Thank you for listening to our Buzzsprout audio stories.
You can follow many of these with added film and photographs as videos and slide shows
on our YouTube Channel at  "cracker books on youtube".

WEB SITE CHANGE:  New Web site at  www.crackerbooks.fr

At the same time, Cracker Books have produced 10 complete page turning
e-books on their own Site.
All the books are free to download to any device.
Have a look at our bookcase and view all the book details.  http://online.flipbuilder.com/crackerbooks/

Finally for lots of further information about what we publish and why 
have a look at our website at  www.crackerbooks.fr

All my efforts had been vindicated; 

two years or so of acute stress had been worthwhile. 

Teamwork had won in the end but overall, my continued faith in finding a suitable solution had worked out.

During the prolonged interval, while I was seeking a new mortgage, all kinds of weird and wonderful solutions had been on offer. 

None of them were good common sense and all of them very expensive.

Arranging the new ‘proper’ mortgage had not been cheap, it had cost us in the region of £6000 but was the right thing to do, and then there was the final hurdle, I had to get home! (See train troubles)

Thank you for listening to our Buzzsprout audio stories.
You can follow many of these with added film and photographs as videos and slide shows
on our YouTube Channel at  "cracker books on youtube".

WEB SITE CHANGE:  New Web site at  www.crackerbooks.fr

At the same time, Cracker Books have produced 10 complete page turning
e-books on their own Site.
All the books are free to download to any device.
Have a look at our bookcase and view all the book details.  http://online.flipbuilder.com/crackerbooks/

Finally for lots of further information about what we publish and why 
have a look at our website at  www.crackerbooks.fr

Such is the case of dictators who rely on their power to terrify and bully by force. 

“Inside”, they truly know they are wrong but will never, ever, accept the fact.

They become so used to their actions it becomes their way of life.

This is normally their undoing eventually, simply because it is “Wrong”.

But it can take a little time.

Never deviate from the truth, never try to follow their tactics.

Thank you for listening to our Buzzsprout audio stories.
You can follow many of these with added film and photographs as videos and slide shows
on our YouTube Channel at  "cracker books on youtube".

WEB SITE CHANGE:  New Web site at  www.crackerbooks.fr

At the same time, Cracker Books have produced 10 complete page turning
e-books on their own Site.
All the books are free to download to any device.
Have a look at our bookcase and view all the book details.  http://online.flipbuilder.com/crackerbooks/

Finally for lots of further information about what we publish and why 
have a look at our website at  www.crackerbooks.fr