As new evidence of meetings between Lord Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein after the latter got out of the clink emerges, one is left asking: “What continued to attract ‘Mandy’ to a known billionaire sex offender?”
In January 2022, The Steeple Times pointed out: “The key ‘classic question’ Lord Mandelson now needs to answer is a paraphrasing of that put to decidedly dippy Debbie McGee by the late Caroline Ahern (in her role as the bonkers but brilliant ‘Mrs Merton’) in 1997: ‘What, first, Peter, was it that attracted you to the multi-millionaire Jeffrey Epstein?’”
This morning – pouring petrol all over the fire of speculation about the most curious links between the very well connected and openly gay Labour peer and the sexually perverted Ponzi scheming paedophile – The Mail on Sunday’s Daniel Bates shared an “exclusive” in which he revealed that aside from the previously the known meetings and telephone calls between the pair from 2005 to 2009, it is now suggested that an additional four meetings were “scheduled” for them between 2010 and 2013.
“Organised” after a time when Epstein had been in the pokey for having sex with underage girls, the ex-Labour cabinet minister, it has also been observed from diary entries, even stayed in the Lenox Hill, New York ‘Paedo Palace’ that belonged to the ‘bestie’ of Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Of this, Bates observed:
“The disgraced billionaire was jailed for 13 months in June 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution as part of a sweetheart plea deal.”
“After leaving jail, Epstein had to register as a sex offender and was subject to a 12-month house arrest, which expired in July 2010. Despite this Lord Mandelson, a former EU commissioner for trade, appears to have met Epstein several times.”
“Lord Mandelson declined to confirm if the meetings had taken place – but other figures who appear on the documents have said their get-togethers did go ahead.”
“At the time, the peer was out of public office but being tipped to lead the IMF or the World Trade Organization.”
“The first two meetings were listed for Epstein’s New York townhouse on March 1 and March 3, 2010, when he was still under house arrest.”
“The March 1 entry says Lord Mandelson was due at 7.30pm while Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, referred to as ‘Peter’s friend,’ was due to arrive at 1pm.”
“Mr Wegg-Prosser was Lord Mandelson’s assistant and was previously Tony Blair’s director of strategic communications. He now works at Global Counsel, Lord Mandelson’s consulting company, as a managing director.”
“An entry for May 28 2012 said: ‘** Peter Mandelson to arrive in the evening from Shelter Island WILL HE STAY AT HOUSE?**’”
“Shelter Island is an island in The Hamptons, the millionaires’ playground east of New York.”
The entry for Wednesday, May 30 reads: ‘** Peter Mandelson possibly leaves today if meetings organised for Boston, otherwise depart Thurs for DC **’”
“The final entry is for April 4, 2014 and is a dinner with Mandelson, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, investor Mort Zuckerman and Jes Staley, the former head of JP Morgan, who has been accused of abusing Epstein’s victims.”
“Previous reports have shown photos of Lord Mandelson on Epstein’s island in 2005 and at his birthday in 2006, but the diaries are the first suggestions of meetings after his prison sentence.”
Mr Wegg-Prosser confirmed his meeting with Epstein did take place. He said: ‘I had the misfortune to meet Epstein on one occasion. It was a short meeting of no consequence and thankfully was never to be repeated.’”
Editor’s Note – Unlike as is the case in many publications, this article was NOT sponsored or supported by a third-party. Follow Matthew Steeples on Twitter at @M_Steeples.
Today on Twitter, Matthew Steeples asked: “Was it right for Labour politician Peter Mandelson to continue meeting & staying with Ponzi schemer Jeffrey Epstein after the paedo got out of prison in 2009?” By 1pm on Sunday 4th June 2023, the majority of respondents favoured the answer: “No; very odd; dodgy.”Lord Mandelson – at the time the European Union Trade Commissioner – holidayed with Epstein just months before the latter’s arrest in the Caribbean. The two “middle-aged holidaymakers” were photographed on 27th December 2005 in a fashion boutique where the former was snapped trying on a white belt whilst wearing a £21,000 ($28,500, €25,200 or درهم104,800) Patek Phillipe watch – which the ‘Daily Mail’ pointedly noted to be worth “almost two months of his post-tax income.” Opposite him, his clear ‘mate’ Epstein is captured giggling.Peter Mandelson was quite happy to hang out with Jeffrey Epstein, a mutual mate of the since disgraced JP Morgan Chase & Co. banker Jes Staley, at his £10 million Paris paedo pad circa 20th January 2007 in spite of the taxi driver turned sex trafficker having been charged with soliciting a woman for prostitution in August 2006. Whilst Lord Mandelson may or may not have seen newspaper reports about the arrest of his ‘chum’ just months earlier in August 2006, one is left questioning the standard of his judgment in hanging around with this subsequently convicted nonce. Pictured in a hoodie in his dining room blowing out candles on a cake presented by a diminutive butler named Valdson Viera Cortin is supposedly tee-total Epstein whilst ‘Mandy’ – whom features in the now infamous ‘black book’ we believe belonged to Ghislaine Maxwell with 10 phone numbers attributed – gawped rather over-enthusiastically, a glass of red wine in front of him. The pair appeared in the image perfectly at ease together, in spite of the fact that various newspapers had already reported on the horrific allegations against the Brooklyn born taxi driver turned teacher turned financier.As we’ve said of entries in the address book often misattributed to Jeffrey Epstein, which we instead believe is primarily the contacts of mucky madam Ghislaine Maxwell, The Right Honourable The Lord Mandelson PC is someone closer to this deviant duo than most. With TEN phone numbers for him and his partner since 1998, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, this is someone who they clearly had regular contact with.Whilst Peter Mandelson has been openly gay for many years and in a known relationship with a Brazilian, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, since 1998, it is lesser known whether Jeffrey Epstein liked ‘underage boys’ as well as ‘underage girls.’ Aside from allegations about an alleged ‘special relationship’ with his alleged benefactor, the aged Victoria’s Secret billionaire tycoon Leslie Wexner, it has been suggested the Ponzi scheming paedophile Epstein liked taking ‘little boys’ to his ‘Paedo Islands’ in the Caribbean as much as he enjoyed taking ‘little girls’ there for his own gruesome gratification. These images by an Instagram ‘artist’ going by the name @AIArtistKing have been proven fake, but rumours about what the former taxi driver turned teacher turned ‘billionaire’ did sexually with males continue to do the rounds.Oxford educated Peter Mandelson (St Catherine’s College, 1973 to 1976, pictured with Matthew Freud) and Oxford educated Ghislaine Maxwell (Balliol College, graduated 1985, pictured with Rupert Murdoch) are connected in multiple ways. Of the pension pot plundering ‘Bouncing Czech’ that was Robert Maxwell, the Labour peer once remarked: “It was very strange because you’d simultaneously want to be at Maxwell’s parties and at the same time shrink away from him. Because he was such a bully and so unpredictable. To be honest, I was frightened of his company. He had that ability to make you feel completely small and inadequate, and that just scrambled my head.”
Seven Questions Lord Mandelson Ought To Answer…
In January 2009, Peter Mandelson called Jeffrey Epstein in the Palm Beach Stockade (jail) that Mr. Epstein had inhabited after pleading guilty to procuring a minor for sexual abuse. This phone conversation was reported by UK national broadcaster Channel 4 on the Dispatches programme aired in October 2019.
During the phone call, Mandelson sought Epstein’s assistance to set up a meeting with Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan Chase & Co. The sex offender referred to Mandelson by a nickname (‘Petie’) during the conversation.
“I must say I was astonished that a British cabinet minister at that time, probably the most powerful man other than the Prime Minister, was calling Jeffrey in jail to make an appointment, to seek an appointment with a very powerful banker in New York,” a whistle-blower subsequently told Dispatches.
Accompanying an iPetition – which has been signed by nearly 2,800 people since it was posted in December 2021 – someone named Petra Malkovich asked seven questions. They were:
How can it be justified that Lord Mandelson called a convicted child abuser in jail?
In 2012, Peter Mandelson declared in a statement posted on the website of the TerraMar Project, an ostensible charity set up by Ghislaine Maxwell with financial support from Jeffrey Epstein, that he was “supporting” Ms. Maxwell’s organisation. U.S. law enforcement contend that the TerraMar Project was a fake charity slush fund for victims of Maxwell-and-Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
How can it be justified that Lord Mandelson publicly supported Ghislaine Maxwell’s alleged ‘fake charity slush fund’ for victims of sex trafficking?
On December 27th 2005, Peter Mandelson took part in a shopping trip with Jeffrey Epstein in Saint Barthélemys (photos published by the Daily Mail on August 30th 2019).
Peter Mandelson by this time had “known [Jeffrey Epstein] for several years, having previously once visited his Caribbean island for a holiday – when neither Epstein nor any of the girls were there,” the Daily Mail reported. Mandelson’s partner was also present for the earlier visit, according to eyewitness Cathy Alexander.
How can it be justified that Lord Mandelson socialised in person and discussed business in person with Jeffrey Epstein on multiple occasions [refer also to the events below]?
On a date falling after August 2006 and before June 30th 2008, Lord Mandelson paid a social visit to Jeffrey Epstein at the sex trafficker’s mansion in Paris [see the photo above].
At some point during this rendezvous in Paris of unknown duration, Mandelson and Epstein celebrated a birthday together – seemingly Epstein’s (Epstein was born on January 20th, which could point to the photo having been taken in either January 2007 or January 2008).
Epstein and Mandelson were joined for this birthday celebration by an as-yet-unnamed individual described in the press as an Epstein “staff member.”
How can it be justified that Lord Mandelson socialised with Jeffrey Epstein at the sex trafficker’s Paris residence after Epstein had already been charged with a sex crime (procuring a woman for prostitution)?
In March 2011, Virginia Roberts (now Virginia Giuffre) told the Mail on Sunday that Peter Mandelson had visited Jeffrey Epstein at his New York townhouse near Central Park, attending a dinner party with the sex trafficker. “I assumed they were in business together,” she recalled.
How can it be justified that Lord Mandelson socialised and/or discussed business with Jeffrey Epstein in the same building from which Mr Epstein was operating his sex trafficking, paedophilia and blackmail operation with Ghislaine Maxwell, with minors routinely sexually assaulted on the premises by Mr Epstein?
In January 2001, Peter Mandelson joined his friend Kevin Spacey at the Old Vic theatre in London, becoming an Associate Director in or before this date (Daily Telegraph, January 5 2001). Spacey had joined the board of the Old Vic Theatre Trust 2000 just a few weeks earlier, in November 2000.
In 2002, Ghislaine Maxwell, another of Mr. Spacey’s close friends, accompanied the Hollywood star on a private tour of Buckingham Palace led by Prince Andrew. Mr. Spacey was using his tenure at the Old Vic to serially sexually assault young actors – at least 20 – with most of the allegations relating to the period up to 2009.
How can it be explained that Lord Mandelson was so closely involved with Kevin Spacey and the Old Vic during the period of widespread sexual abuse concerned, yet encountered no reports of these recurring serious sexual abuse episodes involving his friend and colleague?
In or before 2013, Peter Mandelson was brought on to the board of the Alfred Herrhausen Society of Deutsche Bank, according to a July 14 2013 report in ‘Der Spiegel’ of Germany. The report identified Anshu Jain as the executive responsible for Mandelson’s appointment. Deutsche Bank executives approved Jeffrey Epstein as a client in 2013 and then kept working with him.
“[In 2013] Deutsche Bank was aggressively expanding its U.S. wealth management business under its new co-chief executive, Anshu Jain… Deutsche Bank executives ignored repeated red flags, including suspiciously large cash withdrawals and 120 wire transfers totaling $2.65 million to women with Eastern European surnames,” the New York Times reported.
Subsequently, Mr Jain “was forced to step down from the top job at Deutsche Bank after a series of regulatory mishaps.” In 2017 Mr Jain was hired by Jeffrey Epstein’s next-door-neighbour, Howard Lutnick of Cantor Fitzgerald, whose sister, Edie Lutnick, was (in common with Mandelson) a prominent self-declared supporter of Ghislaine Maxwell’s ‘TerraMar Project’ charity.
How can it be explained that Lord Mandelson was closely involved at Deutsche Bank with the rogue DB executive who was financially enabling Jeffrey Epstein in the exact same period?
Legal eagle David Lennox unravels the complexities of finding the best divorce lawyers in the UK and the USA. Discover the top law firms for wives, husbands, optimal settlements, and protective strategies
Divorce is a challenging, emotional process that becomes even more complex when legalities are added into the mix. Navigating the convoluted maze of family law requires the assistance of an experienced divorce lawyer who can guide you through each step, protecting your interests along the way.
In this article, we’ll guide you through the task of finding the best divorce lawyer for your specific circumstances, be it in the United Kingdom or the United States. We’ll highlight top-tier law firms known for their excellence in diverse aspects of divorce cases: from advocating for wives or husbands, to those known for securing optimal settlements, to firms adept at handling intricate financial matters for high-net-worth individuals.
Specialising in high-net-worth divorce cases, Stewarts Law is perfect for clients who have substantial assets to protect. With their vast experience, they excel in handling complex financial matters seamlessly.
Known for representing wives seeking fair settlements, Vardags has an impressive track record. Their dedicated team ensures each case is handled with utmost care and understanding.
Withers is renowned for its prowess in handling cross-border divorce cases involving international assets. For couples with global connections, they’re an excellent choice.
Based in the Pacific Northwest, McKinley Irvin is noted for their advocacy for husbands. Their lawyers are well-versed in the unique challenges men face in divorce cases.
A top choice for securing optimal settlements, this Los Angeles-based firm offers expert representation. Their vast experience in negotiation and litigation can make a considerable difference in your settlement.
With a focus on high-net-worth divorce cases, this New York firm provides strategic advice and representation for protecting substantial assets.
Twice divorced himself Raymond Tooth and fellow divorce law titan Fiona Shackleton in June 2013; the pair had lunched at the rather ritzy Scott’s restaurant in Mount Street, Mayfair at a time when the divorce of Nigella Lawson from Charles Saatchi was front page news. Tooth is best known for having represented Sadie Frost in her divorce from Jude Law, Cheryl Barrymore in her divorce from Michael Barrymore and Irina Abramovich in her divorce from Roman Abramovich. Baroness Shackleton’s highest profile clients have numbered The Prince of Wales in his divorce from Princess Diana, Petra Ecclestone in her divorce from James Stunt, Claire Henry in her divorce from Thierry Henry and Alyce Eichelberger in her divorce from John Cleese.Baroness Shackleton is best known for an incident during the final settlement hearing in the divorce of Heather McCartney Mills from Sir Paul McCartney where a maniac-like Mills poured a jug of water over her head; Fiona Shackleton left court that day sporting a very different hairdo to when she arrived.
Making the Right Choice
The best divorce lawyer for you depends on your unique circumstances. Consider these top ten law firms in the UK and USA:
Best for Wives:
Vardags (UK): Their empathetic, meticulous approach empowers wives to secure fair outcomes.
Laura Wasser at Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles LLP (USA): Known as the ‘Disso Queen’, Wasser has represented numerous high-profile wives.
Withers (UK): For those globe-trotting couples whose asset pool spans continents, Withers is your ticket to a well-handled international divorce.
The Law Offices of Korol & Velen (USA): Their nuanced understanding of international divorce law makes them the perfect fit for cross-border cases.
Now, let’s add some spicy masala to our otherwise sober law curry. We present to you, the illustrious ‘Divorce Wall of Fame’:
The Wall of Fame
For those interested in the glitz and glamour side of divorce law (if there is such a thing), here’s our extended ‘Wall of Fame’ showcasing high-profile celebrity divorces and the impressive settlements they’ve garnered, showing the might and prowess of their legal representatives.
Stewarts Law LLP (UK): As one of the UK’s most renowned law firms, they’ve handled a variety of high-profile cases. One notable client is multi-millionaire hedge fund manager Chris Hohn, whose divorce from wife Jamie Cooper resulted in a £337 million settlement, one of the largest in British history.
Sears Tooth Solicitors (UK): “Don’t get even, get Tooth” is often said of Raymond Tooth – whose “tenacious approach in handling cases has resulted in his being nicknamed ‘The Rottweiler’ and ‘Jaws.’ The Daily Mail has noted him as “the nation’s leading celebrity divorce lawyer” and once suggested: “He knows a thing or two about the vicissitudes of matrimony.”
Vardags (UK): Known for handling complex, high-net-worth divorces, Vardags represented the former beauty queen, Pauline Chai, in her divorce from Laura Ashley tycoon Khoo Kay Peng. This high-profile case resulted in a whopping £64 million settlement after a bitter and protracted battle.
Withers Worldwide (UK): Withers guided Guy Ritchie through his complex, cross-border divorce from Madonna. The final settlement was rumoured to be between £50 million and £60 million, one of the most sizable in the entertainment industry.
Payne Hicks Beach (UK): This prestigious firm represented the then Prince Charles in his divorce from Diana, Princess of Wales. The settlement, though kept private, was widely reported to include a lump sum of £17 million and an allowance for a private office.
McKinley Irvin Family Law (USA): One of the top-rated family law firms in the US, they have represented high-net-worth individuals across industries, although the specific details are confidential.
Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles, P.C. (USA): The star-studded clientele of Laura Wasser includes Angelina Jolie, Maria Shriver and Kim Kardashian. Wasser was instrumental in securing Jolie’s custody of her and Brad Pitt’s six children, while the monetary settlement remains undisclosed.
Diggs & Sadler (USA): This Houston-based firm represented Elin Nordegren in her divorce from Tiger Woods. The Swedish model and the golf pro’s divorce resulted in a whopping $100 million settlement for Nordegren.
Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein, LLP (USA): While keeping their client list under wraps, they have represented a significant number of high-earning individuals and have dealt with many multimillion-dollar settlements.
Blank Rome LLP (USA): Notably represented Steven Spielberg during his divorce from Amy Irving. The settlement was reportedly a cool $100 million, thanks to a prenuptial agreement that was scribbled on a napkin and later dismissed by the judge.
Pryor Cashman LLP (USA): The firm represented Rupert Murdoch in his divorce from Anna Murdoch. At the time, the settlement – estimated at a staggering $1.7 billion – was the most expensive divorce ever.
Moses & Singer LLP (USA): Arlene Dubin of this New York firm, based in the Chrysler Building, represented Michael Douglas during his divorce in 2000. Diandra Luker Douglas ultimately received an estimated $45 million.
Zuckerman Spaeder LLP (USA): The firm was hired by Juanita Jordan to represent her in her divorce from basketball legend Michael Jordan. The settlement reached an estimated $168 million, making it one of the largest public record divorce settlements in history.
The world of high-stakes celebrity divorce can be complex and contentious, but with the right legal counsel, even the most prominent stars can navigate these troubled waters. Of course, it’s not about the size of the settlement but achieving the best possible outcome for each unique situation. It just so happens that in Hollywood, that’s not always possible.
Divorce Disasters: When Things Went South…
While some celebrities walk away from divorce settlements with their pockets filled, others aren’t so fortunate. Here’s a look at some high-profile, high net worth divorces where the financial fallout was, let’s say, less than expected. Remember, this isn’t about blaming lawyers, but highlighting the complexities of these situations.
Heather Mills and Paul McCartney: After a highly publicised and acrimonious divorce battle with her ex-Beatle husband, Heather Mills ended up with a £24.3 million settlement – a large sum by any standard, but a fraction of McCartney’s estimated £800 million net worth. Fiona Shackleton, McCartney’s lawyer, successfully argued down from Mills’ initial request of £125 million.
Kevin Federline and Britney Spears: Federline reportedly received only $1 million from pop star Britney Spears in their 2007 divorce settlement, which seems relatively small given Spears’ huge success. Laura Wasser represented Spears in this case and was likely instrumental in the prenuptial agreement that protected most of her assets.
Ted Danson and Casey Coates: In the 90s, Ted Danson, famous for his role on Cheers, left his wife of 15 years, Casey Coates, for his co-star Whoopi Goldberg. This decision reportedly cost Danson $30 million – nearly half of his net worth at the time – because of a generous prenuptial agreement. In this case, the marriage dissolution didn’t go ‘wrong’ legally, but Danson’s personal decisions led to an enormous payout.
Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy: Michael Jordan’s first divorce from Juanita Vanoy ended in a $168 million settlement in favour of Vanoy. The basketball legend didn’t have a prenuptial agreement in place. While the settlement was fair, it could have been very different if they had had one in place.
Madonna and Guy Ritchie: Guy Ritchie walked away with a staggering sum estimated at between £50 million and £60 million from his divorce from pop icon Madonna, the biggest payout from a female celebrity to her lesser-earning spouse at the time. While Ritchie was not disadvantaged, it illustrates the importance of financial planning, even when one spouse earns significantly more than the other.
These cases underline the importance of both parties having competent legal representation and the potential perils of entering into a marriage without a clear understanding of the financial implications. It’s not about ‘winning’ or ‘losing’ a divorce, but ensuring a fair and equitable outcome for all involved.
Madonna supposedly decided her marriage to Guy Ritchie “wasn’t what I thought it was going to be” in 2008 after allegedly asking the question: “How much am I willing to sacrifice?” The couple’s ‘quickie divorce’ came about after Baroness Shackleton for Madonna “worked tirelessly to reach agreement” with Ritchie’s lawyer, Helen Ward.The 2016 ‘Brangelina Split’ went down in history as one of Hollywood’s “most messy” divorces and one that resulted in the most costly set of legal bills ever. With so many children between them, this separation was always going to be complex, but with assets including a French vineyard and estate, Chateau Miraval, divvying up proved beyond difficult for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. In August 2022, Lizzie Edmonds of the ‘Evening Standard’ concluded: “Let’s hope both parties get what they want in the end.”
Choosing a Good Lawyer: The Art of Disclosure and the Importance of Honesty
Selecting a good lawyer is crucial, whether you’re navigating a contentious divorce or facing any legal issue. A competent attorney can mean the difference between a favourable outcome and an unfavourable one. So, how do you choose a good lawyer, and how should you present your case to them?
Choosing a Good Lawyer
Start with a focused search. Legal expertise is broad and varied, so you need an attorney who specialises in the area of law relevant to your case. In divorce proceedings, for instance, seek out a family law specialist who has a solid track record in divorce settlements.
Once you’ve shortlisted potential lawyers, research their reputation and experience. Look at online reviews and ask for references if possible. However, be aware that some reviews might be biased, so take them with a grain of salt. Additionally, make sure they have experience in the jurisdiction where your case will be handled. Different jurisdictions can have different rules and procedures.
The initial consultation is your opportunity to gauge if you’re comfortable with the attorney and their approach. Do they explain things in a way that you understand? Do they seem to have your best interests at heart? Remember, this person will be your advocate, so a positive rapport is crucial.
Cost is also a factor. Legal fees can vary greatly depending on the complexity of your case and the attorney’s reputation and experience. Be sure to ask about their billing practices upfront to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
Engaging with Your Lawyer
Now that you’ve chosen your lawyer, how do you engage with them effectively?
Full and frank disclosure is vital. Share every detail related to your case, even if you think it’s unimportant or detrimental. Lawyers need a comprehensive understanding of the situation to provide effective representation. It’s like giving a doctor all your symptoms; without complete information, they can’t diagnose or treat you effectively.
Your lawyer is bound by attorney-client privilege, meaning they’re legally obliged to keep your information confidential. So, don’t hold back. A detail you consider insignificant could be the key to your case.
The Importance of Honesty
While honesty is generally a good policy, in legal matters, it’s an absolute necessity. Lying or omitting facts can be disastrous. In court proceedings, if you’re caught in a lie, it can shatter your credibility, leading the court to view all your statements with suspicion. Even outside of court, dishonesty can lead to mistrust and conflict with your attorney, damaging a critical relationship in your case.
Honesty is particularly crucial in divorce proceedings, where financial and child custody issues can be contentious. For example, trying to hide assets can lead to severe repercussions, including financial sanctions and a potentially unfavorable ruling.
Engage in open and honest communication with your attorney. They’re there to help you navigate the legal minefield, but they can only do that effectively if they know the whole truth. Trust them to handle your information sensitively and strategically.
Remember, your lawyer is your ally in the legal process. Choosing the right one and engaging with them honestly and openly is paramount to ensuring the best possible outcome in your case.
Navigating the Attorney-Client Relationship: What to Say And What Not to Say…
Interacting with your lawyer is not as straightforward as one might think. While full disclosure is often advocated, there are indeed instances where revealing certain things to your lawyer might put them in a predicament. In this regard, divorce proceedings can be especially complicated due to their personal and emotive nature.
When Silence is Golden…
Firstly, while discussing your case, it’s essential not to fabricate facts or suggest to your lawyer that you plan to. Any indication of dishonesty, including manipulating evidence or lying in court, places your lawyer in an ethical dilemma and could lead them to withdraw from your case. The same applies to concealing assets or income during a divorce, which is not only unethical but also illegal.
In addition, discussing hypothetical illegal actions can be a tricky situation. For instance, saying: “What if I were to hide some of my assets?” implies a consideration of illegal activity. It’s always better to ask about the consequences of certain actions rather than suggesting you might engage in them.
Also, avoid criticising or talking ill of your ex-spouse unnecessarily. While it’s important to provide relevant information about their behaviour, especially if it directly affects custody or alimony decisions, engaging in character assassination can make you appear vindictive and could potentially harm your case.
What Should be Said…
On the other hand, it’s important to be transparent about your financial situation, including all assets and liabilities. Be honest about any marital misconduct like adultery, as these can impact the case. If there are any existing restraining orders or accusations of abuse, your lawyer needs to know. Discuss your expectations and goals openly – whether related to custody, division of property, or financial support.
Remember, your lawyer is on your side, but they can only do their job effectively with a clear understanding of your circumstances. That said, they are not your therapist. Avoid discussing issues that aren’t legally relevant or using meetings as a venue for venting personal frustrations.
Remember: When in doubt, it’s always better to ask your lawyer whether something is relevant or necessary to disclose. They can guide you based on their professional knowledge and experience, and the specific legal and ethical rules that apply.
The Intricacies of Attorney-Client Confidentiality
Understanding attorney-client confidentiality can also be crucial when deciding what to disclose. This privilege protects most communications between clients and their lawyers, enabling you to be candid about the facts of your case without fear that your lawyer will disclose your statements. However, there are important exceptions to this rule.
In the US, lawyers cannot assist clients in committing a crime or fraud. If a client tells a lawyer about a plan to engage in illegal activity, the lawyer may be required to disclose this information. Also, if a client admits to past illegal conduct, the attorney generally cannot disclose it unless the client consents, or the attorney believes it is necessary to prevent substantial bodily harm or death.
In the UK, the legal principle of confidentiality is similar, although there are circumstances where the lawyer may be obliged to breach confidentiality, like when the lawyer suspects the client is using their services to commit a crime or fraud. Legal professionals in the UK also have obligations under money laundering regulations, which could force them to report suspicious activities.
These nuances underscore the importance of honesty and openness while communicating with your lawyer. If you feel the need to withhold information, it’s better to discuss this instinct with your lawyer directly. They can provide guidance about what they can keep confidential and what they may need to disclose.
Think of the Children: The Human Side of Divorce
While it’s natural to focus on winning your case, it’s equally important to consider the human element, especially when children are involved. The psychological impact of a contentious divorce on young minds cannot be overstated. In the heat of the legal battle, normal, right-minded people can become obsessively focused on achieving their desired outcomes, sometimes losing sight of the collateral damage being caused.
Numerous studies have shown that it is not the divorce itself, but rather the conflict associated with it, that can cause profound emotional harm to children. They may feel caught in the middle, forced to choose sides, or even blame themselves for the breakdown of the family.
In many cases, winning at all costs can end up being a pyrrhic victory. The toll taken on your children’s emotional well-being and your ongoing relationship with them can far outweigh any material gains. It’s crucial to keep perspective during this challenging time, prioritizing the long-term emotional health and happiness of all involved over any short-term legal victories.
Remember, the best divorce lawyer isn’t always the one who fights tooth and nail for every last penny or asset. Sometimes, the most effective lawyer is the one who helps navigate the rough emotional waters of divorce while protecting both their client’s interests and the well-being of the children involved. After all, the true measure of success in any divorce should be the ability to start the next chapter of your life on a positive and healthy note.
If you decide to use any of the lawyers mentioned in our article, please mention that you found out about them through The Steeple Times. Hopefully, they might do the decent thing and, at the least, send a politely worded thank you note and please remember this; divorce is never going to be polite, but it can be done in a civil fashion.
David G. Lennox is a retired solicitor, an occasional restaurant critic for ‘The Steeple Times’ and an avid consumer of margaritas. He has been known to pen an odd word or two about the ‘Sport of Kings’ and the ‘Beautiful Game’ also. Follow him on Twitter at @davidglennox.
Editor’s Note – Unlike as is the case in many publications, this article was NOT sponsored or supported by a third-party.
Disclaimer – Attorney-client privilege and confidentiality can be complex and varies depending on jurisdiction and circumstances. This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Always consult with a legal professional to understand your rights and obligations fully.
This article is meant to provide general guidance on communicating with your lawyer. It does not constitute legal advice, nor does it establish an attorney-client relationship. Every legal situation is unique, and advice must always be tailored to the specific circumstances. Therefore, for your situation, you should consult a lawyer directly.
As dopey, deranged and delusional Sarah, Duchess of York is hit with a £19 million lawsuit and is told to pay up, we again ask: “Did she ever repay the loans and other benefits she took from the known-to-her-to-be-a-paedophile Jeffrey Epstein?”
Sarah, Duchess of York is not known for having intelligence; Sarah, Duchess of York, in fact, is well known for being beyond stupid, but now with news that she’s being dragged into a £19 million ($23 million, €22 million or درهم86 million) lawsuit alongside Lord Grade comes proof that this prattling pillock – who is about to launch a new podcast with the uninspired name Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah – is nothing but beyond the pale.
Now, once again as the wastrel wench formerly known as Sarah Ferguson (AKA the ‘Duchess of Dork,’ the ‘Duchess of Deranged’ and ‘Feckless Fergie’ amongst other things) faces questions of “unexplained” loans of around £500,000 ($617,000, €576,000 or درهم2.3 million) being “made out to her businesses,” according to the Daily Mail’s Dominique Hines, it is once again time to ask this noxious nitwit a very important question.
According to Hines, the delusional duchess and Lord Grade “are among the directors [of the media investment company Gate Ventures] set to face the wrath of liquidators determined to recoup the sum [owed].”
Going further, Hines added: “[The Sunday Times reported yesterday] that the loan [to ‘Fergie’] has not been repaid and that her recent offer of repayment was so low that it was rejected.”
Editor’s Note – Unlike as is the case in many publications, this article was NOT sponsored or supported by a third-party. Follow Matthew Steeples on Twitter at @M_Steeples.
Today, as it's revealed that Sarah, Duchess of York has been hit with £19m lawsuit alongside Lord Grade, is it time that delusional duchess revealed whether she ever repaid loans and other benefits taken from known-to-her-to-be-a-paedophile Jeffrey Epstein? (Article to follow)
Today on Twitter, Matthew Steeples asked: “Today, as it’s revealed that Sarah, Duchess of York has been hit with £19m lawsuit alongside Lord Grade, is it time that delusional duchess revealed whether she ever repaid loans and other benefits taken from known-to-her-to-be-a-paedophile Jeffrey Epstein?” By 11:30am on Monday 29th May 2023, the majority of respondents favoured the answer: “Yes; but she won’t, filth.”
The Weird Words of “Greedy” and “Needy” Freeloader Wannabe Sherlock Holmes Sarah, Duchess of York… They Get Weirder By The Week (And Soon We’ll Have A Book Of Them)…
Given the live-in ex-wife at Royal Lodge, Windsor of supposedly skint ‘Randy Andy’ – a non-sweating nuisance who got his long-suffering relatives to pay a supposed sum of circa £12 million to Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a woman he has previously claimed to have met – is in on a world tour to prattle on to anyone who pays to listen, perhaps she should be reminded of her own weird and even weirder warblings. They number:
Of sex, herself and goats: “One of the worst headlines said 82% [of the population] would rather sleep with a goat than Fergie. It’s never left me.”
Of her writing novels and her style: “Sherlock Holmes meets Peaky Blinders.”
Of the royal family: “They tried to put the little redhead in a cage.”
Of her own family: “I do believe in family unity. I think forgiveness is key.”
Of the Duke of York: “A good man… In 1986, I married a very good man. Zip.”
Of whether she might remarry Prince Andrew: “Oh bless your heart, no. I think we’re great as we are.”
Of supporting her disgraced ex-husband financially: “I will always be there [for Prince Andrew].”
“When Andrew went through a hard time, I used to be able to throw it to ‘The Boss.’”
“Since he stepped back [from royal duties] he doesn’t actually take taxpayers’ money and I’m in a position where I can support him and the rest of the family through my work. And I’m really pleased and proud to do that.”
“All I will say is that for many years now – it started with Budgie the Little Helicopter – I’ve really pushed to look after my girls and to contribute to the York family life.”
Of where she and the Duke of York will end up living in the future: “Honestly, I operate from living in the present. You never get complacent and it makes for a better day because you never get disappointed, then. You look at life and you go, we can adapt, we can be flexible.”
Of whether she might remarry someone else: “I think I’ve got too much baggage. I look at today and if suddenly I find love again, well, that’s another bonus, isn’t it?”
Of her daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie: “Exceptional… I love my girlies, I’m so proud of them. They are exceptional children… If mum’s OK, they’re OK.”
“My daughters come first in my life, they always have. Because I lost my mum so early, I’m subconsciously very present with them. When I brought them up, I always left my problems at the door. Your problem is not their problem – it’s not their fault. We laugh together a lot. We are just very close.”
Of her grandchildren: “I’m ‘Super Gran’… When my grandchildren see me, they immediately laugh because they know I’m going to be up to something, up to no good somewhere.”
“Every time I think about about co-parenting and co-grandparenting and about divorce, marriage and all these different things, I still come back to the principle that the sun will come up tomorrow, and be grateful, just get on with it.”
Of the late Queen Elizabeth II: “For me, she was more a mother than my own mother. Aren’t I the luckiest person alive to have had that great honour? When I was with her, I used to say: ‘I can’t believe it. People wait and put on their best dress to have an audience with you, and I’m wandering around the garden in wellies!’”
“For the whole nation, for the world. Steadfast, consistent, iconic. [She had an] extraordinary ability to put someone at ease. I still now think it was such an honour [to have known her].”
“During the last three years, her poor son [was] going through such a tumultuous time… And I think HM was very relieved I could help her with him, so we became even closer, then.”
“I’m so lucky. All my life, I was lucky enough to know ‘The Boss,’ HM. Like the nation and the world, she was always there. It was like having a hand at your back. It just made you always strive for being better and trying to be better, learning from her, whenever you were with her just taking everything she said as a memory. She was such an incredible legend for us all.”
Of the late Queen’s corgis: “They’re very good boys, they’re very gentle. I think they knew that they weren’t to jump up and be naughty. They used to sit and watch the racing with her. And when you give them a biscuit, they don’t snatch. They’re very special, they’re national treasures.”
“They really make me laugh and the follow me around. Sometimes I break a little ‘biccie’ – a digestive biscuit – in the same way the Queen broke it into little pieces, and give it to them and tell them to remember their boss.”
Of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex: “I have been judged all my life, and I have no judgment on the Sussexes.”
“It must be hard for Meghan and can I relate to her. I believe she is modern and fabulous. She was famous before. She is great. Why can’t Meghan be great? Why can’t she be celebrated? I have been in Meghan’s shoes, and I still am. There’s always a twist of negativity and it just gets so sad and tiring… I abhor bullying and I feel desperately sorry for the pain they must be going through.”
“I believe very strongly that I have absolutely no judgment on any other person’s life, and I look at how much she [Meghan] loves him [Harry] and loves the children and gives him a love that he’s never had before. That’s how I look at it… The most important thing is, Diana would be so very proud of Archie and Lili. She would have adored every moment of it.”
Of King Charles III: “It’s incredible what he’s done for the environment. He was a trailblazer and many years ago, everybody said: ‘What’s he talking about?’ But he’s right. I’m a great believer and supporter of him, as I am of the Queen Consort.”
Of herself and her life: “I have been in the gutter.”
“I’m a brilliant mother. The best mother.”
“I don’t believe that any single person has the right to judge another person. I’m not in a position myself to make any judgments.”
“I’m very steadfast and stoic… I won’t let anyone down. I’m very loyal.”
Being rather wishy-washy: “The most important thing is that the sun will come up tomorrow and the day will move on.”
Of food, family and dining: “As long as it is hot, wet and goes down the right way, it’s fine with me.”
“With every smell, I smell food. With every sight, I see food. I can almost hear food. I want to spade the whole lot through my mouth at Mach 2. Basta!”
“We all sit round the table and eat together. Andrew and I believe in total parent unity. We’re best friends.”
On the coronation of King Charles III: “Well I’ve decided the best thing about British around a coronation – although I’ve never been to one – I think we should, I should set up a tea room at the bottom of the drive with bunting and cakes.”
“Never presume, never assume. I don’t know. But I’ll be there at the end of the drive with a cup of tea if I’m not there.”
Of wanting to be a television star: “I would quite like to go on Dancing With The Stars. I would like somebody to teach me to tango. I do know the show and my children would be so proud of me.”
On Americans: “I divorced, went to America, wrote a book, went on Oprah and did 12 years as the longest running spokesperson of Weight Watchers. I looked to America to support me and to help me and I really can’t thank the American people enough for what they gave me and what they did for me.”
Of when she decided she wanted to bag a royal: “I met [Prince Andrew] when I was 12, and I said: ‘I’m going to marry him.’”
Of marriage, divorce and work: “I left my marriage knowing I’d have to work. I have.”
“I didn’t want a divorce, but had to because of circumstance.”
“I wish we’d never got divorced. He and I both wish we’d never divorced, but we did. I wish I could go back and be the bride again, but I can’t.”
Of her many, many mistakes: “I felt that I ostracised myself by my behaviour, by the past, by living with all the regrets of my mistakes, that I sort of wore a hair shirt and beat myself up most of the day thinking and regretting why did I make such a mistake. Why have I made so many mistakes?”
“You look at the devil in the face, which you do. Then you forgive, and you say: ‘OK, I’ve made almost a mistake that will never be forgotten,’ and forgive.”
“I think the obstacles are the way, as opposed to in the way. I feel very strongly that I completely and utterly own my very naïve self and made endless different wrong decisions, whatever they may be, but in the end, it’s got me to today as an author. I’m a person in my own right, I’m Sarah.”
“I was so out of control with desperation… I was looking for quick fixes in the places I wouldn’t normally look… I’ve been a huge overtrusting, idiotic, stupid woman that went to look for the perfect situation, and that’s all I can say really.”
“I’ve done the work to get to myself. I’ve done masses of mental therapy. I probably reached to the wrong places and the wrong people and made, as you call it, mistakes. I don’t call them mistakes. I call them enormous learning curves.”
That JPMorgan Chase & Co. executive Mary Callahan Erdoes excused Jeffrey Epstein being a paedophile with “oh boy!” and “I don’t know what to believe” emails is proof of how rotten-to-the-core that finance house truly is
On Friday, Inside Edition shared news that they’d obtained Jeffrey Epstein’s appointment schedules from his “longtime assistant” Lesley Groff and aside from mentioning the likes of the former treasury secretary Larry Summers and his wife Lisa meeting with the since croaked paedophile more than ten times between 2012 and 2016, the documents also mentioned the likes of Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, the Crown Princess of Norway, and Rupert Murdoch’s now ex-wife Wedni Deng Murdoch.
As ever, the rabbit warren that is the story of Epstein and his puppet mistress Ghislaine Maxwell is a gift that keeps on giving and elsewhere Friday, The Washington Post’s Jacob Bogage and Aaron Gregg published a fascinating report containing the deposition from J. P. Morgan Chase & Co.’s chief executive of its asset and wealth management unit Mary Callahan Erdoes about her dealings with her now deceased client.
In it, they revealed:
“When the banker learned a court had affirmed Jeffrey Epstein’s status as a sex offender likely to harm more victims, she had a terse response.”
“‘Oh boy,’ Mary Erdoes wrote in a 2011 email to a fellow executive at JPMorgan Chase, where Epstein was a client for 15 years.”
“It was at least the sixth time Erdoes, who leads the bank’s asset and wealth management division, had been alerted to Epstein’s criminal or civil legal trouble for sex crimes. She had also been informed as early as 2006 that JPMorgan flagged suspicious activity on his accounts.”
“Erdoes’s statements in a nearly nine-hour deposition conducted in March shed new light on the actions of JPMorgan’s highest-ranking officials while Epstein’s conduct faced legal and public scrutiny.”
“The Washington Post obtained the transcript of the deposition, much of which has been unreported until now. This report is based on Erdoes’s answers in that deposition, as well as emails and other internal bank documents that were read into the record during the deposition or introduced as evidence in other court filings.”
“The deposition transcript shows Erdoes said she had been made aware of Epstein’s convictions for sexual offenses, his status as a high-risk sex offender, and public allegations of abuse of minors and human trafficking. But she said she didn’t think it was her responsibility to remove him as a client, launch an inquiry into his accounts or refer them to compliance officials. JPMorgan has a separate process for dealing with client-related legal issues, she said”
“Jes Staley, Erdoes’s supervisor and one of Epstein’s close friends, did investigate the allegations against Epstein by asking the financier about them, according to records read during the deposition.”
“JPMorgan in a statement said it was ‘unfair for The Post to draw these kinds of conclusions without context for the relevant processes at JPMorgan, the tens of millions of clients, and the many professionals involved.’”
“On more than 100 occasions during the deposition, Erdoes said she did not recall details of her role helping supervise Epstein’s accounts, some of which date back two decades. She described Epstein’s crimes as “allegations” even though he pleaded guilty to procuring a child prostitute in 2008 and was declared a Level 3 sex offender – the most serious designation – by a New York state appeals court in 2011.”
“Asked in the March 15 deposition whether she believed Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019, was engaged in sex trafficking, Erdoes said, ‘I don’t know what to believe.’”
Editor’s Note – Unlike as is the case in many publications, this article was NOT sponsored or supported by a third-party. Follow Matthew Steeples on Twitter at @M_Steeples.
This morning on Twitter, Matthew Steeples asked: “Was J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. executive Mary Callahan Erdoes right to excuse Jeffrey Epstein being confirmed as a paedophile in emails reading ‘I don’t know what to believe’ and ‘oh boy!’? By 11:30am on Sunday 28th May 2023, the very, very clear majority of respondents favoured the answer: “No; cares only about £££.”Mary Callahan Erdoes is clearly a woman who failed to take seriously the allegations against Jeffrey Epstein. Here is a woman who DID NOTHING about a man with £98 million ($121 million, €113 million or درهم444 million) in his accounts with J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. in 2008 and whom also “sought to bring the bank more business, according to legal filings, and profit from fees associated with the work” according to ‘The Washington Post.’Jes Staley, at the time a senior JP Morgan executive (left), with former treasury secretary Lawrence Summers and Jeffrey Epstein in 2011 at the latter’s Lenox Hill, New York mansion.J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. chief executive officer Jamie Dimon provided a formal statement in two lawsuits relating to his firm’s relationship with the now deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein last week. Of such, yesterday, the BBC reported: “The nearly 15-year relationship extended from 1998 to 2013, five years after the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. Prosecutors allege the bank ignored warning signs about their lucrative client and continued profiting off him. Both Mr Dimon and his employer have denied any wrongdoing and liability. JP Morgan said on Friday evening that Mr Dimon stated he had never met or communicated with Epstein and did not recall discussing Epstein’s accounts with others at the bank. Mr Dimon’s statement was taken in a private legal meeting known as a deposition at the bank’s New York headquarters earlier in the day.”“I was her parents’ worst nightmare” – words said by James Staley his very self – will be ringing in the ears of swivel-eyed Debbie Nitzan Staley in the wake of her husband’s former company Barclays’s decision to not (yet) payout £22 million the couple were expecting. No doubt that’ll mean one less holiday for her and her two daughters on their 90-foot long gin palace ‘Bequia’ in the coming years.
As further details of Jes Staley’s 1,200 very, very, very strange emails to Jeffrey Epstein emerge, the relationship between the banker and the Ponzi scheming paedophile is show to be very, very, very pally
“I owe you much” enthused the since disgraced ex-JPMorgan and Barclay’s chief executive officer Jes Staley in an email to the since croaked paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Speaking of his own wife, Debbie Nitzan Staley, at around the same time, the former “fat cat” banker declared: “I was her parents’ worst nightmare” and clearly now, he is morphing into something worse than even that.
Going further and revealed only because of the unsealing of 1,200 emails sent between the pair between 2008 and 2012 in the context of a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) against JPMorgan Chase & Co., Staley wrote in November 2009 of a visit to Epstein’s now notorious ‘Paedo Islands’:
“So when all hell breaks lose [sic], and the world is crumbling, I will come here, and be at peace. Presently, I’m in the hot tub with a glass of white wine. This is an amazing place. Truly amazing. Next time, we’re here together. I owe you much. And I deeply appreciate our friendship. I have few so profound.”
Even more bizarrely and especially telling of their very, very close relationship, in December 2009, Staley sent another missive to Epstein – who held about 55 accounts containing hundreds of millions of dollars with JPMorgan in the period between 1998 and 2013. It read:
“I realize [sic] the danger in sending this email. But it was great to be able, today, to give you, in New York City, a long heartfelt, hug.”
Replying the next day, Epstein – who Staley visited whilst he was in prison even in 2008 and 2009 – stated: “You were with Larry, and I had to put up with…” and included a photo of a young woman.
“Don’t tell me a French wine,” answered Staley whilst Epstein punched back: “Always thoughts of alcohol.”
Later that month, Epstein sent Staley an email featuring only a picture of a young woman and by January, the banker was off sailing his yacht for one of many visits to the Ponzi scheming paedophile’s islands.
On arrival, in January 2010, Staley wrote: “Arrived at your harbor [sic]. Someday, we have to do this together.” Here indeed was indication of a relationship stronger than that simply of banker-client and one of a seemingly very close friendship and mutual ‘appreciation’ of one another.
Worse still, in July 2010, Staley began a chain of emails with Epstein in what has become the most notorious communications between this pair of deviants yet. It went as follows:
Staley: “Maybe they’re tracking u [sic]? That was fun. Say hi to Snow White.”
Epstein: “[W]hat character would you like next?”
Staley: “Beauty and the Beast.”
Epstein: “Well, one side is available.”
Asked of the “Snow White” correspondence previously, Staley’s lawyer has stated: “[The emails were innocuous]… We wish to make it expressly clear that our client had no involvement in any of the alleged crimes committed by Mr Epstein, and code words were never used by Mr Staley in any communications with Mr Epstein, ever.”
Going further himself in 2020, the 66-year old, Massachusetts born Boston Red Sox fan and Democratic Party donor whined: “Obviously, I thought I knew [Epstein] well and I didn’t. For sure, with hindsight with what we know now, I deeply regret having any relationship with Jeffrey.”
The USVI takes a very, very different view and argues that Staley’s emails reference the young girls that Epstein was procuring for sexual abuse. They argue that JPMorgan, as Staley’s employer at the time, is liable for facilitating Epstein’s abuse in their territory.
Editor’s Note – Unlike as is the case in many publications, this article was NOT sponsored or supported by a third-party.
Pictured Top – Disgraced banker Jes Staley is someone who’d now like everyone to “shush” about his “Snow White” emails; croaked paedophile Jeffrey Epstein is probably looking up from hell and laughing at the hell he’s causing for those he sucked into his evil web.
Jes Staley, at the time a senior JP Morgan executive (left), with former treasury secretary Lawrence Summers and Jeffrey Epstein in 2011 at the latter’s Lenox Hill, New York mansion.That mansion – known as the ‘Paedo Palace’ and situated at 9 East 71st Street, Lenox Hill, New York, NY 10021, USA – was sold for about £36 million in March 2021 after being placed for sale for £69 million in September 2020. Epstein got it “free” from his close “chum” Leslie Wexner, but claimed to have paid £14.5 million for it in 1998. He met with Staley there on multiple occasions.“I was her parents’ worst nightmare” – words said by James Staley his very self – will be ringing in the ears of swivel-eyed Debbie Nitzan Staley in the wake of her husband’s former company’s decision to not yet payout £22 million the couple were expecting. No doubt that’ll mean one less holiday for her and her two daughters on their 90-foot long gin palace ‘Bequia’ in the coming years.The now left-out-in-the-cold banker was listed in the infamous ‘Little Black Book’ sometimes wrongly accredited to being Jeffrey Epstein’s – but mostly that features the addresses of contacts of ‘The Bouncing Czech’s’ decidedly deviant daughter – and had six contact numbers as well as an email there. He was clearly a very close associate of the dodgy duo, whatever he may next claim.The ‘Beauty & The Beast’ email trail will now forever haunt the former JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Barclay’s banker.In times past Labour peer Lord Mandelson – ‘Mandy’ to his dear and always very wealthy muckers – described the former Barclay’s boss Bob Diamond as “the unacceptable face of banking.” Peter Mandelson, meanwhile, was quite happy to hang out with Jeffrey Epstein, a mutual mate of his successor Jes Staley, at his £10 million Paris paedo pad circa 20th January 2007 in spite of the taxi driver turned sex trafficker having been charged with soliciting a woman for prostitution in August 2006. Lord Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein are pictured here celebrating the latter’s birthday with wine and a cake presented by a diminutive butler named Valdson Viera Cortin. Clearly, Epstein owned the bankers and their cohorts more than they owned him.Jes Staley (pictured here visiting Downing Street in London when he was the CEO of Barclay’s and still considered ‘Mr Acceptable’ in polite circles) has also been named in a separate lawsuit brought by victims of Jeffrey Epstein. In it, one victim, named only as ‘Jane Doe 1,’ has claimed Staley watched on willingly as Epstein “sexually grabbed young women in front of him” and “benefitted from their close relationship in the receipt of massages, private jet flights with victims or co-conspirators of the operation, and other things of value.” Going further, ‘Jane Doe 1’ added: “[Staley] was the key to making all of Epstein’s depraved dreams of sexual abuse and sex trafficking of countless young women possible.”
Matthew Steeples reports that both Bentley and Rolls-Royce saw sales boom in 2022 in spite of the war between Russia and Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis
Whilst 2022 saw Russian oligarchs having their assets seized and the cost-of-living crisis kicking-in in Britain and beyond for more regular folk, it seems the ultra-high-net-worths (UHNWs) with a penchant for a ‘prestige motor’ didn’t put their pennies away. Yesterday, Bentley Motors revealed their sales last year increased by 4%; Rolls-Royce Motor Cars increased by 8%.
With Bentley selling a total of 15,174 cars and Rolls-Royce a total of 6,021, both marques achieved milestone numbers beyond all expectations. Pacific Asia in general and China in particular as locations were key to the expansion of sales of each and electric models were notable in their growth especially.
Of his firm’s success, Adrian Hallmark, chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors remarked:
“In what was another year of unpredictability, the business overcame significant headwinds and demonstrated great resilience to deliver the third consecutive record sales year. This underlines our brand strength, operational excellence and strong global demand by market and model.”
“The reaction to the market introduction of our hybrid models, Flying Spur joining Bentayga last year, demonstrate the path the luxury sector is heading, and we are positioned firmly at the forefront. These numbers are validation that we not only lead the sector in sales and market share, but also investment in electric technologies and commitment to being net carbon neutral in 2030.”
Of his firm’s success, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars added:
“2022 has been a momentous year for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Not only did we reveal Rolls‑Royce Spectre, our marque’s first ever fully-electric series model to the world, it was also the first year we ever delivered more than 6,000 cars in a single 12-month period, with strong demand across our entire product portfolio.”
“But as a true ‘House of Luxury,’ sales are not our sole measure of success: we are not and never will be a volume manufacturer. Bespoke IS Rolls-Royce, and commissions were also at record levels last year, with our clients’ requests becoming ever more imaginative and technically demanding – a challenge we enthusiastically embrace. The unrivalled ‘Bespoke’ creativity and quality achieved by our team here in Goodwood means that on average, our clients are now happy to pay around half a million Euros for their unique motor car.”
“As we mark the 20th anniversary of the ‘Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood,’ these results confirm Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars as a great British success story. Our business is built on extremely strong foundations, and we have secured advance orders stretching far into 2023. And while we are not immune to global challenges and economic headwinds, thanks to our balanced worldwide sales strategy, we are cautiously optimistic that 2023 will be a strong year for Rolls‑Royce.”
The Bentley Motors range starts at a base recommended retail price of £233,235 ($283,082, €263,348 or درهم1.03 million) whilst the Rolls-Royce range begins at £162,500 ($197,197, €183,490 or درهم724,280).
Editor’s Note – Unlike as is the case in many publications, this article was NOT sponsored or supported by a third-party.
Accompanying their 2022 sales announcement, Bentley Motors shared a regional breakdown of where the 15,174 vehicles they produced were sold. Whilst the largest number was in the Americas, their biggest growth was in Asia Pacific – where they increased sales by 23%.Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited did not supply a similar breakdown of figures, but instead a series of bullet points illustrating the success of this BMW Group controlled entity.Torsten Müller-Ötvös with his firm’s forthcoming Spectre model. The car is being marketed as the marque’s first ever all-electric “super coupé.” First client deliveries will take place in the fourth quarter of 2023 and of it, the firm declare it to be “the marque’s first step towards building only fully-electric cars by the end of 2030” and that demand for Spectre has “exceeded the company’s most ambitious expectations.”Of demand for their models, Rolls-Royce surmised: “In 2022 Cullinan (pictured) consolidated its position as the most in-demand Rolls-Royce, while Ghost was the marque’s best-selling model in the Asia-Pacific region. Black Badge, Rolls‑Royce’s more rebellious alter ego, has witnessed extraordinary growth.” The growth had knock on effects at the firm’s Goodwood, Sussex facility and during the year, 250 new jobs were created there – taking the firm’s total employees to 2,500, “representing over 50 nationalities.”The Phantom Series III is the latest incarnation designed for “luxury limousine lovers.” For a time, the Phantom was the single model a firm that built just one vehicle per day produced, but now, this self-declared ‘House of Luxury’ has expanded both its range and markets.Bentley’s base price model, the Bentayga, is some £71,000 cheap than the base price model Rolls-Royce. Of this “luxury SUV,” the firm declares: “It remains our number one selling model, selling more in its sixth year of sales than ever before, accounting for 42 per cent of total sales and establishing itself as the most successful luxury SUV in the world.”The Flying Spur accounted for 28% of the firm’s total sales in 2023. Of sales of this model, 30% were as hybrids and in the UK, 65% were hybrids.The Continental GTC convertible is the perfect vehicle for touring the South of France. It and the GT coupé accounted for nearly 30% of sales during 2022 and of it the firm declared: “They have consistent appeal.”
Billionaire co-owner of payment processing tech giant Stripe, 32-year-old Irishman John Collison, adds to his 1,200-acre £10.1 million Irish estate and plans to spend another £5.3 million restoring a £350,000 adjoining derelict mansion
Harvard University educated John Collison born in August 1990, astoundingly has acquired himself an estimated worth of £9.6 billion according to the 2022 Bloomberg Billionaires Index in spite of only having only been in business since 2007.
A co-founder with his brother Patrick of Stripe, an Irish-American payment processing application based in San Francisco and Dublin, this 32-year-old is now said to be the 187th richest person in the world. Having acquired such a fortune, this young man now has the ability to acquire the ‘toys’ and ‘treasures’ the very, very, very wealthy so often acquire and aside from recently bidding for Weston Airport near Dublin, he clearly intends to more than just dabble in real estate assets also.
A pilot and a pianist who gained the backing of amongt others Elon Musk and Peter Thiel in 2010, here is a man who along with his brother became the world’s youngest self-made billionaires in 2016 and in June 2021, he splashed out on the 1,120-acre James Wyatt designed Abbeyleix estate in June 2021.
Featured in The Steeple Times in June 2020 when offered for sale for £17.8 million, Collison paid the knockdown price of just £10.1 million to Sir David Davies, a Welsh born “superstar banker and businessman” noted for describing Theresa May as “inept” and Boris Johnson as “doesn’t do his homework, and can’t be trusted.”
Late last month, the tech titan got himself another ‘bargain’ when he beat off competition from 170 other interested parties and snapped up the adjoining 9,004 square foot Millbrook House – which had formerly formed part of his Abbeyleix estate – for just £351,000 against an asking price of £132,000. The snag? He’s going to have to spend £5.3 million restoring the Victorian pile to its former glory.
They say westerners have “first world problems,” but for this very, very, very, very wealthy tricenarian it seems these ‘trifling’ sums won’t represent any kind of “billionaire world problem” even.
Pictured Top – Abbeyleix House (top left), Millnbrook House (bottom left) and John Collison.
Irish citizen John Collison, pictured (left) with his brother Patrick, is said to be worth the staggering sum of £9.6 billion ($11.4 billion, €11 billion or درهم41.7 billion) in spite of being just 32-years-old.He purchased the 1,200-acre Abbeyleix estate from Sir David Davies (pictured in the drawing room of his now former home) in June 2021 for a sum £7.7 million lower than its asking price.
The Names & Numbers – Millbrook House (also known as ‘Millbrook Hall’), Oldtown, Abbeyleix, Leinster, County Laois, Ireland
October 2022 – Sold to John Collison through his Jersey based Comhlacht na Feirme company for circa £351,000 ($415,000, €400,000 or درهم1.5 million) after being put up for sale through Power Property for offers in excess of £132,000 ($156,000, €150,000 or درهم571,000) by Laois County Council. 170 people had registered interest in the property by a deadline set of August 2022 and Fianna Fáil councillor John Joe Fennelly eventually proposed the sale of the building to Comhlacht na Feirme Ltd.
Accompanying his bid for the property and its 4.2-acre plot, Mr Collison announced that he planned to spend £5.3 million ($6.2 million, €6 million or درهم22.8 million) restoring Millbrook House and added:
“We are already investing at the Abbeyleix Estate with a mindset of being stewards of this property for the coming generations. The Abbeyleix Estate is a keystone piece of Laois history and deserves careful guardianship.”
“We would be delighted to extend this approach to Millbrook House and we hope our offer is of interest.”
2021 – Bough by compulsory purchase by Laois County Council from the then owner John Patrick Colclough. Of this, The Irish Times later reported: “[The council had] intention to flip it on to a buyer with deep pockets who would save it from complete ruin.”
1885 – Built as a residence for a steward on the de Vesci Estate. The Victorian building provides accommodation over 4 floors and extends to some 9,004 square foot and also includes a coach house, gardens and mill pond.
The Names & Numbers – Abbeyleigh (also known as ‘Abbeyleix House,’ ‘Abbeyleix Castle’ and the ‘De Vesci Estate’), Abbeyleix, Leinster, County Laois, Ireland
June 2021 – Sold to John Collison for £10.1 million ($11.9 million, €11.5 million or درهم43.8 million), a sum 43% lower than the original asking price.
June 2020 – For sale for £17.8 million ($21 million, €20.3 million or درهم77.2 million) through agents Sotheby’s International Realty on behalf of Sir David.
At the time of the 26,910 square foot property, the Welsh born businessman commented: “I’m organising my whole estate for the benefit of my children… Although the children all love this place very much, none of them wanted to take it on… The typical refrain is ‘Dad, this is your project,’ and I’m lucky enough to have Killoughter House [another property he owns], the home of my childhood, to return to.”
1995 – Sold to Sir David Davies by the de Vesci family – who had owned the estate for circa 250 years.
Editor’s Note – Unlike as is the case in many publications, this article was NOT sponsored or supported by a third-party.
Ghislaine Maxwell’s schoolmate Dame Cressida Dick’s bleating about her deserved demise should be called out as the disgrace that it truly is; with her turfed out with the trash it is now time for institutional change at the Met Police; no excuses should be accepted
“She felt intimidated by the Mayor of London” before her resignation claimed some blithering bore of Dame Cressida Dick DBE, QPM on Radio 4’s ‘PM’ last night in spite of the fact that all this useless woman achieved between 2017 and 2022 as Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.
Born in 1960, just like her Oxford school and university mate Ghislaine Maxwell – both were taught by Dame Cressida’s father Marcus Dick, a senior tutor at Balliol College – the now deservedly binned former Metropolitan Police chief’s bleatings should be treated with the contempt they well and truly deserved given she presided over and did nothing about racism and misogyny.
Responding this morning on Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme Leroy Logan MBE, a founding member in 1994 and longtime chair of the Black Police Association, quite rightly slammed Dame Cressida’s tenur and added:
“[It is time for the Met Police to adopt a] culture that embraces a more positive culture of embracing whistleblowers… It is time for them to go against the ‘don’t grass on your colleagues’ culture.”
“They have been marking their own homework during the tenure of this last government… They have to acknowledge that they got things wrong.”
Whilst protocol was completely ignored during Dame Cressida’s tenure and public trust in law enforcement in London was very badly damaged as result, it is now time for better vetting of officers. It is also time that the Metropolitan Police spoke the truth to the powerful politicians who’ve had overly too much influence over it for far too long and with “bye, bye Boris” (and “good riddance” also) being sung in the streets on Monday, it is time for a new era of honesty and transparency.
Pictured top – The now deservedly disgraced former Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis with the equally disgraceful Mayor of London who so loathed her, Sadiq Khan.
The Met’s Catalogue of Failures – Shame on Them
There is unsurprisingly currently zero public confidence in the frankly incompetent Metropolitan Police and of it one Twitter user, June Sim, rightly stated in January 2022: “The Met has always been a byword amongst regional forces. We used to joke if you were rejected, they’ll take anybody. Not helped by the reputation confirmed by the Daniel Morgan report. Reputation already tarnished.”
Amongst the many failings of what ought to be the nation’s premier police force – aside from multiple allegations of racism and racial bias against its officers, its failure to deal with spiralling teenage murders and the many allegations of corruption and incompetence levelled at it – are:
1987 – Botched investigation into the murder of Daniel Morgan.
1993 – Botched investigation into the murder of Stephen Lawrence.
1994 – Botched investigation into allegations that Ghislaine Maxwell operated a brothel in South Kensington.
2009 – Unlawful killing of Ian Tomlinson during his arrest by Met Police officers.
2005 – Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes by Met Police officers on the orders of Cressida Dick.
2013 – Strip searching of Dr Koshka Duff during her arrest for intervening during a Met Police stop-and-search of a black teenager.
2014 – Bungled investigation into allegations of historic child abuse made by Carl Beech.
2014 to 2015 – Failure to stop Stephen Port committing subsequent serial killings in spite of his already being linked to the death of a man outside his home.
2019 – Farcical mismanagement of policing of Extinction Rebellion protests leading to a bill of £37 million in policing costs.
2020 – Misconduct of Met Police officers during their investigation into the murders of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman.
2020 – Found to be 2.17 times as likely to issue fines to black people relative to the rest of the population during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.
2021 – Misconduct of Met Police officers during their investigation into the disappearance of Richard Okorogheye.
2021 – Met Police officer Ben Hannam found to be a member of a banned terrorist group.
2021 – Shocking conduct of Met Police officers after the murder of Sarah Everard by one of their own colleagues.
2022 – Apparent collaboration with Boris Johnson and his government to delay report into ‘Partygate.’
Former Metropolitan Police chief Dame Cressida Dick DBE, QPM (pictured with two other incompetent horrors, Priti Patel and Boris Johnson) quite understandably came under fire over crises under her watch that numbered the disgraceful shooting and killing of an innocent man, Jean Charles de Menezes. She was also slammed over the Met’s use of stop and search tactics, the handlings of recommendations made after the botched Operation Midland, the arrests of attendees at a candlelight vigil for murdered-by-a-serving-Met-officer Sarah Everard and complaints by the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel that she obstructed their inquiry into police corruption. Is it any surprise that by the end the public had no faith in her?Since dead sex fiend Jeffrey Epstein and his since incarcerated co-collaborator sex fiend Ghislaine Maxwell (left), one-time alleged brothel owned by Maxwell between 1989 and 1997, 69 Stanhope Mews East in South Kensington (centre) and Maxwell’s former schoolmate and now former Met Police chief Dame Cressida Dick (right).
In cultivating a new variety of snowdrop Joe Sharman – known to many as ‘Mr Snowdrop’ – has brought joy to ‘galanthophiles’ everywhere and made himself £1,850 from just one bulb also; amusingly there’s even a variety named ‘John’s Y-Fronts’
It’s always great to improve one’s grasp of etymology and this morning I learnt about a word that describes a charmingly endearing collection of people. That word? Galanthophile.
A noun of 19th century origin that takes the snowdropgalanthus’s taxonomic name from the Greek gala, galkt ‘milk’ and antho- ‘flower,’ those that so enthusiastically collect these “magical and really special” bell-shaped flowers are known as galanthophiles.
The official flower for January birthdays and brought to Britain by the Romans, the “milk flower of the snow” – as it is sometimes described – is said to symbolise hope, purity, innocence and sympathy. It is the first flower to bloom at the end of winter and though Victorians associated it with death and bad luck, on Saturday, The Guardian’s Steven Morris charmingly reported on “hordes of galanthophiles” descending on Buckland Monachorum on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon this week to “take in the sight of a beloved flower that this time of year provides a vivid reminder than warmer, cheerier seasons are ahead.”
Grown by Cottenham, Cambridgeshire plantsman Joe Sharman (AKA ‘Mr Snowdrop’) of the Monksilver Nursery, ‘Golden Tears’ received 55 bids and finally hammered down to a buyer “unidentified.” It was listed as:
“A narrow-flowered yellow pterugiform with a very large mark and bright yellow ovary. Very beautiful and distinct. Quite different from Golden Fleece. Exceptionally vigorous. 25cm. The result of a deliberate cross by me using the same parents that created Golden Fleece. First time sold by us on eBay only named 2 weeks ago. Only one for the season.”
In 2015, in an interview with The Guardian – clearly the paper with the most enthusiasm for snowdrops on the planet – Joe Sharman concluded:
“They come up early in the year when nothing else is growing, so if you have the kind of brain that needs lots of things to think about, you focus in.”
“They seem to be almost infinitely variable. You collect the 10 you recognise, then you realise that you can recognise 20 and it just goes from there. I don’t think there is another group of plants quite like it.”
Pictured top – Joe Sharman (right) and the now famous £1,850 flower he has spent years cultivating.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQv7kHDHb5E
Britain’s leading botanist by far Dr Shirley Sherwood OBE – the widow of the late buccaneering businessman and one-time owner of hotels including the Cipriani in Venice and the Venice-Simplon Orient Express train service also James Sherwood – is a noted enthusiast on the subject of snowdrops. In December 2021, this delightful lady took to YouTube to discuss a painting of the flowers by Susan Ogilvy and commented: “I love snowdrops. I have lots in my garden and we have a very particularly version of the snowdrop. Whole groups of people, clubs of people who like snowdrops and grow every single kind they can think of. I think there are many, many varieties and of course there are wild snowdrops too.” Of her painting, she endearingly declared: “This is a lovely painting and it justifiably is one of the favourite ones in my collection.”Speaking to the ‘Daily Mail’ yesterday, gardening writer Val Bourne remarked of the bulb sold of eBay: “[It’ll] go under the knife. They’ll cut it into 20 pieces and start selling individual plants. They’ll get their money back in three or four years. It’s a mad hobby.” Going further previously, Mr Sharman commented: “Security is a big problem. I know people who have opened their gardens and had everything stolen. I don’t open my garden or nursery. But stealing snowdrops is like stealing a Van Gogh. If it’s rare, all the galanthophiles will know who propagated it and where it was stolen from.” In 2019, two men were arrested for stealing 13,000 bulbs from the Walsingham Estate in Norfolk and amongst famous collectors are Lord and Lady Heseltine. The former Deputy Prime Minister under John Major has accumulated over 700 varieties at Thenford House in Northamptoshire in his “garden of major importance.” Whether they have the variety named ‘John’s Y-Fronts’ is unknown.Anyone who picks an endemic variety of the plant in the national park will be fined £5,954 ($8,070, €7,113 or درهم29,600, 110,000 Turkish Lira) according to a report published in the ‘Hurriyet Daily News’ in February 2022. The fine has risen from £4,330 ($5,870, €5,174 or درهم21,600, 110,000 Turkish Lira) last year and of why, Halil Ernalçacı, the head of Mount Spil Nature Park, told the paper: “Our visitors should be cautious when they walk in the park. They should look for where they take their steps.”Artist, botanist and horticulturist Edward Augustus Bowles (1865 – 1954) of Myddleton House, Enfield, London was a well known “snowdrop enthusiast.” In January 2013, the blog ‘Plant Heritage’ delved into his connections to the flower after visiting a snowdrop sale at his former home.
Types of Snowdrops
Snowdrops bloom from September through to March and peak in January and February. Amongst the many types – there are in excess of 1,700 in the collection of Joe Sharman alone – are:
Galanthus ‘Dionysus’
Named after the god of the grape harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit.
Galanthus ‘Elwesii”
Named after H. J. Elwes, an English plant collector who found the original plants in Turkey. Its leaves “neatly fold inside the other” and its “flowers have two green spots on the inner petals, which sometimes fuse together.”
Galanthus ‘Fly Fishing’
Features a “long, slender pedicel (stalk) that looks like a fishing rod.”
Galanthus ‘Golden Fleece’
Joe Sharman spent 18 years developing this and sold a bulb of this variety for £1,390 ($1,884, €1,661 or درهم6,920).
Galanthus ‘Golden Tears’
A new variety and record breaker in terms of the £1,850 ($2,508, €2,210 or درهم9,210) price Joe Sharman sold it for, this variety features a “narrow-flowered yellow pterugiform with a very large mark and bright yellow ovary” and is noted as “very beautiful and distinct” and “exceptionally vigorous.”
Galanthus ‘Ivy Cottage Corporal’
“Features two green Vs resembling a corporal’s stripes.”
Galanthusnivalis ‘Norfolk Blonde’
Rather like a blonde bimbo, this snowdrop features “pale leaves and pale yellow flowers” and has a “long ovary” also.
Galanthus ‘Ophelia’
Named after Shakespeare’s tragic young noblewoman of Denmark who ends up in a state of madness that ultimately leads to her drowning.
Galanthus ‘Nothing Special’
Modestly named though lauded by Joe Sharman as “one of the best forms I have selected,” this “very clean white and wonderfully scented” snowdrop is supposedly “vigorous” also.
Galanthus ‘Primrose Warburg’
Described as a “dainty snowdrop with yellowish leaves” and named after the “legendary galanthophile Primrose Warburg.”
Galanthus ‘Trumps’
Described as having “an elegant flaring pagoda shape” and thankfully has nothing to do with the 45th POTUS of the same name.
Galanthus ‘Wendy’s Gold’
Described as “far more vigorous than [other] yellows.”
Galanthus ‘John’s Y-Fronts’
This variant is described as “small, late, neat, single with a very clearly Y-shaped mark on inner.” It has grey leaves. Could it’s name have been inspired by the former British Prime Minister John Major’s “underpant episode” with Edwina Currie where he allegedly tucked his shirt into his allegedly grey Y-fronts?
2021’s redoubtable “Queen of Zoom” Jackie Weaver moves on from pesky parish council punch-ups and commandeers comedy and literary lavishness after one of those infamous councillors is convicted of calling his neighbours “tarts” and “Peeping Toms”
After having “barely blinked when being yelled at” by some especially unctuous male councillors and made a guest appearance in The Archers even, “2021’s Queen of Zoom” Jackie Weaver has put-pen-to-paper and written about her experiences “getting things done without fuss, keeping cool in the face of adversity and pressing mute on the noise.”
In You Do Have the Authority Here!: #What Would Jackie Weaver Do?, this “indomitable lockdown sensation” and “feminist political icon we didn’t know we needed” shares her “standing orders for life” in what she terms a “non-nonsense, witty and incisive way.”
Contrasting with an especially Victor Meldrew-esque “maverick” member of Handforth parish council, of which she remains the “doughty clerk,” named Brendan Murphy – featured in The Steeple Times in March after he was convicted of harassing his elderly neighbours and calling them “perverts, tarts and peeping Toms” – Jackie Weaver has also moved on and put her ‘fame’ to use on the comedy circuit.
In February, this fearless female hosted an evening titled The Comedians’ Council in Balham, London. Described as “the ultimate council meeting,” the event challenged “comedian-councillors” to “tackle tough audience questions.” They included: “‘Is wearing socks and sandals a criminal offence?’ or ‘Can you really trust people who prefer baths to showers?’ These important questions will be posed by the live audience and, just like a real council meeting, the panel will engage in friendly debate before voting each issue.”
What’s on the agenda next for Jackie Weaver as we move into 2022? A cheese and wine standoff with Boris and Carrie Johnson at 10 Downing Street or a non-sweaty Sloppy Giuseppe with Prince Andrew at Pizza Express, Woking? Subject to ‘Bosie The Clown’ actually making any kind of decision whether to allow us freedom or not in the New Year, we’ll all be waiting, watching and wishing this wonderfully wacky woman well.
This would have to be totally the best Christmas present ever for anyone in the world!!! (oh – except possibly for me – I'm holding out for emeralds) pic.twitter.com/xUBOMckq6j
Elsewhere yesterday in ‘The Times,’ chief officer of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils Jackie Weaver shared her thoughts on how she would deal with Christmas fall-outs and declared that for her “this year has been a whirlwind.” A pesky parish council meeting most certainly turned her into a star whilst ‘Good Housekeeping’ recently rather appropriately suggested her book to be “an essential guide.”Handforth parish councillor and “the first Macclesfield Tory to ever be sacked” Brendan Murphy was convicted of harassing his neighbours Christopher and Margaret Boyd over a 13-year period in March 2021. When deservedly dragged before Stockport Magistrates’ Court, without an ounce of remorse this bombastic bore pontificated pugnaciously and stated: “I call Mr Boyd a ‘Peeping Tom’ and his wife a ‘Tart’ for a good reason and I think my legal response is justifiable. I saw a CCTV camera on the wall filming me and I jokingly said, ‘I see you are a peeping Tom.’ I also said: ‘Mind you don’t fall off that roof, I cannot give you the kiss of life,’ but that was a joke too. On one of the occasions, I was out with my dog. Mr and Mrs Boyd were walking down the road hand in hand swinging their arms looked very happy. I said: ‘I’m glad to see you are so happy’ but instead of crossing the road she lurched into me and the dog whimpered in pain and that is when I called her a tart. I think they are making a big deal out of this. I do not do it every day. I am an elected active councillor and I do a lot of community work. There have been instances where I did say in response to them and they would stare, laugh, and sneer. Mr Boyd is a very active DIY man with improving the garden, etc. His garage is his workshop, and he makes a loud noise that I do not want to hear. People use the word ‘tart’ in lots of different ways and I will continue calling them a Peeping Tom and a tart as long as the cameras are still there. I say these words 100 times when I see the cameras and it just gets it off my chest. There are nastier things I could say.”Elsewhere in 2021, ‘The Steeple Times’ reported on a similarly stupid debacle in Henley-on-Thames. “Henley’s 9/11,” as Henley’s “BinGate” saga was somewhat crassly branded, involved an eccentric actor “in many popular soaps” turned councillor named David Eggleton “storming away from his camera” and resigning after he didn’t get what he wanted over the installation of bins in this especially tony town. “I don’t believe in waste… I think the report was misleading and taking out the option of refurbishing is not democracy. I have the knowledge and expertise around waste and they are not listening to me… Okay, goodbye” declared gobby granddad Eggleton before he threw one of many tiresome tantrums.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB3P_0GAi0I
During the “chaotic” Handforth parish council meeting that made Jackie Weaver famous, this “doughty clerk” dealt with “argumentative male councillors by kicking them off the Zoom call.” She “kept her cool” and “got her revenge with another remorseless click of her eviction button.” Speaking of the experience, in an interview with ‘The Guardian,’ the Cheshire Association of Local Councils employee stated: “It’s harsh to take some pleasure from that, but I’m afraid when you are being bullied, if you can see that the other person has lost it, then there is the sense of: ‘I did OK there because I managed to hold it together.’ There is an element of bullying and bad behaviour in local councils and a lot of us are working very hard, and that includes central government, to try and do something about that.”
Prior to her cameo in BBC Radio 4’s ‘The Archers,’ “Internet star” Jackie Weaver declared on Twitter in March 2021: “I really feel the #TheArchers need a parish council advisor – I am their girl! Parish councils are in their ascendance – let’s use every platform we can to encourage engagement. #TheArchers please get in touch!” They most certainly did and in August this year, she put a stop to a protest in the fictional village of Ambridge even.
