GOONS ON THE BLOCK!

What ever skulduggery my landlords minions are up to took a nasty turn today in the arrival of a trio of surveyors. On it's own this means very little,these types have been coming and going for years,taken in context how ever a more sinister connotation could be placed upon this visitation.

My neighbour,who moved out of the cottage next door to me into a much bugger house at the end of our orchard has suddenly been given notice to quit,this in spite of the fact that he was assured last year that his lease would be extended indefinitely.

We share the misfortune of having the same absentee landlord,a titled personage who's interests lie else where. His land agent,a vacillating shiftless fellow who will stick at nothing in the pursuit of two shekels profit, would ,it is said skin his grandmother if he could get a price for her hide.

For some time we have been living with the threat of losing our lovely orchard and kitchen garden to this man's greed and this time last year it was to be full steam ahead in early summer. We waited....nothing happened and the silence on the matter was deafening. Then we heard some unexpected news which changed everything.

Rumour hath it that our illustrious landlord is, not to put too fine a point upon it,pot-less!”

Massive overspending of unprofitable schemes together with a high maintenance wife and crippling death duties have cleaned the old …...him... out! If those who run his main residence are anything like the arch numpties here this comes as no surprise.

All at once the talk is of selling properties,dozens of staff have been laid off and rents on the estate have almost quadrupled in an attempt to claw back some much needed cash. After all even such a (noble) family as his cannot live on credit forever. Tradesmen have the low habit of expecting payment for their wares...............eventually.

We hear of unpaid council taxes on estate properties,unpaid water rates, tradespeople refusing to supply of render more services until outstanding accounts are paid.

The remaining staff have been told they will receive no pay rise and some have been asked to work overtime for no remuneration! This is not the way to retain the loyalty and respect of ones retainers.

So where does this leave us? Your guess is as good as mine,the one certainty is that what ever happens we shall,as always be the last to know. I have suspicions,but that is all.

In the mean time I console myself with the fact that unlike my unfortunate landlord I am mercifully free of debt and can at least call my soul my own.

It certainly is a lesson to all,when even the exalted can be poorer in every way than such a humble peasant as I.