Due to they being ladies of importance Mrs Delwright did not seem to mind how much time they took up for such little money spent. On the other hand any unfortunate tourists, who arrived, were soon visited to be asked if they required anything further and if not had their plates cleared immediately, with a quick nudge, nudge, wink, wink, this business is run with bums on seats.
As Jackson and Anne Richards took their seats, they noticed the displays around the walls.
There were paintings, which to the uneducated appeared to have been done by the children in the midst of daily battle in the paint-throwing contest of year one at the local primary school.
Splodges of paint battered onto thick white wood, depicting some form of figures of which only the children in year one and possibly the yuppies of Cheshire could decipher.
The cost however dispelled the viewer’s initial opinion, for they were priced from £50 upwards.
There were some with sackcloth as a background and upon which were nails with coloured thread wrapped around them all secretly coded as art, modern of course.
“What you would like please?”
Enquired the blonde young lady, tall with a high forehead and square face seemingly from her features and broken English she was of East European origin more than likely working for and being suffered for a pittance.
“Ah, two cups of tea please,” replied Jack
“You like tea, but it is morning. No you want coffee now and tea later?”
“No thank you” replied Anne, “tea, two cups thank you?”
“Oh you no want something to eat as well,” said Girda, an East European, according to her name badge at least.
“Just tea” replied Jack the Hat.
The lady turned and left, on arrival at the counter she spoke to her boss apologising “They say only they want tea no coffee, no food I sorry”
The ladies at both tables had been staring in silence then with heads downs became huddled over the centre of their tables.
The new comers downed the luke warm tea in the due time allocated, it appeared to have been made that way to ensure the drinkers did not stay too long, and the tea maker was correct for they were soon gone.
The Richards couple walked off and when approaching their bungalow they saw a van parked nearby with a sign upon it, Garden Rescue.
A rather over weight old man arrived he was whistling Dixie, very apt thought Jack, though working here for this lot he was surprised to see the man didn’t have a broom stuck up his posterior so that he could sweep the path as he walked to and fro collecting his equipment.
“Excuse me, mind if I have a word?” Asked Jack.
“Not at all” said the gardener “but don’t think I am being rude if I say, could it wait until I have finished this house, they time and observe me you know?"
“That my friend does not surprise me in the least,” replied Jack, “We live at the Bungalow over there the one that’s not converted to a Colditz prisoner of war castle”
It was half an hour later when a knock on the front door revealed the gardener; sporting blue working clothes all signed Garden Rescue.
“How can I help sir?” he said.
“I have a problem,” said Jack, “I bought a greenhouse, I will show you. I bought it without checking, it transpires, they are not permitted here, I wondered if you might consider buying it”
The Gardener smiled and replied “I did hear, it seems there is a petition going around already, expect a visit. I will have a look at it”.
They both went around to the rear and he said, “You are lucky I have a customer who needs one I will put you in touch, get me your number”
Anne came scurrying out paper in hand their telephone number already written out, a war here is the last thing she wanted.
The gardener smiled, “They are a funny lot here”, he said, “Tell you what, just wait a minute”
He turned and went and in a moment he was gone his van with him.
“What a strange man” said Anne “he has gone Jack”.
“Another funny bugger” said Jack, “Fe fi FO fum back to Farnham, Surrey here we come”.
They sat down and had just settled when there was a knock on the door, getting up Anne said, “Well I never look here, it is that gardener man he has some men with him and a large van”.
Rising and walking to the door Jack smiled and said
“Hello I thought you had bolted?”
“No, it suddenly struck me; old Ted here wanted a glass house. If you can strike a deal he and his two lads will take it now”.
The deal struck the garden was clear within the hour.
There was soon yet another knock on the door “Who the hell is that now?” asked Jack, “It is like Clapham junction here”
He rose from his seat opened the door to find two young people standing there note pads in hand. “Students” he thought “rag week more begging”.
He reached into his pocket brought out his purse when the young lady announced. “Cheshire Planning, we have come as a result of a complaint that you have erected a building contrary to the planning regulations”
“My word that is quick”, said Jack, “We have only lived here a couple of days, no, sorry you have arrived on a wasted journey no additional building here”.
“I must insist on checking”, said the young man sporting an identity card around his neck indicating he was a Marmaduke.
“Got a warrant?" asked Jack.
“Why no” replied poor Marmaduke”
“Need a warrant to come in here,” said Jack
“Jack please, don’t be so stupid” called Anne coming to the rescue of poor Marmaduke. “Come with me both of you I will show you round, we have no building”.
The three went round the back, cameras and note pads in hand, they looked, no building to be seen, just some bags of compost at the side of the house.
“Well I never?” said Melissa the young lady, “our boss was so sure you had erected an unlawful building”.
In moments, they were gone and Jacks hope of ever having a glasshouse and begonias with them.
There was much relief in the administration offices back at Manchester Police Headquarters when Faith Hope the Coroner’s Officer reported that the cause of death in relation to Constable Rick Masterton was natural causes.
This was due to a rare heart complaint to be precise, she told the Chief-Constable Quinten Johns.
She added, “The officer had suffered a disturbed heart rhythm and so death ensued without warning. No cause for this is known. There was no evidence he had drowned, it appeared he had a heart attack and then fell into the water”.
She then handed him a copy of the slip of paper giving the cause of death, as
1a.Heart failure
1b Due to heart arrhythmia
Similar news reached Chief Constable Myers in respect of Constable Ifor Evans. “A sad case” he said, but as it was natural causes with no Inquest it was much the better for the family.
On the Tuesday morning, Alex Renton, The Chief Constable of Shropshire was surprised when his telephone rang to be informed by Chief Superintendent Ralph Jackson that Constable Ted Yates known as “Spud” had been found dead whilst on duty.
The officer, a dog handler had been found dead in his police van at the bottom of a county beauty spot known as the Long Mynd.
“What happened Jackson?” Asked the Chief.
“Well the duty Inspector Ron Thelwell has visited and checked the scene with accident investigation”.
“There are no markings to indicate the van was speeding, in fact it appears to have been stationary in a picnic area and simply gone over the top.”
“It appears to have rolled over, for when it was checked the van was in neutral, the engine was stopped and the ignition key in the off position.”