Fun on the Buses at SPCK/SSG

Such Fun: how could I not join in?

Special Award for J Mark and Philip W Brewer: The Asset Stripping Bastards Order

Not a nice title, is it? But J Mark and Philip W Brewer are not nice men: they are, quite bluntly, Asset Stripping Bastards. So they get this ASBO to top all ASBOs:


These men are dangerous. Available in several different sizes: copy and post elsewhere freely: the world needs to be warned.

SPCK Bookshops Update from David Keen

Thanks to David Keen for another excellent roundup on the sad and sorry saga of the former SPCK Bookshops: well worth reading if you want a quick update on how things are panning out.

If he wasn't such a crook, I could almost feel sorry for J Mark Brewer. But he is a crook, and a prize plonker too if he thinks he's going to get away with all this: with the likes of Matt Wardman on his trail he's about as safe as a criminal being chased down by Inspector Poirot.

Interesting developments in Exeter too, which David seems to have missed from his roundup: now trading as GemStar Jewellery and Gifts, premises now owned by Messrs Anton and Joseph Lampo who bought the site for the princely sum of £507,000 back in September.

The Land Registry filing for the premises indicates the existence of "restrictive covenants" in place but doesn't tell us what those covenants consist of. Not exactly difficult to work out, though: Brewer tried to auction the premises earlier in the year but was scuppered by those covenants... which now seem to be comprehensively breached. So how, exactly, did he get away with making this sale? Scenes of dodgy dealings at the back door come to mind...

See the comments on 'Welcome to GemStar Jewellery and Gifts, Exeter' for relevant links, and Exeter: The Inside (Incomplete) Story: Part 1 and Part 2 for more background.

We may have thieves in the cathedral, but we always reply to our post on time

So says the Dean of Durham in a recent message to those who have petitioned him about the vermin currently infesting Durham Cathedral's Great Kitchen:

For the avoidance of doubt:

I need to state once again that the Cathedral Chaper does not manage the shop in its Great Kichen. This is run as a franchise subject to strict business law, as it was in the days of SPCK. Not all petitioners appear to be clear that a franchise is a formal, legal arrangement to which the parties to it are bound.

I ask petitioner no. 273 (Daid Baxter) to note that this “business within the Cathedral” is NOT managed, is NOT controlled and is NOT run by the Cathedral itself. His comment that “letters sent to the Cathedral authorities go unanswered” is incorrect and I ask him to withdraw it. Whatever he means by this, I can assure him and everyone else that all correspondence addressed to the Cathdral is responded to efficiently and professionally (and, I need not add, all its debts are paid when due).

Michael Sadgrove
Dean

November 29, 2008, 3:43pm

I know churches tend to be infested by bats in the belfry or rats in the basement. But at Durham Cathedral it's worse, much worse: they've got Brewers in the Great Kitchen. Yuk. Disgusting. If you value your health, please don't go there.

The Dean seems to think they're stuck with 'em but there's a very simple solution: stop feeding 'em.

Starve the vermin out.

J Mark Brewer, please listen up!

This is truly impressive. Considering Mark Brewer's own obnoxious style — witness his correspondence with Sam Norton, for instance — the "We Support Dave Walker" facebook group has written an astonishingly polite letter asking him to withdraw his threats of legal action against Dave Walker.

So, to help ensure that Mr Brewer can't miss it, here it is again. Mr Brewer, please listen up!

Dear Mr. Brewer

We are writing on behalf of 498 supporters of cartoonist and blogger Dave Walker, a group which includes bishops, national journalists in the UK and US, lawyers, clergy, and concerned members of the public.

We would like to ask you please to contact Dave Walker and withdraw the demands made in the 'Cease and Desist' letter which you sent him in July. Your letter, as far as we know, instructed Dave to remove all his posts about the recent history of SPCK bookshops or face action for libel. With the pressures of the impending Lambeth conference, and a very short deadline given by yourself, Dave complied. He commented at the time: “I have therefore removed all of the SPCK/SSG posts on this blog, as, although I believe I have not done anything wrong I do not have the money to face a legal battle. The removal of these posts is in no way an admission of guilt.”

Many of us have read the posts concerned, and are surprised, to say the least, that they could be called libelous. Indeed, the first three posts make no mention at all of yourself, the Society of St. Stephen the Great, or anyone associated with you. The 4th post reports your takeover of the bookshops with the comment “this is splendid news.” Another post is a simple link to your SSG video on YouTube. Other items include verbatim reports of your own statements, and in the simple post on the death of Steve Jeynes, dozens of people used the comments to expressed their grief and condolences to Steve’s family.

Dave is a reasonable man, and if all critics were as fair as he is the world would be a better place. If you were able to reconsider, and point out specific statements and claims you were unhappy with, we are sure Dave would be happy to correct them where appropriate. This is the normal process of debate on the internet, and in real life, and follows the strong tradition of free speech for which our countries stand and are rightly proud.

So this is a polite request from all of us: please contact Dave Walker, advise him that your ‘cease and desist’ communication no longer stands, and let him report freely.

Yours sincerely

8 signatories representing the ‘We Support Dave Walker’ group.

Thanks to David Keen for taking this initiative!

A Stench from the Brewery

Specifically, this stench: Durham Cathedral Bookshop: Mark Brewer Responds.

A distressed woman writes to Mark Brewer expressing concern at the loss of a page of tributes to her friend, Steve Jeynes, a man who committed suicide after Mark Brewer ignominiously fired him by email.

The page has gone missing because Mark Brewer threatened Dave Walker, the owner of the page, with legal action.

How does Mark Brewer respond? Graciously, with an apology and a letter to Dave Walker explaining that he didn't mean to include that page in his demands?

NO: instead he replies with a parody of the distressed woman's email as though he were involved in some sort of word-play game.

Putting it bluntly: it stinks. It stinks to high heaven.

13: Unlucky for some - especially if your name's J Mark Brewer

It's back to school for J Mark Brewer:

13. Finally, with respect to deterring future conduct, the Trustee requests that Mr. Brewer and his firm be sanctioned an additional $10,000 payable to the Clerk of Court and that Mr. Brewer be required to complete 20 hours of continuing legal education in the area of legal ethics over the next year and file a certificate of completion with the Court.

From Motion For Sanctions Against J. Mark Brewer and the Law Firm of Brewer & Pritchard, P.C., posted today at SPCK/SSG: News, Notes & Info

Go there to read the rest, along with Matt Wardman's analysis.

J Mark Brewer: Topping the WordPress Charts

Well you have to hand it to Mr Brewer, he sure knows how to get to the top of the charts...



And congratulations, of course, to Squiggle Jones on helping Mr Brewer find his way: the generous act of a true friend.