Fudging it at Durham Cathedral Shop

Oh dear. Poor Brewer brothers: caught with their pants down again, this time over a couple of bars of fudge.

Fudge, you see, is confectionary; and confectionery is vatable: the taxman is very hungry and he wants his cut of the takings. But at Durham Cathedral Shop they're selling it zero-rated.

Probably just another one of their dumb mistakes — like this little lot:

I suspect what this comes down to is typical, run of the mill Brewer incompetence — the kind of slapdash approach to business you’d expect from someone who:

1. Registers a company to manage the Durham Cathedral Shop under the name “Durham Cathederal Shop Management Co.” — of course, it’s possible that somebody else, equally incompetent, took care of the company registration. It’s also possible that this is a cynical way to ensure that anyone who files a claim against the “Durham Cathedral Shop Management Co.” will fail because there is, in fact, no such legal entity, but I honestly can’t see either of the Brewer Bros managing to think that far ahead, let alone that clearly;
2. Says he wants to disassociate his company from the SPCK name but continues trading under SPCK signage until Trading Standards launch an investigation;
3. Spells “Leicester” and “Worcester” as “Leichester” and “Worchester” — again, it’s entirely possible that somebody else, equally incompetent, compiled the list of shops and produced the map;
4. Denies expressing his condolences to the family of a man who committed suicide after he fired him — of course, it’s entirely possible that somebody else took the initiative for this…
5. Goes into panic mode the day before his bankruptcy filing is about to be scrutinised, realises that all the evidence needed to expose his folly is available online and starts firing off threatening C&D emails to all and sundry in a desperate bid to hide that evidence
6. When challenged about threatening Dave Walker into taking his SPCK/SSG posts down, says ‘I have no idea what you are on about’ ;
7. Can’t get the name of his own company right when he attempts to file it for bankruptcy;
8. Fails to realise that filing a UK company for bankruptcy in the USA is not allowed anyway;
9. Actually, I think that’s probably enough for now, but if someone else would like to continue this list, feel free to carry on.

How a law firm like Brewer & Pritchard PC manages to stay in business with such a klutz at the top remains a mystery…

It'd be hilarious if it wasn't wrecking people's lives and bringing Durham Cathedral into disrepute: the Fawlty Towers of Christian retail. Please, if you're reading this and you haven't signed the Petition to Save Durham Cathedral Bookshop, just get on over there now and sign it. These parasites must go.

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.

It's OK to be Gay

It's just not OK to talk about it. That seems to be about the only conclusion you can draw from Father Geoff Farrow's situation. His Bishop wants "the faithful" to vote in favour of "Proposition 8", a move that would reverse California's recently won right for same-sex couples to marry. So Fr Geoff said no, he couldn't and wouldn't encourage his congregation to go down that road, and nor would he go there himself.

The result? Thrown out.

Two items of good news, however:

1. There's now a facebook group expressing solidarity with Fr Geoff:
We Support Father Geoff Farrow

2. Apple have stepped into the fray with this announcement:

No on Prop 8
October 24, 2008
Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees’ same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person’s fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8.

Well done, Apple!

SPCK/SSG Exeter: Shop Fittings for Sale

As advertised in the Bookseller, 17 October 2008, p.45:


Not sure that this gets anyone anywhere with the speculation about the old Exeter shop, but here's a transcript of the ad:

Bookshop furniture for sale
Oak effect furniture, pristine condition.

- 26 bookcases (2070 x 800 x 350)*
- 5 card holders with storage draws (1270 x 590 x 605)
- 4 free standing display units (1220 x 800 x 675)
- 2 Large shop tills.
*all measurements in millimetres
Plus many other bookshop furnishings, including plastic accessories and slat walling.

Located at 1-2 Catherine Street, Cathedral Yard, Exeter, EX11EU,
for enquiries please phone: Grant on: 07799845084
Emma on: 07845468625

This begs several questions: who are Greg and Emma? Do they own the property or are they agents acting on behalf of SPCK or SSG? Or are they selling it on behalf of the new tenants or the landlord? And who gets the proceeds from the sale? Shouldn't it be going to the unpaid workers or suppliers?

As for "pristine condition", see Neil Denham's SPCK Bookshop Exeter - R.I.P. — that sure doesn't look like pristine condition to me...

And finally, as David Keen points out, one has to wonder about the bookshop paperwork...

Karaoke Award for Pauline Edwards

For Being Creative: