The Wilsons exploits

Zandoni

There have been two stories in the Kent local paper the Downs Mail, about the exploits of our friends Fergus and Judith Wilson.

The first story involves the post office and the house next door to it in Chart Sutton near to where they live. The Wilsons bought these properties and deprived the locals of a village shop, they did offer to rent the ex post office to be used as a shop but the rent was ridiculous. The locals got around this by getting hold of a mobile unit and set it up around the corner. The Wilsons allegedly decided to convert the buildings into flats without planning permission but got caught by the local councillor, so they are now boarded up.


The second story in the latest edition involves the Buffalo’s head pub in the same village of Chart Sutton. The Wilsons wanted to buy it sometime before Easter and were willing to pay over there estimate of its worth, but somebody else bought it for the same price. He is quoted as saying things like “the parish council needs to learn a lesson”. If he had been able to buy the pub he would have considered turning it into a themed museum or restaurant – perhaps based on Elvis Presley


They have also been selling horses:

Loxendor was withdrawn
Cerium was sold for £17,000
Mr Pointment was sold for £4,000

chucky

Zandoni wrote: »

The Wilsons bought these properties and deprived the locals of a village shop, they did offer to rent the ex post office to be used as a shop but the rent was ridiculous.

Zandoni wrote: »

The Wilsons wanted to buy it sometime before Easter and were willing to pay over there estimate of its worth, but somebody else bought it for the same price.

so they bought or wanted to buy these properties...

there obviously not as bankrupt or have no money just as some people on this board would like us to think...

Zandoni

chucky wrote: »

so they bought or wanted to buy these properties...

there obviously not as bankrupt or have no money just as some people on this board would like us to think...

Only if you believe anything that they say to the press. Remember they seem to be selling everything they can, their beloved horses etc

GDB2222

perhaps those horses weren't beloved?

dopester

Zandoni wrote: »

There have been two stories in the Kent local paper the Downs Mail, about the exploits of our friends Fergus and Judith Wilson.

They must have a good reporter on that freebie newspaper. The paper itself has a website but only carries the most basic information about the paper itself - none of the content stories. It's not covered by PressDisplay either. Also a while back you gave us insight into another interesting sounding story from the Downs Mail which wasn't picked up by any of the bigger news outlets.

The Wilsons main home is more Boughton Monchelsea rather than Chart Sutton and I don't see any Post Office next door, or nearby. They've also still got those two (1 & 2) newbuild houses they built up for sale at the back of their home. Maybe they've got another home in Chart Sutton.

I want to read more about that Post Office story... hmm (idea). A quick look around on Google Street View.. was this it? Have you any idea when the Wilsons supposedly bought it, and turned it in to flats without permissions?

dopester

Zandoni wrote: »

The first story involves the post office and the house next door to it in Chart Sutton near to where they live. The Wilsons bought these properties and deprived the locals of a village shop, they did offer to rent the ex post office to be used as a shop but the rent was ridiculous. The locals got around this by getting hold of a mobile unit and set it up around the corner. The Wilsons allegedly decided to convert the buildings into flats without planning permission but got caught by the local councillor, so they are now boarded up.

It seems to me even the locals had the decency and common sense to apply for planning permission (temporary 3 year) for the mobile portacabin unit. They didn't act like gods where rules don't apply to them, going ahead without getting permission.

The portacabin building shall be mainly used for the sale of convenience goods
and post office facilities and not for any other A1 retail use.

dopester

The gods were still buying houses according to a few reports, well in to 2008.

If Zandoni's journo's info is accurate, and if the Wilsons did buy the Post Office (and the cottage next to it) maybe they bought it in October 2007.

Houseprices website.

Sales Date: 02/10/2007
Price: £150,000
Tenure: F
New Build: No
Address: Post Office Stores, Chart Corner, Chart Sutton, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 3SB

Sales Date: 26/07/2000
Price: £137,000
Tenure: F
New Build: No
Address: Post Office Stores, Chart Corner, Chart Sutton, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 3SB

Spirit_2

dopester wrote: »

They must have a good reporter on that freebie newspaper. The paper itself has a website but only carries the most basic information about the paper itself - none of the content stories. It's not covered by PressDisplay either. Also a while back you gave us insight into another interesting sounding story from the Downs Mail which wasn't picked up by any of the bigger news outlets.

The Wilsons main home is more Boughton Monchelsea rather than Chart Sutton and I don't see any Post Office next door, or nearby. They've also still got those two (1 & 2) newbuild houses they built up for sale at the back of their home. Maybe they've got another home in Chart Sutton.

I want to read more about that Post Office story... hmm (idea). A quick look around on Google Street View.. was this it? Have you any idea when the Wilsons supposedly bought it, and turned it in to flats without permissions?

Reminder to self to never annoy you.....or reveal any identifying personal details on here....you are some detective.

Zandoni

dopester wrote: »

I want to read more about that Post Office story... hmm (idea). A quick look around on Google Street View.. was this it? Have you any idea when the Wilsons supposedly bought it, and turned it in to flats without permissions?

Pretty sure that's it, unfortunately I haven't got a copy of the post office story which was probably in the April edition. I work in Maidstone and a couple of my colleague's told me of the story last month. Two of them had copies but I was too late they had already been binned.

I do have the May version of Downs Mail south edition, this one has the pub story. Also on pg 46 it has local council minutes from which I quote

"Members considered the invitation from Fergus Wilson, owner of the Old Forge and Village store, to meet and discuss the properties and agreed that this would not be appropiate at this present time"

dopester

The Downs Mail should sell on their scoops. Thanks for posting up this information and the scan.

It's typical of something he might say but I'm still not sure I believed your post about him suggesting he'd thought about turning it into a themed museum or Elvis Presley themed restaurant - until reading it in your scan. Rofl.

PO and shop seem to have been boarded up since 2008, as it was filmed that way in this video on YouTube.

The two shops all boarded up like that, don't reflect nicely on the house to the right, or the other local houses and the village. It's also money put in not getting any return.

The pub the Wilsons were supposedly after is just down the end of that road. Just how much damage can one HPI money borrowing boomer ex-math teaching, 700+ home buying couple - who really seemed to believe values double every 7 years, wrought?

YouTube nice sounding voiceover lady.

In 2007 Chart Sutton lost its Post Office and shop. A severe blow to a small rural community which has had a village shop as its heart for generations.

But local people have worked hard to keep a sense of community alive. Events such as the Christmas party still take place to bring people together, and to ensure Chart Sutton remains a real village and not just a collection of houses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e-v7QHGG3c

dopester

There is even a video (29th Nov 2009) of the new Post Office portacabin arriving on the flatbed truck and being winched over, then moved into final position by a large forklift - with some happy locals watching on.

If the Wilsons really did buy that PO and shop, I can't imagine they have lots of admirers in the village.

Cllr.Mike FitzGerald (Maidstone Borough Council): We've waited over a year what with planning delays and planning concerns but now it's all happening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwjBVVMD0Sk&feature=related