Yes, I whinced at the response. You were good enough to warn him, I just fetched the marsh mallows.

The subject of this case was put in touch with me by volunteers at the local soup kitchen charity - Loose Ends. I was then asked by the administrator and two of the deacons at the KCC church, another local charity, to support him and one of the congregation whilst he was in hospital. Following on from this I received calls from a third charity - Eight Bells - asking if I would help this same congregation member and him obviously with it.

With regard to the family - I met all of them at the hospital on separate occasions and firstly his elder brother asked me to help and then later when I met the mother and sisters I was asked to help by them at the time. No one in particular put me in touch with them but it was them who asked me to help. This is bourn out by the statement from the mother in the original story that I was handling everything for her because she could not cope.

I do agree with your suggestions regarding approach to future service and indeed that is how matters have shaped themselves since Mr Smith's death. I think the smoking gun is just round the corner. I haven't thanked you yet for opening up this subject it is a good thing you have done. Thank you for all concerned.

When all said and done you are an effective advocate for a severely disadvantaged group in our society. That such a role is so badly needed is a sad and sorry testament to the sanctimonious self serving attitudes of those who claim to be our public servants. You are earning your reward albeit perhaps not in this life. It certainly gives me some comfort to know that if I or anyone else I know hits rock bottom, for any reason, there are still a few who will put a hand out to help.

Meanwhile, our local MP and his councils see those people as an 'inconvenience'. And it also seems they can behave as they like because many have demonised those ihowgate tries to support. A group of people that will only grow in size. Their 'crime' often being born into the 'wrong' family.

It seems obvious to me the reason Mr Benyon MP et al. will only deal with those he and they can 'manage'.

Such is the way with people in a position of power.

Either you fit in the "box" or you are someone who they cannot deal with.
The council should be ashamed.

Over recent months I am ashamed to say that I had come to the opinion that people in Newbury simply didn't care about their poorer brothers in society. However you guys have shown me, over the preceding pages, that this isn't true - thank you all so much for restoring my faith in humanity.

Don't say that just yet!

How patronising. No mention of 'sisters' either.

Didn't some of the local charities put out statements to the effect that although he describes himself as a 'charity worker' he actually has nothing to do with or is paid by any of them?

Interesting that Ian tries to confuse issues. According to him, to stand against his ham-fisted and vexatious interfering is to somehow be against justice for the poor, vulnerable and elderly. It isn't Ian. Do not confuse the two. We've seen people come and go on the cult of personality and it's getting tiresome. Not even Garvie has gone that low.

Double post. Oops. (Bit ham fisted myself)

How does that matter?


Yes, that is true except I fail to see that it is tiresome as I can only think of one or two, but how do you know ihowgate is ham-fisted and is truly vexatious? And, while trying to decipher your character assassination attempt, what does 'Garvie has gone that low' (sic) mean?

Whilst I find your whole comment confusing - I think you have mixed up the meaning of 'patronising' - perhaps you mean to be a patron to someone - ie to support them?? – that I am guilty of.

I do however apologise for the fact that you have mistakenly jumped to the conclusion that I was talking to you and hence patronising you when I said to the previous correspondents that they had revived ‘my faith in humanity’. Obviously I didn’t mean you – so please don’t think I was patronising you – any person reading this will be able to judge that you most certainly don’t fall into the same category as the caring folk who conversed earlier.

Did some local charities disown me? I haven't heard as such – they certainly haven’t written to me in those terms. Perhaps you would enlighten me as to which ones and when?

Regardless even if all of the groups you feel are charities in the UK disclaimed association with me then you would still be wrong about me not being a charity worker. No doubt you will be surprised to hear that, contrary to what you state, most people doing charity work don't get paid for doing it. Being paid by a charity does not make you a charity worker - quite the opposite actually.

Unlike those who are frustrating my and other people's efforts to help our poorer brothers (in that I include sisters - like Mrs Smith for instance) I am not paid for what I do and in fact that makes me a charity worker. The fact that most of my effort goes through a charity is irrelevant to the fact that in this country, legally someone who does work for other people's good without pay is operating as a charity and is hence a charity worker. It does not need to be formalised or registered it is immediately a charity. However I don't suppose you were really interested in whether your allegations were legally correct or not, I guess you just wanted to have a snipe at someone whilst hiding behind a rusty bullet. Best of fortune to you with that but perhaps next time you would bother to check your law before you go into print it would save us all unnecessary bother in having to correct you.

It's ok, RB is a troll

Oh for heavens sake give it a bloody rest. I was Mike's neighbour for a while, I knew Mike, and I recently met his mum. You claim, in the Mail article, to have been his 'friend'. You never heard of him till he got ill. You'd never seen hide nor hair of Mike until you turned up with your 'lets get some compo' scheme.

Stop pretending you're anything other than a charity 'hanger-on'. You let people believe that you're a full blown 'charity worker' and then, as we've see, when challenged, back away from it.

You're worse than some parasitic vulture latching onto the ill, weak, and emotionally vulnerable. Just to make a name for yourself. So far, going public about the M.P mugging you off and poor bloody Mike has done what exactly? Nothing. That's what. Unless you call making yourself look like a sticky-beak a result.

Now whether this sorry saga is true or not my problem is that whenever a story appears that makes a criticism of our local authorities it would appear we never get a definitive answer as to have they acted wrongly, illegally, or whatever? It would seem that they either cannot or will not give out information one way or the other. They just obfuscate until the problem disappears quietly over the horizon. Any one who persists in querying any replies the local authorities give, which happens on rather rare occasions, are declared vexatious. I fail to understand why no explanations are ever given. It would be much appreciated if for once our local elected representatives actually represented the electorate and give details of the facts regarding this serious complaint!

There are far far easier ways of making a name for yourself. So can we ask what you did to help?

Well said - and by the way the previous person is just plain wrong again - I had known Mike for two years before he got ill. I first met him with a friend from a church in the Soup Kitchen - he was lovely then and remained so until he died - in fact in line with his name he managed to sort out a bike for my wife over a year ago.

I guess it must be tough work being a full time troll.

On the contrary, and despite your bile, I'd say he has at least raised the profile of those less fortunate than us.

Again, on the contrary, evidently it is quite easy for some.

You know, you're right. It's not all about you is it Ian? You work selflessly away in the background.

Funny how only those pursuing their own agenda use their real names on here though isn't it, ihowgate? I wonder why that would be?

OHHHH IT'S GETTING PERSONAL.

_{i've met people face to face and some even know my name!}