PLEASE APPRECIATE THAT I GET SENT MORE INFORMATION AND LEADS THAN I CAN USE. I TRY TO RESPOND TO EVERYONE WHO CONTACTS ME BUT I CANNOT POSSIBLY USE EVERY BIT OF INFORMATION I’M SENT. DIOLCH YN FAWR
♦
LET’S RECAP . . .
I suppose the obvious place to start is with an update, or perhaps a brief résumé for those new to the saga. This approach will also help me ease back into the saddle.
Paul and Rowena Williams are an unsavoury couple who, by various means, built up a portfolio of hotels and pubs in Wales, England, and Cornwall. In 2015 they formed a company, Leisure & Development Ltd, that ‘bought’ properties they already owned at greatly inflated prices.
Obviously, no money changed hands but thanks to the grotesque over-valuations mortgages were secured against these fictitious purchases. This of course was classic mortgage fraud.
Though lenders would have required valuations, and I have always suspected that these were provided by Dudley Cross of Lambert Smith Hampton. Cross had worked with the Gruesome Twosome for years, he even served as a director of Leisure & Development Ltd until the whole shooting match was allegedly ‘taken over’ in February 2018 by convicted fraudster Keith Harvey Part(d)ridge.
The valuations were done in 2015, Cross joined the company in 2016.
◊
UPDATE
A while back I drew up a list of the companies with which Paul and Rowena Williams were involved. You can see it below, and here’s the pdf version, with working links to the Companies House entries.
Now for the latest news, working down the list from the top . . .
∼
There are moves by Companies House to strike off Polvellan Manor Ltd, the two-month notice dated 2 July. The last document filed was micro company accounts in April last year, showing a loss of £1,033.
You’ll notice one charge against this company in favour of Debra Oswald, who is Paul Williams’ sister. To help you understand the chicanery behind this ‘loan’ I urge you to read this document sent me by someone who’d had dealings with Paul Williams in Cornwall.
The document is quite long, but it explains so clearly how Paul Williams operates.
UPDATE 18.09.2019: Polvellan Manor Ltd was dissolved via compulsory strike-off (by Companies House) on 17 September 2019.
∼
As reported, Rural Retreats & Development Ltd now has Myles Cunliffe and Paul Williams as directors with Cunliffe’s company Mylo Capital Ltd having ‘significant control’. The company address has moved from Plas Glynllifon to the second floor of 9 Portland Street in central Manchester. An address where we’ll find a number of Cunliffe companies.
There are seven outstanding charges with Together Commercial Finance Ltd.
∼
Leisure & Development Ltd was the main company for the Williams’ property empire and as I’ve mentioned this was supposedly bought on 1 February 2018 for £11m by Keith Harvey Part(d)ridge and Sukhbinder Singh Heer. As previously reported in this series, this company is now in administration.
There are twelve outstanding charges, nine with National Westminster Bank Ltd and three with Together Commercial Finance Ltd.
∼
Leisure & Development Ltd Licensed LLP went belly-up in July 2016.
∼
There were moves to voluntarily strike off Rural Retreats & Leisure UK Ltd in the middle of last year but it struggled on with Michael Jones at the helm. Jones was lost overboard on 31 July, which leaves this Mary Celeste of a company adrift.
A company with no nominated director is not a legally constituted company, so this irregularity has been referred to Companies House.
There is one outstanding charge with National Westminster Bank Ltd.
∼
Next up is Plas Glynllifon Ltd, where we find the Williams duo and Cunliffe listed as directors. With shares split equally between Rowena Williams and Mylo Capital. Despite the name, the company’s address is now on the second floor of the Manchester building I mentioned earlier.
More importantly, perhaps, Companies House has given notice that Plas Glynllifon Ltd risks being struck off in mid-October. This of course may be the desired outcome, because . . .
There are eight outstanding charges, all with Together Commercial Finance Ltd.
∼
Gwesty Seiont Manor Ltd was dissolved in May.
∼
Finally, we have the Seiont Manor Hotel Ltd, which might now be dissolved, seeing as Companies House issued the notice on 25 June.
∼
All of which suggests that the Williams portfolio is now reduced to Rural Retreats & Development Ltd. Though with nothing filed with Companies House since February, and seven outstanding charges, the future of this survivor must also be in question.
◊
UPDATE 2
Which takes the form of a quick roundup of changes I’ve been informed of in recent months. A few snippets from hither and yon.
Rikki Reynolds, right-hand man to Paul and Rowena Williams, said to know where the bodies are buried (metaphorically speaking), and who was running the Seiont Manor hotel, was sacked in March(?), presumably by Cunliffe.
He is believed to be writing his memoirs.
On April 3 new company Seiont Manor Ltd, sole director Myles Cunliffe, transferred its address from Manchester to the hotel of the company’s name.
On July 8 North Wales Live reported Myles Cunliffe saying, ‘they were in the final stages of selling the site after coming to the conclusion they are not able to complete the redevelopment. He said: “At the mansion (Plas Glynllifon) it has not been feasible to take the site forward, we have not been able to realise Paul’s dream for the site and need a hotelier now to take the site to the next level.’
Pure bullshit. There’s more chance of sighting Lord Lucan riding Shergar through the grounds than there is of finding a ‘hotelier’ to take over a vast and cripplingly expensive to maintain building in the wrong location.
According to the administrator’s progress report on Leisure & Development Ltd, dated August 9, here is the state of play with the various properties:
- The Knighton Hotel went to auction May 9, but failed to reach its reserve price.
- The Radnorshire Arms in Presteigne is also unsold but there is interest.
- The Bird in Hand (Ironbridge, Salop) continued trading, contracts being drawn up. So by the time you read this it might have been sold.
- The Castle Inn and caravan park (Wigmore, Herefordshire) has been sold.
- The Salutation Inn and caravan park (Berwick-upon-Tweed) sold for £215,000.
- The Waves Bar and Resort (Seaton, Cornwall) sold in April for £501,000.
It seems the administrator might be stuck with the Knighton Hotel. A large establishment – made up of two separate buildings – with the sale complicated perhaps by the Williams duo still owning parts of the whole, certainly the former retail unit at ground floor extreme right.
Going back to the administrator’s progress report, I found Appendix B interesting for it lists the creditors, something we’ll look at in a minute.
In the Notice of administrator’s proposals, dated 10 September 2018, we read that the six properties we’ve just looked at were valued at £11,887,828, according to documents lodged with the Land Registry.
So in 2015 Paul and Rowena Williams claimed to have paid £11,887,828 for those six properties, three of which have now been sold for perhaps just one million pounds. The largest, the Knighton Hotel, failed to reach its reserve price of £350,000 at auction.
As a matter of interest, according to the Land Registry document, Paul and Rowena Williams ‘paid’ £2,881,599 for the Knighton Hotel in 2015.
The most the administrator will make from the sale of all six properties is maybe £2m. Yet as you can see in the table below, taken from the same administrator’s report, NatWest is owed £6.2m on those properties. How is this possible?
It’s explained by Paul and Rowena Williams inflating the valuations to gain mortgages, in line with the example of the Knighton Hotel. And remember, they already owned all six of the properties, so they paid nothing!
With the £6.2m figure accounted for by perhaps 50% mortgages on inflated ‘purchase’ prices plus interest.
Clearly, NatWest will be lucky to see a third of what it’s owed by Leisure & Development Ltd. Or less, after the administrator and others take their cut.
And spare a thought for the ‘Unsecured creditors’, owed £306,961.36. These will be suppliers, local tradesmen, staff, and others who really can’t afford to lose money, but these poor buggers won’t see a penny.
Moving on . . .
◊
MYLES CUNLIFFE AND FRIENDS
To believe the Daily Post, when Paul and Rowena Williams were at their lowest ebb a knight in shining armour came galloping in to rescue them. Under the gleaming armour was the manly physique of ‘finance guy’ Myles Andrew Cunliffe.
I always had doubts about Cunliffe, who was after all a small-time operator, offering finance on second-hand cars – why the sudden jump to stately homes? I touched on the answer in an update to Weep for Wales 12, in which I mentioned Jonathan Disley, ‘the King of Marbella’.
The link might be Neil George Cunliffe, who lives in Marbella. The two Cunliffes are from the same area and it’s reasonable to assume they’re related. And I find it difficult to believe that Neil Cunliffe, living in Marbella, does not know ‘the King’.
More recently, it seems Disley has been looking for investment opportunities back in Blighty, maybe Brexit has prompted this return. If so, this might be ironic, as I’ll explain in a minute.
Among the investment opportunities being considered was Blackpool football club. For it was being reported last year that Disley was in negotiations with Owen Oyston, the unpopular owner, to buy him and his family out. Also seen with Oyston in the directors’ box at Blackpool were Myles Cunliffe and Dennis Rogers.
So who is Dennis Rogers? Well, as you might have guessed, he’s another ‘businessman’, one who’s been involved in quite a few companies with Cunliffe. Companies such as Etaireia Investments PLC (both resigned as directors 27 March, 2019), Get Me Finance Ltd, Mylo Capital Ltd and Goldmann PLC (formerly Cunliffe Rogers and Ellis Capital PLC), which they both joined as directors 11 December 2018.
In fact, Rogers is quite an interesting character for a number of reasons. Earlier this month he was announced as the Brexit Party candidate for Warrington South . . . and then, two weeks later, he wasn’t. The story behind this abrupt change takes us to the heart of the possible Brexit connection.
Some trouble-making local checked Rogers out on the Companies House website and found that he had an Isle of Man address. Perhaps this one. Obviously there were some objections to this Manx resident standing for Warrington.
Though if you look at the address given for the company you’ll see that it’s in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, where Rogers lives. That confusion is not clever.
But now it gets really funny, so stick with it . . .
After working as a Strategic Business Advisor for the IoM government Rogers kept up the pretence of Manx residency. But then, the fuss over his candidacy, and questions as to where he lived, and whether he paid tax, alerted HMRC, who I’m told are now making enquiries.
Though his IoM connections get even more interesting when I tell you that Rogers was a nominee director of Rock Holdings Ltd. And if Rock Holdings rings a bell then it might be because it’s the company that many allege Arron Banks used to channel money into the 2016 Leave campaign.
“A nominee director is a director appointed to the board of a company to represent the interests of his appointor on that board. He may be appointed by a shareholder, a creditor or another stakeholder”. So who appointed Dennis Rogers?
The Banks connection is spelled out in this report from Manx Radio from just a week ago: “Earlier this year, the Manx businessman (Rogers) was named as a nominee director for Rock Holdings Limited, a company which forms part of Arron Banks’ insurance empire.”
I bet you’re glad you stuck with it!
Going back to Goldmann PLC, we see that the secretary is Sean Colin Hornby. Hornby was a Labour councillor in Bolton until some misunderstanding over unlicensed taxis led to him standing as an Independent before he joined Ukip. Despite the rise of the Brexit Party Hornby stuck with Ukip and his loyalty was rewarded with re-election in May.
◊
ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER
The bottom line is that Cunliffe and Rogers work for Disley or, as it was put to me, they’re his front men. They are, effectively, employees.
It is further suggested that Goldmann PLC is Disley’s company. Rogers was removed as a director on August 16 due to the attention he was attracting from HMRC and possibly other agencies.
Something else that may be connected with the unwanted attention is that until 19 August Goldmann Ltd was known as Cunliffe Rogers and Ellis Capital PLC. I’m told that ‘Ellis’ is Tom Ellis, Disley’s son-in-law.
Obviously we are dealing here with ‘colourful’ and unorthodox businessmen, where what you see ain’t always what you get. The sort of people I write about all the time. Too often, in fact, because Wales attracts so many such chancers.
Which is why I find the Brexit angle, and the possibility it throws up, a welcome diversion. Let me explain.
∼
Earlier I provided an IoM link for Dennis Rogers. The company was National and Commercial Extwistle Ltd, with Rogers giving his address as the Trafalgar pub on the South Quay in Douglas.
In the image below, the Trafalgar pub is the white building on the left, and the redbrick building behind the pub is what I suspect are the old offices of Manx Gas, with the company’s new office building on the right. The old building is now called Murdoch Chambers.
Why am I telling you this?
Because in this report – and I can recall watching it on Newsnight – John Sweeney locates Rock Holdings’ (the Banks’ company we looked at just now) address to Murdoch Chambers. The report says:
“At the time of the referendum, Rock Holdings’ address had been registered at Murdoch Chambers, South Quay, Douglas, Isle of Man.
Newsnight visited the island this week and its first stop was to Murdoch Chambers, which now appears to be an accommodation address, facing a gas showroom overspill car park. The door was locked and no-one answered.”
I know the Isle of Man isn’t that big, and Douglas is a fairly small town by mainland standards, but even so, Banks and Rogers being neighbours strikes me as one hell of a coincidence.
Another company I found giving the Trafalgar pub as its address was The Bullion People Ltd. Secretary and sole director Jodie Rogers. This company was Incorporated 4 September 2012, filed nothing, and was dissolved 13 May 2014.
A further company registered in a pub that called time for the last time in February 2010 was The Cash Point Ltd. Same pattern, single share held by secretary and sole director Jodie Rogers. Incorporated 6 September 2012, nothing filed, dissolved 6 May 2014.
And it’s the same with the Dennis Rogers’ company. He served as secretary and sole director, the company was set up 2 February 2017, filed nowt, and dissolved 10 July 2018.
But back to Jodie . . . who I assumed was either the daughter born when Dennis Rogers was a twenty-year-old stripling, or his much younger wife.
Dennis and Jodie turn up together in other companies, but in some older entries she’s Miss/Ms Jodie Lee, which suggests they tied the knot. Let’s look at a few of these companies.
There was the Gold and Silver Exchange Ltd and Cash For You (UK) Ltd. Both short-lived and with no accounts published. Then there’s Collateral Business Centre Ltd. (Originally Goldmann and Sons Ltd). Incorporated 6 June 2013, filed only accounts for a dormant company, dissolved 27 December 2016.
Among the directors of Collateral Business Centre was Peter Currie. Check out the companies he’s been involved with, and see how many of them have been dissolved or liquidated after a similarly short existence.
We looked at companies in the Trafalgar with ‘cash’ and ‘bullion’ in their names. Now we can add, ‘gold and silver’, ‘lending’, ‘finance’, ‘currency’, ‘money’, ‘capital’, ‘cash’, and even ‘pawn’.
Companies that are clearly involved in moving money or trading in precious metals, but they don’t seem to do any business, they never submit accounts, and they go out of business very quickly before there’s too much tedious paperwork cluttering up their palatial offices.
There may be an honest explanation for businesses like this. Though if so, then I’m still waiting to hear it.
◊
CONCLUSION
We started with a couple of shysters and their hangers-on, and it was fairly easy to spot mortgage fraud. I now hear that Paul and Rowena Williams have been offered a very decent sum to hand over Plas Glynllifon, the Seiont Manor, Fronoleu (near Dolgellau), and Polvellan House in Kernow.
We can but guess at the use to which these buildings will be put. But they are unlikely to be renovated. For now we seem to have moved into a different realm. Not only in terms of scale, and opacity, but also thanks to the possible political dimension.
Over the years I’ve copped a lot of criticism, I’ve had many critics, even threats. But it all seemed to ratchet up when I first mentioned Cunliffe, Rogers and Disley. Was it because they were afraid of their business dealings being exposed, or was it due to the Brexit connection?
The usual Remainer theory is that the Leave campaign was funded from the Kremlin, a tactic in Russia’s ongoing attempts to destabilise the West. But I think my old mucker Vladimir Vladimirovich gets a bad press – where’s the evidence he was slipping brown envelopes to Arron Banks or anyone else?
There is no evidence of the money coming from Russia. That £8.4m that Arron Banks can’t account for could just as easily have been found down the back of a Spanish sun lounger.
The links are there for all to see. Or maybe the key lies in the answer to a single question: Who insisted that Arron Banks make Dennis Rogers a nominee director of Rock Holdings, the alleged conduit for the money that might have swung the 2016 referendum?
♦ end ♦
P.S. A message to those who keep sending me letters and generally having unkind thoughts about me. I really don’t care what you get up to in Spain, or England, or the Isle of Man, or Timbuktu, but once you cross the border into my country I will take an interest. Because it’s my country, I love it, and I will protect it from people like you.
The message should be obvious: if you don’t want me to write about you – stay out of Wales.
Just spoke with Colliers, the estate agent selling Knighton Hotel, posing as a prospective buyer.
And what a strange story!
The hotel has just sold, apparently to a guy called Manny Shoker (sounds like). However, as soon as the sale completed, Manny decided that the he didn’t want the hotel after all (it does not fit in with his current business plans) and he has decided to put it up for auction. Is this a case of genuine flakiness… or even more skulduggery?
John, Knighton
Both Polvellan Manor in Looe and The Garrack Hotel in St Ives (soon to be purchased by Keith Partridge of Barrepta Cove Villas Ltd, Halesowen) have been working with RLT Architects of Penzance to turn the sites into apartments for the over 55s. Planning permission for the Garrack was granted by Cornwall Council in March. It is still trading as a oss-making hotel by the current owner. He says Partridge promises to look after existing staff by giving them two months pay upon business closure in the new year.
Keith Part(d)ridge is famous for his promises.
Back to Glynllifon, the scaffolding is gradually disappearing. Many windows are now merely covered with chipboard. The big white van remains in situ.
Scaffolding is usually rented and if the gruesome twosome haven’t been paying then the supplier will take it back. Depending who it’s rented from there may be repercussions as some scaffolding companies are owned by interesting individuals.
Jac I think you should do a full eulogy for Robert Ebagum. He proved to be a top class role model for all the chancers and wideboys now testing their abilities in UK and EU politics. The good news is that none of them will get anywhere near his “attainments” mainly because he did his deeds in Africa, which doesn’t matter in the eyes of the former colonial powers. Such excesses in Europe would have got him hauled to Den Haag sharpish.
The thing with old Bobby (God bless him!) was that he didn’t just know how to arrange elections but he was also a master at making sure the counting was done properly. And the people obviously respected him for this – because they kept on voting for him!
Could you imagine him tolerating the shit-fest that entertains us today up in Westminster? He would have sent the boys in and knocked sense into them in no time.
And yet another scam announced years ago but now into its final phase.
https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/wales/contractor-chosen-for-new-hmrc-office-in-cardiff?utm_source=wales_newsletter&utm_campaign=wales_news_tracker&utm_medium=property_article
By all means centralise HMRC and other government units into one location, if we have to locate UK government agencies in Wales, but to do so bang in the middle of Cardiff with the added congestion caused by thousands of employees and service users commuting inwards is plain bonkers. This crazy “Cardiff must have everything” mindset is difficult to fathom when only a handful of A.M’s have any representational interest in the city. Most of them represent communities who could do with this investment and work, yet they fail to make a simple rational case for alternative locations – lower cost land, less disruption better employment logistics etc etc What are these lazy bastards doing ? Oh of course spouting about Brexit about which they have no input whatsoever.
That’s the great mystery – why AMs from the areas losing out agree to the ‘Everything in Cardiff’ strategy.
Thanks for the update Jac someone sent me this yesterday
http://www.walterlloydjones.co.uk/propertydet.asp?Id=1988&propInd=S
The asking price is slightly more than I was told Williams paid for it at auction, in cash, in 2015.
Off topic, but I suspect the hustings on Ynys Môn is going to give an indication of the direction of travel within Plaid Cymru.
Cllr Carwyn Jones (County dignitary)
He’s a well known Plaid Cymru councillor, highly respected throughout the island. Well liked by farmers, and businessmen alike. Currently responsible for economic regeneration for the county council. Can be seen sea fishing on weekends and always attends community events. Has mastered the art of the buffet lunch flattering old ladies and just as comfortable with the business community. Has a cheaper cut of a DET suit.
Aled ap Dafydd. (Media guru).
Formally a journalist for the BBC. Has been a party member since July, and like Rhun, is exempt from the length of membership rule set for candidates. He has the support of Rhun ap Iorweth. Works as Director of Political Strategy and External Relations for Plaid Cymru and has Deryn on speed dial for press coverage. Well-tuned spin merchant. Can talk impressively on any topic without saying anything of substance.
Carmen Ria Smith (Ishoo guru).
Has the support of Bethan Sayed (Jenkins) and Leanne Wood. Already familiar with London, having spoke at numerous ‘marches’ in London over various ishoos. I think she was a student activist but the full biography has now been removed from the Plaid Cymru website, which is strange as the Simon Thomas stuff is still there. She has the support of Plaid Ifanc.
Cllr Vaughan Williams (local champion)
Schoolteacher in Holyhead. Probably the most popular candidate among Plaid Cymru members on the island. He’s worked real jobs like Holyhead port and as a cleaner at Ysbyty Gwynedd. He’s a relentless campaigner for independence, a bit rough at the edges and scares the shit out of Labour having battered them in Holyhead. Has the ability to win public support outside of traditional voting patterns, and always puts independence and constituents before personal gain.
I think I’ve correctly summed up the candidates, correct me if I’m wrong.
One to watch.
Given the current slurry pit that is Plaid I would be very surprised if C Jones or V Williams get the nomination, especially if it’s a decision to be made by party H.Q as opposed to constituency members. The other 2 are well in tune with the direction in which bullshit travels within Plaid and are thus likely to be in the lead. For the sake of Ynys Mon I hope I am wrong and that Jones or Williams gets the nod to tackle Albert.
It looks as though the end of this sorry saga is nigh. Thank you Jac for exposing these awful individuals for what they are. I suppose, in the scheme of things, they are but small-fry crooks, but thanks to you, whoever they try to con in the future will be able to Google them and see them for what they truly are.
Poor old Plas Glynllifon, no longer fit for purpose, will continue to moulder away quietly, enclosed in its scaffolding. But, at least, my fellow dog walkers will be able to continue to enjoy the Park without the threat of a Williams takeover, which was last year feared.
The Daily Post will continue to operate as an anodyne, totally uncritical, local rag, notable only for the Obituaries and the devilish cryptic crossword, and vulnerable to the next Snake Oil salesman who chooses to think that we in our little corner of the UK are ripe for the picking.
Keep up the good work!!
Don’t be so pessimistic – Cunliffe has said they’re looking for a ‘hotelier’ to take over.
Alex Polizzi perhaps?
Is this the last dinner the Williams pair had at Glynllifon?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6OEV1V3SRU{remove}
Has the fake lion in the front garden been removed?
Very droll!
Couldn’t see any fish and chips from Ainsworths on the table.
As for the MGM lion, it’s still there amongst the ever-growing weeds. I wonder, is it hollow, or solid concrete like PW’s brains?
Tata, whose ability to suck money out of Welsh and UK governments is renowned, continues to dump anything it can get away with. Orb Works in Newport looks like it’s heading for closure. Reinvesting some of that money wasted trying to forge a marriage with ThyssenKrupp would have given Orb a new lease of life as a potential supplier of steel cables for Electric Cars. But no fucker thought of that, no they preferred spending cash with consultants trying to concoct a new “global power” that would appeal to EU. Globalist international corporations much loved by corporatist politicians like UK government and fake socialists like Kinnock but no fuckin’ use to the general working public.
Ref your tweet regarding SWP at Swansea, just consider ourselves lucky that the event wasn’t organised and led by the daft wing of Plaid, especially as Swansea is only a quick trip down the M4 from the Bay wateringholes.
Arseholes must have took the day off !!
Rogers and Banks.
I suggest that all the individuals in this sorry saga might wish to decide that their best interests lay outside of Wales. There is certainly no milage, both financially and politically for Dennis Rogers and Arron Banks. They might be best advised to withdraw or dispose of any interest on any assets in Wales as it is evident that any plans they have or persons they have influence over have screwed up.
Disley.
I also have formed the impression that Jonathan Disley might concentrate his mind on arrangements he needs to make for a bid for citizenship of Spain before a no-deal Brexit, as after a grace period his application would be dependent on a criminal records certification from the United Kingdom. His alternative would be to leave behind the big fish in a small pond lifestyle, cut and run, and settle for a fake watch, an aging boat and a static caravan in Bognor and maintain celebrity status at his local Witherspoon.
Williams pair.
They’ve had their little escapade and the fake empire is at an end. There’s plenty of good shredders on sale on eBay. Somehow I suspect that HMRC and possibly the plod if anything worth chasing springs up will find what’s gone on of considerable interest. They can check their credit rating online, but I suspect there are some ‘assets’ that’s been snaffled away and seek to retire. He can pull a pint and she can write some good PR if some crap food turns up on a punters table.
Mylo.
Seems to be that this chap wouldn’t know a good option if it presented. This is a political blog but I suspect he thinks that putting the ‘frighteners’ on the editor or the many contributors of this blog will work the same way as a lone shark making threats to an over stretched second hand car leaseholder in some run down shithole in Lancashire. He’s an embarrassment, especially to some of those mentioned above.
Reynolds and Hornby.
Not worth me making the effort to type anymore. Suggest they move on and find some legit employment, though I’m curious as to why Hornby did not move from Ukip to Brexit party. Perhaps he’s actually genuinely interested in doing something for his ward, perhaps as an indy councillor.
Have I missed anyone?
Maybe you could have mentioned Part(d)ridge because, theoretically, he owns most of the Williams’ property empire. Certainly, the six properties in the hands of the administrator. But that ‘sale’ last February was a sham. And it was the pubs in Powys closing, pissing off the locals, a local contacting me, that set this ball rolling. They really aren’t clever.
And yet, as you suggest, Brychan, they’ve got money stashed away somewhere. For as a number of sources told me, Williams had cupboards full of cash. Business was conducted in cash. The pubs and hotels always ran at a loss, which meant no tax.
Latest I’m hearing is that Disley, operating through his glove puppet, Cunliffe, has paid the Williams duo £3m for Plas Glynllifon, Seiont Manor, Fronoleu and Polvellan Manor/House in Looe.
Am I missing the plot here, Jac? Why should anyone pay £3m for these properties, three of which are probably beyond redemption, and with no possibility of planning permission to build lots of chalets etc? Plus the fact that Glynllifon has six charges against it?
From the semi-literate comments by “Anonymous “ in your previous blog, I got the impression that the Williamses were likely to have been offered the option of giving up the Seiont Manor in exchange for the “Finance Guy” (!!!) relieving them of their debts on the Plas, etc.
It would be a great shame if people who have caused so much trouble in the places they have infested in Wales should walk away with such a sum.
Part(d)ridge is just a fall guy, with a criminal record for fraud. A stooge put in place by the Williams pair to carry the can when mortgage fraud is uncovered. The low lying fruit for an investigation chasing the money trail. He’s the mule not the dealer.
Moquet is right about Glynllifon.
As for Seiont Manor, the only going concern, it’s a bit ‘tired’ and needs a total refurbishment. Needs a good spend on it to keep it viable as it needs to attract a premium rack rate, and stuff like weddings to cover the pool and spa. No opportunity for just creaming a declining income by running it down market.
I suspect there’s a scam in the pipeline for Fronoleu, a kind of build-as-you-go of subdivided apartments for the retirees returning from Spain. Those fleeing Brexit. Needs planning permission but as the sale is in Spain the victims have no redress and just become a burden on the council when enforcement takes place. There is no mileage in a 1970s style country club hotel, which is what it’s designed as.
Great Post Script. It’s shocking that our well paid journos are not all over this. Your excellent research reminds me of Rebecca all those years ago. Diolch am dy holl waith.
It’s a pleasure to be compared with Rebecca.
I’m with you all the way, Jac
What’s the solution?
I can think of only one. Wales to be independent. Being friends with the “rosbifs” as the French call them is fine, trading with them on mutually acceptable terms is preferable, but being controlled by them is not
I now live in Thailand and write on Thai culture and topics. What that shows me is that a country can only run successfully if it is not controlled by other countries. Yes, it was ruled by the Japanese during WW2; and yes, Thailand is run by Thais of Chinese origin, but the country is essentially Thai.
Unfortunately we have a political class in Wales bereft of ideas on how to build up an economy and create jobs outside of the public and third sectors. This problem exists at both national and local level. Which means that when shysters turn up like Paul and Rowena Williams, Myles Cunliffe, Gavin Woodhouse, the crooks at Bryn Llys, the sharks behind Plas Pistyll, an assortment of lying bastards offering racetracks, tidal lagoons, wind farms, marinas, zip wires, etc., etc., our politicians scrape and say, ‘How can we help you, how much of our money do you want? Planning permission – no problem!’ Bastards all!!
Formulating and presenting the solutions was one of the key reasons why Ein Gwlad was formed Matt. It’s obvious to a blind man that the nationalist political party in the ‘ Bay ‘ ran out of ideas and solutions a long time ago, and even worse they are cosied up to the ruling party in the ‘ Bay ‘ that is causing most of this mayhem.
The ultimate solution is Welsh independence – which is the top-most priority goal of Ein Gwlad.
You’re welcome to join us wherever you live.
The jig saw is coming together nicely Jac thanks to your incredible research effort. With regard to your post script note at the end, I hope it is now a case of “message received and understood”.
I’d rather not have to write about them. I’ve got enough to keep me busy with politicians, and third sector, and lobbyists, and housing associations, and all the others screwing up our country.
Another excellent in depth report but as you say, it’s a shame these shameless human beings exist on this planet to warrant reporting about. The UK could retrieve a mega fortune if they increased the SFO and also gave serious sentencing. But probably far too many politicians tangled in these webs of crime and fraud. There is also a big impacts on communities caused by the likes of the Williams duo & associates, and not in a good way.
Keep up the good work Jac.
A lot of money could be retrieved, but the UK has always had an ‘ambivalent’ attitude towards white collar crime and fraud generally. The attitude seems to be – ‘If it makes money, then fine’. That’s why there’s no real ‘War on drugs’ because drugs puts a lot of money into the economy. Drug dealers buy houses, and cars and clothes and all manner of other goods.
To understand this attitude, just look at the City of London and its empire of offshore tax avoidance/dirty money centres starting with the IoM and the CI.
Off topic, but picture a post-UK scenario, England is well out of the EU. An open question to all the esteemed regular commenters to Jac’s posts – do we hang our hat on getting back in to the EU, a new, trade agreement/open border arrangement with England or totally go it alone with WTO rules in both cases? Or some other option I haven’t considered?
Sorry that wasn’t meant to be in reply to anything if it was.
You’ll get my answer in the next post.