You knew it was coming, didn’t you! And believe me, I’m not just going through the motions here, there really have been developments. Important developments that we shall discuss in just a minute.
Now I’ll say what I always say at this point – For anyone joining the saga I strongly suggest that you get up to speed with: Weep for Wales, Weep for Wales 2, Weep for Wales 3, Weep for Wales 4, Weep for Wales 5, Weep for Wales 6, Weep for Wales 7.
◊
GARDEN PARTY
Let’s start on a happy note before moving on to discuss the murky world of Paul and Rowena Williams and their interesting ways of doing business.
For on Sunday July 29 there was a garden party at the Radnorshire Arms Hotel in Presteigne. Everybody was invited and a wonderful time was had by all. Here are some photographs from the event.
The jolly get-together was called the Pants on Fire Party, an obvious reference to the countless lies told by Paul and Rowena Williams, plus those in their inner circle. In the poster a shifty-looking Keith Partridge says, ‘Psst!! wanna buy a hotel chain? No, how about a hot Bentley?’
To be honest, I wouldn’t buy a lavatory chain from that man.
As I say, a good time was had by all, though Paul and Rowena Williams didn’t turn up . . . which probably explains why everybody had a good time!
◊
DIGGING DEEP
Having some time to myself last week I delved into the history of the oldest of Paul and Rowena Williams’ companies; the one that started life as Mortimers Cross Inn Ltd, then became Rural Retreats & Leisure Ltd, before the name was changed again to Polvellan Manor Ltd in March 2016.
The first question that cropped up was, ‘When the company was formed in July 2002 we have a husband and wife running a country pub, so do they really need a private limited company? But even if they do, does that company need 10,000 £1 shares – why not just two shares?
Going through the accounts submitted for Mortimers Cross Inn Ltd we find a heart-rending tale of losses, year on year, suggesting that the Mortimers Cross Inn was spectacularly unsuccessful . . . or else someone was being ‘imaginative’ with the accounts ‘unaudited financial statement’. Heavily indebted every year the sole asset would appear to be the inn itself, valued in the accounts for y/e 31.07.2003 at £479,938 after depreciation.
Turning to the ‘Abbreviated accounts’ for y/e 31.07.2005 we see that the asset is now gone, which accords with perceived wisdom that says the inn was sold around this time to pubco Punch Taverns.
Though the figures for 2005 suggest other fixed assets somewhere, as ‘additions’, amounting to £118,611, giving a book value of £634,407, which reduced to just £8,250 after the sale.
The Abbreviated Accounts for y/e 31.07.2006 give the company tangible assets of just £6,187 and it’s heavily in debt. So where’s the money gone from the sale of the assets in y/e 31.07.2005?
I think that question is answered by the fact that Paul and Rowena Williams were now acquiring the properties we are more familiar with, such as the Radnorshire Arms Hotel and the Knighton Hotel. Even so, they had just over half a million pounds to start with and there are no charges (mortgages or loans) listed against their only company. So where did the rest of the money come from?
Debra Yvonne Oswald, Paul Williams’ sister, became a director of Retreats & Leisure Ltd on 14.03.2007, so did she inject some money? For just a short time after this, in November 2007, Oswald, with her husband and her and Paul Williams’ parents, formed a company in Goa. Where the family still have a hotel, and where Williams père lives.
Whatever the answer, acquisitions there certainly were, for the company address was changed to the Radnorshire Arms Hotel on July 24, 2009, and the ‘Financial Statements’ for 2010 were lodged from the Knighton Hotel. Yet we don’t see these properties appearing in documentation until the ‘Abbreviated (Unaudited) Accounts’ for y/e 31.07.2010 when tangible assets are £863,016, up from £203,00 the following year.
Though the company remains a loser. On a turnover of £322,788 up to July 31, 2010 Rural Retreats & Leisure Ltd lost £152,421. One factor being a large loan from Scottish & Newcastle Breweries Ltd, with £155,667 falling due in 2010, though this was down from £209,625 the previous year.
This loan, plus the money received from the sale of the Mortimers Cross Inn, would still not be enough to pay for the ten properties bought in this period, even if most were bought from receivers or at auction, so I ask again, where did the rest of the money come from?
The last ‘Abbreviated (Unaudited) Accounts’ for Retreats & Leisure Ltd before the new companies were set up was for y/e 31.07.2014. They tell us that the ‘total tangible assets’ – the combined worth of the Williams property empire – amounted to just £1,802,623.
Yet in August 2015 the Radnorshire Arms Hotel was bought by the new Williams company Leisure & Development Ltd for £3,487,049. The same company bought the Bird in Hand for £1,279,204. Salutation Inn for £1,049,076. Castle Inn for £1,269,720. The Knighton Hotel for £2,881,599. The Courtyard for £1,920,780.
Those figures come to a total of £11,887,428. And there are other properties they bought from themselves for which I don’t have the prices. Of course, the problem with buying from yourself is that it’s not real money, you aren’t making anything. That comes from the mortgages and loans you can raise against properties given absurd valuations.
(Though given who’re dealing with we should remember that paying over the odds is a good way of getting rid of money you might have difficulty accounting for.)
Something else I did to while away the time was draw up a list of the companies Paul and Rowena Williams have been involved with. Here’s the table I compiled, and it’s here in pdf format with the company number linking with its Companies House website page.
◊
THE BEGINNING OF THE END?
Last week was a busy week. It started on Monday when I popped over to Presteigne and Knighton for a mooch around. (I enjoy a good mooch.) The Knighton Hotel and the Radnorshire Arms look what they are – abandoned, neglected and deteriorating.
Next, I received a flurry of e-mails from Companies House telling me of activity with Williams companies. All dated 10 July but recorded at Companies House July 30.
First, was notification that a new charge had been attached to Rural Retreats & Development Ltd. This charge seems to be Together Commercial Finance Ltd securing its claim on 15 properties (see page 15).
The second charge concerned Leisure & Development Ltd. This appears to be Together Commercial Finance Ltd laying claim to a further seven properties. (See page 14)
Third and fourth were two charges against Plas Glynllifon Ltd. Both are against “all the property or undertaking of the company”.
All of which suggests that Together Commercial Finance Ltd may have come to the end of its tether with Paul and Rowena Williams; concluded it’s not going to see its money repaid, and so is tying down property in lieu of the money it’s owed.
The National Westminster Bank seems to have come to the same conclusion, for it pulled the plug on Leisure & Development Ltd last Thursday, obviously concerned about the money it had loaned in 2015. Locks were changed and CCTV cameras installed on a number of properties, including the Radnorshire Arms where locals had so recently enjoyed the the garden party.
And yet, there are still questions.
Just a few months ago, when Paul and Rowena Williams were spinning the line about Keith Partridge taking over their hotels and other businesses, they told staff it was being done through his buy-out – for £10m – of Rural Retreats & Leisure UK Ltd. Read the letters here.
We now know that the ‘buy-out’ was a fairy tale, and we also know that RRL UK Ltd owns nothing. Which I suppose explains why NatWest is unlikely to pursue the charge it has against this company.
So it appears that both lenders have all options covered and we’re approaching endgame. But I’m convinced that a crook and a liar as ruthless and cunning as Paul Williams still has something up his sleeve.
For as locals in Presteigne and Knighton know, just a day before the case was heard in that Birmingham court Paul Williams visited his properties with some men in a white van, and loaded up all sorts of stuff, even fire extinguishers! They appeared to be genuine – the guys in the van, I mean! – and even gave out a business card, which said they were working for Worcester Pubkit.
Even more bizarrely, at around 3am, just hours before Aztec Asset Assured turned up to change the locks, the alarm at the Radnorshire Arms went off, sounding very briefly before someone pressed the right buttons. Who could that have been, boys and girls, creeping around in the middle of the night?
The Williams Gang is now reduced to its holdings in Gwynedd and Cornwall, which I find rather disturbing for a couple of reasons. One, being pushed back into the western extremities of Britain carries uncomfortable historical resonance, and two, I live in Gwynedd, and so I’m wondering if these crooks are getting any of my money.
Gwynedd is represented by the Seiont Manor Hotel Ltd, while Cernyw comes in the form of Polvellan Manor Ltd. The sole director of the former is Rikki John Reynolds, while his counterpart in Cornwall is Keith Harvey Partridge.
The only reason these companies are still standing is that there are no charges against them. Or should I say, no charges directly against them. But Seiont Manor is owned by Rural Retreats & Development Ltd and as we’ve seen, Together seems to have that base covered.
Which leaves just Polvellan Manor Ltd, which as you read earlier started life as Mortimers Cross Inn Ltd in 2002. According to the company’s latest ‘Unaudited Financial Statement’ – produced by our old friend John Duggan – the turnover for y/e 31.07.2017 was zero.
That’s zero, as in zilch, nothing, sod all.
But we must introduce the caveat that Mr Duggan does have trouble with figures, to such an extent that he was sent away for a few years to brush up on his accountancy skills. So for all we know, the Polvellan Manor could be raking it . . . high rollers jetting in to the private airfield, top-class cabaret, 50 quid for a shot of Old MacDonald’s single malt . . .
What a twosome – Partridge and Duggan. What could possibly go wrong?
Yes, last week was a good news week, and I’m looking forward to more good news in the not-too-distant future. The fat lady’s not ready to sing just yet, but I feel she’s in her dressing room applying make-up. For the curtain has gone up on the opening scene of the final act.
For you insomniacs out there, here’s some reading matter in the form of the latest version of the information sheet on the gang. Anyone able to suggest amendments or additions is welcome to contact me.
UPDATE 07.08.2018: After making further enquiries I now know that the process which resulted in Leisure & Development Ltd being placed In Administration was initiated by the directors. Which is where it gets interesting, for the two directors are Sukhbinder Singh Heer and Keith Harvey Partdridge (sic). Paul Steven Williams was a director until 21 July 2018.
Also on 21 July, one day after the meeting at the Radnorshire Arms Hotel between Paul and Rowena Williams and Powys County Council and the ‘Welsh’ Government, all 10,000 shares in the company were transferred from Plas Glynllifon Ltd to Keith Harvey Partridge. Though you have to ask why the shares were held by Plas Glynllifon Ltd when Part(d)ridge is supposed to have taken over the company on 1 February.
Whoever the directors are, the charges against this company remain. And I’m assured that once the move was made to, essentially, wind up the company, the creditors – National Westminster Bank Ltd and Together Commercial Finance Ltd – were informed.
As I say, the fat lady is still in her dressing room.
♦ end ♦
P.S. For all of you who’ve sent me information and anecdotes about the gang, particularly Paul Williams, please understand that I can’t use everything. Though I am considering a piece devoted solely to these horror stories.
Thursdays Daily Post will confirm that the sale of Plas Coch and Plas Breriton has fallen through. Our friend Paul has still not responded to a request for his comments. But the DP continues with the fiction of the £20m scheme for Glynllifon. What has become of investigative journalism?
Monday’s Daily Post has an article about the likely non completion of the purchase of Plas Coch and Plas Breriton by our old friend Paul Williams, who has apparently benn asked for his comments.
However, rather blindly, the DP continues to assert that Williams is undertaking a £20million restoration of Plas Glynllifon. When will the penny finally drop, I ask myself?
I’m working on an update, and one of the things I’ve been checking is how much free and uncritical publicity Paul Williams has received from the Daily Post. It’s at least a dozen articles, all written by Owen Hughes. Hughes might as well have been on the Williams payroll.
I shall buy the DP tomorrow and also try to post comments to the online article.
Passed the above properties this
afternoon and there was a blue Aberconwy Locksmiths van parked near the front door.What does this mean?
1.Are they being repossesed?
2.Did they sign contracts but couldn’t come up with the completion money?
3.Are they reselling hoping to make a quick profit after increasing it’s value with listed period features stripped out of Plas Glynllifon?
Becca
Do you mean Plas Coch and Plas Brereton?
If so, the word is they couldn’t come up with the money to complete. They had until yesterday.,
Standard clean up job before “valuer” comes in, for more finance from company in Manc.
Looks like Paul Williams grand scheme for Plas Coch and Plas Breriton has fallen by the wayside. The money men seem to have had cold feet at the last moment.
Also very little activity at Glynllifon. And some of the baby Ibis have gone walkabout.
Baby ibis!
Yes, Jac, Ibis. They cleared out an old fountain, then surrounded it with umpteen identical (new) urns. Then the statue of an Ibis made its appearance nearby, followed shortly by those of several baby Ibises. The babies have now mysteriously disappeared, unless they are merely covered by the rapidly growing vegetation.
jac great work but you may have taken your eye off too soon, the master crook will have a goon at every auction and they will outbid any punter under the sun, they have 10m to play with – clever, very clever
Whence cometh the £10m? I hope this isn’t a reference to the mythical £10m Keith Partridge is said to have paid for The Radnorshire Arms, the Knighton Hotel and a few others.
He appears to be working on the grounds at Plas Brereton on and off the last few weeks, clearing tracks, cutting grass etc. (and also sending any trespassers on his land off with a flea in their ear) Can’t work out what he is doing as it seems completely unnecessary if he is going to be renovating or re-building. He is always easy to spot though in his oversize short sleeved shirts to cover his expanding waistline.
That does seem odd, but then, his options for doing anything are pretty limited.
Someone’s been at it with a chainsaw since early morning today, We didn’t hear any blood curdling screams tho (ref Texas Chainsaw massacre)
Visited the Park today. Strange, but some of the windows of the Plas have been removed and the gaps boarded up. Isn’t Planning Permission required for this? No possibility of a handy means of removing the contents, I wonder?
Very little work going on, and the areas which were landscaped for the Open Days are becoming very overgrown and unkempt. Compare these with the Country Park grass, which is a tribute to Gareth’s dedication.
Hir pob ymaros! Mae pethau’n dawel ond mae pethau’n symud yn y nos. Gobeithio nad yw trysorau’r Plas yn symudi Blas arall ychydig filltiroedd lawr y ffordd.Dyna yw’r sibrydion yn yr ardal. Ble mae CADW? Deffrwch da chi cyn iddi fod yn rhy hwyr.
lBecca.
I often think that Paul Williams should have been in the removals businesses . . . the nocturnal removals business.
I know Tim Heald, he has one of the best financial brains in North Wales and has decades of experience in audit accountancy,forensic understanding of balance sheets and all this is backed up by a successful career at the top of the public sector over many decades.I would be interested to know the track record of his critic,How about this persons CV on this website or is it one of the Williams gang high on illegal drugs again..
Liberty Stadium and the shoddy workmanship by the construction company, Interserve Construction Ltd.
It turns out that Keith Partridge was a director of this firm in one of its incarnations – Modus FM Ltd. I realise that this could happen to any ex director but poor Mr Partridge; his name seems to be associated with bad luck.
The detail you have gone into Jac is very good and the 8 articles you have now written have kept me gripped waiting for more. I know that from the very start you have shown evidence of suspected mortgage fraud. Your comments that the buildings, now left empty, were merely channels for mortgage applications and re mortgages etc. The setting up of different companies and the movement of directorships like a game of chess. With all of this in mind do you now not have a statutory obligation to submit your findings to the FCA or have you done this already? If not, could you explain why not? These type of people need to be made an example of and it seems you have the evidence to do it.
I’m not sure that I have a statutory obligation to refer the case to any agency, which makes any explanation for my not doing so totally unnecessary. However, if it puts your mind at ease, others have referred the case to a number of agencies, including the FCA.
Though I have to say, from dealings I have had with the FCA, I ain’t holding my breath.
Absolutely disgusted to see this awful man on National TV. Just shows how distorted the news can be. Feel like asking for a refund of my TV license! Good on you, Cyngor Gwynedd, for not allowing the BBC to film in the Park.
Truly makes me want to vomit.
tim heald
lyou seem to have a problem with anybody ,llais gwyneďd .ect you have retired after geting a lot of money to basicaly fuck up .get a life you sado
Jac as I’ve now read all 8 instalments and can see that you have done a lot of research into Paul Williams and the gang. Can I assume that this information you have uncovered constitutes large scale mortgage fraud? If so is there not a statutory obligation to report it to the authorities?
Whoever you are “Anonymous” your command of grammar is very lacking. Go back to school and get YOURSELF a life, you illiterate! There certainly are some strange people lurking on the Web!
Paul Williams has just appeared on national TV on Countryfile BBC One,I am in shock.He was telling the world about his plans to take over the Park during an item on how Local Authorities can no longer afford to run Country Parks.This man is an insult to us as a Nation and if Gwynedd Council have come to any agreements with him it will be the end of Plaid Cymru in Gwynedd.
So I’m told. I’m downloading it on Sky.
All interesting Jac, one question from me, as the one company is in admin with all of its buildings and assets, I see there are still some properties that are mortgaged but would not be part of those assets as they are under another company, still trading, I refer to the Ledwyche Springs and Dumbleton ones on the charge sheet. Would the finance company also look at these? Or are they actually legally separate? If the latter, then the hideaways are not limited to Cornwall! As a note of interest, the Ledwyche Springs property is a large barn which has a business rates attached to it, could that be the storage area?
Two good questions.
First, let’s remember that there is more than just the one company still trading. The jewel in the Williams crown now is Plas Glynllifon, on which Paul Williams has said he intends to lavish no less than £20m. Half of this would no doubt have been the £10m he confidently expected to receive from Keith Partridge, but alas, it is not to be.
In addition to Plas Glynllifon Ltd there is the Seiont Manor Hotel Ltd. Moving south in Gwynedd we come to the Fronoleu, near Dolgellau. (See picture.) This is owned by Rural Retreats & Development Ltd, which has a number of charges against it, including the ones you mention. Fronoleu itself doesn’t appear as a charge because I’m told Williams bought it at auction, for cash, over £300,000.
You mention barns, and this is a recurring theme with Paul Williams. I’ve heard from a number of sources of large barns out in the border countryside filled with fixtures and fittings for hotels and pubs. Some suggest that these storage facilities are simply used to furnish his own hotels and pubs, while others suggest it’s a full-blown business that has Paul Williams looting old establishments of antiques and valuable fittings then selling them on for a profit and re-furnishing the looted establishments with tat from Poundland.
Who knows? But I’m sure we’ll know a lot more in the near future. Stay tuned!
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/welsh-homes/grand-declines-hauntingly-beautiful-abandoned-14917091 listd among them is Glynllifon
Yes, I read it. It’s as if the last couple of months never happened.
It’s what you get when journals rely on press releases and don’t get off their fat arses to do some research. Indeed had the guy googled Glynllifon I fancy Jac’s recent works would have jumped out of his screen . But cutting and pasting or copy and pasting bland non-contentious crap is so much easier for these morons.
I suspect that article was copied and pasted a while ago as a filler to be used in the summer.
Your tweet regarding Rhun and the Deryn mob strikes an odd note unless they are acting on instructions to derail the silly boy’s campaign ! He must be a dopey ass getting into any kind of deal with that mob anyway , so much for his vision, astuteness and general capacity for leadership . Yet another dud lining up for his turn at the helm.
That’s what I’m thinking. The wimmin at Deryn are backing Leanne Wood, so if Rhun ap Iorwerth is involved with them he might have walked into a trap. Associating with them won’t do LW any harm because everybody knows she’s close to them, but for him it could be the kiss of death.
That said, I’m also told that he avoided the vote on releasing the report into Carl Sargeant’s death, a report that should – if the investigation had been conducted properly – have castigated Deryn.
Plaid’s”leadership” contest looks increasingly like a sick joke at the expense of those members who think they belong to an open democratic body. LW has a gang of younger members who are more concerned about those assorted ishoos you have often cited and don’t have the savvy to understand how us common herd think or behave. They are shallow imitations of Momentum and other crackpot fringe groups.
Iorwerth would be my favourite of the three with Leanne coming in a distant third. Or should I say that Iorwerth was my favourite until I heard of this Jac. WTF is going on?
The information comes from a good source, and even Rhun ap Iorwerth took it up with me on Twitter he’s now gone silent.
But I wouldn’t be too harsh on him, Deryn are a very cunning bunch; it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re hedging their bets by helping all three candidates in different ways.
“Helping” has a variety of ironic meanings, and if Deryn are “helping” all 3, then 2 will find the wheels falling off their gambling over the next few weeks. Don’t really wish any of them on the new party but the outflow of rank & file members could be attracted to the new movement.
Thing about Leanne she sees the Deryn mob as her ‘friends’ and cannot see that they manipulate her, even to the point of controlling her diary and political agenda. It’s failure by reason of naivety.
Rhun Ap Iorweth on the other hand is a time served journalist, if that’s possible in the BBC, and should be able to smell cynical manipulation with subliminal motives from a mile off. Looks like he’s using Deryn to give himself a platform within the Bae chattering classes.
Adam Price, conversely, knows what vampires the Deryn mob are and has chosen to hide from them.
There’s only one AM who has the right approach to Deryn and that’s McEvoy. There should be a ‘register’ of lobby firms, and all elected politicians should record and explain all contact with those lobby firms registered, just like, as it happens, in the Westminster House and Scottish Parliament. Has Rhun made any statements on this?
Predictive text struck again ! In my earlier attempt “gambling” should have read “gambo” something with which those readers of rural background may be familiar ! Anyway turning to Plaid leadership contenders – has any of them expressed the slightest concern about the scammers reported above and in so much detail over recent weeks by Jac ? There again there are probably unresolved ishoos regarding colour schemes for intersex toilets in the Bay which are claiming priority !!
Saw the Big Bad Wolf driving from his lair this morning. Preceded by a tradesmans van from “away”. Very little activity now at the Plas.
and yesterday we beard about the demise of another Welsh Gvt funded “business ” lsoing moeny for taxpayes & S4C – who the hell is advising them ?
Blurtt https://golwg360.cymru/newyddion/cymru/525753-ansicrwydd-ddyfodol-cwmni-blurrt-nghymru and the NRA wood tendering scandal – it goes on and on
I noticed, long before all these shenanigans were rumoured, that the Williams’ had no intention of turning the Radnorshire Arms into a successful hotel. Whether this was because it was actually their intention to run it into the ground or whether it was because they were utterly incompetent, I don’t know. Their car park, at the back of the hotel, is right next to the Presteigne by-pass. Countless people drive through Presteigne, each day, many of them looking for coffee, lunch or tea en-route. However, two or three years ago – not recently – the Williams’ allowed their hotel sign to collapse, without a replacement ever being re-erected. The passing trade they must have lost, as a result, would have amounted to a considerable amount of money. Incompetence or worse??
As I’ve said more than once: the buildings themselves and the businesses they house are of little consequence; what matters is the money that can be raised on or channelled through the buildings.
Re The car-park at the rear, only about a year ago the car-park was given a cosmetic covering of very, very thin tarmac, totally unnecessary and given the state of the Hotel it was truly a case of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. That and a dab of paint on “the Chalets” to impress or fool who for what? The East European workforce at the time said it was all a con, but at that stage who knew!
Jac,
Thank you for delving further about Leisure and Development. I guess this is the “further news in August” that The Gang mentioned in their MWJ interview.
Could be.
I have only come to your posts recently but they have made fascinating reading. I have a vested interest particularly in The Castle Inn, Wigmore as I live 200 yards away. They too have had the administration notice posted in their windows and padlocks the size you might expect to see on a medieval fortress applied to the doors. There has been talk in the village about acquiring the pub as a community asset but I have no idea how that would happen based on the ridiculous over-valuation of the property that you have illustrated. Watch this (your) space I guess!
If the company is to be liquidated or wound up, then the hotels and pubs involved might be sold at auction. Where it will be possible to buy one cheaper, but for money up front, which would work against a community group unless you can find a fairy godmother prepared to give you cash and you then repay it over time.
Jac, you have a mention in ‘Lol’ for your hard work with ‘Pla Glynllifion’, “Gyda chlap a chap i’r blogiwr Jac o’the North”.
Well, that’s gratifying. Always nice to be appreciated.
Note that asenior Cynulliad policy wonk/advisor/”professional” got a heavy sentence yesterday for kiddie porn and other nasty kiddy fiddling related offences. If that kind of deviant can survive for length of time within “Welsh” civil service then others willing to construct “easy access” schemes to fund spivs and scumbags must also be swimming around in the same swamp. Where are theupright honest types among this large group or are they all aspiring to get a “piece of the action” ?
Jac, are we sure locks changed and security signs advertising buildings are empty is the work of “the administrators”? When I first saw the signs I immediately assumed it was a Williams ploy. Aztec Asset Assurance Ltd has a rather vague (and maybe numerically impossible) “about us” on their website; plus Neil Mitchell’s address on Companies House is Bewdley. His day job seems to be Director of Rugby at Stourbridge. Back to the Midlands.
If the Birmingham Court document is for real why the misnamed company going into administration?
I agree the notification put in the windows looks a bit amateurish, but the company that changed the locks is kosher, people spoke with those doing the work (including boss Neil Mitchell, same applies to the the company named as administrators.
Yes, Paul Williams is a devious bugger, but a scam such as you’re suggesting is too clever and complicated for him.
Sarah, after reading your comment, and even after making my original reply, I couldn’t shake the thought that you might be right.
So I made enquiries and established that the moves to place Leisure & Development Ltd in Administration were begun by the directors. However, once this process was initiated then the creditors were informed.
What’s interesting is that the directors are Sukhbinder Singh Heer and Keith Harvey Partdridge (sic). Paul Steven Williams ceased to be a director on 21 July 2018; and on the same day the company’s 10,000 shares were transferred from Plas Glynllifon Ltd to Keith Harvey Partridge (single ‘d’).
It could be that Williams realises the game is up with his other companies and properties and is – as I suggested in the blog – making his last stand in Gwynedd, with Plas Glynllifon Ltd and Seiont Manor Hotel Ltd.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few weeks to Polvellan Manor Ltd, Rural Retreats & Development Ltd, Rural Retreats & Leisure UK Ltd.
Don’t think the nightmare is over, slithering reptiles have a way of escaping and then thriving, see: https://businesswales.gov.wales/news-and-blogs/news/micro-small-business-fund
Without this gangs solicitor in Hereford all this complex maze of mortgaging,remortgaging transfer of funds,inflated property prices and valuations way above actual true value could never have taken place. I notice this firm of solicitors is a two partnership practice. From the documentation and copies of legal charges I have seen only one of the partners is involved and junior staff members of this firm have acted as witnesses to mortgage charges and legal documentation. Does the other partner know about this conspiracy of money laundering and fraud.The Law Society needs to launch a full investigation of this firm and remove their practising authorisation. Their indemnity insurers should also cancel their cover. If the other partner is unaware of what has been going on he is duty bound to inform The Law Society.
I’ve wondered about the professionals associated with the gang, more especially, whoever did the ludicrous valuations.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) produce guidance on dealing with clients concerned with money laundering during the conveyance process. It specifically deals with the duties of a solicitor arising from the Money Laundering Regulation 2007, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
http://www.sra.org.uk/risk/resources/risk-money-laundering.page
Of note is additional investigation requirement of sources of funds from what is termed “high-risk jurisdictions”. This includes India, where the Williams pair have wealthy family connections. This includes the submission of a SAR (Suspicious Activity Report) to the NCA (National Crime Agency), and it should include detail such as the bank statements of clients.
Another good weeks work, we really need eyes in Cornwall, tear yourselves away from Poldark and get digging, Polvellan is now on its own down there. As to the Borders!! The news that the holdings of Leisure and Development Ltd. including The Radnorshire Arms, Castle, Wigmore and Knighton Hotel have been placed in administration gives grounds for optimism that sympathetic and trusted hands may restore these community assets to vibrant life. In the midst of the general relief let us not forget the plight of poor Keith Partridge, convicted thief and fraudster. Keith you will recall allegedly paid £10 million for all the businesses now seized in order to “re-brand them, themed around the local population”. All now seems lost on the toss of a coin, but as a tosser, man of financial and moral probity, Mr Partridge will doubtless move on to fresh fields of opportunity. However let him be in no doubt that he has a very special place in local memories.
It will soon be the 12th of August. All Partridges should look out for themselves!!
Copy of a letter dispatched today via e-mail to Dilwyn Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Cyngor Sir Gwynedd:
Subject: Pryderon ynglŷn a digwyddiadau yn ymwneud â Paul a Rowena Williams
Annwyl Mr. Williams,
Y mae wedi dod i’n sylw fod yna weithgareddau, sy’n mynd nôl o leiaf deng mlynedd, ac sydd ynghlwm a’r unigolion hyn, a’r cwmnïau y maent yn rhan ohonynt, neu yn eu cynrychioli, sydd yn deilwng o ymchwil ar frys.
Dengys bod y rhain, o’r dystiolaeth sydd yn ein heiddo ni, yn bobl sydd wedi tynnu’r llenni dros lygaid llawer yn y cyfnod hwn, ac o’r oherwydd wedi godro arian oddi wrth y Cynulliad, a mân awdurdodau lleol eraill, arian sydd yn eiddo i’r pwrs cyhoeddus, hynny yw pobl gyffredin sydd yn talu am y camgymeriadau sydd wedi cymeryd lle. Y mae hyn wedi digwydd naill mewn diniweidrwydd neu mewn twpdra sylfaenol, gan nad oes ymchwiliadau safonol i’w cefndir wedi cael eu gweithredu.
Y mae yna ddosier cynhwysfawr wedi ei baratoi gan Royston Jones ar y pâr yma, a’r gweddill o’u ‘gang. Fe fyddem yn awgrymu bod Cyngor Gwynedd yn darllen y dosier hwnnw cyn mynd gam ymhellach yn eu cysylltiadau gyda Mr. a Mrs. Williams. Hoffem eich rhybuddio, y gallai pethau edrych yn wael iawn ar eich cyngor os na gymerwch sylw o’r gwybodaeth hwn. Gair i gall felly.
Y cyfeiriad e-bost i gysylltu â Mr. Jones yw: editor@jacothenorth.net
‘Rwy’n sicr y bydd yn ddigon balch rhyddhau y gwybodaeth hwn i chi. Felly y mae’r bêl yn eich cwrt chi.
Cofion gorau,
Gwilym.
(Cadeirydd Ein Gwlad)
Partridge and Duggan have done many years in prison. No doubt they will know a few tattooed fatties who will do an arson job for a few quid. It might be wise for GogPlod to keep an eye on these properties. I wonder if the buildings are insured, which is a condition of the loan?
Condition 13 on the charge/loan from Together Commercial Finance states that should they serve possession, all contents and fittings from that point becomes theirs. The properties in Powys have already been midnight stripped. No doubt they have similar plans for Plas Glynllifon Ltd, which is also covered by Together Commercial Finance, condition 13.
Camera at the gate might be useful.
Look out for Disney Lions for sale on Ebay.
Note – Gwesty Seiont Manor Ltd is still owned by the Paul Williams, Rowena Williams and Plas Glynllifon Limited in equal chunks. The accounts are overdue. Seiont Manor Hotel Limited, a different company, is owned by Rikki and is yet to file accounts. So which entity owns the property? A 3am locks change might need to shut down/midnight raid for fittings on this hotel too, as well as Glynllifon.
Brychan! MGM Lions!
Sorry, I stand corrected. It’s an MGM lion.
Disney lions are toothless, more comical, and come in threes on white football shirts.
Following an e-mail I sent to Sian Gwenllian AM and Chief Exec of Gwynedd Council raising concerns about Williams gang, I received this reply which didn’t really answer any of my concerns but at least shows that they are aware. It is a politically correct response though – English version at the bottom.
From: “Williams Dilwyn Owen (TA)” dilwynowenwilliams@gwynedd.llyw.cymru
Date: 13 July 2018 at 09:58:57 BST
To: ‘Gwenllian, Siân (Aelod Cynulliad | Assembly Member)’ Sian.Gwenllian@assembly.wales
Subject: ATB/RE: Parthed: Datblygiad Parc Glynllifon Annwyl Sian a Hywel
Diolch am eich neges. Fel yr ydych yn nodi, mae’r Cyngor eisoes yn ymwybodol o bryderon lleol ynglyn a’r datblygiadau y cyfeiriwch atynt. Yn amlwg mae gan y Cyngor gyfrifoldeb tuag at ein trigolion yn ogystal ag unrhyw ddatblygwr sy’n dymuno datblygu adnoddau o fewn y sir. Rwyf eisoes wedi derbyn llythyrau gan rai trigolion yn codi gwahanol faterion ac er fy mod yn hyderus fod yr adrannau priodol hefyd yn ymwybodol o’r sefyllfa, ‘rwyf ar fin cyfarfod gyda’r adrannau priodol i sicrhau mai dyna yw’r achos.
O ran Glynllifon yn benodol, fe reolir y Parc gan y Gwasanaeth Parciau Gwledig a Morwrol o fewn yr Adran Economi a Chymuned ac rwyf eisoes wedi siarad gyda nhw am eu cynlluniau ar gyfer y dyfodol. Dros y blynyddoedd diweddar fe weithredwyd ar nifer o newidiadau er mwyn ceisio dygymod gyda’r heriau ariannol digynsail y mae awdurdodau lleol yn eu wynebu, ac mae’r adran ar hyn o bryd yn adolygu trefniadau rheoli’r parc at yr hir dymor.
Wrth gwrs, fel yr ydych yn nodi, mae’r safle yn ehangach na dim ond y parc gwledig, ac mae’n cynnwys Coleg Amaethyddol Meirion-Dwyfor a Phlas Glynllifon. Fe wyddoch fod cyflwr y Plas wedi bod yn destun pryder dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, ac fe’i brynwyd gan y perchnogion presennol y llynedd. Maent wedi cychwyn ar waith adfer ac maent yn llunio cynigion ar gyfer y dyfodol.
Mae’r perchnogion wedi nodi’n gyhoeddus eu diddordeb yn y Parc, ynghyd a rhan o’r stad sydd ym meddiant y Coleg. Ar hyn o bryd, dim ond cynigion cychwynnol a gyflwynwyd i ni, a byddai angen manylion pellach pe byddai’r cyngor am eu hystyried yn ffurfiol.
Felly’r ateb ar hyn o bryd yw nad oes yna unrhyw negodi wedi bod ynglyn a throsglwyddo’r Parc i berchnogion y Plas.
Er na allaf ragdybio beth fyddai ymateb y Cabinet pe byddem yn derbyn cais ffurfiol gan y perchennog, rwyf yn ymwybodol fod rhai aelodau lleol wedi codi pryderon ynglyn a’r cynigion cychwynnol a gyflwynwyd i ni ac wrth gwrs, yn unol a’r dyletswydd sydd gennym i sicrhau diogelwch adnoddau cyhoeddus, byddai’n rhaid i ni fodloni ein hunain am hygrededd unrhyw drydydd parti y byddem yn delio a hwynt.
Dwi’n credu y byddwn ar dir cadarn yn dweud y byddai sicrhau nad yw unrhyw ddatrysiad yn amharu ar ddefnydd y boblogaeth leol o’r Parc yn uchel ar restr blaenoriaeth y Cyngor ac yn wir, mae’r syniad o greu Cwmni Budd Cymunedol yn un o’r syniadau sy’n cael ei ystyried gan yr Adran ar gyfer y dyfodol. Mae’r trefniadau ar gyfer yr adolygiad yn cael eu paratoi ar hyn o bryd a byddant yn cael eu cyhoeddi maes o law.
Gobeithiaf fod y diweddariad yma o ddiddordeb a’i fod yn cadarnhau’r sefyllfa bresennol. Gobeithiaf y bydd yna gyfle i gael trafodaeth ehangach pan fydd gennym fwy o wybodaeth i’w gynnig ar yr adolygiad.
Dear Sian and Hywel
I thank you for your message. As you note, the Council is already aware of local concerns in relation to the developments to which you refer. The Council obviously has responsibilities towards local residents as well as any developer who wishes to develop resources in the county. I have already received letters from some residents raising various issues and whilst I am sure the various departments involved are already aware of the situation, I have arranged to meet with them to ensure that it is so.
In relation to Parc Glynllifon in particular, it is managed by the Council’s Maritime and Country Parks Service within the Economy and Community Department and I have spoken with the Department about their future plans. In recent years, some changes have been implemented reflecting the unprecedented budgetary challenges facing local authorities and the Department is currently reviewing the Park’s management arrangements for the longer term.
Of course, the Glynllifon site is more extensive than just the Country Park, and includes the Meirion-Dwyfor agricultural college campus and Plas Glynllifon. The condition of the mansion has been a cause of concern over recent years, and it was bought by the new owners last year. They have started on renovation works and formulating future proposals.
The new owners of Plas Glynllifon have publicly announced their interest in the Parc, as well as part of the estate which is owned by the college. At this stage, only initial proposals have been presented to us, and further details would be required to enable to the Council to assess and consider any such proposals.
Thus, the present situation is that there have been no negotiations on a possible handover of the park to the owners of the Plas.
In relation to the sentiments expressed in your letter, whilst I cannot foresee how the Cabinet would view any formal request by the owner, I am aware that some local members have expressed reservations about the initial proposals submitted to us and of course , in accordance with our duty to ensure that we protect the public purse, we would have to satisfy ourselves regarding the standing of any third party with whom we deal.
I think I would be on safe grounds to say that ensuring that the unhindered use by local people will be high on the list of priorities for the Council and indeed a proposal to establish a community interest company is one proposition which the Department are actively considering.
The arrangements for the review are currently being prepared and will be made available in due course.
I hope this brief update will be of interest and confirms the current situation. I also hope there will be an opportunity for wider discussions when further information becomes available regarding the review.
Dilwyn Williams
Prif Weithredwr * Chief Executive
Of course Dilwyn has to couch his words carefully and diplomatically. But he’s a regular follower of Jac and he knows the score well enough. I know he knows!
What about Plas Brereton and Ty Coch? They seem to be on a stop tap there at mo
They’d be mad to spend any of their money on those buildings with their empire crashing around them.
Yes, but the buggers are tinkering with Plas Breriton..
What exactly do you mean by ‘tinkering’?
They sent a type of digger there from Glynllifon. We actually saw it go and then it was parked in Plas Breriton. The ever faithful mobile home followed. Next there was a lot of activity at the front of PB as if things were being cleared from inside the building. Then the grass round the Plas was cut. But now the “digger” and mobile home are back at Glynllifon. Little activity going on at either establishment right now. I guess the funds might have been cut off. I did write anonymously to the loan sharks from Cheadle telling them they should cut and run. That Williams and co had been rumbled locally.
Well the tinkering is back! Ty Coch, the walled garden as was has now been cleared and even today you could hear the scraping of a digger on metal at PB! They are working inside PB doing whatever it is in there. so plot thickens Dear Watson…..
Well done Jac, and shame on all the regulators and local and central government auditors in Wales. You have produced all the evidence necessary. Surely the regulators are capable of picking up and running with the baton from here. From my experience of dealing with Welsh Government auditors they can not even be bothered to acknowledge receipt or respond to enquiries.
Fully agree with Justice.
It does seem curious that law enforcement in Wales seems to have been outsourced to Jac.
I mean, Jac is doing a cracking job, but surely there should be some internal checks by the financial institutions or local government or the Welsh Assembly ? This has been going on for over a decade.
For example, Fronoleu Country Hotel is a listed building in the Snowdonia National Park. The Williams have left it to rack and ruin. Is it not the job of the SNP to look after these buildings ?
My own very distinct impression from development around Dolgellau is that the SNP is completely in thrall to tourism.
They will pretty much let property developers do what they want, provided the developer says some bollocks about how they will be bringing jobs and money into the area.
You’re absolutely right about tourism, and the problem isn’t confined to Snowdonia. Any shyster can walk in with a half-baked idea, promise jobs, and then demand planning approval and public funding.
And there’s also the issue of damage to listed buildings. It seems that in Wales, this issue – like the concerns over planning permission – is trumped by the tourism imperative and the promise of ‘jobs’.
You deserve a vote of thanks, Jac, as do all those who sent you tangible information on this case. I’m holding my breath, though, until I see some decisive action from the Heddlu, the law courts, and the county councils.
Thank goodness we’ve got people like yourself who are capable of finding out the detail of scum like this. This takes a great deal of time and effort and I thank you. All your efforts are not to be underestimated – Well done Jac!! Bless you. The local people around Presteigne and Knighton don’t deserve this. Rowena and husband should be locked up.
Locked up ? Surely you mean strung up. The funds sucked from the public purse by these bastards and many others like them could have been deployed usefully elsewhere. While we have governments in Cardiff and London whose main concerns are vanity projects, gestures and soundbites all driven by the urge to cling to power rather than serve the people we will continue to see spivs enjoy licence to subsidise their often lavish lifestyles and erratic business sense by frequent dips into the taxpayers pockets. Sadly our MSM and most of our elected politicians, even those on Opposition benches, don’t appear very interested.
That’s very kind of you. Many thanks.
I’m sure this is the same Rowena Williams that used to own a care service in Leominster before it got closed down (when Supporting People was introduced by Government and checks were being made where providers were claiming housing benefit for people living in their accommodation) ???
She certainly has a background in the care business. Having been involved with Age Concern Birmingham and companies called Jubilee Citizens UK and Jubilee Citizens Enterprises CIC of Leominster. The correspondence address used for both was ‘The Orchard, Mortimers Cross Inn, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 9PD’. Of course she and her husband Paul ran the Mortimers Cross Inn.
Please send any information to editor@jacothenorth.net