The Magic Penny

What a week!

Let’s start with Penny Williams’ revelation. She told me about the printouts in the dressing room shortly before we took the stage in Launceston. I asked her more about them on stage and whilst we drove to Penny’s pie-making facility in Helston to sample some quite wonderful pasties I wrote up what we’d just heard.

On arrival in Helston, Penny checked my piece for factuals and had a quick squint around her office to see if the printouts she mentioned were there. They weren’t. She’s pretty sure she knows where they are. I’m hoping she can dig them out soon. If they check out… sheesh.

Crichton cometh

I’m on a six hour train journey from Penzance through some stunning countryside on my way to Walton-on-Thames, and then, tomorrow, on to the inquiry.

Former Post Office General Counsel Susan Crichton will be giving evidence. Crichton suggested Ron Warmington as a good candidate to investigate the Horizon IT system in 2012, and he and his colleague Ian Henderson duly did too good a job, finding all sorts of desperate problems, not just with the IT, but the Post Office’s business processes and investigations.

Crichton mysteriously left the Post Office in October 2013 and hasn’t said a word in public about the Post Office scandal since. I’m hoping her evidence will be strong, but then I was hoping Rodric Williams would be strong. Instead he chose to show a naked disdain for the Inquiry and the Subpostmasters by acting like a malevolent clown throughout. I don’t think any witness has made me so angry.

Tour tales

There are so many stories I could tell you about the theatre dates we did last week. The ten foot high stage we had Wendy balanced on in Evesham, the Peoples’ Choir who turned up to sing their Post Office Song in Dudley, plus the raucous reception for Seema and Davinder in Leatherhead from a normally reserved Surrey crowd. It will live long in the memory.

As well as speaking so movingly about his experience at the hands of the Post Office (in Abingdon on Wednesday and Thursday), Balvinder Gill told us about the company he formed during lockdown called V-Giyan – a vegan food delivery service in the Oxfordshire area. Demand increased so much he was able to give his parents (both also ruined by the Post Office) jobs driving and cooking with him.

When you hear Balvinder’s story – sacked, disowned, bankrupted and then watching his mum prosecuted for false accounting after using the same unstable Horizon kit… it really beggars belief. Balvinder was nearly late for our second show as he had kindly spent his morning baking us the most wonderful samosas, which I failed to take any photos of as they didn’t last long. V-Giyan is taking a break from production as Balvinder has done his back in, but he tells me he’s found two people to take on the chef-ing so V-Giyan will be up and running again soon.

Ron Warmington joined us on Wednesday evening as an unadvertised special guest. He’d bought tickets and only told me the day before so I begged him to join Balvinder on stage and he kindly agreed, speaking fluently and damningly about his experience working inside the Post Office as an independent investigator.

I have been talking about Ron and his colleague Ian Henderson’s 2013 Interim Report a lot over the past few days and I remembered it had been removed from the Post Office website. I’ve re-published it here for posterity. If you have not read it before, I would recommend doing so.

Professor Richard Moorhead was another late special guest, joining Wendy Buffrey on stage in a near sold-out venue (thank you, Exeter). He gave his usual lucid insight into some of the legal failings evident in this scandal, including some choice thoughts about the evidence of Post Office lawyer Rodric Williams that day at the Inquiry.

Touring is both gruelling and rewarding. A bit like life but with more room keys. It’s been a ridiculous privilege to visit so many towns, meet so many interesting people and work with so many committed and gifted theatre folk.

Despite the publicity for the story generated by the TV drama and the occasional sell-out, I think this tour is going to be, er, cost-neutral, with the good nights subsidising the less well-attended dates (we lost £1500 at one venue last week). I am grateful to Producer Tom for taking the risk on booking this tour and everyone who has come to see it. It makes reporting from the Inquiry seem a bit of a doddle.

Thanks also to Sound Man Ritchie, and David and Helen (all pictured below at Penny’s pie-factory) from Bath Publishing who have done the book-humping from Darlo to Penzance with unfailing good humour and bonhomie.

I am, of course, deeply grateful to Wendy, Seema and Davinder, Balvinder and Penny for sharing their stories over the past six days. Next, it’s Tony and Katie Downey on Saturday in Bishops Stortford and on Sunday we’re in Southend with Graham Ward. Neither are going great guns tickets-wise, so please do lobby any friends you have who live nearby. These are special and not-to-be-repeated evenings.

Oh, and if you live in Cornwall, go to Penny’s Pies in Falmouth, her kitchen in Helston or her outlet at the Great Cornish Food Store in Truro. There’s magic in that pastry.

I am managing to type this newsletter with both hands, which suggests I might be able to bang out the odd report from the Inquiry over the next few days as well as a newsletter at some point. I must admit I haven’t even looked at my emails for a week so apologies if you have sent me anything.

Right, let’s see what Jason Beer can make of Crichton…

All best

Nick

Post Office Scandal – The Inside Story

In April and May 2024, I’ll be visiting various theatres in towns around England.

At each venue I’ll be joined by a former Subpostmaster (apart from Walton when Second Sight’s Ian Henderson will be in the chair). There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and learn even more about the scandal.

All the dates and box office links are here. Please do have a look, see if there’s a venue near you, and if you fancy it, book a couple of tickets. Please also feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends who may live near a venue!

I’ll be around after each show in the foyer or bar and look forward to saying hello if you can make it.