Rates

I don't think I have written about this before but it happened, the first time in the early 80s.
 The Rateable Value had been adjusted so I appealed and then Customs & Excise now H.M. Revenue and Customs. The area Head Office being at Boston.
 I had informed my Accountant and he said he would like to go with me to Appeal. I subsequently received confirmation that the Appeal would be held at Mablethorpe Town Council Offices and the date was shown.
 Off we went to the Council Offices which to be honest was impressive. There we met the representative from Customs & Excise. There also was an independent arbiter. The Customs and Excise  man was fully armed with a brief case full of documents and we had nothing so we lost.
 Several years later I guess in the mid to late eighties I once more decided to appeal. This time I received a letter informing me that a representative would call at my place of work to discuss the matter.
The day arrived, it was in September because my Mother used to come to see me for a month or so each September. A man in his 50s came into the Cafe and asked me my name, I just asked him to call me by my Christian name and he readily agreed  saying his name was John. I told him we would not fall out and argue but the first thing we would do was to have a drink. I offered him tea or coffee which he chose coffee. Immediately after his first sip told me it was very nice and first we talked in general. I got him to talk about the Customs and Excise in Boston and the Manager who always stamped his name F. Smith(not his real name) he then told me his name was Eric and the stamp had part of the E missing. He then let me know that Boston Customs and Excise was closing and Eric was going to move to Nottingham. As for him he told me he was not going to move, his lad was at University and he was fully paid up with his Superannuation subscriptions. He told me that he would probably have about 18 months before his Pension and that he could find the odd job if he wished adding that his Wife didn't wish to leave the area.
 I then got him to talk about his work and what he told me surprised my Mother a lot more than me. He told me that as a young rookie hae was sent to Boston and the boss there told him one day  that he would go to Hull the next day to the Hull Docks. So the next day off he went to the Docks arriving the man on the gate asked to see his credentials and once he was sure he told him where to go adding that there would be something to pick up when he left.
 He told me that he didn't think anymore about it and when he had finished for the day the gateman stopped him before he left asking him to open his car boot. He asked him what for and he just told him there was some fish. With that he told the Gateman he could not accept such a thing as it could be strewed as a bribe. The man just told him to please himself.
 As soon as he got back in the Office he went straight to see his Boss letting him know what had happened. As soon as he finished the Boss threw his hands in the s=air and told him that accepting some fish at the Docks was like accepting a cup of tea in a Cafe and he hoped that he had not upset the Dockers. It was well known the Dockers were militant especially in Hull and Liverpool. The Boss told him he was at Hull the next day and he must try to smooth things over.
 He told me that he didn't sleep at all that night and went back to Hull Docks next day wondering what would happen. Thankfully the same Gateman was on and when he saw him he immediately apologised for what had happened the day before and if it was alright he would accept a package from him when he left but added that he would like to donate something to him for his troubles.
 Sure enough when he left the gateman had a large package for him and he told me he gave him half a crown 2/6 in old money, enough to buy 2 pints of beer.
 When he got home and opened the box it was full of fish. He remeined me that most homes hadn't got a fridge let alone a freezer but he did have a very small freezer. He told me that he gave lots to his friends and family, mind you his wife was not over excited with the mess but the fish was beautiful.
 He told me it was several years before he had the chance to go to the Docks again but sure enough he was given a box of fish which he told me he always paid a little for the fish.
 I then explained why I had appealed against my Business Rates letting him know that my Rent was a little more than the Rates. I think it was about £960 per annum. He told me that he could only reduce it by about £12. I looked at him and offered my hand saying that I would be willing to pay £900 adding that he would not be there for much longer. He shook my hand saying that his Boss would play merry heck with him but he had thoroughly enjoyed his visit to me.
 When he left my Mother said to me that she had never heard anything like that before and if I told anyone they wouldn't believe it but I can assure you it DID happen.
 By the way, the original man who I met at the Council Offices left Customs and Excise and worked for ELDC in the Valuations Department and he was in high regard. I met him some months after I moved up to the Seaview and he remembered me. I didn't recognise him straight away but when he reminded me I did let him know that I had my Rates reduced which surprised him greatly adding that I had done well. More soon.