We got back home from the Car Boot at Truro and I was able to shut myself in the office and listen to the exciting 20/20 Cricket Match which England lost to the West Indies with four sixes in the last over. The real pleasure was that Geoffrey Boycott was not on the commentary team, listening to him ‘gobbing it off’ tirelessly about what England should do and shouldn’t do all the time. Sir Geoffrey was a pain in the bum as a cricket player nothing’s changed! Whatever!! England did brilliantly through the entire tournament to end up in the final. They have the entire support of the cricket supporting UK and beyond for their gallant efforts but I can understand Stokes wishing the ground would swallow him as he bowled the four last balls that scored a winning total of six fours are twenty four and we all became runners up. Tis only a game. No-one could ever have forecast the last over not even Boycott. Brilliant gripping game and full credits to both teams. And the commentary team were brilliant.

“STRICTLY NO SMOKING IN THE CATTLE PENS, THIS MEANS YOU” (that’s if you smoke of course)

When there is rain and bad weather at our Truro Car Boot Sales the sales go undercover into the 100 odd Cattle pens which are bigger than a car selling space approximately 11 feet square. There are gates at the entrance to all pens and the adjourning pens which ‘must be secured open at all times during the sale’ Buyers must be allowed the free flow for customers to walk from one stall to the other and I will not accept any excuses nor requests to alter that ruling. Bottom line; ALL GATES TO REMAIN OPEN DURING THE SALE, Thank you!

Now then, if you are so keen to be more secure than everybody else then sell from one on the cow pens on the walls which isn’t rocket science is it? But my complainant wants to go a stage further by putting bungies to tie up one set of gates because he say he gets ‘stuff stolen almost every week’ this week he allegedly had a mobile stolen and he mithers on and on involving anybody who will listen but my attitude is this; I am sick of telling people to ensure nothing is stolen from your stall and if you are running your stall properly then items will not be stolen therefore if you do get something stolen or nicked then it’s entirely your own fault! However, this complainant is the only person to complain to me (on a regular basis) ‘I have had something stolen’ which put everybody under suspicion so as a gesture of goodwill I will promise that if you have something stolen from your stall again I will give you a month off working at our Car Boot Sales until you can reliably ‘look after your own stock’ or better still ‘reduce the amount of stockpile you put on your stall in the first place’ because your claims are casting a lot of doubt on our customers and fellow sellers which is totally unfair and does not add to a happy working relationship within our Community Car Boot Sales.

Many of you will have noticed that there are two mini buses parked in Truro on Sundays, these buses bring migrant workers from the work they are doing on the land, in fact they are doing work that we British or we Cornish do not want to do so in this instance there were about 15 Rumanians who came to our boot sale yesterday. They paid their admission bought very well at the sale and loaded up into their buses ready to go home. As one of the buses reversed it slightly bumped into another car but the driver claims he did not hear or feel a bump however the owner of the ‘bumped vehicle’ assisted by others ranted and raved at the driver about the bump which truth to tell the car was not in that good a state in fact the slight bump would have only added to the car’s existing war wounds.

The Rumanian passengers worried about all of the commotion decided to ‘go have a look’ got out of the bus crowding around the complaining unreasonable lady (not understanding WTF she was on about) who had by now called the Police.
Louise was called to deal with the situation and found that the lady car owner was being unreasonable as the Rumanian driver had apologised several times and offered thirty pounds (which Lu thought was totally reasonable) to pay for the ever so slight damage/mark which Madam refused preferring to deal with a full insurance claim. Bystanders commented that the lady owner and her friend were far too loud and most unreasonable in their dealings with the gentleman Rumanian driver but they all eventually quietly dispersed following words of wisdom from Louise, however one comment from an observer claimed that Madame Car owner would not have taken such a ridiculous stance but for the fact that the mini bus driver and his passengers were all foreigners FFS!! Which is totally out of order and unreasonable!

Which reminded us of when we first came to Cornwall 30 years ago to take over a franchise Restaurant called Carwardine’s in Cathedral Lane. When they realized we were both English and not Cornish the entire inherited staff walked out as soon as we arrived to take over the business. What a result. I immediately got in touch with local radio advising what had happened and could they help us find staff and before the day was over we had got two cooks a New Zealand lass and an ex Catering Corps chef Collins who were both brilliant and the following day we had a queue outside the Restaurant where we took on another 12 full and part-time staff and within two day we were in ‘full on business’ see. One of the walked out staff came and asked for his job back ‘no chance’
We were not welcome to Cornwall by the alleged ‘Cornish’ but over the years we have worked our way and our business right into the heart of Cornwall and our business is totally Cornish my lovers and my birds!!
Anyway,
We were just about to leave Truro when a lone Police car drove in to find the Cattle Market almost deserted following the woman’s distressed complaint which truthfully was a right load of overacted handbags according to witnesses. We advised the Police Officer that the parties had gone their separate ways but I am annoyed that the Police were called over such a minor incident. Don’t waste their time, we run Car Boots Cornwall and any problems see us-it’s our job!

The Rumanians had conducted themselves in an exemplary manner, thank you.

Geoff