Welcome to Dale Farm- twinned with Darfur/September 16th 2011.

Richie - A group of itinerant travellers set up camp on our village green this week, erecting lean-tos and various unstable structures made from corrugated sheets pilfered from a nearby skip. The group regailed locals with pitiful tales of anger and abuse to such effect that the good people of this parish began collecting food in support of their cause. What's more our happy-clappy vicar Rev Pritchard, in order to demonstrate their plight (and hoping for a good photo opportunity in the Church Times), took his sleeping bag and warmest dog collar and joined them in their camp. But the Rev called me in a flap: "All is not as it seems, Bob. These down and outs own luxury cars, watches and property in well-known tax havens." Turns out they were a motley collection of bankers bleating about their yuman rights and demanding UN support as a discriminated sub-section of society. Needless to say, when the truth was out we let em feel the full force of our displeasure and dipped em in the duck pond! That's the bulldog spirit I say!