Mornington-By-Mere – (02) The Mornington Field Triangle

(Part 01)

Mornington-By-Mere is a small country village lying in the Finchbottom Vale nestled between the Ancient Dancingdean Forest and the rolling Pepperstock Hills.
It is a quaint picturesque village, a proper chocolate box picturesque idyll, with a Manor House, 12th Century Church, a Coaching Inn, Windmills, an Old Forge, a Schoolhouse, a River and a Mere.

Throughout its history the Village of Mornington was largely dependent on agriculture for its survival but shortly before the beginning of the Great War a large tract of land was compulsorily purchased by the War Office as a training base for the newly formed Royal Flying Corps which changed the dynamic to some extent with them loosing valuable farm land, this was offset partly by the fact that the Mornington Estate had the contract to provision the Airfield.
It remained as a training squadron when the RFC became the RAF and right through to the end of the nineteen thirty’s.
During World War Two it became a front line fighter base in the Battle of Britain and many sorties were flown from the field and many brave young men failed to return to it.
RAF Mornington remained an operational base beyond the end of the 1939-45 conflict and was a NATO base throughout the cold war.
However after the breakup of the USSR it played a much lesser role until the end of the century when it was mothballed and although the RAF maintained a presence it was only really used as storage facility for the last decade of its existence.

When the War office purchased Mornington Field in the summer of 1914 it was on a 100 year lease, with an option for them to extend when the lease expired.
However in 2014 the Ministry of Defence were in the midst of dramatic cutbacks in front line resources and Mornington was one of the first facilities to be axed.
This meant that the original owners, the St George family, had first refusal to buy it back for a peppercorn fee.

Stanislas, Boivin and Champeaux, were the solicitors who administered the Teardrop Lake estate, in the Dancingdean Forest and were also the St George Family solicitors.
The original Champeaux was actually the firm’s representative who negotiated the original sale and was instrumental in drafting the deal that allowed Gabriel St George to buy it back for a song.
The firm had been the Mornington estate Solicitors ever since.

So it was at 6 am on the 2nd of May when Gabriel St George drove away from the Manor and into the village.
He crossed the bridge over the river and stopped outside Church View cottage, he only had to wait for a moment or two and the door opened and a slim fine featured thirty something emerged wearing a smart business suit.
“Good morning” Natasha Hayle said brightly as she settled herself in the car
“Hi Tash” he responded as he pulled away.

Natasha was an associate solicitor with Stanislas, Boivin and Champeaux and was in particular the Mornington Estate lawyer, which was why she chose to live in the village.
They were on their way to Whitehall for an important meeting at the Ministry of Defence to finalise the repurchase of the land.
They drove to Shallowfield and parked the car at the station and then went by train to London via Abbottsford.
First class seats on the train gave them the opportunity to dot the I’s and cross the T’s and be fully prepared before they arrived, even though it really was only a formality.
However what they hadn’t prepared for was the opening gambit from the man that they were meeting with, Sir Robin Gordon, a Senior Civil Servant at the Ministry of Defence.
“We have had a better offer”

(Part 02)

“We have had a better offer” Sir Robin said
“I beg your pardon” Natasha retorted
“We have had a better offer” he repeated “From a local business man”
“Let me guess” Gabriel said “Poole Industries”
“That I can neither confirm nor deny” he said
“You don’t have to, he’s already approached me directly in an attempt to buy it” Gabriel said
“That withstanding we do have a firm offer on the table for the purchase of Mornington Field” Sir Robin said confidently
“Well that’s all well and good” Natasha said “But you don’t have anything to sell”
“On the contrary…” he began but Natasha just kept going
“… You may either extend the lease for a further 10 years or return it to the original owner, i.e. The St George family, for the specified fee, as agreed in this legally binding document signed by no less a figure than David Lloyd George”
“A very distinguished signatory” Sir Robin agreed “But in Government things change and times are hard and we as custodians have to make sure we get the very best deal for the British people, so if you were to match the offer on the table then we can proceed, and you can have first refusal”
Which was when Gabriel shielded his eyes because he had seen Natasha in action before and he knew what was coming.
“Now I’m going to tell you what’s going to happen, we are going to conclude our business as prescribed in this notarised document, for the amount detailed in it”
She paused for effect
“Or we will drag your pinstriped arse through every court in the land and beyond and cost this government so much money that questions will be asked in the house and you will lose your pension”
In response Sir Robin went very pale and picked up his pen.

As they stood on the pavement trying to hail a cab a smartly dressed, well groomed man in his forties got out of the back of a Rolls Royce.
“No hard feelings I hope posh boy” he said in a course voice that was diametrically opposed to the way he looked.
“Our business was very satisfactorily concluded” Natasha said
“I was talking to the organ grinder darling, not his monkey” he said through gritted teeth.
He couldn’t have made it more obvious that he clearly had a problem with the fact that Gabriel was posh and that Natasha was Black.
“So what was it? The old boy network” Adam Poole said
“No it was legal” she said
“I won’t tell you again” he snapped
“You are a thoroughly unpleasant man Mr Poole, and it’s all over” Gabriel said just as a cab pulled into the curb
Gabe held the cab door open for Tash and then he got in too.

The tract of land which had one hundred years earlier become a military airfield had finally come back to the family and along with it came all the buildings and infrastructure on the airfield itself as well as 29 houses in the village formally used as quarters for military personnel.
So after he returned from London he retreated to his study and turned his mind to the task of deciding what to do with his acquisition and had soon started to draw up plans for when the property was formally handed over to him on the 1st of June.

His adversary in the matter, Adam Poole was a self-made man, ruthless and driven, sociopathic, totally devoid of conscience or empathy.
Adam Poole also hated to lose.
He was an extremely wealthy man who thought that with money he could get whatever he desired and he wasn’t used to not getting what he wanted.
He wanted Mornington Field in order to start up a private flying club, but having tried to buy Mornington Field from the Ministry of Defence, totally against protocol, he had failed.
The family having had first refusal on the land and they chose to exercise their option.
However he wasn’t going to let that stop him so when Gabriel St George took up their option to repurchase it was not the end to it as he would have hoped.

(Part 03)

It was the week after the handover when Adam Poole was spotted in Mornington Village with a leggy blonde trying to gain access onto the airfield.
They were up by the main gate to Mornington Field and he was trying to force open the gate when Gabriel pulled up in one of the estate Landrover’s.
Poole was immaculately dressed as usual and the blonde, who was about a foot taller than he was, was also very well presented but not adorned in designer gear like her companion was.
“Can I help?” he said as he got out.
“Only if you’re going to open the gate” Poole said
“Why would I want to do that?” Gabriel replied
“I want to have a look around” he growled
“Sorry its private property”
“Well it’ll be mine soon enough” He barked and reached inside his jacket and pulled out an envelope “You can do what you want with the houses as long as I get the field”
“What’s this?” Gabe asked
“Take it back to Toff Towers” he said smugly “I’ve increased my offer”
With that he walked back to his Rolls and got in.
“Mr St George, I’m Chantel Ridgway” she said and offered her hand.
His first reaction was to just turn his back on her and get back in the Landie, but she hadn’t been rude to him, so she didn’t deserve ant rudeness from him and she had a nice smile so he shook her hand.
“I’m pleased to meet you Chantel but you can tell your boyfriend that Mornington Field is not for sale” he said and put the envelope in her hand.
“He’s not my boyfriend” she said but her words were drowned out by the sound of the Landrover revving up.

Like Gabriel St George, Scott Collier was Mornington born and bred, they were at the Village school together and at University, and they had been lifelong friends.
He lived in Bridge View Cottage where he had lived all his life, and like his father he was born and raised there, and Scott couldn’t envisage living anywhere else.
It was his home now since his parents had retired to Spain and he loved it.
He and Gabe were very alike in many ways, though not in appearance.
Gabriel was tall and blonde and quite striking whereas Scott was short and mousy and singularly unremarkable.
Scott was primarily an Architect but he also liked to get his hands dirty and so when he wasn’t designing he was renovating or converting old properties.
He had already renovated two of the Mornington Windmills and was part way through the last one when Gabriel called him up to the Manor.
It wasn’t too much of a surprise to get a summons he worked almost exclusively for the Estate he just wasn’t sure what he had in mind for him this time.
So when he knocked on the big oak door at the Manor Scott was in his work clothes.
When it opened Gabriel’s Sister Elspeth was standing there smiling.
“What are you doing knocking on the front door? You should use the tradesman’s entrance with the other peasantry” she said and laughed
“Very funny” he replied and kissed her cheek, they had dated for a while just after university but it didn’t really work out, he thought of her more as sister, and she felt the same way, as a result they were the best of friends but no more than that.
“Look at the state of you” she said “Do I have to put newspaper down?”
“I don’t know, what do you think?” he asked and put his dirty hands on either side of her face
“Urgh you minger” she yelped and ran off to wash her face
In response to the noise Gabriel emerged from his study.
“Are you frightening the children again?” he said
“Something like that” Scott replied

(Part 04)

The reason Gabriel wanted to see Scott was in relation to Mornington Field and the associated properties the Estate had acquired.
They went into the study and found their mutual friend Ray Walker was already there, he was also a local boy born and bred and he had worked for the estate since he left school.
He was a giant of a man with a shock of unruly red hair and an abundance of freckles.
Ray’s job on the Estate was buildings maintenance so he was about to get really busy.
“We’ll have to do the windows and get the electrics up to code, loft insulation and all of that happy horse shit” Ray said “But other than that they have been well maintained, we will need to update fixtures and fittings and some basic decoration, but we should have the first half a dozen available for rental within the month”
“Great news, but let’s not waste any time in getting the rest of them ready” Gabriel said “Take on as many people as you need”
“Ok boss”
“So why am here exactly?” Scott asked
“I need you to look at the buildings on the airfield” Gabe said “And give me some suggestions on what we can do with them, what we can change or adapt and what needs to go”
“Great, do you have any thoughts at all?”
“Only that the hangers would convert easily into barns”
“So is it in your plans to return the field to agriculture?” Scott asked
“Absolutely” he replied “But it would be a shame not to make something of the infrastructure the MOD have left behind”
“Ok” Scott said thoughtfully looking at the plans on Gabe’s desk
“We might make use of some of the building for commercial use”
“Just what I was thinking” Gabriel said

Two weeks later Gabriel drove over to the Council Offices in Finchbottom to lodge the first part of the Estates planning application and change of use.
And it was when he was leaving that he met the leggy blonde that he had seen with Adam Poole a few days before, coming the other way.
She looked much less officious this time favouring a summer dress instead of a business suit and he found himself envying his adversary.
“Hello Ms Ridgway” he said
“Please call me Chantel and its miss”
“Chantel” he said trying the name on for size
“So what brings you here today?” he asked
“A meeting” she replied
“Without your boyfriend?”
“He is not my boyfriend”
“I’m sorry, your boss”
“He is neither my boyfriend nor my boss,” she said forcefully
“I have been engaged by Finchbottom District Council who believe that developing Mornington Field as an aviation centre for both leisure and commerce would be extremely beneficial to the district”
“But unfortunately not to the villagers of Mornington” he pointed out
“It will bring them employment opportunities” she said
“We both know that Poole Industries won’t employ locally except for the most menial of jobs”
“Isn’t that rather cynical?” Chantel asked
“Possibly” He agreed “But Mornington has lived with an airfield in its back yard for 100 years. It’s now time to return it to its former use”
“Which was?”
“Agriculture”
“You plan to return it to farmland?” she asked
“Almost all of it, yes I do” He replied

Over the month following the meeting with Gabriel and Scott, regarding the old Air force housing stock, Ray had worked tirelessly to have not just the first six houses ready within the month as promised, but eight, and with two days to spare so he was more than good to his word.
Gabriel then instructed Lyndon-Sanders Properties of Shallowfield to find tenants, within his strict guidelines.
Priority was to be given to local people or people with ties to the area.
Outside of that they were to be rented under the understanding being that it had to be the tenant’s primary residence.
Gabriel was always conscious of creating a virtual ghost town of professionals who live and work in Town all week and only return to the village on the weekends.

(Part 05)

It was a few days before the summer Fête and the grounds around the Manor were full of clutter and the hustle and bustle of activity.
He decided to retreat into the sanctity of his study to escape the summer Fête preparations which were happening all around him and had become all consuming.
He was also partly hiding from Aunty Phil so she couldn’t rope him in to her plans but mainly he wanted to take a few moments to congratulate himself for the progress that had been made and he even allowed himself to feel a little bit smug about frustrating Adam Poole’s insidious plans.
Which was when the phone rang.
“Hello”
“Look posh boy take that silver spoon out your arse and listen to me I want that airfield” Poole said “And I won’t take no for an answer”
“How many more times, no” he yelled
“You’re just being selfish, this project is for the common good”
“This project is to put more pound notes into your grubby little hands” Gabriel corrected him
“Oh please don’t go all sanctimonious on me, I’ve met your sort before, titled, entitled, privileged and cosseted, but with no backbone, I my posh friend am a self-made man which is why I always win” Poole retorted
“And I’ve met your sort before” Gabriel countered “hardnosed bitter and twisted, and the answer is still, No”
And as he hung up the phone it immediately rang again.
“What?” he barked
“Is it a bad time?” Chantel asked
“I’m really sorry I thought you were someone else” he said really annoyed with himself
“How can I help?”
“I was just wondering if you could spare me ten minute” she asked
“I don’t see why not” he replied “where are you?”
“I’m in Shallowfield at the moment, but I can come to you” she said
“Well we can’t meet here I’m afraid its absolute pandemonium, what about the Old Mill?” he said and checked his watch “in half an hour?”
“Ok great I’ll see you there, bye”

Gabriel was in the Pub first with about ten minutes in hand.
“Morning Gabriel” the landlord said “Are you avoiding the mayhem?”
Peter Andrew was a big barrel chested man with a bushy beard and a happy jovial face.
“Hi Peter, you are not far from the truth” he replied “But I’m also here to meet a rather attractive woman”
“So is it pint or a soft drink?” Peter asked
“Very definitely a pint” he replied and then he sat himself down with his pint of Mornington Ale in a position where he could see both doors and wondered which version of Miss Ridgeway would be joining him, the business suited professional or the sweet feminine girl in the summer dress.
Not that he cared which, he rather liked them both and he found himself unexpectedly curious almost to the point of excitement as to which one would appear.
But when Chantel did arrive she ticked neither of the boxes and instead opened up a third which was equally satisfying.
She was wearing white 3 quarter length shorts and a pink vest top and her hair was tied in bunches.
She stood in the doorway with the sun streaming in behind her as she looked around the bar for him and he was transfixed.
He only snapped out of it when her eyes fell on him and she started walking towards him.
“Hello Mr. St George” she said and smiled broadly
“Hi, please call me Gabriel” he responded “you look very nice”
“Oh, yes sorry it’s my day off today”
“Don’t apologize” he said a little too obviously and so he added
“Do you live in Shallowfield?”
“No I have a flat in Finchbottom” she replied and he gave a look that clearly indicated a lack of understanding which is why she added
“I was visiting friends in Shallowfield”
“Oh I see” he said pleased it was friends and not her boyfriend
“Can I get you a drink Chantel?”
“Thank you Gabriel, a diet coke please, no ice”

(Part 06)

Gabriel left Chantel sitting at the table and went up to the bar and ordered her a drink and Peter the Landlord said in a hushed whisper
“I think you rather under sold the young lady if you don’t mind my saying so Gabriel”
But Gabe just looked at him blankly, so Peter added
“She is an absolute corker”
Gabriel turned to look at her as she sat looking out of the window.
“Yes she is isn’t she?” he agreed

He put the drink on the table in front of her
“Thanks” she said and when he had sat she added
“So who did you think it was?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Earlier, on the phone, who did you think it was?” she asked
“Oh I thought it was your boyfriend again” he replied
She went to speak but he silenced her by saying
“I know he’s not your boyfriend” and they both laughed
“Well that explains it, I can understand your reaction completely” she said
“You don’t like him then?”
“No not a bit, he’s an odious little man” Chantel admitted
So with that explained they both took a sip from their respective drinks.
“So what brings you here on your day off then?” he asked “as lovely as your being here is”
“Well I just wanted to give you the heads ups” Chantel said
“I’m intrigued” he responded
“It’s a bit unprofessional” she added “but then so is what they are doing”
“Ok now I’m really intrigued”
She paused long enough to take another sip from her drink
“Finchbottom District Council on behalf of Poole Industries have asked me to broker a new deal” she said pausing for another sip of coke “A counter proposal if you like”
“Which is?”
“Which is an 18 hole Golf Course”
“Oh give me strength and energy” Gabe said “the last thing Downshire needs is another bloody Golf Course as you and they well know”
“Yes but what would you think of a plan like that?” she asked
This time Gabriel paused to take a drink
“Well what I think is, that if I sell Mornington Field to Poole Industries for use as a Golf Course, there is nothing to prevent him from going ahead with an airfield once the dust has settled, is what I think”
“But he couldn’t do what you’re suggesting without the proper planning consents” Chantel said
“Which the council will grant, because it’s what they want” he said “After all isn’t that why they engaged your services? To ensure it happens”
“You’re very cynical Gabriel” she said “but I think you are right to be so in this case”
They both took another drink and then she broke the silence
“So what do you think?”
“Well I think we should continue to disgust it over lunch”
I agree” she said

The Old Mill Inn has a great reputation for “pub grub” thanks to their excellent chef, Lorraine Olsen, it was really very good and it was something of a distraction for the two of them, but eventually the conversation returned to the problem in hand and Gabriel said.
“The only problem with going up against the District Council is that they will never grant our change of use and planning consents”
“Well actually I have friends on the planning committee and I know that they will not be easily bullied” she explained
“Well that’s all well and good but that might not be enough to scupper you boyfriend’s plans”
“He’s not my boyfriend” they chorused and laughed
“Well if he’s not your boyfriend you can come to the Fête with me on Saturday” he suggested
“You really know how to show a girl a good time, a pub lunch and an afternoon at the village Fête”
“Ok then dinner tomorrow night” he suggested
“Where?” she asked suspiciously
“Your choice”
“Ok the Runcible Spoon in Purplemere, I hear it’s very good”
“That’s a great choice, I’ll pick you up at 8” he said “and then you’ll come to the Fête on Saturday?”
“Ok” she agreed and wrote down her address.

As he walked her to her car she said
“You shouldn’t just invite me to the Fête you know”
“What do you mean?”
“Invite the members of the planning committee, show them what is you’re trying to preserve” she said “Take them up to the Airfield and tell them your plans”
“That’s a great idea” he said “Thank you”

As he watched her drive off he spotted his Aunt Philomena coming purposely the other way accompanied by the Vicar so he hurriedly returned to the pub and ordered another pint.

(Part 07)

The next day Gabriel surprised the residents of the Manor by announcing he was going on a date.
“What with a woman?” Corliss asked incredulously
“With a gorgeous woman actually” he said and left

As he drove to Finchbottom he was once again preoccupied with which Chantel he would be meeting, he had seen three versions of her so far and he was not disappointed with any of them.
When he knocked on the door of her flat he was astounded to find that what she was wearing had surpassed all of his expectations, she was dressed in a black designer dress.
“Wow” he said “you look stunning”
“Thank you”
Gabriel couldn’t take his eyes off her and just stood staring
“Should we go?” she asked
“Yes” he said but he was still hesitant “but I would rather like to kiss you first”
But Chantel kissed him instead

The Runcible Spoon certainly didn’t disappoint and neither did the company.
Over dinner, Chantel said
“I’ve spoken discretely to my friends on the planning committee and most of them will be there on Saturday”
“That’s fantastic” he said
“It means a lot to you doesn’t it?” she asked
“Yes it does, I have lived in Mornington all my life and I love the place so much”
“Well tell the planning committee that when you meet them”
“I will” he said “And will you be there?”
“If I’m still invited” she replied
“Of course”
“Then I wouldn’t miss it for the world”

The next morning Chantel was in a very good humour as she walked into her office despite the fact that she was two hours late and Adam Poole was seated behind her desk.
“Oh do make yourself at home Mr Poole” she said
“Never mind that” he retorted “have you got good news for me?”
She walked around the desk and waited for him to move before she answered.
“No nothing to report”
“For God’s sake what am I paying you for?” he shouted angrily
“You don’t pay me at all, I don’t work for you remember”
“I want that airfield” he railed
“Well I think you need to come to terms with the fact that he’s not going to sell” she said “so if you don’t mind I have work to do”
“So you’ve been taken in by “posh boy” he said
“You’ve let the smarmy bastard turn your head”
Chantel opened the door and motioned him out of the door without speaking and as Adam Poole walked past her and up the corridor a young woman, Michelle Norman, was coming the other way with a large bouquet of flowers,
“They must be from your boyfriend” Poole shouted over his shoulder.
“He’s not my boy…” she began and then she smiled
“No actually he is my boyfriend” she said to herself

The Annual Mornington Fête was a great success thanks to Aunt Philomena’s tireless efforts and no small amount of bullying.
As promised by Chantel the majority of the Finchbottom planning committee were in attendance and she was at Gabriel’s side as they entertained and schmoozed them in equal measure and when the planning meeting was held the following week all the Mornington Estate’s planning and change of use applications were approved.
And a very disgruntled Adam Poole left the public gallery very noisily but only after he had cast a lingering disapproving glare in Gabriel’s direction.
“I don’t think I’m going to be in the District Councils employ much longer” Chantel said
“I wouldn’t worry too much in that regard” he said pulling her towards him “I have other plans for you”
And then he kissed her.