From The Western Times of 3rd August 1872:
"Sir, - Would you kindly inform me who it is that holds the right to place persons at the entrance of a public thoroughfare at Northernhay to stop people from passing through in the usual course of business on the occasion of the Horticultural Flower Show on Northernhay today as I approached the entrance to the pubic path I was stopped by two men and informed I could not pass through as they had orders from the Council men not to let anyone pass. - Yours truly, RATEPAYER."
Poor old RATEPAYER, I can see him umbrella in hand, (this Flower Show was, like all Devon Shows, plagued by rain!,) being turned away from Northernhay.
As I write, families and others are still climbing up from the streets to be turned back by the dismal, yellow, prohibitory notices cable-tied to the proud ironwork gates to the Gardens. This has been happening since 24th October, throughout the half-term holiday and three sunny, more or less, week-ends.
I'd like to think RATEPAYER had a point. Northernhay, as well as everything else, is a public thoroughfare. It does seem absurd that the Council men , women too these days, claim the right to give away the keys to third parties for more than three months in the year. Is there really no legal case to be made on the citizens' behalf?
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