Thanks to everyone supporters and detractors alike. It helps to know where people stand and how true colors shine in whatever hue during extraordinary circumstances. Little did we know we'd get "you can't do that because you're American" or "you should go home with a cock up your arse because you're gay" buy, hey ho, dems the facts.First - David and I would like to thank both John Todd and Jo Biddolph for their unwavering support and efforts on our behalf.Second - we would also like to thank our customer who overheard my conversation with Nishi Patel at LBH and offered to help. I copied her in to my email to the council and she shared it with Penny at this forum who cribbed comments from it for the front page article. Nobody from the forum contacted us for comment. Rather they edited text and photos to suit.Third - and you might wanna sit down for this one - I'd like to thank Victoria Wallas at LBH for her acknowledgement and understanding of the situation. Her response is thus:"Thank you for your email. The arrival of your gazebos have raised various issues for planning, highways and licensing which we are resolving. In the meantime, Highways will not be taking enforcement action to remove them. I will write to you more fully next week to confirm the way forward."It mystifies me why, for the second time since March, we are in a position of having to lobby the council for business support but here we are. We did what we thought was allowable but that apparently has morphed into something else.I welcome all critics to walk a mile in the shoes of any business but especially local independents at present and let me know how those corns and calluses and blisters feel. And then let me know how it feels when people decide to stomp on your toes to boot. For what purpose I do not know. I can take it. I worry others cannot. So when I see an opportunity that will ultimately pave the way for others to maximize any chance at survival know that your criticism only fuels my fire. We brought the knots to the comb back in July when Hounslow proved woefully behind the curve. There seems to be more knots. So we endeavor to prevail again.You may loathe if we prevail to our own benefit. Go for it. But we will also be prevailing on behalf of your favorite haunt should they opt to avail themselves of a similar arrangement.
David Lesniak ● 2145d