In 1995 I was sent to Doncaster to find and acquire the sites that would become the first mobile phone network for Orange. I had a problem finding one in Thorne, a town NE of Doncaster, because it was all conservation area and that made planning approval difficult...

...but I found the perfect building (photo) and approached the owner. The building was an ex brewery and was a shell. We climbed to the top using three old wooden ladders and no climbing equipment. It would be illegal to do that today. I said it would be fit for...

...purpose but told the owner the conservation area would make it improbable that we’d get planning. The owner said “Don’t worry abart that, lad. I’m good at one thing and that’s buying pints for people. And if you buy them for the right people they do what you want.”...

...so I went back to the office and we did a survey of the building and I applied for planning approval and hey presto it was passed without a single issue or objection. So we did a deal with the owner and built it. Then, over ten years later I read of the corruption...

...scandal in Doncaster Council (Donnygate) and that the building’s owner had been given five years for fraud!!!! https://www.theguardian.com/society/2002/mar/13/uknews