1. I had to wonder why it was proving so difficult to clear a couple of fallen trees across the path of an ancient highway which runs across the common land. It is still clearly marked on all the OS maps. Not only would it link the existing bridleways and byways but most importantly, remove all vulnerable road users from the existing dangers of the C102.
   So, my County Councillor duly wrote to Ted Mason, following up with my request.
   1998 John Filer to Ted Mason 17_4_1998 5

2. 7th August 1998 he had a reply from Mr Mason. He says that HCC are currently negotiating compensation payable to Mr Whitfield because of the Creation Order for upgrading FP54 to bridleway and the Council’s scarce resources will be spent on higher priorities.
   1998 Ted Mason to Filer

3. It was beginning to feel as if I had been given the ‘black spot’ for reclaiming rights that should not have been denied in the first instance and surely the least expensive option was clearing a few fallen trees on the common land.

4. It was not just me that was asking for relatively minor adjustments to make life safer and easier for horse riders on Broxhead Common. Others wrote also. Mrs Thomas received a reply couched in much the same terms as the one above. She later moved to France in the wake of several others also fed up with this strange reluctance by Hampshire County Council to uphold the rights and privileges of their ratepayers.
   1998 Bridget Thomas to HCC

5. 18th May 1999 I wrote another letter to Ted Mason, Principal Solicitor copied to my County Councillor. I tried to explain the law and how it had been interpreted on other occasions, after all settled law is the basis of life as we know it on these islands.
   1999 Letter MC to Ted Mason

6. 26th May 1999 I had a reply from Edward White, another of Hampshire County Council’s solicitors. It informs me that Edward Mason has been forced into early retirement.
   1999 Mason retired

7. However, the turn of the century was almost upon us, and big changes were coming to both EHDC and HCC
   
   

Next time: We can but hope.

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