From: Jim Harle
To: Sue Wolstenholme
Cc: Summerway Committee ; John Allen ; Adrian Cable
Sent: Saturday, June 23, 2007 9:27 PM
Subject: Summerway -
Dear Sue,
I was desperately saddened to read the email exchange between John Allen (Devon LTA Chair) and Ian Cowe (ECC Leisure Manager) which is copied below between the horizontal lines. This was amongst documents released to me under the Freedom of Information Act. For completeness, I have copied below the second horizontal line, John's email to me to which he refers.
It feels as though John has stabbed the Club and me in the back. He seems totally aligned with the Council, which means that he has little or no understanding of Summerway's position. This is not surprising. While two of John's sons were briefly in membership back in 1990, John has not discussed the functioning of the Club with me in any depth. We have exchanged a number of brief emails and John has given advice, but that has been based on vague principles and impressions rather than on facts and reality.
I am wondering whether John's reference to "silly emails" is the official ECC view, or whether he has coined the expression himself. To interpret my efforts to engage ECC in meaningful dialogue as being "hell bent on battering you down" is highly inflammatory, and a total misrepresentation of my motives and intentions. John is damaging our efforts by his derogatory comments, amplifying the gap between Club and Council, justifying ECC's stance and enhancing their intransigence. Clearly, his interest is superficial, focused only on the Club and possibly his own reputation with the Council, and he hasn't picked up on our wider concerns for Exeter's children, the level of vandalism and the concerns regarding democracy. These issues are hardly silly.
In the past I have regarded John as a friend, but now feel badly betrayed. The Club has always been held in high regard, as you will be aware as our President. To find the Chair of Devon LTA, to which the Club is fully affiliated, apparently supporting the Council against the Club is rather devastating.
I'm sorry to be the bearer of this bad news, but I think that you should know how things stand. I must emphasise that, as far as the Club and I are concerned, Adrian Cable has been totally supportive on account of his consistent involvement and obvious deep interest in all clubs, even small ones like Summerway.
Hopefully, you will enjoy the next couple of weeks of Tennis at Wimbledon, and are keeping well.
Warmest regards,
Jim.
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