29–30 November 1988: the eviction

The second attempt came at the end of November. This time the family were removed, and the courts were asked to stop the demolition of the house.

c. 30 November 1988 — “Angry scenes as farmer evicted”

Record:

EV-0097 (Legal Wiki, Evidence Register)

“Angry scenes as farmer evicted. A bitter feud over rights that lasted 33 years. By Peter Bibby.”

What the record shows. An inside page of the South Wales Echo carried three items on the eviction at Great House Farm, one by Peter Bibby, with photographs.

What it does not show. The body text, captions and masthead date of the copy are unreadable.

30 November 1988 — Forced entry, and an outbuilding roof half removed

Record:

EV-0098 (Legal Wiki, Evidence Register)

“… who forced their way into the 400-year-old Great House Farm at Llandough near Cardiff have already half the roof off one of the out-buildings …”

What the record shows. The South Wales Echo reported that the men who entered the farmhouse had already taken half the roof off one of the outbuildings, and that the farmer’s wife feared the farmhouse would now be flattened.

What it does not show. A truncated, machine-read snippet. It does not name the men or give the court’s order in full.

2 December 1988 — The family allowed to collect belongings

Record:

EV-0099 (Legal Wiki, Evidence Register)

“Mr Justice Anthony Evans has allowed the condition that Mrs Buckler should be able to go into the house and collect belongings as long as BP solicitors agree …”

What the record shows. The South Wales Echo reported that Mr Justice Anthony Evans allowed a condition that Mrs Buckler could go into the house to collect belongings, provided BP’s solicitors agreed, and that a summons against BP would be heard on the Monday.

What it does not show. The snippet does not give the judge’s full order or the outcome of the summons.

3 December 1988 — Others living in the farmhouse

Record:

EV-0102 (Legal Wiki, Evidence Register)

“WHEN the bailiffs refused to let South Wales farmer Billy Buckler back into his family home they found eight other people sharing the rambling old farmhouse.”

What the record shows. The South Wales Echo reported that when the bailiffs refused to let Billy Buckler back in, they found eight other people sharing the farmhouse.

What it does not show. The report does not set out the terms on which those residents lived there.

The farmyard, from the farm’s own album (Part 1, no. 125). Source: Wayback Vault, album image.