When JJP came to power as WSR plc Chairman in the autumn of 2018 after Ian Coleby had been deposed (all that coming in a later chapter), many folk were very wary of JJP’s appointment.  He had failed to deal with due diligence questions in an earlier round of Director appointments and hadn’t impressed as a team player.  Nonetheless, a number of us attempted to reach out to him in his early days as Chairman.  In my case I diverted on my way home from Swanage to see him at the Great Dorset Steam Fair and had a very odd conversation when he kept asking me about ‘Whitehouse’ (not Paul Whitehouse) and expressing the concern that ‘Whitehouse’ was ‘too corporate’ whatever that meant.  I replied that Paul had much experience of moving in governmental circles, had impressed me as WSRA Chairman with his obvious integrity and ability to run a team and expressed the view that JJP might have things to learn from him, as I had.

I should say, for those don’t instantly know PW, a moment on google will reveal him to be a retired police Chief Constable, who came to the WSR as a volunteer signalman and who had stood up to the ‘X6’ unpleasant WSRA Trustees when they cancelled his candidature for WSRA Trusteeship for no good reason.  I hope Paul doesn’t blush when reading this but he is one of those people folk instantly trust on meeting.  I am proud to call him a friend.  When we get to the sham disciplinary process used to apply window dressing to my removal as a volunteer, he acted as my supporter.

Many folk expressed reservations about JJP to PW but his response was to say that he had worked with other ‘difficult’ individuals in the past and felt he could do the same.  I know he made strenuous efforts to reach out to JJP.  Through later 2018 and 2019 our reservations grew but Paul kept reassuring us that all would be well.

And then came to ‘photo opportunity’ in February 2020, created to recognise that over that winter the WSRA had raised £186,000 towards winter infrastructure works.  If I recall correctly that figure was inscribed on a pile of sleepers with Paul Whitehouse and JJP shaking hands.  Most of the ‘great and the good’ of the WSR were there.  All seemed well.

Now, in the few days prior to this, Chris Pratt, JJP’s father, who has featured in these pages before, had done something particularly egregious (I now forget what).  Chris had developed a particular habit, when doing something objectionable, of saying ‘well, the plc Board want it that way’ or ‘the plc Board have decided that’ which folk took to be JJP.  Chris was also using a title like ‘Special Advisor to the Board on …’.  It was all getting rather out of hand and plainly doing JJP’s reputation and the Railway generally even more harm.  Paul told us that he was going to speak to JJP in the margins of the photo opportunity event.

He did.

The result was JJP going apoplectic and there was then a tirade of shouting at Paul, in front of the assembled group of worthies to the effect that if that was his attitude, that he should ‘FUCK OFF’.  I am told that none of the assembled WSR plc Directors did anything to calm the situation or draw the sting of the remarks.

I must emphasise that, whilst I had had an invitation to the photo opportunity, work had kept me away and I am relying on 6 or 7 accounts of events, none of which differ in any material respect.

I WAS present at the WSRA Trustees’ meeting that evening.  Paul was plainly deeply, deeply shocked.  He tendered his resignations as both Chairman and WSRA Trustee.  He could not be persuaded to stay on in any capacity.  He acknowledged to me that my assessment of the character of JJP had likely been more accurate than his.  I derived no comfort from that.