• 2 months ago

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00:00Well, I tend to go for a seven, a double missing, because my tension's too tight, but a seven
00:18and a half, I think, yeah.
00:20One first class stamp there, Megan.
00:22Twenty-eight papers.
00:23How much?
00:24And a daylight robbery.
00:25That's the post office for you.
00:26That's the post office for you.
00:56Alan, Alan.
01:03Alan Bates.
01:04Alan Bates.
01:05Well, thug's in suit.
01:07You know why we're here, Alan.
01:09And you know you're a day early.
01:11Oi, there's a queue here.
01:13I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but this post office is now closed.
01:17Not yet it isn't.
01:18That's two thirty-nine, Tom, please.
01:20Alan, come on, let us in, please.
01:22Yeah.
01:24If you'd like to make an appointment for after my so-called contract ends,
01:28I shall inspect my diary for a window.
01:31We have a right of entry.
01:33I'm the sub-postmaster, so I'm locked in, and everyone else is locked out.
01:38So, if you want to see my accounts,
01:44you'll have to come back tomorrow.
01:47Right.
01:49Come on.
01:50I need some help.
01:51Right.
01:52I'm going with these.
01:53Sorry about that, Tom.
01:55I'm calling from Prigodon Post Office.
02:00They're not calling me a thief.
02:02They wouldn't dare.
02:03They say money's somehow gone missing from this branch, which it hasn't,
02:07and I have to pay it back, which I won't.
02:10So I say, prove it.
02:12Prove that I'm wrong and you're right.
02:15Show me the figures.
02:16But they can't or won't do that.
02:19So now they want to close me down to shut me up.
02:22That's ridiculous.
02:23Because they don't want everyone knowing what I know.
02:26Which is?
02:27That the fancy new computer system that they've spent an arm and a leg on is faulty.
02:32No-one else has ever reported any problems with Horizon.
02:36No-one.
02:37I don't believe you.
02:39So, no actual crime has been committed here today?
02:43Well, Post Office Limited is stealing my livelihood, my shop, my job, my home, my life savings, my good name.
02:57Civil matter.
02:58Right-o, you're getting back to the day job.
03:01Might want to come back tomorrow, sir.
03:07How exactly do you sleep at night?
03:12Same time tomorrow.
03:25Can't be just us, can it?
03:32Morning, Marianne.
03:33Morning, Joe.
03:34You all right?
03:36Hello, Jane.
03:37You all right?
03:38Morning, Joe.
03:39Morning, Jane.
03:40Morning, Joe.
03:41Morning, Joe.
03:42All right, Trevor, how's you?
03:44Hiya, Mary.
03:45Morning, Joe.
03:46Morning.
03:47With you in a minute.
03:48No rush.
03:49Morning, Joe.
03:54Oh, you smell good.
03:56Don't turn your back, they'll all be gone.
04:02What's the matter, Diane?
04:03I can't find it anywhere.
04:05It's my pension book.
04:06I can't find it anywhere.
04:07Yeah, you haven't lost your pension book.
04:09I keep it in my drawer, remember?
04:20Sorry.
04:22Spinning plates.
04:23Well, that's as much as I can do to get myself into court every morning with my hair brushed.
04:27A dozen first class, please.
04:29Whisper it, legal eagle, but I'm happy a-baking.
04:32Bookkeeping.
04:34Accounts and computers.
04:37Not so much.
04:39Here you go.
04:40Thanks, Diane.
04:41Have a good day.
04:44No job, no income, nowhere to live.
04:49All our hopes, dreams, all our savings down the pan.
04:56It's killing us, Alan.
04:59My hair's actually falling out.
05:10I'm not letting the post office get away with this.
05:14You already did.
05:24Come on, concentrate.
05:26Well, I'm thinking somewhere quiet, up in the hills.
05:31I can walk, you can paint.
05:33Am I not allowed to walk?
05:36Just tell me how we're going to afford any of these places.
05:40We'll work.
05:42It's what people do.
05:44Now, come on, Suzanne.
05:46If we're going to walk away, let's do it with our heads held high.
05:49Okay.
05:53And so they head off into an uncertain future.
05:58On the plus side, it won't be us hanging around on the phone anymore.
06:04Horizon Helpline, thank you for waiting.
06:06Oh, no.
06:08Horizon Helpline, thank you for waiting.
06:14Hello, how can I help?
06:15Oh, hi.
06:17It's Jo Hamilton here from South Warmborough.
06:19I'm trying to produce this week's cash account.
06:21And what's the problem?
06:22I know it's probably me because I'm really rubbish with technology.
06:25But I've declared my cash, I've declared my stock, I've done it all three times,
06:30and I still can't get it to balance.
06:32I hate Wednesdays.
06:34And what does Horizon say?
06:36It says I've taken £2,032.67 more than I think I have.
06:44Okay.
06:45So now if you re-declare your stock holding, so that will automatically create a discrepancy, okay?
06:51I've inflated your cash holding, so now I want you to reverse that difference.
06:56Righto.
06:59So now if you re-declare everything, it will balance, okay?
07:02This is so helpful, thank you.
07:04Don't go away, stay with me until I've done it.
07:10Oh, my God.
07:13It's just doubled right in front of my eyes.
07:16Now it says I'm £4,000 down.
07:19It'll sort itself out, these things do.
07:21In the meantime...
07:22I was only doing what you told me.
07:25In the meantime, you'll need to make good the loss.
07:28I haven't got that money.
07:30And I don't know where it's gone.
07:32I'm sorry, you are responsible for balancing your account and making good any shortfalls.
07:43Oh, my God.
08:01You did your best, love.
08:02Well?
08:03Wrote a lot of letters.
08:05MPs, Ministers, Post Office Chairman, Daily Telegraph, Computer Weekly.
08:11They've shown an interest, at least.
08:13Putting it behind us now.
08:39I thought we were walking away.
08:41Back burner.
08:43We did say I could have that spare room for my sewing room.
08:45No problem.
08:51Alan?
08:52Oh, Pierre.
08:57Careful.
08:58Give us a hand.
08:59Do you really want to be keeping all of these?
09:02Just in case.
09:04I'll go through them all later.
09:07Mind your back.
09:11There's nothing wrong with my back.
09:12Yeah, not yet.
09:18All put away, sorted.
09:20Almost forgotten.
09:22Maybe things are starting to look up.
09:25Shall we investigate the local pub?
09:28Things are definitely starting to look up.
09:58No, no, no, no, no.
10:09I'm sorry, Mum.
10:10There's nothing left to take out my wages.
10:13My savings are already gone.
10:15My credit cards are maxed out.
10:18I know I should have told you before, but I didn't want to scare you.
10:22It's all right, love.
10:26You're her husband.
10:28Tell her it's all right.
10:30I don't know.
10:33Jo, how did the post office money get lost?
10:38What is it you've been doing wrong?
10:40I don't know either.
10:42I have no idea.
10:44Oh, I don't want to cry.
10:48I kept thinking one day some kind of electronic wizardry would kick in
10:52and it would just sort itself out, but it never has.
10:55And now the computer says my shortfall's gone up to £9,000.
11:04Remortgage in the house, though.
11:06I know what I'm suggesting is really awful,
11:08but David, there's the 40-year lease on the shop,
11:11and if they sack me, we'll lose everything.
11:14This house, our home.
11:17They have to make good my shortfalls.
11:19It says so in my contract.
11:23I have to find the money to pay them back.
11:28If it draws a line under it.
11:43Verizon Helpline, thank you for waiting.
11:46All our agents are busy right now, but please continue to hold.
11:52Dad, I can't find my trainers.
11:55We looked under your bed. Have a look.
11:58Verizon Helpline, thank you for waiting.
12:00Ah, yeah, it's Lee Castleton here again from Bridlington.
12:04Yeah, look me up, it's all there.
12:06Okay, hold on.
12:10Daddy!
12:11Yeah, just go and ask your mum, love.
12:14Okay, yeah, I've got your file here.
12:16Yeah, right.
12:17Now, you'll see from my record,
12:19this is the 91st time I've called you about these shortfalls.
12:22Yeah, it's odd.
12:23No one else is having these problems.
12:25I still can't make any sense of these figures.
12:28You know, I still wonder, someone might have hacked into my account.
12:31No, no, no, that's impossible.
12:32Branch accounts are totally secure.
12:34Okay, right.
12:35So, if it's definitely something that I'm doing wrong,
12:37please, can you just tell me what?
12:40You want to request a visit from the auditors?
12:42Yes, yes, finally, thank you.
12:44Yeah, they'll get to the bottom of it.
12:46All right, have a good day, kids.
12:48Right, listen, I'm going to write it down now.
12:52So, yeah, they're definitely going to call me, right?
12:54What you need to do is isolate your transaction.
12:57You need to put in a number that is one digit higher or lower
13:00or the computer won't find it.
13:03How's that supposed to work?
13:05I don't know, it just works.
13:07Do it.
13:10The last time it showed a loss, I had to remortgage my house.
13:13I can't understand why it's happened again.
13:15Me neither.
13:16Nobody else has these problems.
13:18You know, you must balance tonight or you can't open in the morning.
13:21I have to open in the morning.
13:23My old ladies rely on me.
13:25So, one digit higher or lower.
13:28You're taking the must-match-your-balance-on-your-horizon decision.
13:40All right.
14:10All right.
14:40I'll be fine, Mrs. Goggins.
15:09The post always gets through.
15:11Mummy.
15:12Mummy.
15:16Mummy, they're leaving.
15:20Oh, dear.
15:21Gloves everywhere.
15:23Mum, it's just maybe now to see Daddy.
15:24I'll be back in a minute.
15:30Thanks for all your help, yeah?
15:35Did they find the problem?
15:37£26,000 has gone missing.
15:39You what?
15:40£26,000.
15:42Let's go through those figures again right now.
15:44Not allowed.
15:45Eh?
15:46Suspended.
15:47Locked out of my own post office until I pay it all back.
15:49£26,000?
15:52What are we going to do?
15:55Fight.
16:06Whatever it is you're reading, Alan,
16:08are you doing it in an annoyingly significant manner?
16:11Year one of the degree, there's a core foundation course
16:15including programming and problem solving.
16:19Let's see.
16:24Oh, God.
16:25Computer science.
16:27Why don't you do English or philosophy or...
16:30Computer science is good.
16:32It's career planning.
16:34In that case, why not aromatherapy or golf club management?
16:38And my student grant will help keep this roof over our heads.
16:43Also, we'll be able to set up a website
16:46so people will be able to find us.
16:50People.
16:54Meaning sub-postmasters.
16:58Three years since we lost the post office,
17:00and come on, Suzanne, we're walking away.
17:03Has a single day gone by when you've thought about anything else?
17:11I got a job.
17:14Teaching?
17:16Cleaning.
17:18Offices.
17:21Start next week.
17:25You're not doing it, is there?
17:33One day.
17:35One day what?
17:38We'll get the bastards.
17:46Right, Millie, you've been quiet all the way home.
17:48What's bothering you?
17:49Don't tell her.
17:51Er, don't tell me what?
17:53You made a big spit in Millie's hair.
17:56I did what?
17:57The same one who said Dad stole lots of money off old people.
18:02Millie?
18:05You know that's not true, OK?
18:08Your dad is not a thief.
18:11He's not.
18:14Go on, go upstairs, go play.
18:16I'll be up in a minute, OK?
18:22Yeah, look at this, look, look.
18:23Right, I've been through these a hundred times.
18:25I don't know, I haven't seen it before, look.
18:26I'm going to have to talk to the school.
18:2823rd of March, right, I'm logged in on Terminal 1.
18:32I put in the transaction, and it shows up on Terminal 2.
18:38That should never happen.
18:40That's proof.
18:41It's proof there's something wrong with the system.
18:43Lee, the children.
18:45The bullying is getting worse.
18:49I know.
18:51The only way to stop it is to prove that I'm not a thief, right?
18:56It must be a bug.
18:57It must be, it must be a computer bug or, or something.
19:03Right.
19:05What are you doing?
19:08Lee, look, there's 15,000 post offices on that list.
19:12Are you just going to randomly call them all up and ask them if the computer is broken?
19:15How else am I going to find someone with the same problem before my case goes to court?
19:19I've got to show them it's not just me.
19:21Lisa, the post office are suing us for £26,000, which we didn't steal,
19:27and we haven't got hanging around in piggy banks.
19:34Okay.
19:35Hello, Oxford Road Post Office.
19:36Hello.
19:37Yeah, I'm really sorry to bother you.
19:39My name's Lee Casselton.
19:41Sorry, mate, I don't take cold calls.
19:46It's all right, I'll just call the next one.
19:56Please.
20:05Jo!
20:07Jo!
20:09Come in here, babe.
20:11You can't keep working these hours, you'll kill yourself.
20:16Oh, Jo.
20:18Love.
20:21I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
20:23I keep trying over and over and I can't make it work.
20:27The numbers, they just slide away from me and I don't know where the money is.
20:31I don't know where it's gone.
20:33They need to send someone down here to sort this out.
20:38Oh, Jo.
20:41You need help.
21:00This is Hamilton.
21:02I'm Ryan Fleming from the investigations team.
21:06Do you need those keys?
21:07Oh, of course, yes.
21:10Okay.
21:15Morning, Jo.
21:21What's going on?
21:23Nothing.
21:31This is Hamilton.
21:32Are you surprised to learn that the audit you requested
21:36found a shortfall of £36,644.89?
21:44I've never been able to get to grips with the system.
21:47And when I tried to get help...
21:49As you must know, your contract with us makes clear losses are your responsibility.
21:54Like once, I was on the phone to the helpline and it doubled.
21:57It just doubled the shortfall before my very eyes.
22:00Mrs Hamilton, this is public money.
22:02We need to talk about how you're going to pay it back.
22:04Sizing this place up for the bailiffs?
22:07Let me tell you, this house is my house too.
22:10So you can keep your thieving hands off it and tell your evil bosses I said so.
22:15The shortfalls we uncovered today do not appear in any of the weekly accounts you've been submitting.
22:21My daughter is not a thief.
22:23A formal investigation will follow.
22:25Look, can I just say something?
22:29Why would I do this?
22:31I love my post office.
22:32Until then, I'm suspending you, Mrs Hamilton.
22:35With immediate effect.
22:46Jo! Hello.
22:49I think I might need a solicitor.
22:52Oh, but I do. I mainly just do criminal work.
22:56That's good. That's great.
23:05You do not have to say anything.
23:07But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court.
23:12Anything you do say may be given in evidence.
23:21This is your cash account final for week 24.
23:26Is that your signature?
23:29No comment.
23:35This is your branch trading statement for period 10.
23:38It states that the cash in hand figure is £35,515.83.
23:47Is that a true amount of the cash on hand for that transaction statement?
23:51No comment.
23:55Have you deliberately inflated that cash figure?
23:59No comment.
24:00To cover the fact that you've been stealing post office money?
24:03No comment.
24:07Where's the money, Jo?
24:09What have you spent it on?
24:12No comment.
24:19I'm going to have a rehearsal, I suppose, before I have to do it properly with the police.
24:25With the police?
24:27They'll arrest me now, for sure.
24:31Jo, the post office don't need the police.
24:35The post office has the right to run its own criminal investigations, all the way to the Crown Court.
24:41It's been that way for 300 years.
24:46Disgraced sub-postmaster Noel Thomas is tonight behind bars, starting a nine-month prison sentence.
24:53Used to be a federation, that.
24:56Caernarfon Crown Court heard today that County Councillor Thomas was previously regarded as honest, respectable, a pillar of his community in Anglesey.
25:05The 59-year-old had earlier pleaded guilty to false accounting involving sums up to £48,000.
25:12Did she just say £48,000?
25:16Well, that's not the odd bit of shortfall.
25:19That's a hell of a lot of money, Suzanne.
25:23He's pleaded guilty, so...
25:27Didn't look guilty, though, did he?
25:29Looked bloody terrified.
25:32How do we know what pressure they're putting people under?
26:03Everything all right?
26:05What is it?
26:10Royal Courts of Justice? In London?
26:13I'll be the only one there not wearing a wig.
26:16Oh, God, Lee.
26:18Be fine, be fine. I'll just show the judge my logs and I'll explain about Horizon.
26:22And I'll just tell the truth. Be fine.
26:25It's not a criminal court, is it? They're just suing us for the money.
26:28But, Lee, they'll have so many big lawyers and you...
26:31Yeah, I know, and I'll be representing myself, yeah.
26:33Due to the fact they haven't got a spare million quid to spend.
26:36Look, Lisa, you've just got to trust in the British justice system and everything will be all right.
26:41You've just got to tell the truth.
26:45It's fine. Don't worry.
26:48Right, erm...
26:59HE SIGHS
27:16It's called a plea bargain.
27:18The deal is the post office will drop the theft charge
27:21if you agree to plead guilty to false accounting instead.
27:24And the plea bargain keeps me out of prison.
27:28Well...
27:31Sorry.
27:33How is 14 charges of false accounting better than one charge of theft?
27:40Theft is much bigger.
27:42And if you fight it and the jury is not on your side, then you will go to prison.
27:47Also, there are two conditions to the plea bargain.
27:51The post office say you have to pay back all the money.
27:54The post office say you have to pay back all the money.
27:57£36,000! How am I going to do that?
27:59And you must undertake not to blame the Horizon system.
28:06Well, I am guilty, I am, because I did sign all those accounts when I knew they were wrong.
28:10But I never stole that money. I never saw a penny of it.
28:14I still don't know where it went.
28:20Computers drive me mad.
28:22I never got used to Horizon, and I won't say I love it now,
28:25but I can't claim we've had any real problems, so...
28:28No, no, I appreciate you talking to me. Thank you.
28:30I've got to go. Bye-bye.
28:31All right. Bye-bye.
28:41Hello?
28:42Sorry about that. I had to nip at the back.
28:44Everyone's scared to talk. There's just one guy that can help.
28:49Hello? Yeah, I was hoping to speak to Alan Brown.
28:52You're Lee, right? Been expecting your call.
28:55Yeah.
28:56What happened here in Falkirk is that one of our terminals just stopped communicating with the network.
29:01Horizon didn't pick it up.
29:03No alarms were ringing.
29:05Some kind of bug.
29:07And that bug could be affecting every office in the country with more than one terminal.
29:11That's the same thing. Exactly the same thing that happened here.
29:14And they always tell you you're on your own.
29:16Now, don't get too excited, laddie, cos I'm not going on record with any of this.
29:22No, I just thought that's what you...
29:23I've got thousands invested in this business,
29:26and I can't afford to make an enemy of Post Office Limited.
29:29Lee, but what's the point...
29:30Look, I'll forward you a group email I sent some friends.
29:33You can use that if it helps.
29:36What, you're going to send it now?
29:37Yes.
29:38All right. All right, thank you.
30:17These so-called shortfalls, they're not real.
30:21Your system, it produces them out of nowhere.
30:26I'm a systems specialist employed by Fujitsu, the manufacturer.
30:30I was unable to identify any basis on which Horizon could have caused the losses.
30:35Ah, no, no, you see, no, I happen to know of another branch where the same thing has happened.
30:41You must ask Mrs Chambers a question, Mr Castleton.
30:45Oh, OK, sorry. Just give me a...
30:48You mean the branch at Calendar Square in Falkirk?
30:52Yes, that's it, yeah, the exact same thing is happening there.
30:56I think we both have the same computer bug.
31:00Yes, but the problem at Calendar Square arose from an error in the Horizon system.
31:05My lord, there is no evidence of any such thing at Mr Castleton's branch.
31:10No, no, no, it's the same thing. It's a computer bug.
31:14It's...
31:18It's...
31:20The conclusion is inescapable that the Horizon system was working properly in all material respects,
31:27and that the shortfall is real.
31:30That the losses must have been caused by Mr Castleton's own error.
31:34There will thus be a judgment on the claim against the defendant for £25,858.95.
31:43The claimant is entitled to their costs in the case,
31:47and accordingly Mr Castleton is ordered to pay all Post Office Limited's costs,
31:52in the total sum of £321,000.
32:13It's all empty.
32:15Come on, you two, let's get inside.
32:18And that was me, thinking I could fight him.
32:21But now his shop's gone, and we're stuck living above it because we can't sell it.
32:26Our proceeds will go to the Post Office because I'm bankrupt.
32:29But, you know, I was an electrician when I was in the RAF,
32:33so at least I've still got a trade, but it just means I'm living out my car a bit.
32:38People think my wife's kicked me out, but it's not that.
32:42It's not that, I've just got to go where the work is, don't you?
32:45Mr Castleton, I'm calling about the computer logs you sent us, but...
32:48Yeah, I'm sorry, it's me going home myself.
32:51Yeah, I saw an advert, free expert help with any computer problems.
32:57Yeah, I'm still looking for answers, you see.
32:59I'm not an expert, I'm afraid, I'm just a reporter.
33:02Mr Castleton...
33:03Yeah, it's Lee.
33:04Lee, yeah.
33:05Apart from the trap you spoke to in Scotland, do you know if this has happened to anybody else?
33:10Well, it must have done.
33:11It can't just be me.
33:18Morning, Joe.
33:20I've never even had a parking ticket.
33:23Shall we?
33:25There we are. Ten o'clock, court one.
33:28For sentence, R.V. Hamilton.
33:32Queen versus Miss.
33:35I wonder if she knows.
34:06The post office, the shop, is at the heart of any community like ours.
34:13And Joe, well, we all love her.
34:16In some ways, she's more of the priest than I am.
34:20People confide in her.
34:22And she can always tell when someone's upset.
34:24You see, we trust her.
34:27And we just can't believe that any of this was on purpose in any way.
34:32Thank you, Mrs Lees.
34:36Please stand up.
34:39Mrs Hamilton, what exactly are you doing in my court?
34:45I don't know, sir.
34:46I have a large number of testimonials before me from your community,
34:49all of whom seem to be here today, as to your trustworthiness.
34:54I still have no idea.
34:56This wasn't just a muddle. It turned into fraud.
34:59It's a very serious state of affairs for someone in whom the public is entitled to trust.
35:06However, in light of your previous good character,
35:10I do not intend to impose a custodial sentence.
35:14You will be sentenced to community order for 12 months
35:18and weekly meetings with a probation officer.
35:21You're free to leave.
35:23All rise.
35:34I can't believe I'm not going to prison.
35:38You're all right.
35:39You're all right.
35:42Maybe she was scared, Alan.
35:44Maybe she thought, put your hands up, get a lesser sentence.
35:48Now she's pleading guilty in court.
35:50Not everyone is as stubborn as you, God.
35:54Stubborn.
35:56I'll get it.
36:01Hello?
36:03Yeah, can you just call me, please?
36:06Oh, okay.
36:07Okay?
36:08Yeah, okay.
36:09Alan,
36:10it's a reporter from Computer Weekly
36:13who's read about that woman in the paper
36:15and he wanted to talk to you about Horizon.
36:23Alan Bates?
36:25I can see you contacted us five years ago.
36:28Yeah, I'm sorry about that.
36:29Never mind. You're here now.
36:32It's odd because everyone thinks of the post office as sort of warm and cuddly, but...
36:37You know,
36:38when I first got legal advice,
36:40right at the very beginning,
36:42I was warned
36:43that if I tried to take them to court,
36:45even if I won,
36:47the post office would just keep appealing
36:49till I run out of money.
36:53But they never accused you of any wrongdoing?
36:55No, no, no.
36:56They never tried to prosecute me.
36:59You know what I think?
37:00I think they knew
37:02that there was something wrong with my system.
37:07But...
37:08Rebecca,
37:10how many other sub-postmasters have you found?
37:13Six,
37:14who will go on the record?
37:16Plus you,
37:17if you're willing to.
37:19What do you think?
37:22Of course I will.
37:25The problem seems to be affecting a number of people.
37:29The seventh postmaster,
37:30Alan Bates,
37:32refused to sign his weekly accounts,
37:34saying it would have made him liable for any losses.
37:37He has called for a public inquiry.
37:39Good luck with that.
37:43Oh, you like this bit?
37:44A post office spokesman said,
37:46Horizon is an extremely robust system,
37:50which operates over our entire post office network,
37:54and successfully records millions of transactions each day.
37:59There is no evidence that points to any faults with the technology.
38:02We had the evidence.
38:03They wouldn't listen.
38:05We would always look into and investigate
38:07any issues raised by sub-postmasters.
38:10It hurts.
38:12Josephine!
38:13Well, honestly,
38:15we do accept that individual branches
38:17may experience very occasional failures.
38:20It does.
38:21Yeah, right, I don't think so.
38:23What a big poo.
38:26This poor chap got sent to prison.
38:29Hello?
38:32Hello?
38:37Noel?
38:40Jo?
38:41Yeah.
38:46Do you want a tea?
38:49Yes, please.
38:51I couldn't believe it when I first read about you.
38:54Fallen postmistress.
38:56What a claim to fame.
38:58Just...
38:59Just the idea
39:01of anyone else caught up in the same trap.
39:05I don't miss the post office.
39:08Well, I miss the wages, but...
39:1117 years old,
39:13and I started
39:14as a postman,
39:16delivering letters on my bike.
39:1942 years I worked for them.
39:22Think of it.
39:23Man and boy.
39:26Lord Noel.
39:28And they still sent you to prison?
39:30All I heard the judge say was...
39:33nine months.
39:36I couldn't believe it.
39:37Couldn't.
39:39And then...
39:42taken down.
39:46Had my 60th birthday behind bars, Jo.
39:52It was hell on earth.
39:57I'm really glad you came.
40:05Can you believe this chap?
40:08Just kept refusing to sign his accounts.
40:11Kept refusing to pay.
40:14Bloody hero.
40:19Oh, my God.
40:20Never in a million years would it have occurred to me
40:22I could do that.
40:23They wrote off my first so-called shortfall
40:26when I jumped up and down and complained about it.
40:29Have you ever thought it was your fault?
40:31Never.
40:32Why am I such a fool?
40:34I mean, I never even thought about the computers,
40:36except that it was weird when they said
40:38I wasn't allowed to blame it.
40:40I hope you don't mind me getting in touch.
40:42Don't mind at all.
40:45But, Jo,
40:47can I ask you one thing?
40:49Anything.
40:51Why did you plead guilty?
40:53Oh,
40:55I didn't want to.
40:56Oh, my God, no, but...
40:59I really didn't want to go to prison.
41:01And I didn't know how to prove I was innocent.
41:04You shouldn't have to.
41:06You're supposed to be innocent until proven guilty.
41:10Yeah, right.
41:13So what do we do now?
41:16Alan, any ideas?
41:26Thank you for waiting.
41:29Ha-ha.
41:34Guess I'll have my sewing room in the next life, then.
41:38Won't be for long.
41:50Bridlington, Hampshire, Chelmsford, Somerset,
41:55Falkirk and two in North Wales.
41:57That's the seven from Computer Weekly.
42:00Then there's two that came via our website.
42:05But where are all the others?
42:09I'm thinking, test the water,
42:12set up a meeting, send out invitations,
42:15see if anyone turns up.
42:19Somewhere central.
42:23Birmingham, that's pretty central.
42:27Fenny Compton.
42:29Fenny...?
42:30Compton.
42:32OK.
42:34It's a lovely ring to it.
42:36Just the place to start really annoying the hell out of the post office.
42:42808 inhabitants.
42:45And a church hall.
42:47Still think maybe Birmingham.
42:49Ah, today Fenny Compton, tomorrow the world.
42:53Ha-ha.
42:57Yeah.
43:00This could be huge.
43:02Or nobody might turn up.
43:09It's got to be worth a try.
43:24BIRDS CHIRP
43:39Jo?
43:42Alan!
43:44Guest on account of the cakes.
43:46I wasn't sure how many to bring.
43:48Hi, I'm Suzanne.
43:50Oh, hello.
43:51Oh, thank you.
43:55We can always take them home if nobody comes.
44:01I'll give it 20 minutes.
44:16Oh, wow.
44:18Oh!
44:22Oh, wow.
44:23Alan, you did it.
44:25Look at everyone.
44:28Look at them all.
44:30Hi.
44:32You all here for the meeting?
44:37Well, you'd better come in then.
44:44We all look knackered.
44:45I suppose we are.
44:48Think what we've got.
44:51Yes.
45:10Right.
45:13Well...
45:16Welcome, everyone.
45:21We're all here to share our experiences
45:26and put our heads together.
45:30We're here because...
45:39The post office told every single one of us
45:44sat here today,
45:47told us over and over
45:51you're the only one.
45:55And that was wrong.
45:57That was a lie, actually.
46:01Because, well, look at us.
46:07Here we all are.
46:10And from this moment forwards,
46:14none of us
46:17will be the only one ever again.
46:21No.
46:51No.