Open Writing

Many people have been making enquiries about the young Toytown couple whose intended marriage had to be postponed because of the serious injuries sustained by Jack on the Hill in Toytown. Below we reprint the report of the Court proceedings compiled by our special representative on the “Toytown Telegraph”.

TOYTOWN COUNCIL AT FAULT

Compensation Awarded to Injured Youth

From our special representative in Court

At the Towtown Assizes today the jury heard the tragic details of the serious accident which occurred last September on the Hill.

A local couple, Jack and Jill, had gone to the top of the Hill to obtain their daily supply of water when Jack slipped and in falling hit Jill with a full pail of water, resulting in both tumbling down and ending up against the wall at the bottom of the Hill.

Jill received only superficial injuries, but Jack suffered serious head injuries and while he received immediate treatment from local doctor, Dr. Foster, who had just returned from a visit to Gloucester, he was forced to spend six months in hospital to make only a partial recovery.

Jack was claiming substantial damages from Toytown Borough Council who, it was alleged, were in serious breach of their duty of care.

Outlining the case, Noddy of Noddy and Big Ears Solicitors told the Court of the horrific injuries sustained by his client through the accident. Though he has made a partial recovery, he still suffered from difficulty in sleeping, constant nightmares, headaches, poor memory retention, low back pain and vomiting diarrhoea.

Normal medical treatment does not seem to be effecting a complete cure so that Jack is now having to resort to alternative medicine under which he is completing a course of vinegar and brown paper. Because of this Jack has had to postpone indefinitely his marriage to his fiancée Jill.

Counsel stated that the area at the top of the Hill was in a disgraceful condition due in part to the inclement weather, but was further cut up in the two days previous to the accident when the local Squire, the Duke of York, in a military exercise had marched a large body of his men to the top of the Hill and matched them down again. This, he alleged, contributed to the accident.

Noddy further pointed out that the whole area was in a serious state of neglect and reminded the Court that shortly before the accident to his client local large egg producer Humpty Dumpty while resting on the wall had fallen off, injuring himself and passing members of H.M. Forces, who were unable to get him on his feet again.

The wall itself, Counsel alleged, was in a serious state of disrepair with brickwork crumbling and with numerous holes in it where animals from adjoining fields were able to wander in and out at will. On one occasion a nearby local shepherdess, Bo Peep, had lost her flock through one of the gaps and had been unable to locate them, having to leave them to find their own way back.

These occurrences, Noddy stated, all pointed to serious neglect of the area by Toytown Council and, therefore, his client was entitled to substantial damages in compensation.

Speaking for the Defendants, Toytown Council, Tom Thumb said that the Council were aware of the state of the area and that the Borough Engineer had in fact drawn up plans to upgrade the Hill area. However the cost of this was prohibitive and would result in very substantial increases on the local rates.

Drawing himself up to his full height, Tom Thumb said that the Council understood that the work would certainly need to be done as soon as possible and to this end they have applied to the Union of Dreamland Countries for funding, but to date nothing was forthcoming.

At this point and before witnesses had been called from either side the Judge adjourned the hearing and on reconvening, it was announced that an agreement had been reached between both parties and Jack was to receive substantial and undisclosed damages.

Toytown residents have for some considerable time been complaining about the condition of the area and the provided facilities. Questions have been asked as to why the well was situated at the top of the Hill and not at the bottom where it would be more convenient for the population, especially the older residents and the people with young families.

One large one-parent family living in a Housing Executive shoe at the far end of the town had to send the children to the well several times in the course of a day to fetch enough water for the family. When the older children begin to leave home she is in a quandary as to what to do.

The residents have now set up an executive committee to explore what can be done to pressure Toytown Borough Council to expedite an urgent upgrading of the whole area.

Foyle U3A