LETTER FAXED TO HAKLUYT REGARDING EMAIL FROM CHURCH OF ENGLAND SOLICITOR

3 June 2004

Mr Christopher James

Director

Hakluyt & Company Limited

34 Upper Brook Street

London

W1K 7QS

2 PAGES BY FAX ONLY TO: 01144(0)207 491 1844

Dear Mr James

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND HAKLUYT

I received an email today from The Church of England. It was from one of their solicitors. My fax to Hakluyt was received by a fax machine at The Church of England offices in London. As it was apparently beyond the scope of his imagination to conceive that there could possibly be a connection between The Church of England and Hakluyt/MI6, he reasonably concluded that the fax must have been received in error.

He obviously thought the content was important enough to contact me.

After speaking to your firm early today I sent the following self-explanatory reply email to the relevant solicitor: -

Dear Sir

Thanks for taking the trouble to let me know the situation. It was predictable that things would not be entirely straightforward given the nature of Hakluyt. However I did not anticipate receiving a response from a Church of England solicitor.

I have now spoken to Hakluyt. They did receive my faxed letter okay and apparently decided to seek advice from their legal advisor at your offices, but apparently the fax never reached him. They are now telephoning the unidentified legal advisor (one of your colleagues) to give him your name so that he can collect the fax from you.  You will know if he is the genuine intended recipient if he sports an eye patch, walks with a limp and is obsessed with Dr Evil. 

As least I now know that the tentacles of Hakluyt extend even into the very heart of the British establishment - The Church of England.

It is all rather intriguing...

Many thanks again

Alfred Donovan 

cc Malcolm Brinded Group MD Royal Dutch Shell Group

    Jeroen van der Veer, Group Chairman, Royal Dutch Shell Group

    Chip Cummins, Oil & Gasoline Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

    Georgina Davies, BBC TV 

END OF COPY EMAIL

Under the circumstances Mr James I am less than impressed with the efficiency and security of your internal communications.

I look forward to receiving a response once you have received legal advice from your Church of England lawyer.

Yours sincerely 

Alfred Donovan

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