Hear Our Voice: How choir helps Post Office scandal victims
A singer in a choir made up of victims of the Post Office scandal and their families has described it as the "most joyful" experience which has seen their confidence grow since having their wrongful convictions quashed.Tim Brentnall, from Roch, Pembrokeshire, was among hundreds of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses prosecuted after its Horizon computer system incorrectly recorded financial shortfalls.He said they previously had met only at "horrible events like public inquiries or court dates" in the years it took to clear their names, so some decided to start the choir, Hear Our Voice.Their charity single will help colleagues and their children with many still seeking compensation.
A Post Office spokesperson said it "apologised unreservedly" to the victims of the Horizon IT scandal and was focused on paying redress as quickly as possible.Mr Brentnall said: "It's been absolutely fantastic to get to know this group of people even better and do something so positive together.
"It's given people something to focus on, and you can certainly see in the group, people have really grown in confidence, not just happiness," he told BBC Radio Wales' Breakfast."It was, it still is, the most joyful thing that I've ever done."
The choir reached the finals of ITV show Britain's Got Talent last weekend which Mr Brentnall described as a "fantastic" and "crazy" experience which was "terrifying for everybody"."Everybody stood up and applauded us which was amazing," he added.
Mr Brentnall explained the Horizon scandal had not yet been resolved with him and other former postmasters and mistresses trying to settle compensation claims."My claim, and everybody's claim, is not plucked out of thin air - it's put together by forensic accountants and people much cleverer than I am."You submit it and the Post Office and their legal team go through it and come back with a cost minimised claim."Then you have to rewrite it, resubmit, and it's a fight to get to somewhere that's acceptable where, if there was a will, they could just pay everybody's claims tomorrow."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Discontinued huge Cadbury chocolate bar reduced to £1.25 from £5 at major supermarket
CADBURY lovers were thrilled to spot a long-discontinued chocolate bar for sale at B&M for a reduced price. The chocolate block was spotted by a fan when shopping at the discount retail store. 1 The Cadbury Dairy Milk 110g bar, which comes in a special 'Congratulations' gift sleeve originally scanned for an eye-watering £5. But the mouthwatering treat will only set punters back £1.25 after making a return to retailers. Sweet-toothed revellers flocked to hail the find. "I want one," one shopper said. A second added: "Yummy!" A third revealed: "I got three today. "They've already been eaten." Cadbury has more new products coming next month. It is adding to their Twirl range with a limited-edition Twirl White Dipped bar, which will be available from early June 2025. This new version combines the classic Twirl milk chocolate layers with a smooth coating of white chocolate. We've outdone ourselves with this one' say Cadbury Ireland as they reveal new limited edition bar 'coming soon The iconic chocolate brand shared the news in a post on Facebook earlier this month. "OK but we've really outdone ourselves with this one," it told chocoholics. It described the new flavour as "unreal, indulgent, smooth, swirly, creamy, melty, new, and mouthwatering." However, the confectionery veterans also revealed that this new buy "won't be around forever". So once this exciting new bar hits shelves, Cadbury fans may want to stock up while they can. "Introducing Twirl White Dipped, keep your eyes peeled for when you can get your hands on it," the post read. The launch image showed the famous flaky texture of a Twirl bar en-coated in white chocolate instead classic milk chocolate. Cadbury representatives confirmed the bar is set to hit shelves on June 2. Making a comeback Earlier this month, chocolate fans were buzzing with excitement after spotting a new Cadbury treat that brings back fond memories of a beloved classic. The discovery was shared in the popular Facebook group, Food Finds UK, where shoppers were quick to notice its striking similarity to the nostalgic Cadbury Tasters. The new treat, named Cadbury Dairy Milk Balls, is said to resemble the discontinued Tasters, which first appeared in 1996. These small, round Dairy Milk chocolates were similar to Maltesers but lacked the crunchy centre. Despite their rich, chocolatey taste, Cadbury Tasters were quietly discontinued in the mid-2000s due to low sales. Top discontinued products Here are our top discontinued snacks - including picks from our team... Fabulous Bakin' Boys Cupcakes Consumer reporter Emily Mee says: "It was always a good day when I spotted these in my lunch box at school. Putting a layer of chocolate on top of a vanilla cupcake is a simple idea but a genius one. I would pay good money to try these again..." Ready Salted Chipsticks Head of Consumer Tara Evans says: "Ready Salted Chipsticks. Why did they get rid of this classic flavour? Some people think ready salted is boring - but why mess with a classic? I often feel taunted when I see the salt and vinegar version in shops." Coco Pops Rocks Tooti Frooties Senior consumer reporter James Flanders says: "Tooty Frooties were a chewy blast of childhood joy. Scrapped after 50 years, they were Britain's alternative to Skittles - and in an age obsessed with nostalgia, bringing them back just makes sense. Lots of dupes can be picked up at budget supermarkets but they just don't taste the same." White Maltesers While the milk chocolate version is still going strong, White Chocolate Maltesers were pulled from shelves in 2014. Mars said it was a "difficult decision" at the time, and fans still post comments on its social media pages calling for it to come back. Heinz Toast Toppers Out of all the discontinued products, this is one of the ones we see the most calls for to come back. The creamy cans came in a variety of flavours like chicken and mushroom or cheese and ham. They were binned in 2015 after delighting shoppers for decades. Cadbury Spira Another of the regular calls we see is for the Cadbury Spira to return. The chocolate featured twin bars in each pack which were formed into a spiral shape, with six hollow tubes running through each one.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'How can Geri rubbish the legacy of the Spice Girls... who does she think she is?': As furious row erupts, sources VERY close to the band tell KATIE HIND their withering verdicts on 'lady of the manor' Geri
When the Spice Girls lived together in their modest semi in Maidenhead, before they achieved pop stardom, they would speak endlessly about misogyny in the music industry. Repeatedly told that they wouldn't get on the cover of magazines because 'women don't sell', or being spoken to rudely by male record label bosses, they grew more and more angry. They would, I'm told, spend evenings discussing how they could change the world to make it a better place for women and girls.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Robbie Williams takes a dig at Beyonce with playful jibe as they both bring their tours to London
Robbie Williams has taken a playful swipe at Beyonce as the two both played concerts in London over the weekend. The former Take That singer, 51, took to the stage at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium while Beyonce performed at Tottenham's Stadium just four miles away. During his show on Friday, Robbie couldn't resist poking fun at the American singer, 43, who is in the UK on her Cowboy Carter tour. According to The Sun, while encouraging a sing-a-long to Bon Jovi's Livin' On A Prayer, Robbie quipped: 'You won't get that at a f***ing Beyonce gig.' Robbie admitted he was 'anxious' in the lead up to his 38-date tour, saying: 'I turned to my wife [ Ayda Field ] and said, "Babe, I'm anxious about this." From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'She said, "Rob, you behave like this is normal. You behave like you have to do this for the rest of your life. You behave like stadiums is where you're supposed to be." ' Robbie said this was all the encouragement he needed as her words changed his 'perception'. Beyonce is playing six nights in London this summer on June 5, 7, 10, 12, 14 and 16 - with the first kicking off on Thursday. While ticket sales for her 2023 Renaissance world tour in the UK sold out within minutes of being released it hasn't been quite the same this time around. On Thursday there were still 539 free seats left in the stadium which holds around 62,000 people for concerts. The cheapest seats available for the show were £71 for obstructed view seats while the most expensive were £278 for seated in better areas. The ticket sales may reflect less interest in her country-tinged Cowboy Carter material compared to her dance-friendly Renaissance material. The singer–songwriter also may be struggling to get fans who saw her on her whirlwind Renaissance tour to come back just two years later, this time at even higher prices. Over the past few months Beyoncé appeared to have drastically slashed prices at some of her shows in order to get fans to buy the unsold tickets. Some fans who saw her in LA were able to nab tickets as cheap as $35 before Ticketmaster's fees. It comes after Beyoncé insiders have lifted the lid on how she has become a record-breaking billionaire. The Houston-born superstar and her husband Jay-Z became music's first billionaire couple and are now worth around $3billion. And in a new interview those who have worked with her over the years have revealed how her work ethic that is on 'another level' and her attention to detail have been reflected in her impressive bank balance. Producer Larry Griffin Jr worked with the star on her 2011 album 4, told The Times Culture magazine: 'She knows exactly what she wants. It was one of the most intense weeks of my career.' She recorded a whopping 75 songs for 4 and had to narrow them down to just 16 for its release. In an example of her incredible work ethic, she hosted listening parties where family and radio people scored each song from one to five. Other insiders pointed out how the attention to detail on her current Cowboy Carter tour show 'another level' of planning and precision. Architect Ray Winkler helped design sets for two of her tours and said in the Times interview: 'The visual landscapes of her shows are just extraordinary.' Choreographer James Alsop worked with her for her song Run The World and added: 'She was involved in every aspect'. James explained how she rarely took breaks, eating and drinking as she rehearsed. Others who have worked with her also tell how she will watch tapes back of her shows to see how she can improve next time.
