Just for the record

This is a guest post

For the record and for clarity, my name is Bryan Rylands (pictured). I am the public face of The Shepway Vox Team. I am one of nine members of the team. 

I have been the public face of the Team since Sept 2016. Before this Shepway Vox was just me.

Since late 2016, the Team have received many legal letters threatening defamation, yet not once has any of these letters come to anything.

In 2017, I took the Council to tribunal over the Biggins Wood Viability report. The Council officers present at the Tribunal were Andy Jarrett, Peter Wignall, Alastair De Lacey and a lady officer whose name I do not know. At this Tribunal I disclosed I had a certain illness – of which I will talk of more further on – I did so in front of all present, judge, lawyers and council officers.

In 2019, twenty eight of the thirty Cllrs agreed not to receive, or respond to, emails from me within weeks of their election. Only Cllrs Prater and Fuller (both pictured) did not go along with the Council’s decision. This decision taken by the 28 Cllrs, and the Council, is still in place today. 

Two months after the local election in 2019, Cllr Ray Field (pictured below) publicly attacked me, punching and kicking me. Cllrs were present, yet not one reported this to the monitoring officer – Amandeep Khroud (pictured below), or Kent Police. I did. Neither took any further action as the witnesses (the Cllrs) were not prepared to say anything. The Council informed me my complaint amounted to an unreasonable persistent complaint and as such would not be engaging with me to find a suitable solution.

Since 2020, Folkestone & Hythe District Council have sent me four letters from their lawyers Bevan Brittan. Each of them threatened this, that and the other. All of the statements contained therein were not based on fact. One of them banned me from all their land and property; which meant I had to travel by train to get my Covid jabs, as I could not have them in the former Debenhams building, nor in the Council car park, as both were/are owned by the Council.

Now here’s a thing many of you will not be aware of, and I am sharing for the first time. I have lived with Catatonia since I was seven. So more than 50 years. It has disrupted large parts of my life, ie education, exams etc. But nonetheless, I did manage to get an education and pass exams. 

The type of Catatonia I live with means I shut down. I don’t move. I go rigid in whatever position I am in when it strikes. Once I was sat on the toilet for 3 days, frozen, rigid. Once I was cooking and the kitchen caught fire. Thankfully, a dear friend, true friend was with me, so no harm done. While catatonic, I can’t speak, nor do I respond to external stimuli. This can last for seconds, hours or even days.

In this catatonic state I have had so called “friends” steal my wallet and spend my money. Steal things from my home. They have hit and punched me as they believed I was “messing around“. These people are no longer in my life for obvious reasons.

In 2021 and 2022, I had texts and emails from Cllr David Wimble because the team exposed his untruths, like getting a summons for non payment of Council Tax, for driving around with no tax or mot, he decided to call me a “schizo twat” a “schizo c**t” and a “schizo wanker” and more, much much more. But of course, the Council’s monitoring officer took no action, even though he drove the car with no tax, or mot, to meetings for which he attempted to claim expenses. 

In 2022, I got on a train to go to Reading and ended up in Penzance. In 2022 I got on a train to go to Peterborough, and ended up in Edinburgh. Moving around can be hazardous and expensive, as not every train company is understanding of my condition.

As you know, I am standing for Cllr in the forthcoming elections in May, so I am openly and honestly declaring my illness, not because I want your sympathy, but because you deserve to know. If perchance I am elected, then I need you to know if I don’t respond to your email, or take your phone call in a timely manner, it may be because I’ve gone catatonic.

Since the 1 Jan 2023, I’ve had three episodes; which have lasted in total nine days. Nine days I know nothing about. Thankfully no trains have been involved. My illness does not allow me to drive for obvious reasons.

All told, since my illness began when I was seven, I have lost more than nine years of my life, when all the catatonic episodes are added up.

I do not know when my illness will strike, there are no warning signs. It just happens. Think of it like a fuse blowing in a plug. It can last for a brief second; which you would not notice, or it can last for days. After the episode passes, I am left with a bad stutter which lasts between 24 to 72 hours. 

Finally, last Friday night/Sat morning, I was attacked in my own home by assailants unknown as they were wearing masks. I suffered two broken ribs and one fractured one. My friend and team member, John Taylor, stepped into the breach to take over posting duties for our Shepway Vox articles. For a man who strongly dislikes social media, and with no social media accounts, he did a good job, and I thank him. That’s what a team is about, helping and supporting each other when necessary. I love the team and thank them all for their assistance during this difficult week. They are my friends and have been since childhood. I love each and every one of them for their continuing and ongoing support.

Love & Respect