Traveller Family's £10 Million Empire Dispute Explodes in High Court
A dramatic family feud within a prominent traveller dynasty has erupted in London's High Court, with two sons making explosive allegations against their father including violent assault and threats to destroy a carousel used at Hyde Park's famous Winter Wonderland festival. The bitter legal battle centers on control of a £10 million entertainment empire built over generations.
Violent Confrontations and Winter Wonderland Threats
Clayton Manning, 33, and Joseph Manning Jnr, 43, have accused their 65-year-old father Joseph Manning Snr of breaking Clayton's nose with a headbutt during a heated confrontation in July 2024. The brothers claim their father also split Joseph Jnr's brow open during the same incident. Beyond physical violence, the sons allege their father threatened to set fire to equipment destined for Winter Wonderland in October 2023, followed by specific threats to destroy the Hyde Park event's carousel a year later.
Richard Power, barrister representing the brothers' companies Mannings Organisation Ltd and Mannings Amusements Ltd, told the court: "Joseph Manning Snr has been engaged in a persistent and deliberate course of unreasonable and oppressive conduct, targeted at the claimant companies and Joseph Jr and Clayton Manning." He argued this behavior was "calculated to and has caused alarm, fear or distress" with serious business implications.
Business Sabotage and Unauthorized Intrusions
The conflict extends to alleged business sabotage, with claims that Joseph Snr attempted to prevent the family company from securing the Winter Wonderland contract. According to court submissions, Royal Parks received an anonymous letter last November urging them not to award the Winter Wonderland contract to Mannings Amusements. The barrister highlighted an incident on October 16 last year when Joseph Snr allegedly "unlawfully forced entry into the Dartford Winterland event, removing several locks and fence panels, and set up food stalls on the site" without permission.
This unauthorized intrusion reportedly prompted warnings from Bluewater site management that such disruptions could lead to event cancellation and jeopardize future contracts. The brothers are seeking an injunction to prevent their father from harassing company staff or interfering with daily operations, with a temporary order already restraining him from entering Winter Wonderland or Winterland events except as a paying visitor.
Inheritance Battle Over Family Empire
At the heart of the dispute lies a bitter inheritance battle over the Manning family's entertainment empire, which includes flagship attraction Old MacDonald's Farm and Fun Park in Brentwood, Essex, plus temporary funfair events across England. The brothers claim their parents, Joseph Snr and his wife Sindy Manning, 68, have reneged on promises that they would inherit the lucrative business.
Joseph Jnr testified about working weekends and school holidays from childhood, before leaving school for full-time work with 16-hour days during peak seasons. Both brothers say they used personal funds to purchase rides for Old MacDonald's Farm and the family's travelling fair, which participated in London's 2000 Millennium celebrations on The Mall. They now seek a court ruling entitling them to inherit shares in the farm business and other family assets, alleging their parents have "failed to act in good faith."
Father's Defense and Family Divisions
Joseph Manning Snr vehemently denies all allegations of violence and harassment, with his barrister Tom Grant telling Deputy Judge Andrew Kinnier that the brothers were actually the "aggressors" during the July confrontation. "Clayton, during this incident, strangled his father - then suffering from cancer," Mr Grant stated. The father claims he only attended Winter Wonderland events on advice from the Showmen's Guild to protect his rights under guild rules.
The family rift has created clear divisions, with the brothers' sisters Chanel and Shannon supporting their parents. Chanel claimed in written evidence that Joseph Jnr had "provoked my father deliberately," adding: "The only thing my father is guilty of is giving my brothers too much throughout their lives." Joseph Snr's legal team dismissed the injunction application as "confected" to engineer circumstances for imprisoning their father.
Business Restructuring and Financial Claims
The court heard that Joseph Snr transferred shares to his sons in 2020, creating a current ownership structure of 33% each for Joseph Jnr and Clayton, with Joseph Snr retaining 34%. However, the brothers removed their father as director of both Manning companies in September 2024 after appointing themselves as directors in July. Joseph Snr's barrister emphasized that his client "founded these companies and strove over many decades to make them successful."
Contrasting financial pictures emerged, with Joseph Snr claiming his sons' shares are collectively worth up to £7 million and highlighting Joseph Jnr's £1 million car collection including an Aston Martin and E-type Jaguar. Meanwhile, the brothers testified about modest wages - Joseph Jnr receiving no pay until June 2022 when he started getting £2,000 monthly, and Clayton receiving £500 monthly from 2013, with both payments ceasing abruptly in August 2024.
Deputy Judge Kinnier has reserved his decision on whether to extend the temporary injunction against Joseph Manning Snr, leaving the future of both the family relationships and the £10 million entertainment empire hanging in the balance.
