Jason Harding The Economical Gentleman · Vol. I
Ascot, BerkshireEst. 2006

A study in luxury, Jason Harding

The finest gentleman money can buy declined to pay for.

Impeccably dressed. Never once at full price. Jason has been described as "old money without the money" and he took it as a compliment, because it was free.

You are at jason-harding-is-a-barga.in — the URL is a complete sentence. The domain costs $7.83 a year. He still asked if there was a voucher.
Enquire About The Gentleman View The Menu
Jason Harding reclining in all black with dress shoes, photographed like a menswear editorial
Fig. 1 — The Gentleman at rest. Shoes: polished. Room: someone else's.

The Ledger

Audited annually · by Jason · findings: flawless
0
Pennies recoveredstreet-sourced, pre-owned
0
Meal deals consumeda £4,093.60 lifestyle
£0.00
Paid at full pricenot once, not ever
0hrs
Average Costa sittingone americano, regular
N/A
Salmon purchasedfigure under review
Jason Harding in shirt and tie, black and white portrait
The Profile

Tailored. Composed. Refunded.

Jason Harding is nineteen and dresses like he owns the building. He does not own the building. He has, however, asked the building if there is any discount for loyalty.

Currently on a gap year after college, which he is spending — and we have verified this — doing more studying. The man finished education and chose extra education. It costs nothing. That is not unrelated.

His wardrobe says trust fund. His receipts say £3.40, Clubcard attached. Witnesses report he once wore a full smart-casual ensemble to pick a penny up off the pavement, and somehow the penny looked grateful.

Why would I pay nine pounds for lunch when the meal deal is right there. It is right there. — Jason Harding, declining a restaurant invitation, twice
Cut Along The Dotted Line

The Voucher Wall

Printed, laminated, treasured. Redemption is between you and God.

✂
50p OFF
Literally Anything

Valid only while Jason is present to witness the saving. Cannot be combined with dignity. Expires: yesterday.

№ 0001 — NEVER REDEEMED, NEVER FORGOTTEN
✂
ONE (1)
Compliment From Jason

Subject to availability. The compliment will be about the deal you got, not about you.

№ 0002 — STORE CREDIT ONLY
✂
FREE
Jason Pays For Lunch

This voucher was printed in error. Legal has been informed. Please stop asking.

№ 0003 — WITHDRAWN AT SOURCE
Field Notes

Confirmed Sightings

Compiled from witness statements. All entries verified by people who wish they hadn't seen it.

SIGHTING № 017

Subject located in a church café, consuming a large slice of cake. Refreshments were donation-based. Subject confirmed, twice, that the donation was optional.

SIGHTING № 031

Premium Scottish salmon "borrowed" from a major supermarket. His word. Tesco has not been made aware of the loan and no repayment schedule exists. Allegedly. The quotation marks are doing legal work.

SIGHTING № 044

Observed harvesting loose change from the pavement outside Tesco. The patch in question was, by custom and common decency, another gentleman's pitch. The proceeds were spent within four minutes. Jason has been asked to reflect on this. He has not.

SIGHTING № 052

Subject reportedly paid full price for an item. No witnesses could be produced. Entry retracted.

Jason at a church café table with cake and tea
EXHIBIT A — № 017. The cake in question. The donation remained optional.
REC
Extreme close-up of Jason's face from below in a supermarket aisle
EXHIBIT B — CCTV, Tesco, aisle 4. Moments before the salmon incident.
Jason reading a book in golden evening light
Fig. 3 — The scholar at work. The light was free.
The Gap Year, Year One

He Finished Studying. So He Studies.

After completing college, Jason announced a gap year. Other men use a gap year for Thailand, poor decisions, or both. Jason uses his for additional studying, conducted at Costa, late, for hours at a stretch.

The arrangement is elegant: one regular americano purchases a heated office with furniture, lighting and a toilet until closing time. The staff have stopped asking if he wants anything else. He does not want anything else. He wants the table.

LocationCosta (the warm one)
Hourslate → later
Order1 × americano, regular
Effective rent54p per hour
Subject of studysee section below ↓
File HRD-2006/07 · Eyes Only · Do Not Photocopy (Costs Money)

PROJECT: BTD7

Somewhere between the meal deals and the studying, Jason is building something. He calls it BTD7.

The name is taken from a popular tower defence game. The project has nothing to do with the game. That is everything we are permitted to print.

What is known: it is developed at Costa, table 4, during the hours of late. Operating costs to date: £0.00, obviously. When asked directly about BTD7, the subject raised one finger to his lips and maintained eye contact until the questioner left.

STATUS ongoing, presumably
BUDGET £0 (he is very proud of this)
NDA verbal, enforced by staring
LAUNCH when it is ready, or when the voucher arrives
Jason holding one finger to his lips
SUBJECT, WHEN ASKED ABOUT BTD7 — undated
Appointments & Enquiries

Speak To The Gentleman

For matters of business, studying, tower defence (do not), or to report a penny on the ground anywhere within the Ascot area. Response time depends on whether the call is free.

📞 Call Jason — It's Free (He Checked)

He will hear it from anywhere in Berkshire.