I have had a bad night! I woke, looked at the bedside clock, noted it was 7am, got up, went to the iMac, but the clock was the wrong way up and it was nearer 2am! Socks wanted to get up, having had a bad evening with the fireworks during which he hid behind the washing machine. Back to bed after replying to a couple of emails.
I then had one of my recurring nightmares, this one featuring Redbridge Magistrates’ Court. David Keller, former Deputy Clerk to the Justices, rang to tell me they were desperate and would I sit with Shirley Rudge and Richard Hoskins in the Fire Enforcement Court. Justices smiled as we entered the retiring room - in a sort of sympathetic sort of way as if to ask why these old codgers had been brought out of their care homes!
There was only one appearance so we committed him to the Old Bailey, much to the amusement of David Keller, but Michael Faraway, Clerk to the Justices appeared and told us not to be so silly - so we sent the defendant home with a slapped wrist while Mr Faraway gave David a sound kicking where it hurt.
David took us outside the courthouse where a man ran up to say that I should not be sitting as I was retired but - quick as a flash - David told the man that I had been elevated to the House of Lords and could therefore sit. The man got down on his knees, but Shirley told him not to be ridiculous - as Shirley would, of course. Richard suggested we had lunch but we walked the length of Barkingside High Street and found nothing that was suitable - then I woke up to find that Socks really did want to go out!
Have a good day and an even better week! Outside the 'season of mist and mellow fruitfulness' is with us for I can barely see down the garden.
