A strange day.
A good friend of mine flew back to London from New Zealand. He had a small claims hearing.
His best mate got the train down from Manchester to be there. His business partner and I just had to get up in the morning and get across town. We didn’t need to be there. Just there to support.
There’s a queue outside the county court and then you have to go through the metal detector. It’s all quite intimidating but if you’ve seen the video of Marianne Bachmeier you’ll know why it happens. Lots of people coming in in the morning. What has everyone been up to?
I was just there as emotional support really, I didn’t go into the hearing itself. They were out almost immediately though as the judge encouraged them to settle. A settlement was reached, with lawyers mediating. It was all a very sad thing. I’m glad it’s over.
My first time in a court of law though, even if it was just to support a small claim, still a weird experience.
Afterwards we all went to Dulwich and to this colossal venue that they are running – a castle in the middle of an estate. The best friend and I just hung around a bit and ate Wingstop for lunch. Emotions were still running high after the settlement, not because of the settlement, just because of the circumstances that led to it. I don’t want to write about it – it doesn’t feel like it’s my thing to write about, but it felt … correct to spend the day in the little group that’d met at the courthouse this morning.
In the evening an early dinner with Lou and Brian, frying up some of the excellent chorizo I bought from The Hampstead Butcher, and throwing it into a bowl of pasta pesto and kale. Easy and tasty comfort food. Then I played with Boo and she accidentally pawed my face with her ferociously sharp back claws and now I have a little straight gash on my cheek that I reckon will be showing for a week or two and for the first time in ages I’m glad I’m not on set right now.
A sad day but it’s done now. As Brian would say, Onwards for Glory.
AlBarclay 