A day in the life................
........... of a juror.
Monday
9.45am: Arrive at court, sit in Jury assembly room awaiting further instructions.
10.00am: Watch rather simplistic video outlining proceedings and responsibilities.
10.15am: Listen to Jury Officer repeat everything that was said in the video and explain how to complete the (self-explanatory) expenses claim form.
10.30am: Buy disgusting cup of tea from the tea-bar, remembering not to interact with members of the public whose case you may or may not be hearing.
10.31am: dispose of disgusting tea in nearest plant-pot and write little note to self to remember a flask of good tea tomorrow.
10.31am: commence knitting.
12.30pm: Listen to Jury Officer who reads out two lists of names. As own name is on first list, I must go out for lunch before returning at 1.45pm. Names on second list are told to go home.
12.45 - 1.15pm: Eat large jacket potato in seedy little cafe and return to court early to escape the disconcerting stares of strange man in said cafe.
1.15pm: commence knitting.
1.45pm: Jury Officer announces that there has been an administrative delay, he will tell us more in half an hour.
1.46pm: carry on with knitting.
3.30pm: Jury Officer returns (funny kind of half-hour) and announces that defendant has decided to plead guilty so there is no trial and we should report back at 10.00am tomorrow.
4.00pm: Arrive home to resume normal daily activities.
Today was more of the same except I got to go home a little earlier and did not have to endure the disgusting tea. My knitting is progressing well and I am hopeful of finishing the body of the jumper by the end of the week. So much for public duties..............
At the weekend, I headed home to Leicester for a very special occasion - my mum's 80th birthday. My BB (big brother) and his partner had offered to hold a surprise party for her so there have been many phone calls and emails to discuss food, timings, guests, drinks (no, Bethany, you may not have Absinthe) and how not to raise her suspicions. She knew something was going on so I had to tell her that all she needed to know was that a taxi would be picking her up and she needed to look nice. Anyway, all went smoothly and even when we arrived at BB's house, Mum still didn't know what was going on until the door to the sitting room was opened and she saw all the guests.
She enjoyed it!
And there was cake:
lovingly made my eldest niece.
Mum is something of a "Silver Surfer" so BB and I got her a new LCD monitor for her computer but of course I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give a knitted gift as well so she got this:
an enlarged version of "Argosy" from Knitty.com using HandMaiden Lace silk in Periwinkle. My Dad is treating Mum to a day-trip on the Orient Express so hopefully this wrap will be part of her posh frock outfit on the day; failing that, I'm sure it can be pressed into service when they go cruising round Australia and New Zealand later on this month (jealous? me? hmmmm).
We all went out for a lovely Sunday Lunch here the next day and I, for one, will not need to eat again until next Wednesday at the earliest.
All in all, a birthday weekend to be remembered. Now there's three more family birthdays this month, just hope they don't all expect the same treatment!
Monday
9.45am: Arrive at court, sit in Jury assembly room awaiting further instructions.
10.00am: Watch rather simplistic video outlining proceedings and responsibilities.
10.15am: Listen to Jury Officer repeat everything that was said in the video and explain how to complete the (self-explanatory) expenses claim form.
10.30am: Buy disgusting cup of tea from the tea-bar, remembering not to interact with members of the public whose case you may or may not be hearing.
10.31am: dispose of disgusting tea in nearest plant-pot and write little note to self to remember a flask of good tea tomorrow.
10.31am: commence knitting.
12.30pm: Listen to Jury Officer who reads out two lists of names. As own name is on first list, I must go out for lunch before returning at 1.45pm. Names on second list are told to go home.
12.45 - 1.15pm: Eat large jacket potato in seedy little cafe and return to court early to escape the disconcerting stares of strange man in said cafe.
1.15pm: commence knitting.
1.45pm: Jury Officer announces that there has been an administrative delay, he will tell us more in half an hour.
1.46pm: carry on with knitting.
3.30pm: Jury Officer returns (funny kind of half-hour) and announces that defendant has decided to plead guilty so there is no trial and we should report back at 10.00am tomorrow.
4.00pm: Arrive home to resume normal daily activities.
Today was more of the same except I got to go home a little earlier and did not have to endure the disgusting tea. My knitting is progressing well and I am hopeful of finishing the body of the jumper by the end of the week. So much for public duties..............
At the weekend, I headed home to Leicester for a very special occasion - my mum's 80th birthday. My BB (big brother) and his partner had offered to hold a surprise party for her so there have been many phone calls and emails to discuss food, timings, guests, drinks (no, Bethany, you may not have Absinthe) and how not to raise her suspicions. She knew something was going on so I had to tell her that all she needed to know was that a taxi would be picking her up and she needed to look nice. Anyway, all went smoothly and even when we arrived at BB's house, Mum still didn't know what was going on until the door to the sitting room was opened and she saw all the guests.
She enjoyed it!
And there was cake:
lovingly made my eldest niece.
Mum is something of a "Silver Surfer" so BB and I got her a new LCD monitor for her computer but of course I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give a knitted gift as well so she got this:
an enlarged version of "Argosy" from Knitty.com using HandMaiden Lace silk in Periwinkle. My Dad is treating Mum to a day-trip on the Orient Express so hopefully this wrap will be part of her posh frock outfit on the day; failing that, I'm sure it can be pressed into service when they go cruising round Australia and New Zealand later on this month (jealous? me? hmmmm).
We all went out for a lovely Sunday Lunch here the next day and I, for one, will not need to eat again until next Wednesday at the earliest.
All in all, a birthday weekend to be remembered. Now there's three more family birthdays this month, just hope they don't all expect the same treatment!
posted by Annie at
3:09 pm
4 Comments:
Happy 80th to your Mum...she looks wonderful!!!
Jury duty...sounds exactly the same as what we go through on this side of the pond. But the last time I did it I wasn't a knitter. Torture, I tellya!!!
By
Sheepish Annie, at 12:27 am
Ah well, at least you can be productive at your knitting :)
Lucky Mum, with parties and cruises and posh train trips - sounds wonderful!
By
Hellbelle, at 12:38 pm
Yo, mum, my site is back up ^-^
http://www.scifilullaby.co.uk/bhec
No need to update your link to it though, I've set up a re-director thing.
By
Anonymous, at 7:22 pm
Love the lacy shawl you made for your Mum. It is beautiful
By
Anonymous, at 5:22 pm
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