The only TS on the jury.

An interesting week last week.

I was called for jury service at the local Crown Court at Dorchester and served on a jury trying quite a serious offence, indecency with a child by a C of E clergyman.  Plainly I have to be very careful not to reveal anything of the jury discussions but we did find him guilty on both counts.

Full marks to the court officials and staff who took my trans status in their stride as did, now I come to think about it, my fellow jurors.

I was very conscious of not being seen to lead the other jurors by virtue of my professional status and didn't tell them that I was a barrister until after we had decided our verdict.  Quite by chance I found myself foreperson of the jury which meant I had to chair the discussion and announce the verdict in court at the end of the trial.

The other concern of the week was whether the jurors would get to court at all.  In the early part of the week the snow interfered with transport, particularly on the high road between Sherborne and Dorchester.  I decided to leave the driving to others and caught the bus in.  On Tuesday evening it was a close run thing about getting home.  The police had closed to road to all but 4x4's but it turned out that included the bus, so we ploughed on steadily and got home a little later than scheduled.

It was a worry to know what to wear.  Elegantly female or snow-competant?  I certainly had no choice but to choose walking boots on two days when the snow was worst.  In the battle between my Jaeger Cashmere and athick  railway pea-jacket it was 4-1 to the cashmere!

And my TV appearance due on Monday evening last?  The snow also affected that!  BBC Inside out decided that they had a topical piece aboyut the Gloucester police coping with the affect of snow on transport..  I'm told that I will be on in a week or two and when I have a new date, I'll let you know.

My other bit of news is that I will be moving house in March, temporarily to Glastonbury and later in the summer to near Taunton, so 2013 is definitely going to be a year of new beginnings.  Perhaps in other ways as well?

I'll keep you posted

Robin Moira White

Stepping Gently into 2013 - and television!

Hello Readers!

Apologies for the silence over the Christmas period.  I was supposed to be resting up but in fact have been working hard clearing one set of deceased relatives house, settling the affairs of another, and, rather unexpectedly, accepting an offer on my house.

The last was at the end of 36 hours of mad cleaning, painting, tidying, shelf-erecting and gardening to make the place presentable (after a couple of months with another focus....!).  My present place is far too large for me on my own have has to go.  I had intended to put it on the market at Easter but the mountain came to Mohammed and my purchasers sought me out.

Before Christmas pretty much every step was painful and sitting down wasn't much fun either but at the end of the 'rushing around' period set out above, I found that I was walking and sitting comfortably again.  It would seem that matters have knitted together 'down there' in some useful way and so life is a good deal easier.  I wouldn't want to be running about and I am still careful about heavy lifting but it is all a good sign.  It does bring home the value of simple pleasures like sitting quietly or wandering down to the High Street.

I always intended to have matters 'over' before 2013 and absent a little residual electrolysis and laser treatment, I seem to have achieved that.  The bonus is that I also seem to have sold my house, which will allow me to settle affairs with my ex-wife and move to somewhere more sensible.

On, and if you are free next Monday evening, 21 January 2013, there will be a short piece about me on our regional current affairs TV programme 'Inside Out' at 19.30 on BBC 1 West.  Those of you from elsewhere can catch it on BBC i-player.

I am looking forward to a peaceful and pleasant 2013 but I do intend to keep blogging.

Bye for now

Robin Moira White