Day 6 - Start of Week 2

Monday morning started off on a bright note with breakfast at Caffe Nero in Holburn. One of the benefits of starting hearings at 10 to 10.30am is that WH and I usually have time for breakfast and a cup of coffee. Many Londoners commute long distances to work, and as a result, the hearings at the RCJ are either by telephone or fixed to only begin in the mid-morning. I was to sit in with the Admiralty Registrar for a full day hearing, but as it had settled (as most things tend to do), I joined WH to sit in with another Master who was conducting a case management conference. The Master was extremely proactive and robust in his approach, and it was interesting and instructive to watch him as he made an unless order for the claim to be struck out if previous court orders were not complied with by a certain date.

Lunch at the dining hall was extra good, moroccan lamb shank as the main course, and chocolate tart for dessert. We had actually planned to tour the Temple church at lunchtime, but were glad in the end that we didn't miss out on the food. In the afternoon, we sat in with another Master for a long and fiddly discovery application, before heading to Harrods to wander around and buy gifts. We also had Krispy Kremes which were off the belt, but disappointingly, already cold by the time we sank our teeth in them. Dinner was at Cafe Rouge, a French restaurant at Whiteleys shopping center along Queensway.

Weather: Chilly but sunny.