So...Day 2. I felt more confident this morning, but only just! After the standard busy, hot train journey, I head down what feels like miles of escalators to the Northern Line platform. It does make me laugh how the underground works.

For anyone who doesn't know, the London Undergound is ingeniously split up into 6 zones which go outwards in circles around the city. Each zone you go through charges you a different amount, so if you stay within one zone, you pay the smallest fare. The court I was going to this morning, Hendon Magistrates, is in zone 4, so it's fair to say my oyster card took a hammering!! So a pricey trip, and 50 minutes. And anyone who spends 50 minutes on an underground train and enjoys it needs their head examining! Anyway. I digress.

After another taxi ride, I arrive at what is a dreadfully small court building, where it appeared that nobody actually knew quite where they were going or what they were doing. I went and looked at the lists (the schedule that says what case is being heard when and in which court room) and was my case there? Was it heck! So after asking a couple of random people if they were the barrister I was looking for and receiving disapproving shakes of the head and filthy looks, I decided that a cal to chambers was in order, given that the courts started sitting in 5 minutes. Turns out, there had been a rather cataclysmic cock up and the case was listed for the wrong day. So my barrister wasn't actually coming at all. My instructions were then changed, head to Snaresbrook Crown Court. This was fine, other than the fact that Snaresbrook is RIGHT across the other side of London! Tidy.

So after another 50 minutes on the Northern Line, followed by a quick change and another 45 minutes on the Central Line, I arrive at what is actually quite the most beautiful court I have ever been to! Snaresbrook Crown Court is an old country mansion that has been converted, SO lovely with fields surrounding it and big trees shading the entrance. I thought I'd landed on my feet being here! So I thought...when I looked at the lists for Snaresbrook (I already had been told which court I was in by the clerk) it said in large captial letters: NOT BEFORE 2:45PM. So that meant a nice relaxing 3 hour wait in the court cafe. Never mind! I quite enjoy people watching so not an issue really!

Then it came time to once again to play hunt the barrister. The tannoy was ignored, the second tannoy was ignored, and in the end, I happened to simply bump into the chap I was looking for was I was walking to the court room. Of course by "bump in to" I actually mean, saw him and ran after him and then tried to make it look like I accidentally caught him out the corner of my eye.

Then ensued a pleasant afternoon watching the goings on of a Crown Court which for anyone wanting to practice law is a must! And for those who really really want to practice it, it becomes almost like football fans going to the big match, most enjoyable! So that done it came time for another mammoth ride on a rather more crowded tube back to Waterloo before the train home.

One last observation though, on the train home, a bloke got on at the last minute with a folding bike, obviously there were no seats as it was the 5.05pm train back to Southampton and Weymouth so it was BUSY! But did that stop him? Out of his backpack, he produced a tiny little folding stool that he perched on. What a genius idea!! If you dont think you'll get a seat on a busy train, simply bring your own!

So what's tomorrow? Well to be absolutely honest, I'm not sure! The problem with my train home is that between Woking and Winchester, there is ZERO phone signal. So when it came to 5.30 and I had to call chambers, it took 6 attempts to finally get through. I then managed to get the case names, the barrister name, but somehow I misheard the court name! So there are two options, either Brent Magistrates Court in South London, or Thames Magistrates Court in North London. Excellent! So really I'm unsure what to do. After taking advice from a couple of friends, I think I shall get to Waterloo, then phone chambers as early as possible and see if I can get it clarified.

I am now going for a much needed shower. One thing you should beware of, being on the tube for any considerable period of time and you are left feeling like you are covered with a fine film of dirt and other peoples breath that has been mouldering away in those tunnels for years. Yuck!

Until tomorrow!