My dad was a barrister. He stood up in court and, in his stuttering speech, prosecuted people who contravened Customs and Excise laws. In a random notebook (of which my mum refused to throw away any, including old diaries from the 1930s – unwritten in) was one page that was written on in my dad’s terrible handwriting. So terrible that he had to write in capitals so he could read it. And clearly he was meant to read it as it sounded like questions he was asking a defendant or a witness:
‘WHEN YOU WROTE ON THE ENVELOPE’
‘ARE YOU AWARE ADMIRALTY’
‘WHEN YOU WENT INTO THE LOCKER ROOM’
‘WHERE WAS ELLIOT’S LOCKER IN RELATION TO YOURS?’
questions that were obviously key to his cross examination of a witness. He never ever talked about life in court, but because I found these notes long after he died, I could begin to imagine him standing there and asking those questions.