Reflections - the sequel...Pt 1

Well, that's finally over. And how did my 2024 stint compare with my 2014 stint? Well, not so good...it was obvious from my first day there that, despite the ten year gap, the functioning of the court services had got worse, and not better. 

The building was much the same (in fact, I rather doubt it had seen so much as a lick of paint in the intervening years!) and the security had been beefed up considerably - I recall bag searches the last time (to be expected) but now the entrance boasted two detector arches and the hand-held 'wand' detector to be passed every day, occasionally causing long queues to get in. On the second Tuesday, despite being in my bag for the rest of the time and being passed unremarked, a set of metal eyebrow tweezers was noted in my handbag, removed and I was given a receipt to pick them up at the end of the day. What they thought I could do with them, heaven only knows! But I complied, rules are rules and left it out of my bag for the next day.

I had expected the passage of time to have provided a lot more IT and automation, but no - the admin staff were still shuffling cards and paper around, despite the presence of a large screen behind their desk units in the corner that remained tuned to BBC News when it could have relayed important information to the waiting jury pool. The staff seemed far less efficient than I recalled from last time when they kept things moving rapidly and were always super helpful when approached. On one day we were treated to the surreal sight of  them calling up 5 groups of ten people (for a long trial) by one lady laboriously reading out the wanted names from a sheet of paper to another lady with the microphone who then called them out, giving a 'Chinese whispers' air to any hard-to-pronounce name - either give the lady with the list the mic, or give the list to the lady with the mic, it doesn't take TWO of you! 

Frequently, as a result of getting there earlier than necessary (an earlier bus meant I avoided the school run) I'd be waiting in the jury pool room and witnessed jurors approaching the corner to request a form for expenses, or to sign in - which only first week jurors were required to do - and be told by the person manning the desk to 'come back in half an hour'. Despite being there and clearly on duty, they were reluctant to actually start work until some pre-determined time has passed. I never did figure out what time that was. 

The less said about the food in the jury canteen the better, I don't recall it being good the last time, but it was dire now - I ordered a sausage sandwich one morning on the first week, and it tasted of...nothing. I tried a so-called 'steak burger' at lunch and it was inedible. Steak? From what animal? Luckily, in the years since the last stint, Wanstead High Street had sprouted a M&S Simply Food and a Greggs!  

As this is a long post, I'm going to take a leaf out of Zach Snyder's book and publish it in installments.