126 My writing this is all a bit of a mistake. It’s a mistake which started some eleven years ago. In October 2010 I was having breakfast in my flat in the Middle Temple, sipping my tea, munching my toast and catching up on my correspondence. After paying a few bills, I noticed an email from Brentwood School. It was from someone who styled himself ‘Michael Willis, Head of Politics’. I wondered whether this was Young Mr Willis who taught me when I was 13. Was it Young Mr Willis who was straight out of University and was called Young Mr Willis to distinguish him from Old Mr Willis. Anyway, whoever this Mr Willis was, he had invited me to deliver a speech on the evening of 11th March 2011. He said that he was asking me because it was “well known” that I “might give the sort of respectful and empathetic talk that would go down well”. “Well known”. “Respectful and empathetic”. “Going down well”. I was flattered. In fact, I was so flattered that I replied at once by email, pressing ‘send’ almost before I’d stopped writing - “of course, I would be delighted to give a speech to the School on 11th March 2011”. So, I finished my toast and set off from my flat to my Chambers with a spring in my step. I imagined myself addressing the assembled School at the opening of some new building, or taking the salute at the annual CCF Inspection, or presenting the prizes on Speech Day. I felt sure that the Headmaster would be particularly keen to hear my views on Section 159 of theWater Industry Act 1991 on which I was (and indeed still am) one of the country’s foremost experts - even though I say so myself. Then it began to dawn on me that a Friday evening in mid-March was unlikely to be chosen for Speech Day or the opening of a new building, and my career as Colour Sergeant in the CCF probably did not qualify me to take the salute at the annual parade. So, when I got to work I composed another email to Mr Willis Head of Politics, My memories of MikeWillis
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA4ODM=