Silencer - Day 6

Man-hunk alert - shoulders as wide as the world.

Silencer - Day 5

Peekaboo!

Silencer - Day 4

Just how does he look so gorgeous all the time?

Silencer - Day 3

Curls, eyelashes, lips and stubble. What more could a Vixen ask for? (OK, naked body...)

Justice At Last

Almost 19 years ago, in April 1993, this young man, Stephen Lawrence, age 17, was murdered by a gang of youths in Eltham in London, stabbed to death at a bus stop. I remember seeing it reported on Teletext almost immediately as a racist murder, but strangely the police didn't treat it as such. After all, Stephen and his friend Duwayne Brooks were black, weren't they? It must be a drug thing.

With this mindset, the police couldn't help but mess up the investigation, and it was far too long before they took it seriously enough to harvest evidence.

Even when they started to investigate in earnest, they failed to achieve a conviction, and the case was dismissed due to insufficient evidence. As a result of the case, a lengthy public enquiry took place which concluded that there was institutionalised racism in the Metropolitan Police. Stephen's parents took out a private case against those believed to be the perpetators, but this too failed.

Four years ago the police began a review of the case, which led to these men, Gary Dobson and David Norris, being brought to trial. The reporting of the trial has been painful, as mistake after mistake by the police and forensics experts were highlighted. It sounded as if cross-contamination would lead to an acquittal. Then there was the forensics expert who had deliberately taken the labels off evidence when he lost his job.

Today, at last, these rabid racists have been found guilty. Three of the original five gang members have still not been brought to justice. But at least, tonight, two aging thugs are behind bars for this savage crime, and the Lawrences finally have some measure of closure.

The bus stop where the attack took place has a memorial plaque, which has been vandalised and now has a security camera trained on it.

Stephen had wanted to be an architect, and the Stephen Lawrence Architectural Centre stands a mile or so from here, its aim to encourage young people in their pursuit of a career in architecture. Even before it was finished, the expensive patterned plate glass was vandalised, and stood boarded up for what seemed like years. I wish that could be the end of such evil.

Silencer - Day 2

I love to see him hunkered inside his warm jacket.

The Wrong Arm of the Law

Solicitors (for my non-UK readers, these are lawyers of the workaday, but still very well-off, kind, who handle home conveyancing and wills, rather than the people who represent you in court, who are called barristers) should of course be upright, honest and capable of keeping one's business to themselves.

As my will needs rewriting, I walked into an office in the local shooping centre and made an appointment. "You'ree lucky," I was told, "We have 10% off will-writing at the moment." As prices were from £85, this seemed to be quite a good deal.

On receipt of the first draft, I was informed that the cost would be over £100, so when I returned the draft for amendment, I asked for a breakdown. This bill duly announced that the cost was £85.50 including the 10% discount, plus VAT (Value Added Tax) at 20%. Mmmm.

Included in the pack there was also a document from somenone else's file, complete with her name and phone number.

Today I phoned her and told her how I came by her number. She was not pleased. What's more, she is being charged the "standard fee of £85" (no mention of discount). So apparently this company is dishonest, incompetent AND breaks confidentiality.

Think I'll go elsewhere. But hey, thanks guys for the draft, so I can present the completed article to the new firm.

Silencer - Day 1

I'm sure this shot was never intended to be frozen for all time, and for our delectation. Yet here it is!

Brother's Keeper - Day 7

Don't worry, Bobby, it's not Frank, just the sucker he sold your coat to.



Happy New Year, everyone!