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Mrs Gay Edwards has been appointed High Sheriff for the Isle of Wight for the year 2009-2010. Further information. To contact the High Sheriff, please email her. Latest diary 26 January: We do not have High Court judges sitting on the Island so I was invited to go to Winchester to sit with Mr Justice Nigel Teare. He is hearing a murder trial involving a group of four young men. I was given the parking space marked High Sheriff and met by Peggy Durrant whose official title is, I believe, the Judges Butler. Whatever she is officially there to do, she is kind enough to look after visiting High Sheriffs from other counties as well as those in Hampshire. They are very lucky to have her and she has been kind enough to be on the end of the telephone for the occasional piece of advice or information. The morning began in court with the barristers having a legal argument that the judge had to give a ruling on. That done, the jury came in and the trial continued. It was fascinating hearing the various witnesses give their evidence and to hear how this varied from witness to witness. Lunch was taken with other judges sitting on cases in the courts that day. As luck would have it I caught up with two old acquaintances, Andrew Barnett and Guy Boney who were in that day. It was lovely to see them both. Mr Justice Teare and I then went back into court until the afternoon stopped rather early because one of the witnesses had not turned up. It remains to be seen why this had happened, but I got the impression that it was felt he had just decided not to come. He will have to be summonsed now. Silly boy. Being taken through the details of the case and what was happening by Mr Justice Teare was definitely having the Rolls Royce treatment. I loved the day and found it very interesting and well worth the visit. 24 January: St George's church in Arreton is reputedly the coldest church on the Island, indeed our now retired bishop, Kenneth, used to say it was the coldest church in his diocese. Frankly I can now believe it, but the welcome was very warm and kind and we saw quite a few friends and acquaintances there too. They very kindly asked me to read one of the lessons. I always think this is a very inclusive invitation. Afterwards we were treated to sherry and so lots of the congregation stayed to chat. It was lovely, but cold. 23 January: Vectis Radio is an on line radio station and has its being in a small office in the Quay Arts Centre in Newport. Where else? I was invited to join them at 9.45 when Steve Ray said some well chosen words to announce it being on air and then DJ Ian Mac brought me in to have a chat. It was great fun and I would be happy to accept Ian's invitation to go back at some stage and be a guest. More power to their elbow because this is real community radio, serving the Island in whatever way the Island feels it needs this kind of help. Any of those hard-working voluntary groups will be able to get some air time to help them raise money and tell us all what they do. And of course there is music. 22 January: Tim Cole is the head of the Crown Prosecution Service in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and he kindly gave me some of his time to tell me about his work. Most of us know about the CPS but not what their difficulties are and why it is quite important that we do. It is too easy to complain when the newspapers report on a court case that has not gone ahead and we feel that as inevitably means justice is denied for the victims of the crime. Equally, as has happened recently, a case is brought which the public feels should not have been. What we should know is the difficulty of making some of these decisions and that they are usually, who can say always, the best outcomes for the public's benefit. Read the complete diary |