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    January 16th, 2009

    Live your life with arms wide open
    Today is where your book begins
    The rest is still unwritten..

    Words and music by Natasha Bedingfield, Danielle Brisebois, Wayne Rodriguez, recorded by Natasha Bedingfield.

    I was greatly saddened today to read in the New York Times of the passing of John Mortimer QC, the creator of Rumpole of the Bailey.  Horace Rumpole, the consumate British barrister who was never destined to be awarded  a well-deserved “QC – Queen’s Counsel” designation,  lived large in the pages of the books written by Mortimer, forever quoting his lifelong mantra: “Never plead guilty!” Rumpole lived for the law, he never compromised his ethics and he sought justice when lesser lawyers would have taken an easier path.

    Following his days fighting Judge Bullingham in the Old Bailey, smoking his small cigars, he would return to his mansion flat at  25B Froxbury Court to be greeted by: “She Who Must be Obeyed” namely his wife Hilda, herself the daughter of a prominent QC and the former Head of Chambers where Horace practices.

    Rumpole set the standard for the trodden, but not beaten, barrister – who continues to hold his head high notwithstanding all the vicissitudes of life.

    John Mortimer QC was quoted by the NYT as being in the  “schizoid business of being a writer who had barristering as a day job.”  Budding writers would do well to follow his example and ‘live your life with your arms wide open, for your book is still unwritten’.

    To Sir John, tonight I will be raising a glass of “Chateau Thames Embankment” and toasting his memory…and saying a quiet word of thanks for many many hours of enjoyment spent with my friend Horace Rumpole.

    This entry was posted on Friday, January 16th, 2009 at 11:11 am and is filed under humour, Leadership and Strategic Planning, personal focus and renewal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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