Walking through Parliament Square we noticed a signboard in the street (above) offering a cafe and exhibition display in the Supreme Court. It was too late, I had to go through a metal detector which repeatedly rejected me, keys, watch and coins. I continued to set off the alarm and had to remove my belt. Asked to raise my arms for a body scan, my trousers slipped down much to the amusement of others in the vicinity.

The Museum display featured an astonishing collection of Gee-Gaws and Knick-Knacks presented by judicial equivalents the world over (third row above). Chillingly, a complete empty shelf, ten feet long, was available for new respectful depositions. Please study the three objects carefully, and particularly the cluster of Sheiks in a chocolate fortress. When dignitaries gurn for the camera during a ceremony of presentation, these objects will always be found at the centre of the image. Usually they are consigned to a cupboard, and it is to the credit of the Supreme Court that they are made public.

In the Cafe a giant bust of Edward VII stared balefully at the Activities Corner, a drab affair of colouring in of a badge and a ceremonial robe. The coffee was excellent and, as you can see behind the monarch, very reasonable.