I can’t tell you how bothered I am by this!

I am very much over keeping on top of my husband’s tomato project while he is away. Made 8 boxes of passata yesterday. There is no more room for tomato sauce in fridge or freezer. And I never want to see another tomato.

A soon-to-be-ex friend recommended fish collagen for y’no menopause stuff. But the smell is making me gag. Suggestions please? What can I hide it in? Have tried milk, OJ and water. And are there any good sorts which don’t smell of fish?

I’ve been asked to speak many times about gun violence over the last decade….and here are some thoughts on my experience @wbur.org @cogwbur.bsky.social www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/...

I'm not usually keen on the author of this piece, but this interview is excellent. Partly because everything the interviewee says is true. www.theguardian.com/law/2025/sep...

How many tomatoes is too many tomatoes?? 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 Because I am not sure how much more of this stuff I can make and freeze…. “You’re gonna need a bigger boat*” *freezer

Foreword. It’s foreword not forward (at least it is when you are talking about books and not movement). I know this makes me an insufferable pendant, but there we are… ‘tis who I am.

I can’t actually do The Times crossword, but I recognise the description of what its like, the way the act of ringing to take you out of your day to day worries, and the awe when you sit silently in the tower as the bells vibrate all through your body.

Ahem. Anybody else miss this new policy from Cafcass? “Practice guidance for LAs & Cafcass in public law proceedings when the independent advice of the child’s G & the assessment by the LA about the safety & best interests of the child are fundamentally different”: www.cafcass.gov.uk/sites/defaul...

The pointlessness of UK constitutional commentary on US events Why there is little or nothing useful now to say on US constitutional events from a UK perspective And what UK now needs to focus on Substack emptycity.substack.com/p/the-pointl... Personal blog davidallengreen.com/2025/09/the-...

Yesterday’s pretty trio of Somerset churches: St Michael’s, Minehead, Old Cleeve and Samford Peverrel. No scenery pics to show you because weather was filthy for most of the trip. Minehead first - 10 bells. Unusual peal boards. A v handsome church.

Bad knee has become feckin painful knee. 17 has kindly helped me hobble back in from the car having admitted defeat (was supposed to be going for a scan on another broken bit of me), and kindly set me up with ice and a cuppa. Unfortunately, the “table” my tea is on is not very see through…

Quite astonishing. It isn’t *just* the use of chat GPT either. Worrying on a number of levels. Does nothing to enhance the reputation of the bar.

Parents who hid tracking devices in children’s gifts advised to ‘take stock’ after judge rejects their evidence www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/parents... #FamilyLaw

In other news: Finished my book updates! ✅ Go me!

You know you’re old when you injure your knee on your nightly stagger to the bathroom for a 3am wee…my bad knee is now my good knee, cos my good knee has overtaken it… my dog walk today was decidedly slow, but that wasn’t all bad cos I got to stop and absorb it. And it does feel better for moving.

Good morning from the #BarCouncil September meeting and later the #BarCouncilAGM. Please follow along for updates from our meetings as we discuss the Harman report on the indep review of bullying & harassment and hear updates from the Chair of the Bar and the Chair of the Bar Standards Board.

Me 2 gp: I’ve got another sinus infection, here are symptoms & all the OTC remedies I’ve tried b4 contacting u. Can I have abx pls? Gp texts Q. Reply by link. Gp texts another Q. Reply by link. Gp text: it seems as if you may have a sinus infection (me: no 💩!). Go to pharmacy: ask them for abx. Bye!

Good to see the crisis in resourcing of the family justice system being highlighted. We are failing families as a result of these issues say the Public Accounts Cttee…

I have noticed that the shadow on 17’s ceiling looks quite creepy. And then I realised it looks like Fenella the kettle witch and I can’t unsee it…. #ShowingMyAge www.dailymotion.com/video/x9mamuk

Had a mini-read of bits of this earlier when passing looking for something else. Must read it properly. Meanwhile, the DARVO loop stuff left me with strong vibes of the battle of wits (never go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line)… www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMz7...

Father v. Mother (Fact-Finding: DARVO) [2025] EWFC 284 (B): Fact-finding in private law proceedings, concerning abuse allegations by both parties. F's allegations not found. M's allegations proved. F's allegations found to amount to 'DARVO'. www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWF...

The ring road around our town is now an avenue of cable tied union jacks. Our beautiful RCJ now features an image of a judge bludgeoning a protestor with a gavel. I could rail about what’s upsetting & wrong about all this but 90% of the BTL comments make it clear no-one is interested in listening.

Colleagues we have a problem…(The Harman Review puts it beyond doubt): www.pinktape.co.uk/equality/col...

Poorly dog had her first walk off lead post-op yesterday. Happy faces all round. (Off lead until she saw the chicken, that is. She completely missed the frozen 🐿️)

In good news, I saw a wild black rabbit, 2 huge fallow stags & a herd of does (slow thru Powderham) & 2 enormous birds of prey (1 on the ground looking right at me & 1 flying alongside the train at eye level). In bad news, have a 🦠y cold, 2 tissues left, trains fecked & I won’t be home much b4 10.

NEW Meme cases and the failure of public legal information The discussions around cases such as Lucy Connolly and the Epping asylum hotel show ready access to accurate and reliable material is not enough By me at @prospectmagazine.co.uk www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...

I’ve just introduced my teenagers to fizzy strawberry bootlaces. Not sure how they have escaped exposure before now but I think my work as a mother is done…

I’ve just introduced my teenagers to fizzy strawberry. Not sure how they have escaped exposure before now but I think my work as a mother is done…

😬 Journalists 1 : lawyers 0. www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2025/news/jo...

Once upon a time, it seemed open and free links to reliable legal information would undermine such flights of political-media fantasy, but no. The links are there, un-clicked. People don't care what the actual law is and what judges actually said. They want to believe.

Both the Lucy Connolly and the Epping hotel cases have now taken on a political-media existence of their own, unconnected with what actually happened in court. It doesn't matter there were published sentencing remarks in one and a judge-prepared summary in the other. People want stories instead.

The rainbow hexicardigan for my niece is finished. I need some time by myself for my eyes to recover.

I would really love it if if became socially acceptable / felt safe to call out the train arseholes that watch shit on their phone without headphones… hoping the TFL campaign is the beginning of that…

I won the raffle!! Momentarily got overexcited, but its just an annual family ticket for the pier. Still, a lovely thing to have. I can go and visit the family plaques and say “brrr it’s breezy out here” whilst enjoying the horizontal rain… 🤭

Resounding decision from the Court of Appeal here, overturning the Epping asylum hotel interim injunction. (link is to press summary as judgment itself is not yet publicly available). www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/u...

Couple of recent posts on Pink Tape here (my auto post function is busted): One on the (most recent) HMCTS IT glitches: www.pinktape.co.uk/rants/court-... And one on the criticism of (the use of) DASH: www.pinktape.co.uk/rants/must-d...

serious investigatiom by ITV

“Domestic abuse screening tool doesn't work, minister says” I don’t know about other family lawyers, but I frequently read police disclosure where obviously (to me) high risk situations are classes as “standard” or “medium” risk under DASH… it’s quite alarming. www.bbc.com/news/article...

interesting points made here by @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social on the proposed replacement of immigration tribunals by .... something

The Guardian wins libel case against film producer Noel Clarke Judge finds Clarke "was not a credible or reliable witness." The Guardian was correct to suggest strong grounds he was "a serial abuser of women". www.theguardian.com/media/2025/a...

Entertaining spam email into Pink Tape inbox today: Dear familoo, Could you kindly tell me which kind of tapes do you need? We are the source factory. Thanks Mary (China)

How much expectation can you fit in one suitcase? www.pinktape.co.uk/rants/how-mu...

I mean, I hadn’t heard of Zizek, but this does sound like a fun and slightly warped game… (although I spend a lot of time at legal events trying to give the impression I know what the properly educated ones are talking about) medium.com/the-hairpin/...

The UK Emergency Alerts system will be tested on 7 Sept 2025 at 3pm. It shares warnings during emergencies like floods, wildfires and storms. Domestic abuse survivors with concealed phones might need to turn off alerts. Here's how you can opt out ⤵️ www.gov.uk/alerts/optin...

Hexi-cardi complete. 15 seems pleased. It was pretty easy - but very boring - to make!

It’s the 83rd anniversary of the clue “French port (6)” appearing in the Daily Telegraph. Which may not sound like much of a story, except that the next day, they printed the answer – Dieppe – and the day after that thousands of Allied troops landed at the very spot and the outcome was a bloody mess

Shocking normalisation of marital violence and aggression…

I've always said the requirement to provide a current 'How to Rent' guide would be the downfall of many landlords looking to rely on a section 21 notice. Add in 'stealth' changes to the guide in 2019 by MHCLG and cases like this happen. Possession order set aside. nearlylegal.co.uk/2025/08/not-...