Hello there

Today’s Inquiry hearing started at 9am this morning, which necessitated an early start. I managed to fight my way through the commuters to Aldwych House in London, which was more that today’s witness, Ben Foat, Post Office General Counsel, managed.

As you can see from the screenshot above, Foat gave evidence remotely. If you want to know why, and more importantly, the “highlights” from his testimony, do take a look at my blog post: “Ben Foat. On His Terms“.

If you want a blow-by-blow account, do read the live tweets, nicely formatted and (hopefully) sitting on the live tweets page of my website. I’m sorry that the formatted live tweets from Mike Young’s evidence on Tuesday appear have glitched. Thanks to the secret emailer who pointed it out. I’ve raised a ticket.

I missed most of John Bartlett’s evidence yesterday, but spent most of my journey to the Inquiry this morning listening to what he had to say on YouTube at double speed.

Here are a couple of takes on his evidence from other sources:

Met Police investigating senior Post Office worker over evidence destruction allegation – Computer Weekly

Post Office continued to use racist term for black workers until 2016, inquiry told – The Guardian

Make Good – the Post Office musical

I was on Times Radio this afternoon to talk about the Inquiry. Immediately following my chat was an interview with Jeanie O’Hare, who co-wrote Make Good, the Post Office scandal musical, which debuts in Ludlow tonight, and might soon make its way to a theatre near you.

I am not going to be able to make it until it reaches Clapham in London on 8 November, where I think I’ve agreed to take part in a Q&A after the matinée performance. I know nothing about the production itself, but I can chat about the wider scandal and the work of the Horizon Scandal Fund, which the musical’s producers are kindly supporting through their ticket sales. Come along if you can! I have no idea what we’re in for.

If you do get to any of the dates before me, please do consider sending in a review for publication on my blog. If you’re not allowed to take any photos of the cast and crew (maybe ask them nicely after the event in the lobby – I know they don’t often allow cameras in the auditorium), make sure you take a photo of the publicity material on the outside of the building and send that to me too.

Speaking of Live Events

Janet Skinner, who was mentioned at the Inquiry today by her barrister Ed Henry KC, will be my guest in Otley on 22 November for a talk I’m doing called Post Office Scandal; the Inside Story. Evening tickets are all sold out, but I think there are still about 50 tickets available for the matinée. Given we’re about a month away, they may well all go, so please do book now if you were thinking of coming.

Goodbye Stef

Today was the last day of work for Stef, the Inquiry PR person who has been fielding my annoying questions for the best part of three years. She’s off to Paris to work for the OECD, which is nice.

It was also a delight to see former Subpostmasters Jo Hamilton, Terry Seeney, Jasvinder Barang, Tim McCormack (who took the photo below in the lobby of Aldwych House at around 8.30am) and the legend of journalism that is Karl Flinders, who is on the left in the photo below.

Karl has not yet received his medal, but I told him I expect him to be wearing it next time I see him. The green bag in the foreground of the photo contains some cake (M&S, not home-made) which I brought in for Stef.

Stef very kindly offered to risk her job by smuggling a slice into the Inquiry hearing room for me to eat, as I was too busy to come out much during the breaks, but I declined. I thought it was best she leave Sir Wyn’s employ with an unblemished disciplinary record.

Half-term hiatus

The Inquiry is taking a two-week break before reconvening on 4 November. There will be eight more days of evidence over two weeks and then a break until closing statements, which I believe are going to be on 18/19 December, but I may have got that wrong.

All the best guesses about when Sir Wyn Williams will deliver his report after that seem to be between three and six months. I would be astounded if he gets it out before the end of March, but he might want to deliver it before the summer break. That is simply a guess. He might want to do War and Peace and take up to a year on it, who knows?

In the meantime, I better start looking for a proper job.

Thanks as ever for all the correspondence and tips which keep coming from secret emailers all over the world. I am very grateful.

Have a fine weekend.

Nick