Resident judge Charlie Walden is back, to preside over five new cases
from the Bermondsey Crown Court. Retired resident judge Peter Murphy
takes us back to the world of criminal trials in South London, with
Charlie keeping the peace between his fellow judges--Marjorie, "Legless"
and Hubert--while fighting off attacks of the Grey Smoothies, the civil
servants who seem intent on reducing the court's dwindling resources to
vanishing point in the name of "business cases" and "value for money."
Fortunately, he has Jeanie and Elsie's lattes and ham and cheese baps,
and newspaper vendor George's witty banter, to sustain him in the
mornings; and in the evenings, the Delights of the Raj, or La Bella
Napoli, to enjoy with the Reverend Mrs. Walden.