Sober As a Judge

CECIL IS STILL AS FRESH AS EVER WITH THE FINAL STORY IN THE THURSBY SERIES! THESE TALES AND CHARACTERS DONT CHANGE MUCH OVER THE YEARS AND THE PROSE REMAINS DELIGHTFULLY LIGHT

An appreciation by Phillip Taylor MBE and Elizabeth Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers

The final story in the Roger Thursby trilogy is called "Sober as a Judge". A great title for a book which recounts Thursby's imminent elevation to the bench and how it was done some sixty-odd years ago, it is written by that master legal story-teller and experienced county court judge, Henry Cecil, and remains a delightful read to this day. But be warned that you need to think about this story in relation to the time it was written: the 1950s with the values and approaches of that time which he covers with light prose.

Thursby, who is described as "in the flush of youth" whatever that means, is about to be elevated to the High Court Bench. He feels the considerable weight that will rest on his shoulders with his new judicial responsibilities. And Cecil brings much little comedy to the various sub-stories throughout "Sober as a Judge". Cecil will, of course, be known to many readers for his short stories so the structure of his books is often a collection of stories woven together. Such tales always make for a delightful read.

The theme for the final storyline is that Thursby's one-time school friend, Plummer, decides to ruffle him a bit, and literally takes him for a ride- and then stages an introduction to a night club entertainer who proves a bit embarrassing to our "Sobersides Roger". Do remember with some caution the time when the stories appeared and the values of the time which may be somewhat 'quaint' by today's standards.

This theme plays tantalizingly across the court room scenes which dominate the book - and comes up with a surprise ending which we will not give away. To be expected, Roger Thursby manages to keep his name out of the headlines and the gossip columns (no social media then) while "lending distinction to the court through a succession of cases of varying interest". And that is why the books are still worth reading today because the legal issue (naturally) do not change.

Once again "the intricacies and the foibles of the English law"- enlivened by knowledgeable sub-plots – complete the Roger Thursby story and the reader does, of course, like Roger. It is another set of stories from Cecil to treasure during some downtime from the realities of court room life.