A fellow Old Brackenbrian, whom I saw at the annual old boys' bash in the Europa Hotel a mere week ago, has hit the headlines.How admirable, charitable, altruistic ... I could go on. Brian Hutton (the Right Honourable the Lord Hutton PC), a former Law Lord and Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, is helping at a church hall in west London, where he can be found working at a homeless shelter.
According to an article by the columnist Richard Kay in the Daily Mail, he helps to cook meals and hand out roll-up mattresses to the 30 or so men and women at the centre.
When on duty, he wears a hand-written tag marked simply with his first name, Brian. ‘Most people have no clue who he is or that he once sat in the highest court in the land,’ Kay is told.
Twice-married Hutton attends one of seven refuges set up under the auspices of West London Churches Homeless Concern.
‘He is there most weeks when he is in London,’ adds Kay's source. ‘On one occasion, Lord Hutton was chopping the carrots and peeling the spuds before even the cook had got to work.’
As well as helping with the food, Hutton talks at length with those staying at the shelter, many of whom suffer from mental health problems.
Admirable indeed. It is therefore a great pity that he will be more likely remembered for his inquiry into the death of Dr David Kelly. Some believe that his report left many issues unaddressed, but this was probably due to the constraints imposed upon him by the government at that time.
ReplyDeleteHe happened to be the unfortunate pawn in that particular Chess game.
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