Judges


Once again, I had to move on. The Nike manager was offered a position with another business, which offered better prospects and the new manager had a different way of conducting business. I was called by the company I was associated with to drive a man and wife and give them special treatment and care as he was one of the most important Americans. I was not given a name but I was told to hold up a card with Mr. C on it when I met him at the airport. He approached me and introduced me to his wife. They were both old and extremely friendly and unassuming. They had a lot of luggage and as I was loading the boot a man came over, another American, and spoke to my passenger calling him General.

My passengers were very polite and never said a word and I got the impression they knew each other. He put the luggage in the boot, which overloaded it so that the lid was damaged in closing it. He didn't care he jumped into the car by my side, saying, “You don't mind me joining you General.” My passengers said nothing. We got into town and I was on the way to the hotel. The man by my side said, “This way please, my hotel is this way.” My passengers still said nothing so I took him to his hotel. He collected his luggage and I pointed out the dent he made in the lid of the boot but he dashed off without a word of thanks. My passenger said, “I hope you don't think all Americans behave that way.”

The next morning when I went to the hotel, my friend and co-guide, the wife of the Archdeacon of St Pauls Cathedral, was also there. She explained to me who my passengers were, and why the disrespectful man kept calling him General. He had been on of the finest judges in the USA and was appointed Attorney General to the president’s cabinet, becoming the Supreme Court Chief Justice in Washington DC. He had supervised and appointed, the judges at the Nuremberg trials. Although presidents changed he was still giving advice on legal and social matters.

We were on our way to Canterbury and my friend had me drive them to see some very old and exclusive buildings that archaeologists dug up. It was a site where many Christians were massacred by the Romans when they first conquered Britain. When we arrived at Canterbury we toured the Cathedral where there is so much to see including the shrines of Thomas Becket and the Black Prince. I showed the judge something to make him smile. On one of the walls was a record of a thief who was treasurer to the king. He was caught and sentenced to be hanged but he escaped and drowned himself. I told him that his surname was the same as my friend from San Francisco. I said, “So that's where the family got their money.” The judge knew the name because my friend had been president of Bank America. Being the wife of an Archdeacon my co-guide arranged for our passengers to meet the Dean of Canterbury. We had a light lunch and left. We didn't meet any of Chaucer's pilgrims unfortunately.

We were going to Woburn Abbey the next day. The judge told me that he had met the duke of Bedford, so I called to make an appointment. I was told that the only one of the family who would be there was the wife of the Marquess. I was to deliver my passengers to the office at 10am the next day and she would give the judge and his wife a personal tour of the historical building with all the fabulous contents. We got there early. I spoke to the secretary who sounded very pleasant. She said, “Just wait where you are, the Marchioness will be down soon.” We waited and waited. I spoke to the secretary again and this time she told me that the great lady had been called to an urgent meeting, but she wouldn't be long. Once more we waited. I was worried about my passengers. They would have never been treated like this in America. I got very annoyed and told the secretary it was disgusting to keep anyone waiting like this, let alone a famous Supreme Court Judge. Trying to pacify me she said that the best thing to do would be to go on the normal tour like other tourists and the great Marchioness would catch up with us. I apologised to the judge. He could see what was happening but being such a nice man he said nothing. When we got inside I spoke to one of house guides who told me that the Marchioness had been at a party the previous night and wouldn't be down until noon.

One day later in the tour he sat in at a Magistrates' Court and watched the proceedings. He gradually become more talkative and asked me about myself and wanted my home address. My last tour with him, finished up with me taking him to the American Ambassadors house. His visit was one of the highlights of my life. He sent me books about the Supreme Court and we corresponded and when Joan and I were in Washington he invited us to his chambers. His philosophy was to try and do 'good' whenever you could.

When I was told to meet a couple coming off the Concorde, I was informed that they were among the richest people in the world. I couldn't understand why they sent me instead of a driver with a Limousine. The couple were very fond of special gardens and horticulture in general. They had been coming to London for many years and always stayed at the same exclusive hotel in a suite of rooms. The head porter told me that the man was a bit strange. He would spend millions on some things and think nothing of it. He would tip waiters a week's wages but no one else, porters and drivers never got a penny. I drove them to Kew Gardens where I was able to explain some things they were unaware of. I also had to drive them for their meals to the finest restaurants even if I had to drive miles out of London. The day when I was to take them to the airport for their return to Palm Beach, the man called me aside. He asked how much he should tip me. I said, “I can't tell you that, it's entirely up to you.” He kept on insisting. I said, “Some pay, some don't pay. I don't drive for tips, I am paid for the job.” He seemed to be embarrassed. I told him that in this country the tip is usually ten percent. He said thank you and walked away. While I was driving them to the airport he handed me an envelope. I thanked him. Later I found that he had given me twenty percent. The next time I had to go to the hotel I told the head porter that I received a tip. He would not believe me, he said, “If he did I’ll put it on record because it was a first.”

One Saturday evening I had to meet an old couple at the airport and take them to a hotel in Victoria. They were unusually friendly and amusing. I helped them with their luggage and arranged to pick them up early Sunday morning. I took them a house with a policeman on guard duty. My couple went in and had breakfast with the hosts. A little later they came out. My couple got into my car and two men and a lady got into the other car. I followed the other car into a private drive. We were at the famous circular Church of the Templars. As we all got in I sat behind with the much younger man of the two. We talked and I discovered I was sitting behind the Chief Justice of England. The man sitting by my side was an ex-policeman, now bodyguard to the Chief Justice. He seemed to think that I was also a bodyguard. When we all came out the Chief Justice told me to take good care of his friend who was a wonderful man. I soon learned that the wonderful man was the ex-president of the American Bar Association. He had been the person who had given the speech at Runnymede when the President Kennedy Memorial there was opened to the public. 

I took him to the law courts where he met old friends among the judges; it was obvious he was well liked. However, the next day was not a happy one. His wife wanted to do some shopping. After lunch he had an appointment. We left his wife at the store, arranging to pick her up later. When he had completed his business, I drove him to pick his wife up and take them back to the hotel. As we got to the end of the turning, we could go no further. The road was completely jammed with traffic. A bus and a tanker had collided and a fire started. Fire engines ambulances and police were having trouble getting through. It took hours to get to the store. He was worried about his wife as she didn't know her way around and in any case nothing moved for ages, the store had closed and taxis were unavailable. He was getting more and more agitated. When we got to the store he was near to collapsing. But we had a big surprise. She was sitting on the steps of the store singing. We had to laugh. She had realised that we would be late as she had  heard about the accident. Until a few minutes before we got there she had had the company of a young lady. I got them back to the hotel safe and sound as I did the next day to the airport. It was a pleasure to have known them and be with them. I corresponded but he died soon after.