黑洞社区

锘縏here鈥檚 an overwhelming turnout when 黑洞社区 buys a pint for law firm Speechly Bircham - actually, they insist on paying because they are so many. It鈥檚 Halloween and Steven reveals that he鈥檚 planning to pay off any trick-or-treaters that come round later with hard cash rather than Haribo sweets. Nicola believes that trick-or-treat etiquette states that it鈥檚 only OK for kids to call round if you鈥檝e got decorations up. Steven agrees - he鈥檚 barred Halloween paraphernalia from around the house but apparently the kids just keep coming back - 鈥渁nd they鈥檙e his own鈥�, adds Michael.

Nicola made some cupcakes complete with meringue ghosts for the Speechly Bircham Halloween cake sale that day. Despite there being no baked contribution from Michael, the group agrees he is the culinary expert among them - although he hasn鈥檛 always had the best guidance when it comes to cooking. The first meal his dad ever cooked him was meatballs and spaghetti, but he went off-piste when it came to following the recipe and inside each meatball was a 鈥渃love of garlic and some branston pickle鈥�.

This seems to echo John鈥檚 rule: 鈥淒o something so badly that you鈥檙e never asked to do it again.鈥�

It鈥檚 not all cake sales and Halloween parties in the life of a construction lawyer, as Michael will testify. He has had to pull a few all-nighters at the office recently, as evidenced by his 鈥渟tress beard鈥� that appears on these occasions. Nicole says she could tell Suzy had been working all night the other week - not because she was wearing the same clothes 鈥渙r had a beard鈥�, chips in Suzy, but because she had that glazed look in her eyes and was 鈥渢alking in spreadsheets鈥�.

Despite the long hours the team still find time for sport and are quick to hail their 鈥渁ll-conquering netball team鈥�. In fact, Suzy is nursing a fractured elbow having 鈥渏ust dived鈥� at the ground in a recent game. Apparently Steven wasn鈥檛 that sympathetic as she had to give a speech the next day, telling her 鈥渏ust take a couple of Nurofen and you鈥檒l be fine.鈥� It sounds like he needs some painkillers himself after his lunchtime classes with Scott, the yoga teacher who 鈥渁chieves totally unrealistic positions.鈥�

Leanne鈥檚 activities outside of the courtroom include organising a surfing hen-do in Wales - well, co-organising it along with two others (鈥渢ypical lawyer鈥�, says Steven. 鈥渟pread the liability鈥�)

As well as catching waves the hens are being treated to a 鈥渕ale night-time performer鈥�. Leanne seems unsure how this will go down with the 84-year old mother-of-the-bride attending.

The conversation takes a dark twist as we ponder: if you had to escape from a burning building with either no arms or no legs, which would it be? Michael has a solution: opt for no arms and then run headfirst at a window. Possibly the first time a lawyer has ever offered this advice?