Jury Service

The very day of my 22nd birthday, I received a letter in the post from HRH. No, there was no mix up, and no I wasn't turning 100. At first my heart dropped as I thought I was getting a speeding ticket or something, but on opening the letter I soon discovered that I was being summoned for my duty as a jury member. Not only that, but I was going to the Old Bailey.

For those who are unaware, the Old Bailey is a court for some of the more serious cases in the country, seeing cases such as Jack the Ripper and the Kray Twins under its roof. While it was a little irritating that I hadn't been sent to a court more local, the hour's commute to central London was definitely worth being inside such a historic, famous court.

Having to arrive at 8 am on the first day meant I had to be prepared. I had no idea what to expect from jury service; I had been told by many that it involved a lot of waiting around and not doing very much. While I was able to finish an entire book during the course of my jury service, I didn't have to do very much waiting around at all!

Arriving on a Monday morning, my time as a member of a jury/waiting juror ended on Tuesday evening. The Old Bailey had requested over 170 jury members that week, which was far more than they had expected to arrive. However, I was at least lucky enough to be made a juror on a case, rather than sit around for two days.

I'm still unsure as to how much I am allowed to talk about in regards to the actual case (I think it's fine, but just in case!) so I won't go into detail. What is important to know if you are unsure if you are capable of being on a jury is that the entire case is directed towards the jury, ensuring you understand every detail of the case and what your decision involves. You don't have to have knowledge of the law, as what is important is outlined for you. If the judge feels the defendant or prosecutor is influencing you too much, they will say so. The judge on my case was so diligent in this that we were called back into court after we had been sent to deliberate, so that the judge could rephrase one word he felt had been too misleading.

The other jurors were a diverse group, ranging from a very opinionated working class middle aged man, to a psychology student, to an actual lawyer, as well as housewives and teachers. We were in the deliberation room for about 3 hours debating whether the defendant was guilty or not, before reaching a verdict. We were provided with water and toilets, but were locked in the room, with our phones/laptops etc. locked away from us. If anyone wanted to leave, we would have all had to have gone with them, and kept away from the rest of the courthouse. On reaching a verdict, we were to press the button for the bailiff, who would deliver a written verdict to the judge, before we were called back into the courtroom to announce said verdict.

I am a little disappointed that my jury service was so short as after becoming used to the commute and knowing what was expected of me, I found the experience fascinating. Even though the case I sat on was not particularly ground-breaking, it was still interesting to find out how it all worked. Even just having the chance to speak to other members of the jury, who I may never have had the opportunity to speak to otherwise, was an experience. I'm actually hoping I get called up again soon!

Dungeons and Drag Queens

Because I couldn't possibly get any nerdier, I have started playing Dungeons and Dragons, and y'know what? It's actually pretty fun.

If, like me, you are a creative person lacking an outlet for their creativity, Dungeons and Dragons just might be perfect for you. The only set backs are that you need a group of people who are willing to play each session, and you need to be organised. Making a character can be time consuming (especially if the DM* convinces you to be a sorcerer or warlock) but the more time you invest in your character, the more you can understand how to play them.

*DM-Dungeon Master: Not a player in the game, but someone who orchestrates the plot and acts as enemies/NPCs when the time comes.

For those who have no idea whatsoever as to what DnD is, it is a role playing, dice game where a group of characters are often adventuring on a quest (manipulated by the DM), fighting enemies and levelling up. It is not a computer game and does not involve any movement off of the sofa at all (unless you have so much gusto in your character that you feel it is necessary). Much of the action takes place in your imagination, fuelled by descriptions given by the DM or playing characters. Often the characters are fictional beings, i.e. Elves, Orcs, and Trolls etc. 

In researching your own character, you learn the characteristics of said character, and how they would react to others. For example, my current character is a Tiefling (a sort of demonic, humanoid being) who, because of their dark background, is met with suspicion from others, and so regards others as suspicious in turn. Therefore, when I play a game as that character, this will affect how I interact with other players and get the benefits and drawbacks of this character trait, i.e. I may not be able to trade as easily as others.

Aside from the work put into a character, DnD is a nice source of escapism into a fictional world where aims and quests are usually clear. Rather than just reading a fantasy novel, DnD puts you into the game, so you can act out your character's destiny and influence others around you. When your character defeats a boss, you are filled with elation, and join in the victory cries of your friends around you. When your character dies, you really feel loss, as all the work you put into your character is wiped out completely. If you want to rejoin the game, you have to create a completey new character, unless your teammates/DM revive you somehow.

The first time I played, I died, so I hadn't particularly had time to bond with my character. However, it definitely did not put me off, and I have played a couple of times since with a new character, and am gradually finding my feet. Some may choose to dress up as their character, and put on voices, but my group aren't quite there yet. Maybe after a few drinks...

Maintaining Red Hair

Red is probably the hardest of all unnatural hair colours to maintain (so my unprofessional Googling tells me), so since being an on again/off again redhead for the past 5 years, I am still perfecting the art of maintaining my colour.

While I am perfectly aware that the best way to colour hair is with a professional at a salon, I am too broke to be doing that every couple of weeks, never mind the fact that dying your hair at home feels like a science experiment. While I enjoyed science at school, the results never left the classroom, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Every month/6 weeks depending on how patient I am feeling (how poor I am), I touch up my colour using Schwarzkopf "Red Passion" or a different shade of my fancy. This colour is a bright red, but isn't pillar-box so I like to tell myself it's subtle. My hair is getting on the longer side now so I usually use two boxes so that I get enough coverage in my roots as well as the rest of my hair. My natural hair is chestnut brown, so while a red tone already exists in my natural colour, it is still quite dark, yet the dye works first time without bleaching. This is because the way the Schwarzkopf dyes work is that they use 'newer coloring technologies' (basically the dye bleaches the hair in the process). This means that it can be quite damaging, therefore I refrain from using it too often. However the colour payoff is great; vivid red that lasts a couple of weeks. If you wish to fade out the colour, depending on how often you have dyed it, it usually fades out to a brown colour, although as I have dyed my hair so often, (and therefore bleached it) it fades to a dull pink/red.

To maintain colour in between dyes, I use Osmo Colour Revive in "Purple Rouge". Osmo is a colour conditioning treatment infused with avocado oil that does not intend to act as an initial dye, but simply restores vibrancy to the colour of the hair. This particular shade is pinker than the red colour I dye it, so it gives me an opportunity to have fun with a slightly different shade without having to damage my hair further by dying it. While it does not get rid of roots, it can help to break up the root banding slightly by fading the colour into the regrowth. I guess it could also create some fun, semi-permanent colours on blonde hair too, although I am no expert, and don't claim to be! (subtle disclaimer so you can't blame me if it wrecks your hair)

Finally, everyone out there will tell you to wash your hair with cold water. That is sure to help, however I feel that life is definitely too short to have cold showers. Instead, refrain from washing your hair daily, instead using dry shampoo, and be sure to use heat protectants. A good conditioning mask every now and then is also definitely worth the investment. I recommend the Mark Hill Intensive Conditioning Mask, although it appears to be out of stock in many places at the moment, so I may be trying -this product- as a replacement.

I honestly believe that different things work for different people, so I thought I would write about what has worked for me. I only had my hair cut twice in the whole of last year, and it has survived direct bleaching, constant dying and colour changes with minimal damage. It has taken a while to find my routine, but now I have found it, I think I may be sticking to it for a while.