Inn & About
Number 45, Autumn 2025
Portrait of Lord Slynn of Hadley GBE
Recently a portrait of Lord Slynn of Hadley, former Treasurer of the Inn and one time Second Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, has been kindly donated to Gray’s by the late Lord Slynn’s family.
Master Timothy Shuttleworth, Master of Pictures, writes: ‘The Inn is greatly privileged to own a new portrait in oil of the late Master Slynn (1930 -2009), the gift of Richard Slynn and his sister, Dr. Gillian Slynn, Gordon Slynn’s nephew and niece.
Held in high regard at Gray’s where he was Treasurer in 1988, Gordon Slynn was a distinguished lawyer particularly in the field of European Law, and later eminent Judge, serving on the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords from 1992 until his retirement in 2002. The portrait shows Lord Slynn in his robes as a Life Peer. It was painted when he was Master of the Worshipful Company of Broderers, a Livery Company formed with the aim of promoting and protecting the art of embroidery, an institution dating back at least to the fourteenth century.
On the left of the portrait (as you look at it) is the Edmund Harrison Livery Cup (hallmark 1611) presented to the Broderers Company in 1628 by Harrison.
Lord Slynn’s motto features: Conari intellegere meaning ‘endeavour to understand’, an expression surely of empathy that characterises Gordon Slynn and the task of every good judge that Lord Slynn not only sought to be but was.
The artist is Eleanor Boorman who also painted Lord Slynn for the Order of St John in 2006. She has a portfolio of fine work in oil and watercolour and has received several Royal commissions. Miss Boorman is also a talented sculptor. Her moniker is “Noodles” which appears on this portrait too though it is not to be confused with “doodles”. That description might more readily be reserved for the only other study we have of Lord Slynn (the collage in the Small Pension Room apart) being a rather poor drawing, which happily this portrait now replaces! It will take its place in the Bingham Room.’
Master Hilary Mantel
Readers may recall we mentioned the TV programme The Mirror and the Light in Graya News 44. One part of this caused offence to at least one of our Bencher readers for which we sincerely apologise. Master Mantel was of course much loved in the Inn.
Lord Etherton of Marylebone GBE
The death on 6 May of Master Terence Etherton, former Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice (2016–2021) came as a considerable shock to the Society. A tribute to him will appear in the next issue of Graya.
When discussions about the commission for his portrait were ongoing at the Inn in 2016, it was characteristic of Master Etherton that he was quietly insistent that his wedding ring marking his marriage to Andrew Stone in 2014 should figure prominently in the composition.
The artist Keith Breeden has more than made good that heartfelt request in his magnificent portrait of Master Etherton which for the past eight or nine years has hung outside the Large Pension Room.
Two Upcoming Lectures 2025
As previously announced in the Spring issue of Graya News, the first of the remaining History Society Lectures for the year will take place on Thursday, 25 September at 5.45 pm in the Bingham Room. The guest speaker is the celebrated cultural historian Lucy Hughes-Hallett who will deliver a lecture entitled ‘The Scapegoat: the Brilliant Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham’. The History Society is particularly delighted to be hosting this lecture as Miss Hughes-Hallett’s recently published biography on the Duke of Buckingham has received excellent reviews.
The History Society Lectures are free and all members of the Inn are most welcome to attend the event with up to two guests. Each lecture lasts no more than 40 minutes and places should be reserved via GIOS.
The Sixth Annual Inns of Court Selden Society History Lecture will be hosted by Middle Temple in their Hall on Tuesday 11 November 2025 at 6 pm when the guest speaker will be Lord (Jonathan) Sumption, the distinguished jurist and historian. His lecture is entitled ‘The concept of Judge as Historian’. Tickets for this event may be obtained through the Middle Temple website. The lecture is also to be streamed live.
Some Recent Memorable Occasions at the Inn
After Pension on 23 July, the Treasurer presented Silver Griffins to Masters Stephen Richards, Maurice Kay, David Seymour, Christopher Sallon, Kenneth Parker, Wendy Joseph, Charles Miskin, Jacqueline Perry, Michael Butcher, Richard Marks, Richard Macrory, Eleri Rees, Michael Sternberg and Patrick McCahill to celebrate their 50th Anniversary of Call. Master Eleanor Platt also received a Silver Griffin to mark her 65th Anniversary of Call. Several of us felt that she should have received two!
At the annual Picnic on 20 July a bench was unveiled in memory of Lucy Atkins. Her father, Master Richard Atkins gave a most gracious speech of thanks.
The versatility of Hall as a lunchtime venue was well evidenced recently when the former staff of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions held their annual reunion – the convivial gathering blending with the groups of students and regular diners.
The DPP’s small office ceased to exist in 1986 when its staff were subsumed into the newly formed Crown Prosecution Service and the DPP became the head of the national organisation. Yet nearly 40 years on, it was able to muster 34 at lunch. They included the Reverend Doiran Williams who joined Gray’s in 1949 and, at 99 years, is now one of the most senior members of Hall and may be its oldest. He had a distinguished career, becoming the Principal Assistant DPP and was responsible for pioneering the Fraud Investigation Groups (investigations guided by lawyers) which were the forerunners of the Serious Fraud Office. Retirement at 60 was mandatory and Doiran subsequently took holy orders and served his ministry in Worcestershire where he still preaches a couple of times a month!
Stephen Parkinson, the current DPP, also attended having joined the former DPP’s Office shortly before it ceased to exist; and he overlapped briefly with Doiran. The warmth and informality of the Bridge Bar was perfect for catching up and nostalgia before settling down to an impressive lunch. It was served in the splendour of Hall under the careful supervision of Philip Craig – before returning to the Bridge Bar where news, stories and anecdotes continued to flow until 8.00pm.
Image carousel
Penny and Nick Hamilton celebrated their Golden Wedding with a renewal of vows in May this year, having been married (of course) in the Inn. They were kind enough to share with us some lovely photos of both occasions, with her grand-daughter wearing in 2025 the dress which Penny’s bridesmaid had kept for 50 years.
Vivent Les Femmes
In 1962, Master Michael Beloff moved a motion at the Oxford Union, which was passed, in favour of admitting women to full membership of that institution. A plaque was unveiled at the entrance to the Union’s library on 21 June. It is worth mentioning at this point that the Treasurer, the Chair and Vice Chair of the Management Committee, the Master of Finance and the Chair of the Barristers’ Committee in the Inn are all women. We have come quite a way in 100 years.
Long Service and Departures
The Treasurer marked the long service of several members of staff at her Reception this year, presenting a bottle of champagne to Kathleen Loach and Steve James to mark their 30 years of service, and Esmidian Agamez Casarrubia who retired as Housekeeper after 17 years. We should also mention the departure last year of another long-serving member of staff, Anna Teng: we wish her a long and happy retirement after more than 35 years’ service in the Accounts Department.
Explore more from this edition
The Summer Extravaganza
Amy Oliver On Saturday 26 July, Gray’s Inn members and their guests stepped back in time at the Summer Extravaganza, exchanging the 2020s for the 1920s in all their glitz…
Trinity Call 2025
The Treasurer called to the Bar 78 members of the Inn in late July. As has become a new convention for Trinity Call, the ceremony of Call took place in…
Popular Myths at Gray’s Inn: The Night of Errors
In this article, Master Timothy Shuttleworth examines the first recorded performance of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors at Gray’s Inn in 1594, famously attended by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Focusing on the debate over the precise date of the staging, Shuttleworth weighs the evidence from contemporary records, Gesta Grayorum, and later scholarly analysis. The piece situates this landmark performance within the history of Gray’s Inn and its connections to Elizabethan theatre.
Philips 40 Years On
The Advent of PACE and the Crown Prosecution Service Master Stephen Wooler 23 May 2025 marked 40 years since the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 received Royal Assent, establishing an…
