A tribute to Martin Wood on the occasion of his retirement, by Marilyn Stowe
Marilyn and Martin, with friend An invitation from Barrister Martin Wood to afternoon tea at the Devonshire Arms Hotel in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, to celebrate my retirement from family law in 2017, seemed perfect. They do a very good spread with various teas to choose from and a glass of champagne. I wasn’t aware that the ‘walk in nearby gardens’ casually mentioned beforehand, planned by the man described in the 2021 ‘Chambers Guide to the Bar’ as a ’phenomenal advocate’ actually meant a steep climb up Trollers Gill, a ‘limestone gorge dripping with ferns’ as it is picturesquely but not wholly accurately described. Martin doesn’t embellish his words as I should have remembered. Had I done so, I would not have been dressed for tea in a Roland Mouret dress with shoes by Christian Louboutin. Martin didn’t notice the issue and up we went. And up and up. Then we had to descend. “Come on Marilyn’ he said as he bounded down the hill like the practised hiker he is, as I staggered dow