One late Friday afternoon, when I worked at the Hammersmith and Fulham Law Centre, both Sue James and Sarah Taylor were unavailable—Sue was abroad, and Sarah was not in the office. Just before 5 p.m., a woman arrived at the Law Centre with her five children, all of whom lived with various disabilities and illnesses. She had just been turned away by the council and was in a state of deep distress. They were homeless, with nowhere to turn.

At that point, I had spent some time at the Law Centre sending pre-action letters to the council to challenge homelessness decisions. However, I had never had to act under such urgent circumstances, and I had never actually issued a judicial review claim before. I knew the theory, but that didn’t feel like a great comfort! I was panicking a bit, so I called Sarah. She reassured me and then said simply, “Call Spike.”

I had been introduced to Spike very briefly at an event after joining the Law Centre, but I hadn’t properly spoken to him. Sarah gave me his number, and I called. I distinctly remember feeling unsure what to call him, so I said, “Hello, Simon.” He laughed and told me to call him Spike. I gave him a quick summary of the client’s situation. While I can’t recall all the details of that call or the case itself, I do remember Spike’s palpable indignation at the council's actions and his deep empathy for my client and her children. I immediately felt calmer and more in control, realizing this was something Spike could handle in his sleep. His confidence and kindness helped guide me through that difficult evening.

It was almost midnight when I was finally able to message him to let him know that the family had been accommodated—only temporarily, but they were safe. Spike had remained available to me throughout the entire ordeal, and I was incredibly grateful.
Before joining the Law Centre, I had spent some time working with the Official Solicitor’s Office, where I had already developed an interest in representing clients who lacked capacity. However, that case, and Spike’s invaluable support through it, pushed me further in that direction. I remember talking to him afterwards about his experiences with cases where people with personality disorders were threatened with eviction for antisocial behaviour, even when it was clear they had no control over their actions. I was fired up by his passion.

There was never a shortage of cases involving vulnerable or incapacitated clients at the Law Centre, and from that point on, I took on more and more of them. This experience helped me develop the niche that has ultimately led to my practice in the Court of Protection. My time with Sue and Sarah at the Law Centre had a profound impact on my career and on me personally, but that case with Spike—his calm demeanour, his seemingly inexhaustible patience, his encyclopaedic knowledge of housing and homelessness law, and his humility in not seeing anything he did as remarkable—has stayed with me and inspired me ever since.

Over time, through many events, mostly at Garden Court Chambers, with Sue and Sarah, or locally in Forest Gate where we both live, Spike became a friend. I will miss him, and I will never forget him or what he did to help me.

Zena Bolwig.