Mr Mead goes for a walk after his retirement . Mr F Mead , the eighty - six year old doyen of London stipendiary magistrates , has retired after forty four years on the Bench . Mr Mead was the oldest practising magistrate and was the best known . He described himself as the " Rip van Winkle " of the Bench . He was born only ten years after Victoria came to the throne and was reading briefs in the Temple before a score of the present High Court Judges were born . Photo shows ; Mr Frederick Mead ( right ) walking with an old friend , Mr H S Kennedy at Blackheath after the announcement of his retirement . 28 December 1933