You can have someone with you too.
That time I accompanied the company solicitor to the small claims court, he thought it was going to be an edumacation for me, seeing the big hotshot lawyer in the courtroom.
It was the UK office of a multi-national and the company solicitor saw fit to take a distributor to court over sums which were in dispute at the time, and the distributor had put all disputes in writing and the sales office were dealing with it.
For some reason knobhead inhouse solicitor started on that the man had run out of time, and issued court papers. When I discussed it with him he sneered 'well I hardly think he is going to take on a multinational company with our unlimimted resources is he?'
anyway the dist stuck to his guns and contested it and attended court. He stayed calm, only spoke and answered when spoken to by the judge. He came over as intelligent, hardworking man who had had to take a day out of earning a living (self employed) to attend court.
On the other hand our solicitor was pompous, arrogant, waffled on to the judge on 'legal points' etc.
Judge must have decided his judgement within 2 mins of each of them opening their mouths. I am not sure what exactly his finding was but I remember the pompous solicitor getting totally flustered and asking if the judgement could be set aside. I do remember we were ordered to pay the distributors costs as the issue should not even have come to court due to him having docs and emails to prove he was trying to sort out the supply disputes.
So, take someone with you.
Keep calm. No matter what this other person does or says, YOU are the sensible one and have nothing to prove. Let her/John Smith think they have one over on you. THe calmer you are, the worse they will appear. Judges hate nothing more than 'vexatious litigants' who waste everyones time and money over things that should just never be subject to legal procedings. Whatever she does or says, just smile sweetly at her, this will drive her insane. There is no need for you to say or do anything over and above respond to whatever the judge says to you. He is trained to ask a few questions in order to hone in on the truth of the matter.
Keep in mind all the time that this lunatic has done ALL THIS for £15.
I know that is not normal. THe judge will know that's not normal too.
I am hoping that he is letting it go to court just so that she will make a complete show of herself and he will award you your costs. Who knows, he may be letting it go to court because he is curious as to what this lunatic is like in real life!
Do you have someone to go with you? Even just to nudge you under the table if you start getting annoyed!
Oh and if its the same set up as the one I went to (in Wigan) its not like a full court thingy, its just a side room and you all sit round a table. Very civilised.