PW_1_2019

Vol 64 No.1 2019

The magazine of the International Police Association, Section UK www.ipa-uk.org

Estonia 25th Anniversary See Page 12

InternationalPoliceAssociation SectionUK

Lottery Winners See Page 27

EntryForm OverLeaf

The IPA website allows members to sign up for E-Alerts. What are E-Alerts, I hear you ask? • To sign up to it, you require an email address. • Once signed up you receive daily updates on News and Events which have been placed on the IPA Website. • Although the website has had E-Alerts since the new website was launched 18 months ago, there have been technical issues which have only just been rectified. To sign up, please go onto the website, any page and scroll down to the bottom, where it says “Useful Links” • You will see E-Alerts at the bottom of the list.

• Sign up for it and you will receive a link which you then have to verify. • Once that is done you should receive emails from the following morning. • Please be aware these emails may go into your mail box or into your Junk. This is ideal if you have a hectic lifestyle, but still wish to keep in touch with the IPA or you just want to see what’s new. There is a bug in the Safari v11 browser, which has been reported to Apple, so you may need to use another browser.

IPA Section UK Clothing Range Available to Order Section UK have created their own clothing store currently selling polo shirts, hoodies and jackets. All products are sold with the IPA Section UK logo and can also be personalised. The current product range can be viewed below.

Polo Shirt £16 + P&P

Hoodie £26 + P&P

Jacket £35 + P&P

Ladies Polo Shirt £16 + P&P

Sweater (ladies or men’s) £25 + P&P

Colour Variations Available

For detailed product descriptions visit the website or contact IPA HQ - Section UK by phone 0115 9813638 For overseas orders contact Richard Mattinson direct at ‘Stitch & Print’ on 00 44 16973 43546 or office@stitchandprint.co.uk

Mail Order: To order a polo shirt, hoodie, jacket or jumper visit: http://ipauk.stitchandprintstore.co.uk/ For all other items visit: www.ipa-uk.org/Shop . Items can be ordered by email, telephone or in writing to the International Police Association, IPA HQ - Section UK, 1 Fox Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 6AJ with a cheque made payable to ‘IPA’. Payment can also be made via a PAYPAL account.

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POLICE WORLD Vol 64 No. 1, 2019

Contents Police World The magazine of the International Police Association, Section UK

Vol 64 No.1 2019

Keeping You Informed 4 Keeping you informed Clive Wood, President of Section UK 5 National Council Meeting 2018 from the observer perspective Stuart Anderson, Cambridgeshire Branch Professional Development 6 Gimborn Road Safety Seminar Yvonne Taylor – North Yorkshire Branch Gimborn Seminars for 2019. Arthur Troop Scholarship 2020 is open for applications 7 Gang Tattoos and Forged Passports Steve Bretherton Feature Articles 8 The most isolated IPA member in the world Dave Sismey – Derbyshire Branch 10-11 Uncorking in Cork Conor Craig No.2 Region 12-13 I.P.A section Estonia 25th anniversary Kiran Gharial, London-North Social Secretary. 14 Flying visit to Kazakhstan Harvey Whittam, Life member. Thames Valley Branch 15 A sunny day in Crantock Mike Chappell – Cornwall Branch History, Culture and a Pint Michael Chappell: Cornwall Branch 16 Keeping Active in Later Life Ian Wilson 17 The Welsh once again meet that Irish Team for an Iconic Weekend Denis Hunt, Secretary, No 4 (Wales) Region 24 Me and Motorbikes; The lure of the dusty highway David Lewis, IPA Writers Group 26 IPA 35th Anniversary Celebrations in Ligano-Basso Friuli Dave Tetlow; Bolton Branch and Neil Baldwin; Rochdale Branch 28 Aiding Refugees in Croatia & Bosnia Michael Baker South Wales Branch 29 Russian Adventure Patrick Rout, West Yorkshire Branch 18-22 News 27 Competitions WIN one of these books published by Sphere & History Press 30 Classifieds 31 Diary Cultural Corner 11 Get Cultural in 2019 13 Grilling Lord Archer Eric Haworth – IPA Writers Group

Editorial Neil Hallam e-mail: mail@neilhallam.com Deadline for article submission for Vol. 64 Edition 2, 2019 is 21 February, 2019 . Dispatched April 2019.

Advertising Michele Rai tel: (+44) 115 981 3638 e-mail: michele.rai@ipa-uk.org

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General enquiries IPA HQ - Section UK, 1 Fox Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham. NG2 6AJ tel: (+44) 0115 981 3638 e-mail: mail@ipa-uk.org Printed by Bishops Printers, Walton Road, Portsmouth,

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Hampshire PO6 1TR Graphic Design by BDS 21 Ltd Membership

A guide to Region numbers 1 - Scotland Region 2 - Northern Ireland Region 3 - North of England including Isle of Man Region 4 - Wales Region 5 - Midlands Region 6 - Central and West London Region 7 - South & Southwest including the Channel Islands Region 8 - East Anglia Region 9 - Northern Home Counties and North and Northwest London Region 10 - Essex and East London Region 11 - Southern Home Counties and South London Region In Section UK, the membership comprises serving and retired Police Officers, Special Constables and members of Police Staff employed by a Chief Constable or other appropriately designated Chief Officer of the Police Service. The Section has a unique mixture of police personnel who are still serving, retired, or in some instances, who have voluntarily resigned from the police service. For details of who can join Section UK, go to www.ipa-uk.org/Join-Us Joining the IPA is FREE* and annual renewal is £28. Visit the website to learn about our promotional offers. To apply either visit www.ipa-uk.org or request an application form from the general enquiries team *terms and conditions apply.

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Cover Photo I.P.A section Estonia 25th anniversary Next deadline 21 February 2019 for publication April 2019

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ISSN No: 0032-261X

Keeping you informed

Keeping you informed I said last time how time flies and, again, this quarter has been no exception. Because of the deadline dates for this, the first Police World of 2019, we have not yet put up the Christmas decorations but I find myself wishing you all a very Happy New Year! So I do hope that you all had a safe and peaceful Christmas with family and friends.

F or those of you who have been a member now for a number of years, firstly thank you for renewing once again to continue your membership of our unique Association. I hope you continue to enjoy events within your Branch, Region or even internationally throughout the coming year and look forward to receiving updates from you in this magazine. For some of you having taken advantage of our 2018 free enrolment offer, and having now subscribed for your first year of full membership, this will be your first hard copy of Police World. I do hope you enjoy reading it and seeing the tremendous breadth of activities undertaken across the country throughout the year. Thank you for deciding to renew. If you have the time and energy to help out at Branch events I know you will be made really welcome and if not just attend a few events this year and make some new friends. Oh, and don’t forget: having made your first annual subscription, you can now avail yourself of opportunities to travel to Gimborn in Germany for professional development seminars with a £200 biannual grant. Further details are on the website, or contact VP Steve Bretherton who holds that portfolio. I know he would love to hear from you. There are some fantastic seminars running in 2019. Well worth the trip. You can also make use of our travel form to give you a level of reassurance when on holiday in other parts of the world, and even take a bit of a Busman‘s holiday to see policing locally and how it might differ from your own experience. Just contact our friendly and helpful staff at Fox Road for more information. I have reported in previous editions the fantastic response I have received. Now, whilst I was talking about Gimborn Professional Development Seminars, it struck me I should make mention of the Cultural Seminars which have been introduced this year thanks to the efforts of Vice President Sean Hannigan who holds the Cultural and Communication portfolio. I know Sean is planning a UK based cultural event this year called the “Crafty Copper”, looking at some of the wide range of skills our members have and how we might be able to introduce you all to something new. Further details will come from Sean in due course but I look forward to it. I also wanted to mention a significant piece of work being undertaken by Vice President Yvonne McGregor. Section UK have previously indicated a wish to host the International Young Police Officer Seminar for 2019 and

Yvonne is putting together a first class program for our international visitors when they visit Scotland in June. I am sure we will hear much more about that in future copies of Police World. Now a point for members both new and old. Are you a member of our lottery and if not why not? I recently got an email from Fred Boyd, our National Treasurer, telling me I had been awarded a grant from our lottery. He had advertised to all paying members of the lottery who wished to be considered for a development grant to put in a short report to him, which I had done. I’m delighted my application was successful and would really encourage you all firstly to be “in it to win it” and secondly to keep an eye open for these opportunities when Fred advertises again in the coming months. Finally I will just remind us all that we have our pecial 70 year anniversary next year when we will be running 20 events in 2020. I know many Regions and indeed some Branches are well developed with their plans. More advertised elsewhere in this magazine. I think next year will be a tremendous celebration of our Association and again I look forward to seeing as many of you at events both this year and next as I possibly can. In the meantime, until then, thank you for your continuing support.

Yours in friendship Clive Wood President Section UK

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Keeping you informed

National Council Meeting 2018 from the observer perspective Stuart Anderson , Cambridgeshire Branch Last year I was asked if I would like to attend the 2018 NCM as the region’s observer and I thought

“Yes, that sounds like a nice idea”. M y initial member journey started in the eighties when, as a fresh faced new Special Constable, someone mentioned the IPA to me. Not having any idea what the IPA was at the time I said yes, joined up, and became a very active member, attending committee meetings and soon became more involved as social secretary. This involved me arranging trips to York, booze cruises and other outings including Newmarket race nights. There then came a change in circumstances and I regrettably left the IPA. About three years ago, my good friends Steve Palmer & Steve Bretherton encouraged me to rejoin, and I have been enjoying being a member again with all the friendship and events that come with it. When it was suggested that I could attend the NCM in Pitlochry this year I jumped at the opportunity. The railway journey was lovely. Arriving in Edinburgh with less than 5 minutes to get to the connecting platform which was miles away (or so it felt), I made it, sat down and waited on the next train. Minutes later, an announcement on the tannoy told everybody travelling to Inverness they were on the wrong train. Following a quick dash to the front of the train we all jumped onto the next train due to leave. Running a bit later than scheduled, I phoned ahead to say I was on my way and sat back and enjoyed more of the beautiful Scottish scenery. On my arrival at the hotel I quickly made my way into the Secretaries’ meeting and listened to the various debates around proposed rule changes, I remember thinking “Wow, that is a lot to discuss”.

events along with overseas visits is what makes us that bit different to other social clubs. It all costs money, and that is a big problem for some young in service officers and staff, but we must try. We have a fantastic organisation and we mustn’t lose sight of our values. We may have to be more modern in our approach, and make it easier to belong, recognise those officers who “don’t do committees” but enjoy what is offered and encourage others who do show an interest in committees to safeguard the future of the International Police Association and ensure that it continues for generations to come.

I didn’t realise that, at the main meeting on the Saturday morning, each individual change to a rule was proposed, seconded and voted on, with some alterations put forward even after the discussions of the day before but, hey, that is democracy at work. Overall, it was interesting to see the workings of the organisation’s National Committee and the election of its officers, which isn’t a great deal different to how we do things at Branch and Regional level. Motions decided, and business concluded, it was time to enjoy some of the beautiful scenery. Dodging the showers (it’s Scotland, after all), I took my camera out for a walk and took pictures of the beautiful Athol Palace Hotel and surrounding area. On Saturday evening, as a guest at the gala dinner and dressed to the nines, I sat down to a fabulous meal followed by official speeches and presentations. Then, it was party time. The entertainment began with a chance to rekindle what drew me to the IPA in the first place: meeting like-minded people from around the country and further afield and having fun. My experience has made me think again about the current membership of the police and the IPA generally. I always try to promote the organisation but with policing ever changing, officers working longer shifts and valuing any time off, I wonder, what do we offer and how can we make it more accessible and relevant to our modern-day cops and staff? I don’t have all the answers to that but in reality, it has to be more than just friendship. An active local branch putting on interesting visits and

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POLICE WORLD Vol 64 No. 1, 2019

Professional Development

Gimborn Road Safety Seminar Yvonne Taylor , North Yorkshire Branch We have been to Gimborn many times, and personally, I love it. For me, it is the IPA’s best kept secret and I’m sure there really is something to interest everyone. Our trip this year was slightly different; we would usually fly. However, with two of us travelling together, it was cheaper to travel by ferry. So we sailed from Hull to Rotterdam, and had a little ‘road trip’. D ue to our slightly late arrival, we missed the introductions and we were unaware that the first presentation could not go ahead as planned. The presenter was a serving Chief Officer and an ongoing Disaster Victim Identification and how this could be utilised when dealing with multiple road traffic fatalities.

The entire week prompted some great discussion and debate on various aspects of road safety, and I’m sure we have all taken something away with us to think about further. For us, we return to Gimborn in March for the Disaster and Crisis Management seminar, where no doubt, we will make more new friends and colleagues. The Gimborn Seminars for 2019 have been announced. The English-speaking seminars next year are: • Disaster and Crisis Management - The Challenge of Dealing with Disasters. • Crime Scene Internet - Crime in Digital Spaces. ASP Instructor Course. • Motorcycle Gangs - Faces of Organised Crime. • Police Street Survival Training. • Security Risk Radicalisation - Understanding & Preventing Radicalisation. • Environmental Crimes - Illegal Profits and Cross Border Crime. • Islam and Europe - Islamisation or Peaceful Co-existence. • The Use of Non-lethal Weapons within the Police – Taser. • Virtual Reality Training for the Emergency Services - Understanding the Technology & Benefits. • Violence around Football Games - Ultras and Hooligans in the Orbit of Football Games. • Terrorism - A Threat to Freedom & Security Please visit the IBZ Gimborn website for dates and more information about each seminar.

operation required him to be at work. Undeterred by the change of plans, one of Thursday’s speakers stepped up with an interesting presentation on adopting a holistic approach to protecting vulnerable road users from large vehicles. That left us with a burning question at the end of a case study – “Should the driver have seen the pedestrian?” On Tuesday, it was our turn. Dave was up first, with his presentation, When is a Crash not an Accident. He presented two unusual cases from his experience as a Forensic Collision Investigator with North Yorkshire Police. I then led the afternoon session, presenting on my ongoing research into Shift Work and Driver Fatigue. On Wednesday morning, we learnt about the prevalence of drivers in Ireland stating the position of the sun was the main contributory factor in their road traffic collision. From personal experience, this isn’t something that has been raised in too many collisions that I have investigated in the past, but was a good discussion point. In the afternoon, we visited the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) for a very interesting afternoon learning about their research. We saw the crash test areas, including some brand new cars waiting to be deliberately crashed. We even had an opportunity to try out the driving and cycling simulators. Following that, of course, we had some free time in Cologne, sightseeing, shopping or sampling the delights of German food. On Thursday morning, we learnt about the work of the European Transport Safety Council on the ongoing road safety work in Europe and where each member country stood in various ‘league tables’ for road safety. Due to Monday’s revised schedule, there was a gap on Thursday afternoon to fill. Dave and I volunteered to deliver another presentation. This one related to

Arthur Troop Scholarship 2020 is open for applications May-Britt V.R. Ronnebro , Chairperson of the Professional Commission Arthur Troop Scholarships are awarded annually and preferably at least one will be granted to each continent in which we have member sections – Africa, America, Asia, Australasia and Europe. E ach scholarship consists of a bursary of up to €2500 to be used for a seminar at IBZ Gimborn, or at a comparable institution. Applicants must have been an IPA member for at least 2 years Applicants are required to submit an application form setting out their reasons to support their selection.

The Arthur Troop Scholarship Application Form can be found on the international website at www.ipa-international.org/Arthur-Troop- Scholarship. The deadline for applications is 31 March 2019.

before applying and the scholarship must be taken between 1 January and 31 December of the following year. Arthur Troop Scholarships may be awarded to any IPA member who is a serving law enforcement officer, but are predominantly targeted at our younger members.

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Professional Development

Gang Tattoos and Forged Passports Steve Bretherton

As the VP with liaison responsibility for Gimborn, I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that this October’s seminar on Organised and Gang Related Crime was my first visit to the castle. Still, better late than never. I now realise what a great opportunity I missed out on for all those years.

I was one of 23 participants at this English and Polish seminar who enjoyed a five-day programme of talks and hands on activities. Russian prison tattoos and identifying forged passports were just two of the informative and entertaining presentations given by experts, including officers from police and Home Office units. Other talks included subjects as diverse as Polish phone scams and cross border traveller crime. Co-facilitated by President Clive Wood, the seminar drew participants from around the world, attracting members from Ireland, Germany, Slovenia and Australia, as well as Poland and the UK. It wasn’t all about work though. The Polish participants provided a mouth- watering selection of meats, cheeses, pâtés and of course, vodka to share in the Tower bar one evening. In return, we treated our Polish colleagues to English regional cheeses and a selection of Scottish and Irish whiskeys. Oh, and our Australian friend contributed a tube of Vegemite – the Aussie version of Marmite. I’m not quite sure what the Poles made of that. Throwing out a challenge to the new chef at the Schloss Hotel, Clive asked if he could give us a traditional British meal one night. Sure enough, we were treated to what must be a Gimborn first; fish, chips and mushy peas served in newspaper. Using my experience as a first-time visitor, I’ve produced a Gimborn FAQs document, which covers everything from how to apply for a place on a seminar to how the honesty bar works. These FAQs are now available on the Gimborn page of the national website.

The full seminar list for 2019 is now available from the Section UK website. Remember that, like me, you don’t have to be a serving police officer to visit Gimborn, nor do you have to have knowledge of the seminar subject. Retired officers and staff with a desire to learn will get just as much out of a visit to this wonderful place as anyone else. Don’t forget that Section UK will pay up to £200 towards the seminar fees and that many branches and regions provide financial assistance with travel costs. This may have been my first visit to Gimborn but it won’t be my last. I am facilitating a seminar in October next year entitled ‘Virtual Reality Training for Emergency Services’ – a chance to get hands on with some VR kit and to find out how VR is going to change training for police in the future. For more information about Gimborn visit the Section UK Gimborn page or contact VP Steve Bretherton at Gimborn-uk-liaison@ipa-uk.org

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Article

Ascension The most isolated IPA member in the world Dave Sismey , Derbyshire Branch

When talking about Ascension Island I often have to explain where it is. It is a pinprick of an island in the South Atlantic Ocean about half way between Brazil and Angola.

A scension is policed by the St Helena Police Service (current home of former Section UK President, Mick Luke), 810 miles away. It is a British Overseas Territory so UK law applies. I retired from Derbyshire Constabulary in 2005 and then, in 2008, I saw a job advertised for a Police Sergeant on Ascension Island. After several telephone interviews I took up my post on the other side of the world. There was the Inspector Reg Williams, me and four Constables: all St Helenians (known as Saints). The Police Service of St Helena then consisted of about 30 officers, six of them were on Ascension Island. They even had a small CID Department. The population of St Helena then was about 4000, most of them indigenous to St Helena. At the time the population of Ascension Island was about 1000, boosted by about 3000 tourists each year. There are no indigenous people on Ascension, so everyone there was working under a contract or were the dependants of contractors. The island had full employment, as there was no visa without a job to go to. The main employers were: the RAF base, the US Air Force base, BBC World Service, European Space Agency and the Ascension Island Government. With only five shops and five bars there was not much crime. There were only two flights a week from RAF Brize Norton and it was a stop over for the onward flight to the Falklands. Once every couple of months a MOD supply ship visited the island, as by then most of the fresh vegetables

in shops had gone, and the ship brought new supplies. The only other vessel to visit was the RMS St Helena: a passenger/cargo ship which visited every couple of months on its route from the UK; taking in Ascension, St Helena, Cape Town and back to the UK. After being there a while, I noticed that you never saw an aeroplane in the sky or a ship on the ocean unless it was coming to Ascension. The place was very remote. One night over Christmas, I was in the mountains looking down on Georgetown, the island’s capital, which was just a small village by UK standards. The small cluster of Christmas lights on the coast stood out in every direction as there was darkness as far as you could see. On arrival, Reg showed me to my bungalow and, handing me the keys, he said, “you won’t be needing those”. “Hmmm,” I thought, “I have been a cop for thirty years and I am not leaving my house unlocked”. By the time I left the island, I had to search the house to find them in order to hand them back. No one locked their house on Ascension and most people left the ignition key in their unlocked vehicles. Policing a small remote community like this means that everyone knows you and you are always on duty, like it or not. It is very different from a city, where you can take your helmet off and mingle with the crowd. On or off duty, everybody called me “Sarge”. When my sister visited me, she was referred to as “Sarge’s sister”. After a few months I knew most of the people. When driving around the island the drivers of all oncoming cars waved to you.

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Article

Occasionally, a cruise ship would call in on Ascension and all 900 passengers would want their passports stamping to show they had been there. We had an arrangement with the ships, who gathered up all the passports, and three of us spent a morning sitting on the liner stamping them with our special decorative passport stamp. One duty I did enjoy was boarding large cargo ships and tankers on the high seas. If a vessel had a sick or injured crew member they would contact the port authorities in Georgetown and arrange to have them evacuated. The ships would not stop, so we would go out, board the ship and evacuate the patient. My role was to check they had the right passport and documents to allow me to repatriate them to their home country through the UK. I also had to check they had the right medical insurance so they did not become a financial burden on the taxpayers of Ascension. If you did not have any of them then, “sorry pal, you can’t come with us”. Most of the companies we dealt with were reputable and this situation never occurred. I suppose that during my time there I was one of the most isolated members of the IPA in the world.

But in such a small community it paid not to get too friendly with anyone. I was eventually joined on Ascension by a new officer, PC Peter McMullen, who was a retired Scottish Police Officer, with experience of island policing in Scotland. He brought a lot of valuable knowledge with him. My bungalow was about 30 yards behind the Police Station and Magistrates Court. It was an interesting commute to work, as once I had to wait while a herd of about twenty feral mules blocked the track. There is no cell phone coverage on the island but we did have set to set radios. One of us was always on call, so if a member of the public called the Police out of hours the call was automatically routed to the officer’s land line in their house. Like Chris Pile, who recently wrote about policing the Outer Hebrides, our main policing issue was caused by drink; especially drink driving because of the way the island was spread out. Drunkenness could be solved by what we would call practical policing. All the licensees would write to the culprit and ban them from their premises for a period decided by them, after advice from the Police. It was very effective if you liked a drink and wanted to socialise. Policing wise, on Ascension you were a Jack of all trades. CID: Roads Policing, Fraud; you name it we did it. When there were matters I had not experienced for a while, I phoned my former colleagues in Derbyshire Police specialist departments seeking advice. On St Helena, I got a case of Insider Trading to investigate, and having never been a Fraud Squad officer, I was straight on the phone to Derbyshire’s Fraud Squad. Just like for Chris on Barra, having someone in custody was a pain because we had to provide 24 hour cover in the cells, altering everyone’s shifts and having to work full nights. It was also strange doing a PACE review for a prisoner over the phone, with an Inspector who was 800 miles away and could never visit the cells (although I hear this is now becoming the norm in England). For these reasons we rarely kept anyone in custody, unless we had no alternative. I once had to take a prisoner to HMP Jamestown on St Helena. At the time the only way you could get to St Helena was by ship. It took three days; thankfully the prisoner and I had an understanding and he behaved himself. Once there, the Chief asked me to stay on to help with a burglary problem, which resulted in a guy having a go at me with a machete. He got three years for his troubles.

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Article

Uncorking in Cork Conor Craig , No.2 Region Recently I had a notion to get away for a couple of days and floated the idea to some friends from the IPA Whiskey Forum. I soon had fellow No.2 Region members Stuart Irvine and Tim Cooke onboard. T he loose plan was to head to Cork and visit friends from Section Ireland who we had met on a Friendship weekend in Kingussie a few years ago. True to form, the guys had planned quite a reception Tuesday saw us at Midleton Distillery, the home of Jameson’s and Redbreast Whiskey. Murphy’s Law struck and our transport, kindly laid on by the Garda, blew a radiator hose. All was not lost as, while awaiting recovery, we had a surprise visit from the brand ambassador for Kilbeggan Whiskey with some much needed refreshments.

for us. Our party of four set off from Belfast and headed south. The fourth member of our group endured a relentless IPA recruitment pitch and hopefully will sign up very soon. At the IPA Section Ireland apartment in Cork we met Omar Fitzell. After a few minutes to dump our bags, we were on the move for the first of our planned activities, a guided tour of the city. After meeting up with local members of the IPA Whiskey Forum, we took a leisurely 10 minute stroll to the Franciscan Well Brewery & Pub. This was the starting point for a four hour walk led by Eric Ryan, exploring the distilling and brewing history of Cork. Eric is an engaging and knowledgeable character who, as well as working as a distiller, is also the Secretary of the Cork Whiskey Society. Eric made sure that there were plenty of opportunities to taste the local premium whiskies as he guided us around the city. I can not recommend his tour highly enough. If any of you are visiting Cork, be sure to look him up at www.corkwhiskeywalk.ie

We were soon back on the road and arrived just in time to enjoy lunch in the Distillery Restaurant, which was generously provided by Section Ireland. Our VIP tour of the Distillery was truly a “behind the scenes” affair that was very kindly sponsored by Irish Distillers, and would not have been possible without Omar’s impressive list of contacts in the whiskey world. What had started off as the spontaneous notion to get away for a few days had somewhere along the line morphed into a cultural and social gathering. Omar and I have discussed trying to organise a similar trip, on a larger scale, for IPA members in the future. A massive thank you to Section Ireland for the use of the Cork Apartment; to Cork North Region for their generous hospitality; to AGS for providing transport and to No.2 Region committee for their kind contribution. Any IPA member with an appreciation of whiskey, (and even whisky), should bear the IPA Whiskey Forum in mind, as an opportunity to share their interests or views with like minded people. All tastes are catered for amongst the 230+ global membership.

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POLICE WORLD Vol 64 No. 1, 2019

Cutlure Corner

Help keep Our History Alive As members of a great friendship organisation, we have been recording our own history with quite some success. I am thankful to Regions and especially Brian Kennedy for his help in doing this. W e have a massive archive of documents and magazines which need to be digitised and scanned so we can preserve our IPA History and eventually have it available for members to view and search. Can you spare the time to visit Fox Road and help scan documents to assist with this project? If we don’t do this we risk losing our great history. Please e-mail Sean on vphannigan@ipa-uk.org. Thank you. The Crafty Copper I am pleased to announce a unique Cultural Seminar for next year called The Crafty Copper. T his will be held in the UK and will be run over a Saturday and Sunday on a date to be confirmed. If you have a craft, skill or hobby which you would like to demonstrate to other IPA members at the event please get in touch with Sean on vphannigan@ipa-uk.org

A year of Competition 2019 will be known as the year of the Cultural Competition after the announcement of an exciting programme of great competitions and prizes.

A Royal Symphony of Sound and Opportunity May 11 2019 is a unique date for the fabulous British Police Symphony Orchestra, or BPSO. This talented band of musicians will be performing a mixed programme of music from their wide repertoire. W e have several free tickets available for a performance at the Royal Albert Hall London. To enter; answer this question. How many years of music is the BPSO celebrating? Answers to vphannigan@ipa-uk.org

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Culture Corner

IPA Section Estonia 25th anniversary Kiran Gharial , London-North Social Secretary.

In July 2018, Kiran Gharial attended IPA Estonia’s 25th anniversary celebrations, which coincided with the Republic of Estonia’s 100th anniversary. O ur first stop was the Estonian Island of Kihnu , where our accommodation was basic and traditional, similar to going on a weekend with the Scouts. The lucky ones had their own rooms while others, including me, shared a dormitory. In the evening, we were entertained by a local band playing traditional Estonian folk music, which I found quite similar to Irish folk music. After dinner there was time to let our hair down and join in some country dancing. On Tuesday we had a tour of their small island in the Baltic Sea. Originating from seal hunters and fishermen, Kihnu’s traditional culture is listed by UNESCO and enjoyed by visitors from all over the world. The men, who are mostly fishermen, go to sea for months at a time. Women run the Island in their absence and act as guardians of its folk traditions, which are part of everyday life and are of great significance to the community. On the island, we visited a local church and Kihnu museum. For those without a fear of heights there was an opportunity to climb the Kihnu lighthouse as well as a 125 foot tall communications tower. Guess what? I did both. Later, we had a seafood BBQ and some of us went for a swim in the sea. In the evening, there was more music and folk dancing before calling it a night. It was quite an experience. On Wednesday we returned to the mainland where we visited the Police Driving School. Those who were interested (yes, I was one) could drive one of their Hyundais around a circuit, which had a skid pan section.

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Culture Corner

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Uno & Merike, Ullar & Ene, Enn, Lauri, Maret, Mairold, Kairi, Kristi, Dina and all the local volunteers for their kind hospitality, as well as to congratulate IPA section Estonia on the success of their anniversary celebrations!

Next, we moved into the workshop where we were shown the consequences of being in a crash with and without a seatbelt. Even under 30mph, it makes a big difference. Then finally, we were shown how to escape from a vehicle submerged under water. On Thursday we crossed the border into Latvia, where we canoed on the river Salaca, with its wonderfully picturesque scenery. Back over the border we visited the Matsalu National Park and walked the 4km Stiklu Bog Natural Trail, where a wooden footpath crossed several bog lakes. Friday began with a trip to Parnu County marina, where we took a sea cruise on a 72 year old sailboat, the Jenny Kruse. We then visited Parnu museum, with its exhibitions of art & history that took us on a fascinating journey through time, from The Stone Age, continuing through medieval trade routes and the Baroque fortified city to the Soviet era. By the time we got back, members from various countries who had come only for the friendship weekend began to arrive. The opening ceremony began with a speech from IPA Estonian President, Uno Lass, who welcomed everybody to the event. Then, the IPA flag was raised to officiate the opening and to round things off, we had a party through to the very early hours. Saturday was packed full of activities starting with a game of Volleyball, with a twist. We were split into teams of four, each of us holding the corner of a sack, which we used to flick a water balloon over the net. It looked easy, but sadly, it wasn’t and our team came last. Come the evening there was a grand firework display on the seashore beside our hotel.

Grilling Lord Archer Eric Haworth , IPA Writers Group I recently visited a literary lunchtime event that had a surprising element of police interest.

T he only speaker was LORD Jeffery Archer . He was, of course, promoting his new book, “Heads You Win”. He captured the 250 guests’ attention from the moment he began speaking, as he is one of the best orators I have ever heard. He described how difficult it was to get his first book published, but went on to sell well over 330 million copies. His routine is to start writing, by hand, at 6am. He writes in bursts of two hours then stops for two hours, continuing this routine throughout the day. He writes many drafts and gave the example of one book which took him 14 drafts before he was satisfied that he had “done his best”. I knew that Lord Archer had been a Met Police Constable. He joined the Met In 1960 and was posted after five months of training to ‘L’ division in Brixton, where he resigned after four weeks on the beat.

In the Q&A session I had the microphone and asked him if his time as a Met PC had been beneficial to his writing. For a split second he was lost for words, laughed and said that he had only done some training then went on to say that everywhere he went, even at this lunch gathering, he would pick up ideas for his books.

Perhaps members who served in the Met during 1960 might recognise themselves in one of Lord Archer’s stories.

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Flying visit to Kazakhstan Harvey Whittam , Life member. Thames Valley Branch Some members thought I was very adventurous or just crazy to take on the great Trans-Mongolian railway journey through Russia, Mongolia and China, the day after we finished running the International Youth Gathering.

Angus and Marat shooting in Kazakhstan countryside

L ittle did they know, I had tagged on a couple of days on the way home to see Kazakhstan. Five things ‘sold’ it to me: instead of flying direct from Beijing to England, the flights via Kazakhstan on Air Astana were less than half-price; I had time on my hands; it was a country I had never visited; friends strongly suggested a visit and last but not least, there was no need for a visa. Sadly, I would not have time to visit the historic former capital city of Almaty or some of the incredibly beautiful national parks. To put it in perspective, Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country in the world, and therefore there is a lot to see. I took advice from friends who had been to Kazakhstan, including IPA friends in Russia who then put me in touch with their friend Marat Nurgaliev, who Section Russia had supported through the foundation of our newest of IPA section. A few weeks before arriving in Kazakhstan, I was in St Petersburg taking Olga Birkin, the Section Russia travel secretary, out for dinner. Out of the blue, she passed me her mobile phone to speak to someone. It was Aiden Goundry from West Mercia Branch who was with Marat in Kazakhstan. He filled me in with what a wonderful time he was having in Kazakhstan. I had already had a chat with Mrs Crockard, who had been out there with her husband, Stephen. It all sounded very good. I went ‘off grid’ during the train journey and could not contact Marat by any means from China, so it was a matter of seeing what would happen on arrival in Kazakhstan. I was blown away to see Marat walking towards me in the arrivals hall. He had arranged a lot, starting with a tour of the city with a couple of students who were keen to practice their English. Later in the afternoon we visited the Section’s HQ where we exchanged gifts and discussed how the IPA works between lots of toasts. Fortunately, I had become accustomed to lots of vodka toasts from the long train journey. To my pleasant surprise, Marat arranged to meet us the following day to go hunting in the countryside. This was especially exciting as there didn’t seem to be any easy way to hop on a bus to see the countryside. Foreign tourists are a rarity, although foreign visitors on business are common, so there were no businesses geared up to cater for tourists. Nevertheless, I slept extremely well in a smart international chain hotel. I had made an online booking several months earlier at a B&B rate of under £40 per night. Next morning we set off in a convoy of fully loaded 4x4s. To assist with communication, Marat had thoughtfully invited along a relative who was an excellent translator. She was taking time out from her academic studies and like many youngsters there, she spoke several languages: Kazak, Russian, English and Korean. We arrived in the back of beyond, next to a large river and ate a light salad lunch before our “hunting”. This turned out to mean fishing with a rod. I really enjoyed catching the trout. We became so noisy with the excitement of catching so many fish, that we scared them off. So, off we went to have a blast using semi-automatic shotguns. No animals or birds were injured, just my pride in trying to figure out how to assemble a rather plastic looking Turkish shotgun.

I settled for using a much more solid American shotgun. It was lots of fun, with a very pleasing 100% of targets hit. This was thanks, in part, to Met police firearms training many years ago. Back at a lodge overlooking the river, we ate what we had caught and washed it down with some fine Kazak brandy. Huge thanks to Marat and his IPA friends in Astana for being such good hosts, especially all the unexpected activities.

Harvey, Angus and Section Kazakhstan members wearing hats

Harvey catching fish with Marat

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A sunny day in Crantock Mike Chappell , Cornwall Branch Cornwall Branch recently enjoyed a sunny day in and about Crantock, a village set on Cornwall’s spectacular north coast. C rantock, known in Cornish as Langurroc , which translates as “dwelling of the monks”, is said to have been founded by St Carantoc in the 6th century. Carantoc also appears in the legends of King Arthur, where he engaged in a battle with a dragon, so who knows what other secrets lay around the village. Carantoc is said to have been blown into the nearby Gannel estuary when sailing from Ireland. To give thanks for his deliverance, he decided to build himself an oratory. However, the dove that he had brought with him (the dove was shorthand for the ‘holy Spirit’ in those days) flew inland with a twig in its beak and dropped it. Carantoc took this as a sign from God that he should build the oratory at that location. Back in the 21st century, our adventurous group, guided by local IPA member Tom Craggs, headed from the village out onto the Towans, the local word for sand dunes, in search perhaps for the legendary lost village said to be buried there. Scrambling up and down the sand reminded many of that classic film Ice Cold in Alex. Despite the exploration, the village remained lost. Returning to the village, we visited the historic Crantock Church, parts of which are over 1,000 years old. No visit to the church would be complete without checking out the 17th century stocks at the rear of the building. Originally these would have been set up in the middle of the village for maximum humiliation. There are six holes in the stocks, sufficient to lock in three petty criminals in a row. The verse in the middle of the stocks reads: “I paid my price for finding out, Nor ever grudged the price I paid, But sat in clink without my boots, Admiring how the world was made”. The other panels tell the story of the last man to be put in the stocks: “The last man in Crantock stocks (circa 1817) was William, a smuggler’s son and a vagabond. He robbed, with violence, a widow woman of Cubert Parish and was placed in Crantock stocks, then standing in the church tower. By negligence or design he was insufficiently secured, and shortly afterwards appeared on the top of the tower. He had cut the rope from the tenor bell and by this he lowered himself to the nave roof. Climbing to the eastern gable of the choir and sliding down it, he dropped to the churchyard grass and in the sympathetic view of certain village worthies bolted, got off to sea and was never brought to justice or seen in the neighbourhood again. ”Away

History, Culture and a Pint Michael Chappell , Cornwall Branch

A sunny autumn day in west Cornwall found us gathered for a fascinating visit to the Helston Museum of Cornish Life followed by a drop of the Blue Anchor’s very own ‘Spingo’ brew. H elston, known as ‘Hellys’ in Cornish , is a former Stannary or tin mining administrative centre and cattle market town. It is best known for the annual Furry Dance, known locally as the Flora Dance, which is said to originate from the medieval period. Although the Hal-an-Tow mystery play, which is performed on Flora Day morning, is reputed to be of Celtic origin. ‘Gwithi Hellys’ - the Cornish Life Museum - is packed into Helston’s former Market House and Drill Hall which dates from 1837. Its vast number of exhibits are spread over five display halls, representing one of the largest social history collections in the South West. Members examined the many exhibits, with some actually remembering many of the items on display; such as vintage radio and record players, vacuum cleaners and household implements, as well as toys dating from the 1950s and earlier. Mind you, none were quite old enough to have personal knowledge of archaeological items dating back to the earliest settlers of Cornwall’s Lizard Peninsula. Two sons of Helston have their lives commemorated in the museum, notably the famous inventor, Henry Trengrouse (born 1772), whose ingenuity helped to save thousands of lives at sea with his rocket life-saving apparatus, an early form of the ‘Breeches buoy’, and Bob Fitsimmons (b. 1863), the professional boxer who made boxing history as the sport’s first three-division world champion. A small display showing the history of the former Cornwall Constabulary prompted much discussion from our group. The three hour visit over, we adjourned to Helston’s famous Blue Anchor Inn, one of the oldest original inns in Britain that continues to maintain a working brewery. Dating back to the 15th century, the inn boasts 600 years of brewing. Originally a monks’ rest house, which produced a strong honey based mead, it now brews a variety of ‘Spingo Ales’ made to traditional recipes.

from this alarming yarn, our next stop was at the 17th century ‘Old Albion Inn’, the haunt of smugglers, where the group enjoyed a roast lunch and a pint of local ale. A most enjoyable day was had by all and special thanks go to Tom for organising it.

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Keeping Active in Later Life Ian Wilson shows that keeping active can bring its own rewards in more ways than one.

Ian has just won his first Gold Medal at the age of 71. He was competing in the Super Senior class, of the World Pickleball Championships in Texas. In fact Ian won two medals; the Gold was for mixed doubles in the 70 to74 age group and the Bronze for men’s doubles in the 65 to 69 age group. He had to play down an age group because his partner was younger.

I an discovered this relatively new racket sport in 2009 during a visit to Florida. He and his wife Maureen, a retired Police Woman Sergeant, fell in love with the game. They found it easier than tennis as it is played on a badminton sized court with the net nearly at tennis height. Both Ian & Maureen set up the first Pickleball club in Kidlington in 2011. In 2014 Ian convinced Mike Bushell from the BBC Breakfast show to try the sport. The resulting segment on the show resulted in an explosion of people playing the sport nationally. Ian has been supported by Age UK Oxfordshire in setting up other groups around the county. Pickleball also helps them to meet people around the world. Ian always packs his Pickleball bat wherever he goes. He has recently played in Amsterdam, New Zealand and on a cruise ship. Ian plays several other sports too: table tennis, lawn bowling, cycling and walking. Importantly for Ian, keeping active helps improve your ability to recover from some serious medical issues. Last year he was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer. Because of Ian’s fitness, the surgeon was happy for him to undergo a four and a half hour Radical Robotic Prostatectomy. Ian’s quick recovery within two months meant he was back participating in the activities he enjoys. The medals he won are the icing on the cake. If you wish to find out more about Pickleball look up Ian’s website at www. pickleballoxon.org.uk or Facebook, www.facebook.com/Pickleballuk or you can email Ian at info@pickleballoxon.org.uk.

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