PW_1_2019

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.

POLICE WORLD Vol 64 No. 1, 2019

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