PW_1_2021

Vol 66 No.1 2021

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

HRH Princess Royal Patron Section UK IPA 2021 See Page 4

International Police Association Section UK Competition page Lottery Results

Vol 65, Edition 4 Winners: Bill Gee (Region 3/Rochdale Branch) wins the Sudoku and ‘Murder, Witchcraft and the killing of Wildlife’ by Stephen R Matthews. Roger Somerville (Region 11/ London South Branch) wins the Crossword and ‘The Secret Serial Killer, the true story of Kieran Kelly’ by Robert Mulhern.

The winners for November 2020: 1st prize (£100) Dennis Walland (Warwickshire & Coventry Branch); 2nd prize (£60) Andy Sullivan (Cambridgeshire Branch); 3rd prize (£40) Elaine Malcolm (York Branch). October 2020: 1st prize (£100) Elaine Malcolm (York Branch); 2nd prize (£60) Iain Sirrell (York Branch); 3rd prize (£40) Spike Elliott (Cheshire Branch). September 2020: 1st prize (£100) Pete Connolly (Northern Ireland - Greater Belfast Branch); 2nd prize (£60) Roy Edwards (Leicestershire Branch); 3rd prize (£4) Chris Burnett (North East England Branch). .

EntryForm OverLeaf

Puzzles The prizes for this edition are Charlie Peace: Murder, Mayhem and the Master of Disguise by Ben Johnson and A Hidden History of the Tower of London: England’s Most Notorious Prisoners by John Paul Davis Solve the puzzle/s and send them in. The lucky winners will be drawn out of the hat. Send the complete puzzles to: ‘Puzzles’, International Police Association, IPA HQ, Section UK, 1 Fox Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 6AJ or as a scan by email to mail@ipa-uk.org marked ‘Puzzles’. Deadline for entries is: 22 February 2021.

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About the books Charlie Peace: Murder, Mayhem and the Master of Disguise by Ben Johnson A devil once slipped into the homes of unsuspecting families and left without a trace. Disappearing into the smoke that hung over Victorian Sheffield, this was a devil who would enter the folklore of his home town. Despite his fearsome reputation he was just a man, with an unrivalled talent for criminality. Such was his fame for murder that he became the most wanted man in England for a time. Tales of burglary, murder, daring escapes, and a shocking miscarriage of justice feature in this biography. It is a story of a man who turned to crime through necessity, but chose to continue in an ever spiralling life of wickedness. His gnarled features were the last image his victims ever saw, yet ironically, he was called Peace. A Hidden History of the Tower of London: England’s Most Notorious Prisoners by John Paul Davis Famed as the ultimate penalty for traitors, heretics and royalty alike, the Tower was experienced by 8,000 unfortunate souls. Many of them never returned alive. It is hardly surprising that the Tower has earned itself a reputation among the most infamous buildings on the planet. The effect that the first Tower had on the local population was considerable. The sight of the dark four-pointed citadel, gave rise to many legends. It is so revered that legend has it that should the Tower fall, so would the kingdom. Beginning with the early tales of its creation, this book investigates the life of an English icon. Looking through the eyes of those who experienced its darker side, it pieces together the human story of those who stayed within its walls.

Across 1 - Type of golf club (4) 3 - Large jugs (8) 9 - Least warm (7) 10 - Trunk of the body (5) 11 - Push gently (5)

Down 1 - Unimaginable (13) 2 - Lubricated (5)

4 - Have as a purpose (6) 5 - Extremely harmful (12) 6 - Creepiest (7) 7 - Fairness in following the rules (13) 8 - Resolvable (12) 14 - Have as a part (7) 16 - Cruel ruler (6) 19 - Mature human (5)

12 - Beginning to exist (7) 13 - Complex problem (6) 15 - For the time being (3,3) 17 - Unoccupied position (7) 18 - Crustacean like a shrimp (5) 20 - Promotional wording (5) 21 - Horizontal angle of a compass bearing (7) 22 - Component parts (8) 23 - Halt (4)

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POLICE WORLD Vol 66 No.1, 2021

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

Vol 66 No.1 2021

Competitions 2

Editorial Neil Hallam e-mail: mail@neilhallam.com Deadline for article submission for Vol. 66 Edition 2, 2021 is 22 February 2021 Dispatched April 2021

Crossword and Soduko WIN one of these books by Ben W Johnson and John Paul Davis

Keeping You Informed 4–5 Keeping You Informed Clive Wood, President of Section UK Professional Development 6–7 Policing the Pandemic

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

D.B. Lewis, Scarborough Branch, Chair of the Writers SIG Mountains, armoured cars and Scotch whisky Rob Stenhouse North Wales Branch / Defensive Tactics SIG

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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,

Cultural Corner 11 So much to look forward to in 2021

Sean Hannigan, Section UK VP (Social & Cultural)

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12 The fivepenny collie attack

Ian McNeish, Central Scotland Branch & Writers’ SIG

Feature Articles 9

Gimborn Conversations Martin Turner – Section UK Vice President (Professional)

Hampshire PO6 1TR Graphic Design by BDS 21 Ltd Membership

10 Swooping with the Trauma Teds

Andy Marshall, Bedfordshire Branch Chairman & Swoop Puppeteer

13 A Welcome in the Mountains Chris Heathcote, Metropolitan Branch 14 Our Dream Fulfilled Roger Bates, Peterborough Branch 15 Cruising Into Retirement Rod Repton, Derbyshire Branch 16 Retirement among Crete’s abandoned animals Neil Hallam, Editor 17 One rookie cop, one career long lesson Malky McEwan, Central Scotland Branch 18 Smiling in Africa Ann Cumberland, Belfast Branch 24 From Peeler to Tour Guide; a Retirement Story James Ellson, Greater Belfast Branch 25 Manhunt: Two murders, one fugitive and a hunter tracking down the target Peter Bleksley, Metropolitan Police Branch 26 Off-Road in Kazakhstan Kevin Albin, IPA Global Writers’ Forum News 19–23 News from around IPA Sports 27 Britain’s Strongest Police Officer Martin Turner, Section UK Vice President (Professional) 28 Classifieds 29 Diary

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. We also now offer associate membership. 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 costs just £40 enrolment fee and annual renewal is £32. 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. 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

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Cover Photo HRH Princess Royal - Patron Section UK IPA 2021 Next deadline

22 February 2021 for publication April 2021

SIGs etc

Writers’ SIG

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ISSN No: 0032-261X

Keeping you informed

Keeping you informed Hold the front page! That’s what I said to our Editor Neil Hallam, when he asked for my usual update to keep you informed in Police World.

I n my last update I was hopeful that we might celebrate our Members Day in December at Fox Road in Nottingham. Sadly, Covid put paid to our plans. But just before Christmas, I was able to virtually welcome our Patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, to a Zoom meeting. During the video call, we celebrated Members Day and held our National Executive meeting, which was to have been held in Nottingham.

At the end of the meeting I was honoured to present HRH with a specially commissioned gold IPA engraved Metropolitan Police whistle, and other memorabilia celebrating our 70th anniversary. I was also delighted to announce that Her Royal Highness has kindly agreed to continue patronage of our Association throughout 2021. I do hope we will be able to welcome her in person at some stage during the coming year. My thanks go to our Vice President Communications & Culture Sean Hannigan, and Secretary General Steve Bretherton for the back of house wizardry that made the event possible. You will know the Thin Blue Line is the current nominated charity for the Association. It was great that Gary was able to provide Her Royal Highness and those on the call with some detail about the work and ambitions of the charity. Please try to support them if you are holding events in Branch or Region. Also remember we have excellent thin blue line/IPA patches available through our online shop. These look excellent on uniform members’ tactical vests and just as good on retired members rucksacks. Vice President Yvonne McGregor can help with this and any other IPA gifts & clothing. Also, whilst I mention Gimborn, remember that, every other year, you are entitled to a bursary of £250 to support your attendance at a course. The 2021 prospectus from Gimborn has just been released. Some of the courses are now online as well as in person, so if you do not fancy a trip to Germany, you can sign up, have the costs of the course paid and enjoy it from your own home. If you have any questions speak to Vice President Martin Turner who will be only too pleased to explain. In my last article I told you we were taking the opportunity to decorate the Section UK HQ, at Fox Road. That work is now complete and the whole property looks great. We have also expanded the car parking area at the rear, which will provide a real benefit. These improvements were very necessary and worthwhile, for what was really a quite modest expense.

This was a real tonic (although a bit stressful). We started with a minute to remember our members who were taken from us this year, particularly those who succumbed to COVID-19. On a brighter note, I was then able to present: members of the Executive team, the Past Presidents of our Association, members of the International Executive Board ( who were intending to join us to celebrate our 70th anniversary in Nottingham), members who received Honorary Life Membership or a Presidential Award in 2020, our ever friendly and helpful staff from Fox Road: Michele, Cathy, Dave & Lisa, Gary Craig representing the Thin Blue Line UK charity and Renée Kaufmann representing Castle Gimborn.

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POLICE WORLD Vol 66 No.1, 2021

Keeping you informed

I also told you last time that I would give you an update on World Congress, which was held virtually. On your behalf I spent a very pleasant couple of hours on a Zoom meeting with many other Sections from around the world. Some were kind enough to get up very early, or stay up very late to attend the meeting. I sent good wishes to those present, and asked if they would send a pennant from their Sections around the world, to form a display in the newly decorated Fox Road. I am told we have a growing pile on the doormat. I should also give you an update in relation to the Recruitment & Retention Working Group. The work of the group has now almost drawn to a close but over the last 12 months we have developed a significant number of initiatives, to both increase recruitment and secure retention of our members. My personal thanks go to those colleagues who joined me on the group, for the time and effort they gave. One of the opportunities we agreed, was to offer free membership to colleagues who come to public attention after being adversely affected at work. I am delighted to confirm that the National Executive have been able to make an offer of membership, which has been accepted. I hope this will provide a positive effect of well-being for the individual concerned. As we start this new year, I am particularly looking forward to events returning throughout the year. Thank you to the organisers of all these events. Keep a look out for details on our website, or if you are not yet registered for the daily updates, contact the office who will make sure you are added to the list.

IPA Patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal

In June this year (all being well) our National Council Meeting will be held in Lincoln, albeit a year late, to mark our founder Arthur Troop and his relationship with the county. My thanks go in advance to colleagues in Region 5, who are working hard to deliver this. This coming year is an election year. If you believe you have the skills and the time to help support the Association by taking on one of the offices, please give me a call. I will be happy to discuss the requirements of each position. I also wanted to remind you that we have an excellent IPA lottery. As a subscribing member I have both won the first prize (I know, I know, it was not a fix!) and I received a grant to undertake tuition of my choice.

As they say “you have to be in it to win it,” and I thoroughly recommend joining the lottery. Again, contact our helpful and friendly staff at Fox Road if you need assistance. There are some fantastic opportunities coming up for everyone in the year ahead ,and I really hope you are able to get the best out of your membership over the coming months. Stay safe and keep well. Clive

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POLICE WORLD Vol 66 No.1, 2021

Professional Development

Policing the Pandemic D.B. Lewis, Scarborough Branch & Chair of the Writers SIG, reports on the recent IPA led seminar The importance of the IPA as a global source of consultation and education, were brilliantly displayed in a recent global conference. This was not an exclusively IPA event, but the IPA spirit of friendship, mutual support and global connectivity was shown to brilliant effect under the seminar leadership of IPA Secretary-General, May-Britt Rinaldo Ronnebro, who led the second day’s sessions for the London Policing College. T his was the Second International Police Education Conference Seminar Series, hosted online in 2020 by the London Policing College, the University of West London and the British Council. After an introduction from the CEO of the London Policing College, IPA member Rod Jarman QPM O.St.J. , the two-day event saw IPA members from all corners of the globe presenting about the pandemic policing developments of their own countries. The result was a compelling insight into how the pandemic has changed the nature of policing, and for that alone this seminar was a ‘must see’ for all those interested or involved in the policing model across the world. It was compelling too for the empathy and support shown between member countries when hearing, for example, of the shocking Covid death toll within the police of Peru. At the time of the seminar Peru had lost 500 officers and staff to the pandemic. May-Britt led the second day by stating that “data worldwide has revealed that crime patterns, and the delivery of policing have changed during the COVID-19 Pandemic” As the speakers told of their own national experiences in: Sweden, Australia, Peru, New Zealand and Ireland, it became clear that the whole legitimacy of policing by consent was being challenged. For Sweden, May-Britt outlined the new way of looking at crime impact and recording using a new ‘Crime Harm Index’ (CHI) system, currently under trial in key locations. She said that it was, in effect changing the way we look at crime patterns, from the impact of crimes on individuals, to the wider effect on the community as a whole. It was both fascinating to hear and important to learn from. It was startling to hear the experiences of IPA Section Peru members Javier Gamero Kinosita and Sergio Monar Moyoli; with the Peruvian police almost under siege whilst facing the brunt of the state’s response to the pandemic. Then to compare that with the New Zealand experience. NZ Assistant

Commissioner Richard Chambers and Assistant Director of the NZ Evidence Based Policing Centre, Simon Williams, explained the innovative ‘Dashboard’ system of supplying information to front line staff, which is being viewed around the world as a model for effective policing of the pandemic. Michael Walsh, from Galway in Ireland, spoke about policing innovations both simple and complex, ranging from the innovative and Covid-free use of drones to supply information to outlying areas. Then the almost obvious initiative of adding simple height markers to walls around CCTV installations, to aid suspect identification. Both ideas were enthusiastically received. Dr Rick Sarre, Professor Emeritus of the University of South Australia, gave a chilling insight into the increased intrusion of state surveillance into Covid infringements; with a warning that we should take good note of how policing is changing rapidly during this pandemic.

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Professional Development

But it was Section Peru’s presentation on Pandemic in the Risk Society of the 21st Century, which was perhaps the most chilling message of all, placing the Covid pandemic 10th in the list of most serious current threats to civilisation. We have been warned; never has there been such a need for friendship, mutual support, and the influence of organisations such as the IPA to break down barriers and create harmony. Delegates, who included representatives from China, Cambodia, the UK and Europe, were asked in the closing session to consider ‘what policing changes, procedures and strategies are available or have been applied in your country, to respond to and prevent crime during the COVID-19 Pandemic?’ An interesting question, and the results of the exercise will be produced at their upcoming full conference. It was a proud moment to see the IPA making such an impact into a very impressive strategic initiative, with implications for the whole world. We should never underestimate the strength of the IPA model of friendship in these challenging times; we have a vital part to play, whether serving or ‘retired,’ and we should all seize the opportunity to make a contribution to the changing face of policing. Karen Duckworth Operations Manager for the London Policing College said: The seminar was such a fantastic insight into policing around the world, not just because of the exceptional inputs of the IPA speakers, who were marvellous, but because after the event we took part in discussions with a number of countries, some in South East Asia, who are not as yet part of the IPA: they were very taken by all they heard and want to hear more: to give but one example of many, the Cambodian Police heard Michael Walsh on the use of drones to deliver messages to outlying districts and immediately considered how they might apply the new knowledge to their own current double challenge of serious flooding and the pandemic. It was the connectivity which was so impressive: working with the IPA was a superb experience, an absolute joy; everyone we spoke with was so knowledgeable, so experienced and so approachable. Since then we have had delegates joining the seminar series from across the world and many of these have come through the IPA. We are really looking forward to working together in the future and there are great possibilities.

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Professional Development

Mountains, armoured cars and Scotch whisky Rob Stenhouse , North Wales Branch / Defensive Tactics SIG I recently attended an excellent weekend at the Uroczyko-Piechowice Training Centre in Poland. Section Poland generously offered to fund attendance at their Tactical Medical Course, paying for all the food and accommodation too. They wanted retired Police Officers to attend and swap ideas about pre hospital trauma care. The Defensive Tactics Group are heavily involved in teaching trauma care, so I was immediately drawn to this course. D emand was high and I was put on the reserve list . With five days to spare I heard from Wladyslaw Leszczynski confirming my attendance. Unfortunately, by then Poland was affected by continued to refresh your skills. I was heartened to see that they pretty much did everything I was taught in the UK firearms course, with one or two minor differences. I had a good chat with the trainers afterwards and I have encouraged them to attend next year’s DTG training in the UK, and hopefully

quarantine restrictions and if I went, I would have to self-isolate for 14 days. I decided that if the Poles were good enough to put it on, I was not going to disappoint them. I was met at Wroclaw Airport by IPA Poland members and driven the 150km to the training centre. This fantastic training venue is in a beautiful IPA house, set on a steep wooded hillside. It was formerly a convalescence home for injured WW2 Luftwaffe pilots. It has its own grounds, lecture rooms, bedrooms, bar, dining hall and an assault course. In fact, it was such a fantastic venue I am working with the IPA Poland in designing a Defensive Tactics Course for next year. I soon met 20 or so Polish IPA members who had arrived earlier. I discovered that everyone was either a serving or retired member of the elite B.O.A. (Biuro Operacji Antiterroystycnych or Bureau of Anti-terrorism Operations). The venue is their IPA home and this was their annual reunion. They made me very welcome, feeding me a banquet dinner and introducing me to the unit’s favourite drink, Scottish Malt Whisky. On Friday morning I was up early for a hearty breakfast before going up a Szrenica mountain with a new found friend, Adrezej. Although I’d like to say I walked up the mountain, we took the easier option of a ski lift to the summit. I’m sure the view was breath taking, but it was wet and misty, so we couldn’t see a thing at the top. We returned to the training centre and a parade for the fallen, where they played the last post and reveille on a trumpet. I can’t say I ever look forward to a remembrance parade but I am always moved and saddened by such events. That evening 60 of us enjoyed a gala dinner. I was the only one from abroad and was made to feel quite a celebrity. On Saturday the Tactical First Aid training was delivered by serving officers of the BOA, who brought their armoured car for us to try out later in the day. The trainers took us through a pre-hospital trauma care refresher course, which I found very useful. It is always good for your CPD to show you have

I can get them to join the IPA and strengthen the Polish Section. After lunch we climbed aboard the armoured car and went for a jaunt through the woods. I must say, it is an impressive piece of kit that we could only dream of in North Wales Police. We had an old Landrover we bought from Manchester Airport Police, which was so dangerous we nicknamed it the coffin. Then it was time to plant an oak tree in the grounds of the centre. The idea is that when you die, they send a small branch to go in your coffin. It’s a nice idea, but I’m hoping mine will be a mighty oak by the time it is needed. I have been invited back next year to enjoy the whole experience again, when I hope to take my wife. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Wladyslaw and everyone who helped me, befriended me and translated for me.

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Article

Gimborn Conversations Martin Turner , Section UK Vice President (Professional)

German sausages, yum!

In our 70th Anniversary Year, Section UK hosted the Gimborn Conversations. As with the majority of events in this turbulent year, it went ahead somewhat differently to other years. Many sections were unable to attend due to the travel restrictions and so it was a smaller event, with only Germany, Sweden, Denmark and the UK able to send delegates. H appily for us, Germany remained on the UK Governments exemption list, and four of us managed to spend a weekend at the wonderful Gimborn Castle. Aidan Goundry (Young Member Forum

chair & NEC member) and I travelled out on the Thursday to spend a day in the beautiful city of Cologne, joining Helen Turner - no relation to Martin - (9 Region) on Friday afternoon. Chris Heathcote (11 Region) arrived in Germany Friday morning, and spent a day being shown around Bonn and the Police Academy and Police Station by Andreas Piastowski, the Academy commander and IPA Germany member. Saturday consisted of meetings chaired by Aidan and I, with discussions around Recruitment & Retention of members. Lots of exciting ideas and initiatives were discussed, from Europe-wide rally trips to IPA branded pens, and from European cultural tours to International Professional Exchange programmes. While some members explored the beautiful surroundings of Gimborn Castle before dinner, I took the opportunity to tidy the Section UK room and replenish the magazines available. Many sections adopt rooms at Gimborn Castle and the Section UK room is very comfortable. I would highly recommend it to members for your next Gimborn Castle trip. After dinner it was time to enjoy the Castle Bar and have socially distanced drinks and snacks. Our continental friends were less than fond of Pork Scratchings, Twiglets and Marmite but seemed to enjoy the Pickled Onions, Dairy Milk chocolate and London Dry Gin! It is always a tradition to bring unique’ items of food and drink from your section to share with friends at Gimborn. Patches and challenge coins were exchanged, and Helen was knighted as a Knight of Gimborn for her first trip to Gimborn Castle. Face masks, social distancing and hand gel aside, it was good to escape the UK, even briefly, and meet some of our IPA friends and colleagues. A lot is planned for 2021 and I truly hope at least some of it can happen.

Section UK room, ready for guests

Section UK room

Helen Turner is knighted

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Article

Swooping with the Trauma Teds Andy Marshall , Bedfordshire Branch Chairman & Swoop Puppeteer For most of us the worldwide COVID epidemic has led to the cancellation and postponement of any social or travel plans, but not so for police mascot and ambassador Swoop.

Swoop the social animal

Swoop enjoying the view from a Dutch police helecopter

Swoop in the Netherlands

S woop started as a bit of a joke , intended to be the brother of Sweep from The Sooty Show . He began as a team mascot, waving at colleagues and members of the public from his Armed Response Vehicle. He made people smile and helped them engage with officers. He was discovered by the UKCop humour team and went viral when posted online. Swoop has now become a light hearted community engagement project that humanises policing, making officers more approachable while giving an insight into policing. He’s proved to be popular on social media and invitations to host Swoop came flooding in. When the first wave of Coronavirus hit, Swoop was as isolated as you can get, having just arrived on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic. He was being hosted by the six British Police officers from St Helena, who are responsible for policing this sub-tropical British Island.

From Holland, Swoop travelled onto Gibraltar, where he has been hanging out at The IPA Police Club, and will be going on patrol with The Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP) in the coming weeks. Formed in 1830, just nine months after Sir Robert Peel founded the Metropolitan Police, the RGP is the oldest police force in the Commonwealth outside the United Kingdom. Swoop will be heading off on more adventures soon, and his travels can be followed on Instagram or twitter – @police_swoop

Swoop returned home to London with the assistance of the RAF, who refuel at the island’s military base on flights between the UK and The Falklands Islands. He didn’t stick around for long though, after a few days working with Mersey Tunnels Police in Liverpool he headed overseas again. This time on a visit arranged by IPA member and serving officer Menno Bark from The Netherlands Politie. Swoop went on a grand tour of police departments around the country. He started in the capital Amsterdam, where he met and learned about the Politie Trauma Bear Program. This initiative involves a Politie branded teddy bear being available to frontline officers. They are given to young children or vulnerable people who have suffered or witnessed traumatic incidents. In practice the Trauma Teds have given comfort to those who are unsettled by police attendance at incidents. It’s also helped open up communication between vulnerable people and officers. Officers from around the globe have since asked about adopting the idea. Swoop’s travels continued with him spending time working at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, on beach patrol at Noordwijk and even taking to the skies aboard a police helicopter. Despite it being temporarily closed to visitors Swoop also popped into the IPA department in Groningen, which is a police insignia paradise. The building is a former railway station that now houses a museum, with possibly the world largest collection of police hats and badges.

Swoop’s photo from Ascension Island

Swoop in the Netherlands

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POLICE WORLD Vol 66 No.1, 2021

Cultural Corner

2021

We have so much to look forward to in

Zoom in and never Zoom out 2020 was the year of the Zoom meeting. We enjoyed: coffee mornings, fine dining, quiz nights, whisky, wine & gin tasting and even a cook the same menu evening. If you need more than the free 40-minute Zoom, then please get in touch with Sean and he will arrange an IPA Zoom for you. Please contact Sean at vphannigan@ipa-uk.org

Cultural events and giveaways Despite the travel and other restrictions members have still managed a few cultural visits, exchanges, and events. To help in 2021 if you are holding an event which is Cultural, or you have a visitor from out of area, then please get in touch so we can support you. Funding for Cultural events The planning for Crafty Copper too is well under way for October, where members and friends will give presentations and demonstrations. We will have: bee keeping, craft beer & wine making, sign language, creative writing, painting, and crafting. If you have an event you would like help funding, please get in touch with Sean. IPA FB page remembering our friends Last year we lost many valued members of our IPA Family, some due to COVID. I am grateful to Neil Hallam for helping to set up the IPA Face Book Remembrance page. If you wish to add an entry to the page for your IPA member then please search for the link below. www.facebook.com/International-Police-Association-Section-UK-Book-of- Remembrance-113355723827131 Help the IPA design the best publicity material Quite a few members have commented on the availability and content of publicity materials to help with recruitment and retention. If you would like to help in the design of flyers and publicity material, then please get in touch with Sean. Writing Competition £20 in vouchers to be won The Theme for the writing Competition for this edition is “ Helping Hands” You can write a piece of prose, a reflection, a factual piece or poem with a maximum word length of 750 words and minimum of 250. Please send your entry to mail@ipa-uk.org Closing date 28/02/21

Photography Competition The Theme for the Photography competition for this edition is “Helping Hands” which you can interpret in any way. Please add a few words about your photograph Please send your entry to mail@ipa-uk.org Closing date 28/02/21 IPA Cookbook It is interesting what happens at the National Wednesday Morning Coffee Morning. Two weeks after Denis Hunt said “Family History, that would be an interesting Special interest Group SIG,” he became the Chair of the Family History Group with over 100 Members. Those who regularly attend know that Donna Powell is always baking or cooking. Sean said, “Careful in case we get another SIG,” So in the spirit of Friendship and baking can you send in your favourite recipe for an IPA Cookbook. Please send your fabulous recipes to mail@ipa-uk.org

Caption Competition With your very witty heads on, please look at the photograph and send your caption(s) to mail@ipa-uk.org Closing date 28/02/2021

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Cultural Corner

The Fivepenny Collie attack Ian McNeish , Central Scotland Branch & Writers’ SIG Ian McNeish’s cycling odyssey took him from Barra to the Butt of Lewis, on his personal Hebridean Challenge. This short tale brings you the last day of his wonderful journey. T he final day waxed bright and breezy and we were soon scudding out of Stornoway, on the undulating Barvas Moor Road. The road swings north at the village, and we headed for our final destination with a handy tail breeze. I wondered if I was getting fitter, but the torturous return to Stornoway soon disabused me of that stupid notion.

of raw power, grace and elegance. Then if that was not enough beauty for the day, our gaze was diverted by the tweeting of Rock Pipits, the colourful Machair, and the Pink Thrift. The place was alive, and as I said there was not a lot there. Then there is the ocean itself, running high, with white horses dominating the seascape. It has nowhere to go and having travelled for thousands of miles, unfettered and building up a head of steam, something has to give. So it throws itself against the immovable rocks and cliffs of the land boundary. Is it frustration, anger, or part of a greater plan? Whatever its reason, the energy released is spectacular. There is something mesmeric about large waves crashing headlong onto the rocks, cliffs and shore. There does not need to be anything else. I just marveled at the power of nature and appreciated my ability to witness it. No, there is not a lot up here; that is if you have no feelings, no imagination, and no appreciation for your surroundings. It is simply teeming with experiences, a wonderful place, and all the more accessible thanks to the development of roadways. An amended extract from Ian’s book; ‘From Dumyat to Mont Blanc, being alive with mountains.’

At a small shop at Borve, the lady inquired about our trip. When I mentioned the charity element she handed me a ten pound note and said, “For your charity, good luck.” Then we were off and scudding along again in a high gear and making progress. Ness soon entered our vision, the lighthouse on the horizon giving the first clue. We turned into a quaint named section called, Fivepenny (Coig Peighinnean Nis). My musing about the name did not last long. My companion David was as usual, a bit in front and missed the welcome that awaited me. I had no sooner turned left toward the Lighthouse, when the Coig Peighinnean Nis guard dog spotted me. It was a black and white border collie that had, I assume, taken exception to my spinning legs, covered in the ubiquitous Lycra, which offered poor protection. It appeared from behind a nearby building, like a frenzied black and white harlequin, with its bark set to, really fierce. I nearly wet myself. I pushed on and looked back to check if it was gaining. It certainly was and it would have gained more if I had not taken a quick look at the direction I was heading. There was a curve in the road and I was hurtling headlong towards a deep ditch, with a sudden stop and a set of gnashers looming. My avoiding action had me swerving about the road and while I fought to stay on the bike, the old black and white flash continued bearing down on me. Whilst swaying about I nearly lost my reason all together, but like Tam o’ Shanter’s “guid grey mare,” Meg, I gained the ‘keystane o’ the brig’, figuratively speaking. Well to be truthful, the timely intervention of a lady rescued me. She appeared from the same hidey hole the dog had sprung from and reeled it in. I heard her shouting but did not look back, as I was too busy flailing my legs in an attempt to gain yards. Then the barking subsided and looking back, I saw my adversary meekly following the lady back into the corner it had sprung from. Meanwhile, my helpful companion Dave was some distance beyond and oblivious to the near carnage in his wake. He had not even altered his pace, nor even looked behind. Then came the uneventful last few yards to our journey’s end and we were there; The Butt of Lewis. There was nothing between us and the Americas, apart from the Atlantic Ocean. We walked about for a time, took the necessary photographs and rested, while munching all of our food parcel and drinking most of our water. We would regret that extravagance later. There is not much at the end of the Outer Hebrides, just an impressive lighthouse and very little else. Except that is for the hypnotic ocean, coupled with the feeling of space and wonder it brings. We were surrounded by beauty, both in vision and sound. The Fulmars seemed to glide effortlessly, for an eternity, along the cliff faces, with nary a wing beat. The Gannet, soared gracefully, on their gleaming white, black tipped, pointed wings, before suddenly, as though on a secret signal, lifting into a short climb, before instantaneously folding themselves into white, dart shaped missiles, executing their trademark, steep angled dive, hitting the water at breakneck speed and disappearing below, with nary a splosh. They were an image

Ian McNeish

Isle of Lewis

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A Welcome in the Mountains Chris Heathcote , Metropolitan Branch

The police station in Zakopane is a former hotel

Chris and Maxime in the alpage near Morgins

It has sometimes felt as if the world has closed down and that the IPA is becoming ‘virtual-only.’ But some travel has been possible and the hospitality of colleagues overseas can still be relied upon. I managed to get away last year; to Switzerland in August and Slovakia & Poland in September. I found a warm welcome from those sections on my arrival. I n Switzerland, Maxime Morisod, a city police officer working in emergency response in Aigle showed me round his hometown of Monthey. We took a walk in the lush nearby alpage and went out for a dinner of traditional Swiss cheese fondue and craft beers. On arrival in Slovakia, Jan Kover, an investigator in the city of Košice was only too pleased to help me with suggestions for accommodation and hiking. Jan and his colleague Juraj Veselovsky, met me at the central police station with many gifts. Over in Banská Bystrica, head of the economic crime unit Marek Ondras & Andrej Hegenduš joined me at the Slovak Uprising Museum, and after walking around the old town, we enjoyed drinks and goulash. Up in the Tatra Mountains and over the border into Poland, Maciej Kawk, an officer in public order and events planning, showed me his police station, which was a former hotel, set in the beautiful alpine town of Zakopane. I met local police commander Piotr Dziekanowski, and heard about a recent operation to evacuation 125 injured people from the mountains after a lightning storm.

Swiss cheese fondue with Maxime

Not a hotel room, but a custody cell

Jan Kover and colleague meet Chris at the central police station in Kosice

Chris and Marek Ondras at the Slovak Uprising Museum in Banská Bystrica

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Our Dream Fulfilled Roger Bates , Peterborough Branch Roger & Carole spent their lives in Cambridgeshire, where Roger was a serving officer and Carole worked in a local Store. They bought a holiday home in Spain five years before Roger retired from the force. Three years into a post-retirement career with the local council, they decided to move permanently to Spain.

A fter 20 years as a resident in Spain , the pull of the growing family and seven grandchildren brought them back to the UK. More and more people are seeking to “Follow their dream” and Roger thought a few observations over their 20 year residency might be useful. Searching for Property Estate Agents in Spain are no different than those in the UK, there are good and bad. However, our four house moves showed they do not have much “get up and go.” Manyana appears to be their motto, and they will need pushing. By all means watch the TV programmes, but having seen two such programmes made, they are all for show. One such episode took five takes, just for the introduction. Another episode was filmed in our village. The crew invited the community, but expected us to pay for the buffet. Think about using Google maps, to virtually walk around the villa in question, even getting a bird’s eye view. All this research needs doing before you fly out, so that you can get to the places you have chosen for viewings.

When you visit the property, take a video of the whole plot. It’s so much easier to remember afterwards, i.e. where was the sun on the property? After all that’s what you came to Spain for. Don’t forget the property will be overpriced, so get details of nearby property values for comparison. DON’T mention money or say YES on the spot. Look for heating throughout the whole building; yes it does get cold in the winter. If the property is on an urbanisation and has a pool; what are the community fees? And has the owner paid them? If there have been alterations, have they got the plans and authority? Some plans don’t get filed at the Town Hall, which

Being a resident has no effect on nationality, but opens up your entitlements that are available. Taxation We were fortunate in that when we moved, there was an agreement allowing your pension to be taxed in either country. Spain recently changed the word “may” in the agreement to read that you “will” have to pay the Spanish tax. So, whatever appears in your Spanish Bank will be taxed by Spain. Additionally, as resident you will also have to declare monies held in the UK. I recommend you obtain the help of a Spanish & English speaking solicitor. Spain does love paperwork, a good lawyer will save you money and time. Transport Car dealers are the same the world over, but the process of buying and selling is a nightmare; queuing and paying extra fees, even to notify change of ownership. If you have a UK registered car, then consider selling it before you move from England and then buy a Spanish vehicle in Spain. Insurance will be cheaper, but don’t forget to get your UK company to certify your no claims bonus. Health Service If you can afford it sign up for Private Health care. Post Brexit As we left the transition period with the EU in December, the precise legalities of living in Europe may change. But whatever the new red tape, Roger’s experience is valuable for anyone considering a move.

inevitably brings problems. Visitor or Resident?

If it’s a permanent move then getting “Resident” status is a necessity. It opens up access to the Health Service and local Doctors. I cannot fault the service given, both my wife and I having had operations.

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Cruising Into Retirement Rod Repton , Derbyshire Branch A chance conversation with his former Deputy Chief Constable led Rod Repton into an interesting retirement career. F ollowing his own retirement, DCC Don Dovaston enjoyed cruising with his wife Carol. In 2012 he described listening to the ship’s guest lecturer, an ex-police officer, and thought that I might be good at it too. In Don’s inimitable way he had taken full details and recommended I followed it up. I jumped at the chance and eventually joined the Peter Ruston Agency. I had to go to their headquarters in Sussex to present a lecture using PowerPoint, this was to see if I could meet the very high standards that the cruise operators expected of their enrichment lecturers. I was accepted and my subjects were Criminology, Forensics, Criminal Investigation and Social History My presentations drew on my varied police experience, and my work as a private investigator. I soon developed a varied portfolio to suit the cruise ships’ worldwide destinations. I have since worked with P&O, Princess, Celebrity, CMV, Royal Caribbean, Saga, Marella and Fred Olsen. I am expected to give a 45 minute presentation on each “sea day” in the ship’s main theatre. The people who go on cruises are mostly prosperous, educated and retired. So they are not particularly interested in self-improvement, motivation or business topics. I found that forensics and crime investigation are popular topics for an audience bombarded with television’s version of policing. I initially prepared eight separate presentations, which I tried to make easy to follow and informative. I did not want to give the audience difficult challenges or workshop elements; as they are on the cruise to enjoy themselves. I invested time in developing and rehearsing my talks and Power Point presentations. These were supported with lots of images and some short video clips. I strove to become an expert in all my topics, because someone in the audience could well be too. I included some humour, as I was there to entertain as well to educate. The accommodation can be either in crew quarters or on a passenger deck. The rooms vary, the worst I have had was a small inside cabin with bunk beds, which was so small that my wife, Kate and I had to dress in shifts. The audiences vary, but on the whole are good. However, on one trip around Britain, most of our passengers were North Americans. We spent a lot of time in port, where the passengers got up early for the many excursions. This meant that on the sea days, they were catching up on sleep and my audiences were very small. They did however record my lectures and I received good feedback from those who watched the recordings in their cabins. I feel very lucky having presented on 20 occasions, visited many interesting places and met so many nice people. My favourite trip was one up the Amazon to Manaus, in Brazil, during which I celebrated my birthday. Just prior to lockdown in March 2020 I was presenting on the P&O Aurora, bound for Norway. As we approached port, the Norwegian authorities would not allow the ship to dock due to the pandemic. So, after five days we arrived back in Southampton and the rest is history. There is a bitter sweet ending, in April 2019 I had been on a trans-Atlantic cruise, during which I met Bill and Carol Bennion, both retired officers from Liverpool. On the cruise they told me numerous Don Dovaston stories as they had served with him in the C.I.D. In retirement I became a good friend of Don, and we met regularly for coffee and to put the world to rights. I was really looking forward to talking to Don about what the Bennions had told me. However, on my journey home I received a call from Bill to tell me Don had passed away the previous day. I miss Don, and I am eternally grateful for him giving me, what is a fascinating life on the waves.

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Retirement among Crete’s abandoned animals Neil Hallam , Editor

Sam Wilson joined Nottinghamshire Police in 1990, taking just six years to reach Inspector. She spent the next 24 years working the very long hours that role demands. Sam retired in September 2020, in the midst of the Covid pandemic and some pretty grim English weather. This left her with a dilemma about how to transition from a busy Police career, into a fulfilling retirement. S am turned to her love of dogs as the basis for her retirement plan. She had never been tempted by the Police Dog Sam spent a month working with George, before returning home to Nottinghamshire. But she plans to make many return trips to work among Crete’s stray animals. “George works incredibly hard and it was a

Having seen the incredible work done by George Orfanidis, Sam was surprised to learn how badly the stray animals were treated on the island. Sam said that “Coming to Crete and seeing how ill- treated these animals are really opened my eyes. The conditions I have seen some of the animals arrive in is appalling.” Across the whole of Greece, there are an estimated eight million stray dogs and cats. Sam was shocked to see people openly harming them, and showing hostility when she went to rescue them. Despite trying to help them, the animals were initially terrified of her, because of how they had been treated by humans. So she found that gaining their trust was quite a task. “Almost every day we went to the vets with critically ill animals,” said Sam. “It’s very costly to treat them. I helped to take care of a dog called Aris, who needed a blood transfusion as his organs were failing.” Another dog, called Shadow, who was rescued by George, donated the blood. Despite their best efforts, Aris had to be put to sleep. Sam cuddled him as he died. “It was heart breaking,” she said.

Section, viewing the relationship with working dogs as being very different to the one she enjoyed with her own three rescue dogs. Through social media, Sam learned of the work George Orfanidis is doing on the Greek island of Crete, through his George Stray Dogs charity. George has devoted the last 20 years of his life to caring for Crete’s neglected animals. His rescue centre currently houses more than 100 dogs and he feeds a further 50 stray dogs and cats that live on the streets. Every day, he makes a 43 mile round trip to his two shelter sites to care for them. There is no mains water supply or electricity at the shelters, so he takes barrels of water and food. While volunteering at George Stray Dogs, Sam’s daily responsibilities included feeding the cats and dogs and escorting sick animals to the vets. She also updates the Facebook page with news about the sick animals and arrivals to the shelter.

pleasure to help him. I intend on travelling there regularly to help George. With my English I will continue to help with updating social media. George relies heavily on donations from Western Europe, where the majority speak English and George only speaks Greek.” In return, George is helping Sam improve her Greek.

You can learn more about George and Sam’s work on

their Facebook page George Stray Dogs .

George Orfanidis

Sam and George

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