PW_1_2022

IPA Section UK Patron - Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal

Vol 67 No.1 2022

The magazine of the International Police Association, Section UK

www.ipa-uk.org

Lottery Winners See Page 27

Royal Visit See Page 6

International Police Association Section UK

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

Vol 67 No.1 2022

Keeping You Informed 4–5 Keeping You Informed Clive Wood President of Section UK 6–7 Professional Development 8 IBZ Gimborn 2022

Editorial Neil Hallam e-mail: mail@neilhallam.com Deadline for article submission for Vol. 67 Edition 2, 2022 is 18 March 2022 Dispatched April 2022

A visit by our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal

06

Martin Turner, Section UK Vice President (Professional)

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

9

Gimborn Street Survival Training 2021 Andy Marshall, Bedfordshire Branch

Cultural Corner 11

50 Shades of Blue: Gimborn 2021 Neil Hallam, Editor

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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Cultural Update Sean Hannigan, Section UK Vice President (Cultural / Communications)

13 Crafty Copper 2021 Neil Hallam, Editor Feature Articles 10 Policing COP26

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Martin Turner, Section UK Vice President (Professional) Deaf people can do anything, except hear Elaine Hallam, Nottinghamshire Branch

Hampshire PO6 1TR Graphic Design by BDS 21 Ltd Membership

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15

A Package of Care Donna Powel, Sussex Branch

22

7 Region Half Yearly Social Weekend Colin Hutt, Vice Chair, 7 Region 50 years of friendship and a misplaced hat Iain Wylie, Northern Ireland (North West Branch)

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 Join the IPA from £20. Visit the website to learn about our promotional offers. 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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News 16–20 News from around IPA Spotlight on the SIGs 23 Broads caravan Rally 2021

SIGs

Caravan & Camping SIG Family History Group

Steve Palmer, Treasurer Caravan & Camping SIG Emmerdale, Fish & Chips and a missing jacket Paul Firth, Motorcycle SIG Chairman. Three Kingdoms Nick Clarke, Hampshire Branch & Motorcycle SIG Taking the Scenic Route Cliff Smith, Leicestershire Branch & Motorcycle SIG If the highlight of your holiday was a visit to a cemetery, then you must be a Genealogist! Denis Hunt, South Wales Branch & Family History Group Chair

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Motorcycle SIG Police Educators

24

Writers’ SIG Walkers’ Group Amateur Radio Section

25

26

Competitions 27

Crossword and Soduko WIN one of these books by James Ellson and Peter Bleksley

Sports 28

Yacht Racing in the Solent with the Met Police Sailing Club Stewart Hall, Hampshire Branch

Cover Photo Front Cover Image by Andy Gregory Photography Next deadline 18 March 2022 for publication April 2022

29 31

Classifieds

Diary

POLICE WORLD Vol 67 No.1, 2022

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ISSN No: 0032-261X

Keeping you informed

Keeping you informed

I hope as you receive this, our first edition of Police World for 2022, you feel a little optimism for the year to come. This time last year, I told you we would be holding our National Council Meeting in June, in person in Lincoln.

W ell at the risk of repeating myself , I hope this year that we will hold our meeting in person in Lincoln. As you know, last year we were required to hold it by zoom. Now there are many advantages to that, but I do think as a friendship association it is good to actually meet in person, at least some of the time. You may recall I also told you last year, that I had hosted our Patron, Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal on a Zoom meeting. Again, this went very well but surely it would have been nicer to meet her in person.

Together with Helen, I attended the Staffordshire Christmas lunch at the invitation of their Chair, Nobby Clarke. I was delighted to use the visit to present a Presidential Award to Bob Lea, in recognition of the sterling service he has given the association over many years. I particularly noted the weekly Zoom meetings he arranged during the past year, to ensure all our members were kept in regular contact. Now let me just review a few things I had told you about previously, before I look forward to this year coming. Helen and I attended the Rochdale friendship week. We had a wonderful time, and the organisation was fantastic. Amazingly £2000 was raised and donated to the Thin Blue Line. Thank you to all who contributed. A Presidential Award was given to Frank Pearson, Branch Chair for his commitment to the Association over many years, and particularly recognising his work in delivering a great week, enjoyed by many. It was a real tonic to meet in person. I was able to visit Cyprus. The weather was very pleasant. The hospitality was amazing as always. There were of course a few more hurdles to travelling abroad, but I think it was well worth it. Also, on the run-up to Christmas Vice President Sean Hannigan, delivered Members Day at Fox Road, which incorporated the opening of our new Multifaith Room. An area for prayer or quiet contemplation. Sean had also organised the Crafty Copper only a few weeks earlier, so thank you Sean for the tremendous effort required.

If you have seen our front page, you will know that this is exactly what we were able to do before Christmas, when Her Royal Highness kindly accepted an invitation to celebrate our 70th anniversary, albeit belatedly, with a visit to the Arthur Troop Training and Conference Centre in Skegness ,Lincolnshire. There will be lots more about that visit elsewhere in this edition, but if I thought Zoom was stressful, greeting her in person was slightly more so! Also, in the run-up to Christmas last year, I attended my own Branch Christmas bash in Leicestershire. A pleasant evening as always and nice to catch up.

The Arthur Troop Training and Conference Centre in Skegness

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POLICE WORLD Vol 67 No.1, 2022

Keeping you informed

Demetris and members of his party in Leicestershire with Clive, Fred Rankin and branch chair for Leicestershire Tony Collins

Personally I have a few things now to look forward to later this month. Senior Gimborn Conversations are to be held this year in Ireland. I thank President Conor O’Higgins for his invitation, and look forward to seeing him in Kilkenny. I personally have a week at Flint House, the Police Rehabilitation Centre, following a shoulder operation just before Christmas. I never needed to use the facilities whilst serving, but I’m certainly pleased that I continued to contribute in retirement. I’m sure I will have an excellent week, and see an improvement in my condition. Many of you will know that Helen and I do like cruises. Obviously, we’ve not had one for many, many months now, and have been debating whether we felt confident to resume. Having both had our boosters, I am really pleased that we have a week around Europe booked in to look forward to. Finally as we look forward with optimism, can I ask you to just take a moment of reflection for those members who either succumbed to, or were affected by the pandemic last year. Those who we lost remain in my thoughts. Stay safe and keep well In friendship Clive Wood, Section UK President

er in

Helen guiding our members at Crafty Copp making Christmas gingerbread house tree

ornaments

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POLICE WORLD Vol 67 No.1, 2022

Royal Visit

A Royal Visit, by our Patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal Clive Wood , President Section UK Images by Andrew and Joanne Gregory of Andy Gregory Photography

December marked a fabulous culmination of two years royal patronage, when Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, visited the Arthur Troop Training and Conference Centre in Skegness. The visit was extra special, as the date marked our Founders birthday. I was delighted that Her Royal Highness was able to find time in her busy schedule to attend the police station, which was dedicated to our founder by the former Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police Mr Bill Skelly, this time last year. Arthur served for part of his service in Skegness, and it is a delight to see a blue plaque on the wall outside the training and conference centre. It was also reassuring to see young student officers being trained to become the future of the police service. Her Royal Highness was welcomed by Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Lincolnshire William Webb, who then introduced: his wife, Lincolnshire’s Chief Constable Mr Chris Haward, the Police & Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire Mr Marc Jones, and finally myself as President of IPA Section UK. I had the absolute honour of inviting our Patron to see the blue plaque outside, before moving inside, where I introduced our National Executive Committee, Steve Bretherton, Secretary General, Sean Hannigan, Vice President Communications and Culture, Martin Turner, Vice President Professional, and Bill Lloyd, our National Treasurer. Sadly, our Vice President for social matters Yvonne McGregor, was unable to join us. As you can imagine, much planning had taken place prior to the visit, to ensure we had the opportunity to remind Her Royal Highness about the aims of our Association, and Vice President Sean Hannigan, together with Alan Carter, (former vice president and CEO of Section UK and international Secretary-General from 1994 until 2003) were able to spend several minutes showing Her Royal Highness items from our archive. These included the press reports of her attending The World Congress dinner at Bournemouth in the millennium year (2000). Alan Carter had previously met Her Highness at that event, together with our founder Arthur Troop.

HRH meeting Chief Constable Chris Haward

Clive Wood shows HRH Arthur Troop’s comemorative plaque

Gary Craig presented Her Royal Highness with a bottle of Thin Blue Line gin

Clive Wood reminisses about our last zoom meeting with HRH

POLICE WORLD Vol 67 No.1, 2022

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Royal Visit

Preparing to unveil the comemorative plaque

Alan Carter explains the Association history to HRH

HRH meets the Section UK National Executive

HRH meets Linolnshire Branch members

After covering our Association history, I handed over to Chief Constable Chris Haward, who was able to tell HRH what modern day training looks like for his student officers in Lincolnshire. HRH was presented to several officers who were undertaking their initial training before their first patrols in the New Year. I was then able to take HRH through to the conference area, where I introduced the Chair of the Lincolnshire Branch Derek Canton & his wife Barbara. Derek then introduced members of his board including: Branch Secretary Chris Morgan & his partner Joan Coyne, Branch Treasurer Norman Banfield, Ernest flatters & his wife Liz and member Colin Haigh, who is the current neighbourhood policing lead for the Lincolnshire coast area. The final group introduced to HRH included Michael Walsh, our representative from the International Executive Board, Gurmit Kaur Region 5 Chair, Gary Craig, the founder and representative of the Thin Blue Line charity (the current president’s charity seeking to raise awareness of issues around mental health for serving offices) Andrew Gregory (West Midlands) & his wife Joanne, who kindly performed the role of official photographers to this event. To conclude the visit, I invited Her Royal Highness to see a portrait which will be mounted in the foyer of the building following her visit. HRH then unveiled a commemorative plaque of the visit, which will be mounted under the portrait. On behalf of the Thin Blue Line charity, Gary Craig presented Her Royal Highness with a bottle of Thin Blue Line gin. Each bottle purchased gives a donation of at least £10 to the charity, and it is rather nice gin! On behalf of the Association, I presented HRH with an engraved IPA quaich, a copy of our founders book; service through friendship, a challenge coin commissioned to mark the event (a very limited number of these will be available on our website shortly).

Finally, I was absolutely delighted that HRH accepted my offer to recognise her ongoing support for the Association with Honorary Life Membership, as an associate member of the IPA. This concluded the visit and I escorted HRH out of the building to her car thanking her once again for all her support over many years. As the car left the gates, I felt a huge sense of personal relief, as I’m sure you can imagine. This was a great event for our association, and certainly something to celebrate after what has been, and continues to be a very difficult time.

HRH unveiled a commemorative plaque of the visit

POLICE WORLD Vol 67 No.1, 2022

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Professional Development

IBZ Gimborn 2022 Martin Turner , Section UK Vice President (Professional) As we leave 2021 behind, it is perhaps optimistic to hope for a Covid free 2022, but there is no doubt the world is opening up again. It is timely therefore, to direct you to the Seminar Programme for the IPA’s flagship education venue at Gimborn Castle, Germany.

T here are many English language seminars in the schedule , from Writing and Virtual Reality, to Street Survival Tactics and Crisis Management. Attendance at the Castle is an experience in itself, with picturesque surroundings and great facilities. A fully equipped gym, sauna, bar, wine cellar, BBQ area and en-suite guestrooms, are just some of the facilities included in the seminar fee. The cost of a seminar is extremely reasonable. Don’t forget that as a Section UK IPA member, you can claim a £250 bursary every two years towards attendance at a Gimborn seminar. Bursaries are paid upon receipt of a good quality article for Police World , with photos, detailing your experiences of the seminar. For further details please visit the Gimborn website, or the Gimborn section on the IPA UK members area of the website. Printed English language copies of the 2022 seminar programme will be available from our HQ in Nottingham soon, and will also be sent to all police agencies across the UK. www.ibz-gimborn.de

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POLICE WORLD Vol 67 No.1, 2022

Professional Development

Gimborn Street Survival Training 2021 Andy Marshall , Bedfordshire Branch

PD Swoop learning some Defensive Tactics at Gimborn

Active Attack Training in Castle Gimborn

I had seen articles about IBZ Gimborn and it was on my “Things to think about” list. However, when Chris Duncombe emailed members about cancellations opening up space on his Street Survival course, I enquired. Chris sold me on the course and I signed up online. The team at Gimborn were really helpful, making booking flights and arranging Covid documentation easy.

Training in the castle grounds

Point Shooting

Back in uniform for presentations

The Explosive Self Defence System

A t Cologne airport we were collected by the Shuttle from Gimborn. We had a brief diversion to the railway station to collect a US Federal Agent, who had won a scholarship to attend. At Gimborn we were given our room keys and settled in, before being given a brief tour of the site, and heading out for a walk around that finished at the castle bar. We had attendees from Germany, UK, USA, Denmark and Kenya and it was a relaxed, informal setting to meet everyone. I’m not into martial arts and like many, I don’t look forward to the annual self-defence training at work. So, I was unsure what to expect on Monday morning. We were introduced to the SIG’s “Explosive Self Defence System”. Our group had a mix of abilities and experiences. I liked how we didn’t learn complicated techniques requiring regular practice, as I suffer from skill fade, or totally forget them if not used regularly. What we got, were easy and effective techniques, that I am confident I will remember. We regularly changed partners, which really broke the ice, and gave us the chance to try out our skills on people of different builds. Tuesday’s focus was tactical first aid, run by a trainer from the German Polizei, who had worked with the Polizei Commandoes (German SWAT) and Riot units. He was both experienced and passionate about the subject. The session started with a presentation on catastrophic bleeds, I’ve suffered far too many ‘death by PowerPoint’ classes, but his was excellent, and led nicely into practical sessions using tourniquets. The class had a mix of first aid ability, from those with pre-hospital trauma training, to some with very basic first aid. At the end of the session everyone had learned something new and had the confidence to tackle catastrophic bleeds, secure airways and apply direct pressure dressings. To finish off the day, we had a session on ground defence tactics. The session was fun but physical and focused on defending yourself if you got knocked or fell to the ground. Wednesday started with a practical knife defence session. The tactics utilised the Explosive Self Defence System we had covered on Monday. It initially looked complicated, but the trainers build it up in stages and by the end, we were confident and proficient.

The afternoon covered active threat training, the objective was to show us how to effectively deal with an armed assailant when unarmed. It was great to hear about our American colleague’s experience of such an incident. We learned about the Run Hide Tell principles, to minimise causalities and slow down attackers while aiding the police response. This was interesting since all my previous training had been focused on dealing with incidents from a police response perspective. In the afternoon we were introduced to point shooting. We used airsoft pistols, which allowed flexibility in the drills, without the safety restrictions required with firearms. The technique showed us how to use natural instincts to accurately and quickly shoot while moving. The active days were nicely finished off with relaxing evenings at the castle’s bar, sharing stories over a few beers. Thursday began with a practical lesson about active threats. The session focused on entering buildings where someone is activity attacking people. Again, peoples training varied massively, leading to some interesting discussion. Despite the differences, we were all able to work together in the scenarios. After lunch we took part in more scenarios covering everything we had learned throughout the week. After the training was over for the day, we changed into uniform and had a group photo, followed by a BBQ and a few drinks. Friday morning was a wash-up session, where we discussed the course content and sorted any administration before saying our goodbyes. We had varied departure times, and as a few of us didn’t leave until Saturday, we headed into Cologne for an afternoon of sightseeing and shopping. This was my first trip to Gimborn, and my first experience Defensive Tactics Group seminar, it certainly won’t be my last. Regardless of your position, job or experience it’s a great opportunity to learn some new skills to keep yourself safe. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

POLICE WORLD Vol 67 No.1, 2022

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Article

Policing COP26 Martin Turner , Section UK Vice President (Professional) October 2021 saw dozens of Section UK members descend on Glasgow, in readiness for the much-anticipated COP26 Climate Summit, hosted by the United Nations. O ur members undertook a variety of roles covering every specialism imaginable, including: Dogs, Search, Public Order, Mounted, Rifle Teams, Marine Units and NILOs (National Inter-Agency Liaison

Officers). Challenge Coins were exchanged and sold. Patch swapping was rife, and I made sure our Section UK Professional Supplements were left at as many staging posts as possible. I took a Police Support Unit (PSU) from British Transport Police up to work as part of Basic Mobilisation Unit (BMU), with Met and City of London officers. To demystify the jargon, for those not versed in the Public Order world. When deployed to operations like COP26, we work in teams of 1 Sergeant and 6 Constables (plus a driver). This smallest team is called a Serial. Three Serials work under the command of an Inspector, and we call this a Police Support Unit (PSU). When more officers are required, three PSUs are combined, to form a Basic Mobilisation Unit (BMU). Larger deployments are multiples of this structure. All three of the London based forces: BTP, Met and City of London were combined to form the BMU I travelled with. It was one of the most demanding deployments I have done, with long shifts and many cancelled rest days. I found an outstanding display of friendship on show amongst the officers deployed. Police Scotland hosted us very well, displaying the hospitality Scotland is famed for. Numerous forces worked well with each other when called upon, and the banter and camaraderie was exceptional. A term often used during the deployment was “Policing Family”, and it provided a great opportunity to explain what the IPA is, to those who had not heard of us and wanted to join. We returned to England, Wales, Northern Ireland and distant parts of Scotland, both tired and proud of a job well done. Let us hope the bonds of friendship across the UK can be strengthened by an active IPA over the next few months. I look forward to a similar atmosphere in Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games in 2022, and hope that even more of those deployed are members of our fine association by then.

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POLICE WORLD Vol 67 No.1, 2022

Cultural Corner

50 Shades of Blue: Gimborn 2021

Enjoying the grounds of Gimborn Castle

Neil Hallam , Editor 50 Shades of Blue was the theme for our writers’ first post-covid return to Gimborn. This is the title for a charity book project, instigated by Chair of the Section UK Writers’ SIG, David Lewis. O ur IPA Section has chosen The Thin Blue Line as its 2021 charity, and mental health is an increasing worry for serving and retired Officers and Staff. David purloined the raunchier “Grey” title, to A Police launch passes by on our river trip

cover a selection of 50 pieces of writing about mental health, the triggers that come from our career choice, and its effects on IPA members and their families. The Writers’ SIG and the Gimborn Writers’ Seminar were both Section UK initiatives, driven by our VP (Culture), Sean Hannigan. But, when our growing band of creative people attracted members from outside the UK, we expanded it to become a Global Writers’ Forum. With members from England, Northern Ireland and Germany, our third Gimborn Seminar had a very international feel.

David and Ulrike enjoying our mid week excursion

Mid-week, Gimborn Seminar Manager Ulrike Neuhoff, joined us for a boat trip along the Rhine, from her home city of Bonn. Amidst an intensive classroom week, this relaxing afternoon provided a relaxing, and welcome interlude to our week in Germany. We would not be writers if such an excursion did not inspire some writing, and we hope to produce a Visions of Bonn publication with the fantastic work our group produced. Running alongside us at Gimborn was a much more active course, introducing NGO (Non Government Organisation) workers to the dangers they will face in taking aid to the world’s many conflict zones. The nature of their roles meant the delegates all spoke English, and they proved a great addition to our Gimborn experience. Their members judged some of our writing competitions, and joined us for an evening of music and poetry to end the week. A final word must go to the staff of IBZ Gimborn, and Ulrike in particular. Travel under covid proved to be a complex and ever changing bureaucracy. Ulrike made sure we had the latest information, and even took a group of us to get our pre-return test certificates.

The thread of 50 Shades of Blue wound its way through the week, as our delegates kickstarted David’s project, by producing heartfelt stories of their own experiences. Some wrote poetry in keeping with the theme, while others provided informative and practical information. In just a single week, the nine seminar delegates have taken us almost halfway to the target of 50 contributions. If you would like to add to the other half, please let David Lewis know. Despite the very worthwhile task set for us by David, we also included a wide range of writing and publishing lectures. Professor Tony Granger explained the complexities of the ISBN book numbering system, as well as describing the innovative ways he has marketed his financial planning guides. David (Doz) Hughes delighted us with his paintings and photography, showing how they complement his writing as book illustrations and covers. Mark Thompson and his publisher Claire Christian joined us by Zoom from England, taking us through the process of editing, proof reading, and selling his novel Dust in three languages. As Police World Editor, I had to be part of the week, describing my ongoing guidebook projects, and running a workshop based on my work as a Police Advisor to an ITV drama series.

Changing weather during our river trip pleased the photographers in our group

POLICE WORLD Vol 67 No.1, 2022

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Cultural Corner

Cultural and Comms Corner Sean Hannigan , Section UK VP (Comms and Culture) What a year 2021 was for IPA Cultural events and friendship across the section. Thank you all for taking part in events throughout the year, and sending in your fantastic photographs and articles, which have been used across our social media and in Police World (PW). T hroughout the year there have been writing and photography competitions , which have been valuable in obtaining PW material. These will continue into 2022. I am grateful to the Writers SIG for providing fantastic PW articles, stories, and poems during 2021. Without their input, we would have struggled to produce edition 2 of PW, and indeed many pages of the other editions. The successful Zoom effect in 2021 will, I am sure, continue into 2022. In general, the facility has led to more members attending meetings than would otherwise do so, and at a great cost saving to Branches and Regions. But, it is fantastic to meet face to face, and have the joy of practising our friendship once more. Our second Crafty Copper was put on for members, and I am thankful to David Lewis, Doz Hughes, Helen Wood, Paul Ammo, Elaine & Neil Hallam, Steve Bretherton and Andy Gregory, for giving their time and expertise during the event. Crafty Copper three will be in a different format in 2022, as we are hoping to piggyback onto a pre-existing event. If you know of a suitable event, please get in touch. Members Day 2021 was an incredible event, where we had a few IPA firsts. The IPA Archive consisting of all Police Worlds, Out and Abouts, Branch / Regional / NEC and NCM minutes, Newsletters and other miscellaneous documents were scanned, to enable every member to access on-line. The project means that, not only have we saved our IPA History for the future, but we can add to it digitally. Can I please ask that all electronic documents sent to fox Road are also copied to digital@ipa-uk.org as a word document, and as a pdf document so they can be added to the Archive. I am grateful to Phillip and Vivienne Powell, for their three weeks of work in going through the whole archive and sorting it out. Working with them every day, I got a glimpse of how hard they work. PW Professional was launched during G7 2021 , where over 2500 copies, including the Thin Blue Line four-page pull-out were distributed to Police Staff and Officers. The stand-alone 16-page publication took the best professional articles from recent PW magazines, and sought to sell the National and International opportunities available. This is available in both e-format and hard copy. Region 7 had nearly 40 volunteers available for over a week, to ensure the IPA were properly represented at the event, with a resulting recruitment of nearly 50 new members, and raising the profile of the IPA. 2022 will see the production of further PW supplements, including PW Specials/PCSO, PW Staff, PW Re-Start, PW Mental Health and Wellbeing and PW SIGS. These will give a flavour of what we do in the IPA, and can be used to target specific groups you wish to talk to. Please get in touch if you would like to write an article for the supplements. Members Day 2022 may have a different format and locations, so if you are interested in helping with this, please get in touch.

Andy Gregory with his photography portfolio

Neil Hallam talks to Clive Wood about writing

The British Police Symphony Orchestra (BPSO) and Blue Light Orchestra (BLO) are now back in full flow and able to perform again. So please consider supporting them by either joining, or going to their concerts. Please see latest news for details.

I plan to support Cultural events as I did in 2021, so if you have a Cultural event or exchange in 2022, please send me an e mail. There will be the usual competitions to encourage members to write, and photograph for PW and IPA social media. 2022 will see the 4th Writers Seminar at Gimborn on the 10th October, with smaller Cultural UK based weekends on writing, photography, and painting. Thank you for making 2021 a success, and I very much look forward to seeing you somewhere in 2022. Please drop me a line if you have any thoughts.

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POLICE WORLD Vol 67 No.1, 2022

Cultural Corner

Crafty Copper 2021 Neil Hallam , Editor The Crafty Copper craft fair is a spin-off from the Section UK Writers’ SIG. Soon after forming our writers’ support group, we realised that many of our writers had other creative skills too. Cultural VP Sean Hannigan, put together the first Crafty Copper event in 2019, gathering together a selection of our creative members for a weekend at Fox Road. As with so many other things, our planned 2020 event could not go ahead, but we did get together again in October 2021.

T he newly decorated Section UK HQ at Fox Road was once again the venue for our two day craft event, with each of its many rooms hosting a different artistic genre. I was of course there, promoting my own writing, and our Section UK Writers’ SIG. David Lewis brought along his bonsai tree collection, and ran tuition sessions for visitors wanting to try their hand at the ancient oriental art. David (Doz) Hughes, is a multi-talented creative, with interests in writing, painting and photography. This time, Doz showcased his oil paintings, creating a striking demonstration piece on each of the two days. My wife Elaine joined us, passing on some British Sign Language (BSL) skills, as well as raising awareness about communicating with deaf people. Giving her sessions an artistic twist, Elaine focussed on Strictly Come Dancing’s inclusion of a deaf dancer in the 2021 series. EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis and her professional dancing partner Giovanni Pernice began working exchanges of BSL conversation into their dance routines, which Elaine taught to our visitors. Helen Wood, wife of Section UK President Clive, delivered a class in crafting with cardboard. Under Helen’s tuition, the group created three dimensional Christmas cards, in the shape of a gingerbread house. Andy Gregory developed a post-retirement career in professional photography, and brought along a very broad selection of the fantastic music, landscape and portrait photographs he has created over the last few years. Andy also gave lots of hints and tips on equipment choice, and how to make the best of the equipment you have. Steve Bretherton told us about beekeeping, and teaspoons were much in demand for sampling honey straight from the honeycomb. Paul Amoo put a slightly different spin on making retirement as fulfilling as possible, telling us about the many and varied volunteering roles he has taken on since leaving the police.

Thank you to the members who joined our creatives for Crafty Copper. We all had a fabulous weekend, sharing our skills and catching up with friends. When we next run Crafty Copper, we hope to combine it with a bigger craft event, by taking an IPA stall. That way, we will increase our footfall and also gain some valuable publicity for the Association. We are still researching an appropriate event, if readers have any suggestions, please get in touch with Neil at mail@neilhallam.com

Doz Hughes demostrates oil painting

Paul Amoo enjoys a Fulfulling Retirement

Helen Wood teaches crafting

David Lewis creates a bonsai

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Article

Deaf people can do anything, Except Hear Elaine Hallam , Nottinghamshire Branch

I have worked within the deaf community for over 25 years. During that time, together with colleagues, deaf people and those with a hearing loss, I have campaigned to raise awareness of British Sign Language (BSL) and the barriers to communication deaf people face within a hearing world. O ne in five people in the UK have some form of hearing loss, and most of us will, at some time in our lives, become hard

disability. Not all Deaf people have the confidence Rose displays, but she is a role model for others because of the way she tackles life’s challenges, and how they can be overcome. The Deaf do not generally see themselves as disabled, and have a saying that “Deaf people can do anything, except hear”. Though many argue that they hear visually and through vibrations through the air and floor, especially with music. British Sign Language is a beautiful, rich Language, full of expression, emotions and pictures. Currently there are 151,000 people in the UK who use BSL, and approximately 87,000 are Deaf. The popular media is becoming more inclusive, with a deaf character in the new Eternals superhero movie, deaf actors/actresses in the soaps (including Rose Ayling-Ellis), and TV adverts including British Sign Language. But there are many improvements still to be made in society, as well as within the entertainment industry. We can all do our bit to help better communication between the Deaf & Hearing worlds. If you would like to find out more, have a look at bda.org.uk/help -resources or ndcs.org.uk

of hearing. This has a terribly isolating effect of not being able to hear conversation around us. They can feel excluded from society and a burden to loved ones. Even with the most up to date hearing aids, it can still leave our relatives and friends feeling left out or marginalised. As the relative or friend who’s hearing is fine, it can also be very frustrating having to repeat things several times over, or feel you must raise your voice to be heard. But this is nothing to the frustration a deafened person feels. So please bare this in mind the next time you are talking with them. Here are a few simple things to consider. • Make sure they’re looking at you before you speak • Talk face to face, make eye contact & start by saying what you want to talk about • Don’t over - enunciate, as this distorts your lip pattern • Don’t SHOUT! • Don’t cover your mouth with your hands or eat/drink/smoke at the same time • Be aware of windows or bright lighting behind you, as it will cast your face into darkness • Relax and most importantly, be patient with them • If you’re really stuck, then you can write something down. • But best of all, learn British Sign Language. BSL was recognised by the government in 2003, as our second national language, yet few outside of the Deaf community are aware of this. Recently things began to change, thanks to the fabulous actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, who is the first Deaf contestant in the UK’s Strictly Come Dancing competition. She is a fantastic role model for the younger deaf generation, as well as anyone who feels they can’t achieve success due to having a

Rose and Giovanni used BSL in one of their dances

Rose’s Eastender’s character Frankie communicates using a mixture of spoken English and British Sign Language

Elaine Hallam discusses deaf awareness at the IPA Crafty Copper event

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Article

A Package of Care Donna Powel , Sussex Branch I want to start this article by saying how much I have appreciated the Zoom coffee mornings organised by Sean Hannigan. I am a busy person with my two young children but, I have suffered with anxiety this last 15 or so months, and to see regular friendly faces during these coffee mornings has given me so much support. I know there are regular faces on the Zooms who live alone, so I can only begin to imagine how much these coffee mornings have meant to them. T owards the end of 2020 , I started baking during the coffee morning Zoom sessions with my daughter, and someone made a joke about smell-o-vision, Spike Elliott then mentioned getting care packages, Rum and raisin fudge

including biscuits, from his family, whilst serving in the Falklands. The effect on his morale, even all these years was clear, so this got me thinking. I decided to send care packages to some of our members who were living alone during this pandemic. I mentioned my idea to Sean Hannigan, who offered to support me with this project and a vision was born. I already knew three regular faces from the Zooms, who I wanted to send my care packages to. These were Bill Petherick in Scotland, Denis Hunt in Wales and John Hutchins in Hertfordshire. I asked Sean if he could suggest a fourth person to receive a care package, and he suggested Norman Banfield from Boston, who was widowed at the end of 2019. On Monday 22nd March I started baking. I made a rich fruit cake during the day, rum & raisin fudge that evening, and on Tuesday I baked several batches of stem ginger biscuits. All were gift wrapped, placed inside a presentation box and posted the next day. I excitedly kept checking my emails as the packages slowly got delivered, and I wondered how they had been received, as no one knew they were receiving a food care package from me. Shortly after 1pm I got a phone call from Scotland which could only be Bill. It was the first time we had directly spoken, and it was an emotional phone call for both of us. I was so happy that Bill had enjoyed his surprise parcel. Later that day I received a truly lovely email from Denis, who was very complimentary of my fruit cake saying it edged out in front, beyond his own Mothers high quality cake. Denis also said: “The contents of the package were both exquisite and extremely thoughtful of you. And so my lovely Donna, having just devoured the final crumbs of the cake, some of which I now need to dig out from my keyboard, I will again say a most sincere thank you for your most thoughtful gift.” That evening I got a phone call from Norman, who I am now in contact with via email and we have shared a few messages including photos of each other, and on the Friday I had a lovely phone call with John. I purposely chose items for the care packages so the recipients had a choice of cake, sweets and biscuits, I also tried to choose items with a longer life to them, so they didn’t have to eat lots of sweet things in a short space of time. I thoroughly enjoyed putting these packages together, and to know I put smiles on faces of friends, some of whom I have never even met. I hope they helped the recipients know they are not alone. Sean kindly agreed to support me with further care packages, so once every few weeks, four care packages have been sent to friends in the UK who have been struggling, be it in relation to Covid, illness, bereavement, or just to say thank you for everything they do. I have been joined by Cate Connolly, sending packages to friends in Northern Ireland too, and between us 20 have now been sent out. If you know a member who you think deserves a care package, then please email Sean Hannigan or me ( donna.powell@live.co.uk ) with a few words as to why you would like that member sent a care package and we will see what we can do.

The complete care package sealed as recipient would open it.

The rich fruit cake

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IPA News

Police World Touches Base Grahame Holloway , Devon Branch Articles in Police World can sometimes have interesting consequences, a good example being Grahame Holloway’s Memories of Early Police Aviation, which appeared in Vol 66 No.3. The National Police Air Service (NPAS) base at Almondsbury, in South Gloucestershire, is close to where I now live. Learning of my past aviation experience, their Base Commander, Alec Linton, extended an invitation for me to visit. After negotiating the strict security cordon surrounding the base, their welcome could not have been warmer, starting with a good cup of coffee.

NPAS Base Commander Alec Linton with Grahame and G-HEOI

I was shown the ops room, where I met the on-call crew who, fortunately, were still on ‘stand-by’. I learned that the base has five pilots, a Chief Pilot and four Line Pilots, along with eight police observers. Then we retired to Alec’s office, which he shares with the Chief Pilot, Captain Rick London, a former Army Air Corps pilot. Interestingly, I learned that Rick and I had at least one thing in common, having both flown the Chipmunk. Although my experience of that aircraft was many years before his. Time passed so quickly as we discussed the roles they undertook within today’s policing. Then the time came to have a close look at a helicopter. Their Eurocopter 135 P2 G-HEOI was parked outside of the hangar, and Alec and I were joined by the duty pilot, Captain Stewart Hadley-Clarke. He went through all the instrumentation and facilities available to them. Sadly, the time passed all too quickly, for it seemed like another world to me, some 40 years having passed since I was last in a ‘chopper’. Then, as we finally said our good-byes, I was presented with a NPAS picture of the helicopter and an invitation to return. A copy of my Police World article is now displayed on their notice board.

Wiltshire’s Emblem Returns Matthew Johnson , Secretary, Wiltshire Branch Retired police officers crop up in surprising settings, but I think Dave Waters gets an accolade for a most interesting and unusual post- retirement job. For him and his band of volunteers, this is clearly a passion. In 1998 Dave founded the Great Bustard Group (GBG). This beautiful native British bird was hunted to extinction in this country in the 19th century. It is the world’s heaviest flying bird and often weighs over 20 kg, stands a metre tall, with a wingspan of two metres. It also features on Wiltshire’s County flag, making it rather special to our Branch. To find out more about this extraordinary project, 14 members of Wiltshire Branch joined Dave for a fascinating tour. Dave and his colleague Adrian, who is also a retired policeman, loaded us into two Landrovers that had clearly led an interesting life. They took us onto areas of Salisbury Plain, which are only accessible to farmers and the military, with fabulous views across the chalk downland. The large training areas, with few people, make Salisbury Plain a haven for wildlife; with 13 species of nationally rare plants, 67 rare invertebrates, and it is a site of international importance for birds. All this makes the plain an ideal breeding ground for the Great Bustard. We were lucky enough to see two large groups of these magnificent birds. They were at a distance, but with the help of equipment supplied by the GBG, we all got a closer view. The second group were seen from a hide which offered welcome sanctuary from the strong winds that sweep across the plain. We also saw kestrels, deer and many grassland birds. We had arranged a pub lunch at The Antelope in Upavon, where Dave treated us to an excellent talk about the trials and early tribulations of this

Matthew (left) presenting the window to Da ve

very ambitious project. The aim of the Bustard Group is to safeguard and enlarge the breeding population of this amazing bird, so it can sustain itself and thrive for future generations. Along the way Dave has sourced Bustard eggs from Russia and Spain. Russia proved a challenge, as the authorities refused to co-operate. Russian farmers were more co-operative, after bartering was done with vodka and cigarettes. Dave has built up an excellent working relationship with The Cotswold Wildlife Park, who incubate the eggs, which are then sent to breeding pens on Salisbury Plain before being released. At the end of our visit Matthew Johnson presented Dave with a beautiful stained- glass window of a Great Bustard in flight, which he designed and made himself.

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