PW_1_2024

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Liverpool Friendship Week Julian Dearden, Liverpool & Merseyside Branch, Chairman

Our Gala Dinner Guests: left to right:- Conor O Higgins, President Ireland IPA; Spike Elliott, Secretary General Section UK; DCC Merseyside Police, Chris Green; George Durno, Branch Treasurer; Andy Cooke, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services; Julian Dearden, Branch Chairman; Bill Lloyd, National Treasurer Section UK; Danny Gidman, Branch Secretary.

In 2018, the suggestion of an International Friendship Week was first voiced at one of our meetings. It would be a “first” for our Branch, although we had a history of organising visits to other European countries. A couple of setbacks and cancellations, led to the event becoming reality in August 2023. T remendous work was carried out by both our Secretary, Danny Gidman, and our Treasurer George Durno. Help was A special mention must be made of the members of our Branch, who contributed to its success. Without them, it would not have been the triumph it was. They turned out daily to offer

The week commenced with a welcome buffet supper with introductions, drinks and an early night. The next few days included visits to The Beatles Convention, Tour of Liverpool by bus, followed by a “Ferry across the Mersey”. Visits to the famous Cavern Club, The Beatles Café, Beatles Concert, Merseyside Police Headquarters and “Matrix” Department (a specialised branch). Anglican Cathedral, and the famous Beatles Museum. We continued with a tour of Liverpool Town Hall and meeting the Lord Mayor, then a visit to a local Bar, a tour of Anfield Stadium (home of Liverpool FC), a Magical Mystery Bus Tour and a visit to Liverpool Museums. The week ended with an evening dinner cruise on The Floating Grace. Liverpool’s only floating restaurant and bar.

also obtained from IPA UK in particular, “Spike” Elliott, Bill Lloyd, and everyone at Fox Road. Our week coincided with the end of the annual Beatles Festival, which draws thousands of visitors to the City every year. We wisely limited the group to 42 visitors and after advertising the event through the IPA, we were very quickly oversubscribed. We had visitors from Norway, Malta, Poland, USA, Canada, Ireland, Germany and also the UK. We were actively supported by Merseyside Police, Liverpool City Council and IPA UK.

support, which was gratefully received. Our Branch have decided to hold another Friendship Week, 24th August to 29th August 2025. Watch this space!

Liverpool Town Hall

A Visitor’s Perspective John Amos, London South Branch

As soon as I saw the announcement in Police World, that the Liverpool and Merseyside Branch were hosting an International Friendship Week in August 2023, I wanted to be part of it. A lthough I joined the IPA as a young constable in 1974, I had not made much use of my membership, apart from attending local branch meetings. However, as my wife and I have been Beatles fans since they first burst onto the scene, we thought that the chance to visit the city of their birth was too good to miss. We were not to regret that decision, because from the moment local members met us at Lime Street Railway Station, until the day we left the city, we had a really great time. As was to be expected, we were a mixed group reflecting the international nature of the IPA, with participants from the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, Norway, Poland and Malta. We all got on extremely well, and by the end of our stay many good friendships had been formed. We found to our shame, that many of our new friends spoke better English than we did. Liverpool and Merseyside Branch were excellent hosts throughout our stay. On our first night, we were all presented with a welcome pack which contained, amongst other items, a T-shirt with the branch logo and ‘Liverpool 2023’. Later in our stay, we were treated to a Gala Dinner with live music. Local members acted as our guides and often drivers on our excursions, treating us to colourful stories of their city and their police careers. The amount of planning and organisation that the branch put into their Friendship Week must have been immense. During our stay, we visited all the iconic sites relating to the Fab Four. We also saw many of Liverpool’s historic buildings. The Deputy Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, and two of his senior officers, welcomed us to their very modern HQ, and briefed us on the activities of the Force. We were then shown their very impressive Specialist Operations Centre – The Matrix.

City Hall

Cavern Club

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POLICE WORLD Vol 69 No.1, 2024