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So Many Memories Grahame Holloway , Devon Branch The 70th anniversary edition of Police World revived so many memories for me. In those early days I was a contributor on several occasions, after joining the former Devon Constabulary in 1953.

I got the travel bug whilst in the Armed Forces , so during the 1950’s my ancient Morris 8 tourer undertook many continental jaunts with Police colleagues. It did not take long to realise the brotherhood which existed amongst Police Officers of all nations. When I came to hear about the IPA, I wasted no time in becoming member number GB855 on the 7th April 1957. Travel abroad was a rarity in those days, package holidays did not exist. Neither did roll-on roll-off car ferries, as my car was crane loaded onto the ferry. Such was the rarity of foreign travel, that at least once a year I had a story printed in Police World. Of course in those early days organised Police travel did not exist, so meeting overseas colleagues was very much down to the individual. In 1958 my wife and I set off to enjoy our honeymoon in Switzerland, now with an up-to-date Austin A30. It was during our homeward trip that we experienced the real bond of Police friendship. Stopping in Strasbourg to find a hotel for the night, we were approached by a French officer. When he found out that I was an English colleague he was insistent; no hotel for us, as we would be guests at home with his family. It was the start of a friendship which lasted many years. The following year our little A30 took us to Florence, Rome and Venice. It was whilst in Rome, enjoying a cup of coffee in a pavement café, when a passing Policeman heard we were speaking in English and stopped. When he learned I was an English colleague, he said he loved the English and had been in England as a Prisoner of War. He had enjoyed a wonderful time working on a farm and everyone had been so kind. Such stories appeared in Police World, and much later I saw a story of mine appear in the New Zealand edition of Police World. I kept all the magazines for over forty years, only disposing of them on moving home and downsizing. How I wish I still had them. Time moves on and in 1967 we amalgamated with the Cornwall and City of Plymouth Forces, to form the new Devon & Cornwall Constabulary. It also heralded another example of the value of IPA membership. I was summoned to the Chief Constable’s Office and emerged as the new Force’s first Cadet Training Officer, responsible for over 100 cadets. I had some ideas, including working on their physical well-being. I did some research and found that the Norwegian Police undertook the type of activity I was interested in. More importantly, I learned that the IPA were offering their first Study Tour Bursaries. I applied and was one of the first recipients. On my return to Devon, I put into practice what I had learned with Norwegian colleagues at the Nord Odal training school. This was another big “thank you” to the IPA, and another story for Police World. The early 1970s provided another item for Police World. Britain had just joined the EU and Plymouth was emerging as a cross-channel port, when my experience of motoring on the continent led me to make a road safety film in France, for the local TV company. The publicity escalated when the Mayor of Rennes, Brittany’s capital city and twinned with Exeter, wrote asking if we could host a Police exhibition at the forthcoming Rennes Trade Fair, which was one of France’s largest. The Chief Constable agreed, provided that no expense fell on the public purse. It was quite a task, but I arranged free passage for our exhibition caravan and towing Range Rover. We still needed to find accommodation, and the IPA French section stepped forward. For over a week our contingent of five officers enjoyed the atmosphere of home life with the French families. It was an experience I shall never forget. Then, in the late 70s, we hosted an American officer from California, Chuck Conaway, who was on a study tour of the UK with his wife Mary-Jo. It was the start of an enduring friendship which has lasted to this day, for we still regularly exchange emails.

Grahame and Sheila visit Rome’s Colosseum in 1959

D&C Officers meet the Mayor of Rennes

Grahame’s books, Runway’s End and Copper’s Devon

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POLICE WORLD Vol 65 No.3, 2020