PW_4_2018

IPA News

The true spirit of ‘service through friendship’ Steve Hunt , 10 Region Secretary Steve Hunt recently met up with German friends Geelke and Armin Allwicher while they enjoyed a holiday in The Netherlands. Both Armin and Geelke are German IPA members with over 60 years membership between them! Steve and Armin first met over 30 years ago during a town twinning visit when Steve and a colleague accompanied the Mayor of Thurrock to Monchengladbach. It was the start of a firm friendship. Since then, they meet up at least twice yearly to renew their bond in the true spirit of ‘service through friendship’. Armin was even Steve’s Best Man when he married Karen in 2009! A classic example of what can be achieved by simply being an IPA member!

Remembering The Dambusters John Penlington , Leicestershire Branch On a warm summer’s day, Leicestershire Branch visited The Petwood Hotel in Lincolnshire, home of the legendary 617 Squadron, The Dambusters. It was fitting that it was the 100th anniversary of The RAF the following week. On arrival we toured the grounds where you can find the remains of a ‘bouncing bomb’. We then walked into the pretty village of Woodhall Spa, where there are monuments to the squadrons based in the area during the war. Walking back through the woods we found ‘The Kinema In The Woods’: a cinema dating back to 1922. The cinema’s décor is the same as it was before the war but shows the latest films. While looking around the foyer, the manager invited us in to the auditoriums, with pianos on the stage, an organ and frescos on the walls where we had time to reflect on the past. It was a moving experience. Somerset Cream Teas raise £600 for Air Ambulance David Read Avon & Somerset branch In recent years our branch has held an annual charity cream teas event in the small village of Odcombe, near Yeovil, courtesy of Hans and Derry Rennie who invite our members into their lovely garden each Summer. The exceptional weather this year guaranteed an afternoon in the sun and 22 members gathered in the garden raising £156 for the chosen branch charity. The previous Sunday, ‘ace’ fund raiser Eileen Girdlestone exceeded the branch record raising £450. Eileen and hubby Colin, together with family, pulled chairs and tables down from the loft to entertain in their garden at Weston-super-Mare. Eileen generously donated the proceeds to the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance topping £600 at the two events. Prior to the Cream teas at Odcombe, a 40 years membership certificate was presented to branch chairman John Weeks and a 50 years certificate to member Brian Livings.

Bolton Iron Woman David Tetlow

A few days before the Bolton Ironman, I had the privilege of picking up Richard and Grace Plager from their holiday apartment in Manchester. They were in our area for Grace to take part in the Bolton Long Distance Triathlon.

Anderton is at the foot of Winter Hill, part of the West Pennine Moor, which for weeks before the event had been on fire and the cycle route had been changed accordingly. We were able to show them the new route. We had a great day with them and found them to be wonderful, inspiring people. On the day of the event Grace came first in her age group and will next run in the Ironman event which takes place in Hawaii in October of this year. An Ironman Triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) cycle ride and a full marathon 26.22-mile (42.20 km) run, raced in that order and without a break.

Richard, who is 90 years old, is a long-time member of the I.P.A.. a wartime naval veteran and an ex Police Chief from Naples Florida, where at one time he was head of detectives in Miami. He is still a member of the U.S Coast Guard Reserves. Grace is 60, born in Toronto and now an American citizen. She has taken part in Ironman events all over the world. They are both voluntary members of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. Joyce and I live in Anderton, Lancashire, which is on the cycle course, and we gave Richard and Grace a tour of the route she would be taking the following Sunday.

POLICE WORLD Vol 63 No. 4, 2018

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