PW_4_2019

Article

Finnish Donuts, Tractors and Snowbanks Rob Griffiths , Dyfed Powys Branch

Five IPA members from Brecon Roads Policing Unit were offered a chance to do a Winter Driving Course in Finland. Owen Dillon, Mark Jones, Rob Griffiths, Julian Clegg and James Luckhurst arrived at Heathrow with only 8kg of hand luggage, which caused a bit of juggling to pack all our winter gear within the weight limit. Some of us decided to wear most of our winter clothing, to the delight of others when the captain decided to turn the heating on. F rom Helsinki we had a four hour drive , cramped into a Hire car, to our first stop over at Savonlinna, which is only 70km from the Russian border. We were hosted by IPA member Jarmo Puustinen After exchanges of stories and experiences, we cleaned up and were taken to the local police station for a tour. We then retuned to Jarmo’s house, where his wife had prepared a traditional Finnish stew to warm us up ready for the next stage of our trip to Pieksamakki.

who showed us to our rooms in his home, after a quick exchange of pleasantries despite our 3am arrival. The next morning we were given an amazing breakfast prepared by Jarmo’s wife Hanne. We then had a tour of Jarmo’s house which had its own sauna, cinema and a 7000kg wood burning stove which was the main feature of the house, and provided all the heating. It was very impressive to say the least. We had a day of activity organised for us. After dressing in winter clothing we headed out to meet the local constabulary in a nearby car park. When the two Police VW transporters arrived, we left our hire car, jumped in the police vans and were given a tour of the area; taking in the scenery and stopping by the world’s biggest wooden church.

After saying our goodbyes, we set off for a 2 ½ hour drive north to a hotel which looked like something from the soviet era. After a quick change of clothes we hit the town of Pieksamakki, where only Molly’s Irish bar was open. Next day was an early start to attend the Finnish Police Driver Training School, where we were met by Harri Niinioja and his colleagues. After a safety briefing it was straight into the cars and out on the track. After a few laps to get familiar with the cars, our speeds soon increased and it was only a matter of time before the tractor appeared to pull our first casualty from the snow bank surrounding the track. No names mentioned Owen Dillon. We went onto learn about car control in the snow, and how to escape from an overturned car on their specially constructed test rig. After a long day it was back to the hotel for a quick change and back out to Molly’s Bar. The next day we were back on the track, training in tactical contact before finally putting our skills into practice in a race; doing timed laps. All too soon it was time to say our goodbyes and a four hour drive back to Helsinki, for an overnight stay, a quick tour of the city for gifts, and our flight home. We would like to thank Jarmo, Hanne, Harri and all the staff at the Finnish Police Driving School for their hospitality, and for what must be one of the best driving courses we have ever done.

We then made our way to a wooded area at the side of a frozen lake. We trudged through the woods in knee deep snow, not having a clue where we were going. We arrived at a wooden hut with a fire blazing in an open wood BBQ. We were treated to traditional Finnish sausages cooked over the wood fire, fresh brewed coffee and what were described to us as “Finnish Donuts”. Soon after lunch, two officers arrived on snowmobiles who had been on patrol locally. They drove across the frozen lake to join us. Local journalists interviewed us and took photographs, promising that we would be in the next day’s local newspaper.

Rob Griffiths, Julian Clegg, James Luckhurst, Mark Jones and Harri Niinioja (left to right)

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POLICE WORLD Vol 64 No.4, 2019