PW_4_2020

Vol 65 No.4 2020

The magazine of the International Police Association, Section UK www.ipa-uk.org

Project ‘Stan’ The Mighty Morris See Page 16

InternationalPoliceAssociation SectionUK

EntryForm OverLeaf

Lottery Winners See Page 29

IPA Section UK 70th Anniversary gifts and Clothing - all Available to Order

IPA Section UK 70th Anniversary Face Mask £7.00 plus p&p*

IPA Section UK 70th Anniversary Sew on Patch £2.00 plus p&p* 10 cm x 7 cm Embroidered Badge with IPA logo £2.00 inc. p&p 9 cm diameter Beanie Hat £8.50 inc p&p Beechfield original cuffed beanie hat. Double layer knit. Cuffed design for optimal decoration. 100% soft touch acrylic. Colour navy with IPA logo. Large Gold Pennant £9.50 Inc p&p With gold cord and tassels. 23 cm wide x 30 cm long

IPA Section UK 70th Anniversary Challenge Coin £2.00 plus p&p* 44.45 mm dia x 3mm

Metal pin badge with butterfly clip fastener £1.00 plus p&p* 2.5 cm x 2.3 cm

Thin Blue Line Charity Patch £2.00 plus p&p*

10 cm x 5 cm Velcro backing

Tie £8.00 inc p&p

Ladies Scarf £16.50 inc p&p 100% polyester hand made. IPA logo. 28 cm x 126 cm Pennant £6.50 inc p&p With red cord and tassels. 14.5 cm wide x 23.5 cm long

IPA logo embossed on navy. 100% Polyester - handmade.

Gold Pennant £6.50 inc p&p

With gold cord and tassels. 14.5 cm wide x 23.5 cm long

Car Sticker £2.50 inc. p&p self-adhesive car window sticker 10 cm diameter

Authentic British Police Whistle £10.00 inc p&p (£13 with Presentation Box) 8 cm x 1.5 cm

Clipboard £8.50 inc p&p

A4 Clipboard folder. 337 mm x 483 mm 15mm spine

*When ordering please contact mail@ipa-uk.org for p&p costs which is dependent on quantity purchased.

Polo Shirt £16 plus p&p

Hoodie £26 plus p&p

Jacket £35 plus p&p

Ladies Polo Shirt £16 plus p&p

Sweater (ladies or men’s) £25 plus p&p

Colour Variations Available

For detailed product descriptions visit the website or contact IPA HQ - Section UK by phone 0115 9813638 For overseas orders contact Richard Mattinson direct at ‘Stitch & Print’ on 00 44 16973 43546 or office@stitchandprint.co.uk

Mail Order: To order a polo shirt, hoodie, jacket or jumper visit: http://ipauk.stitchandprintstore.co.uk/ For all other items visit: www.ipa-uk.org/Shop . Items can be ordered by email or in writing to the International Police Association, IPA HQ - Section UK, 1 Fox Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 6AJ with a cheque made payable to ‘IPA’. Payment can also be made via a PAYPAL account.

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POLICE WORLD Vol 65 No.4, 2020

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

Vol 65 No.4 2020

Keeping You Informed 4–5 Keeping You Informed Clive Wood, President of Section UK Professional Development 6

Editorial Neil Hallam e-mail: mail@neilhallam.com Deadline for article submission for Vol. 66 Edition 1, 2021 is 11 November, 2020 Dispatched January 2021

Policing with Communities in Fragile and Conflict Affected States Mark O’Donoghue, Joint International Policing Hub

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

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Cultural Corner 11 LOCKDOWN RULES 2020

Geoff Jackson, Blackpool Branch & Writers’ SIG The Seminar Ian McNeish, Central Scotland Branch & Writers’ SIG 12 2021: A new year of cultural opportunity Writers and Family Historians Life in Lockdown 8 Cycling to say thank you Ronnie Dukes, West Scotland Branch Feature Articles 7 Homeward Trek 1952 Bill Hollington, British South Africa Police, Regimental Association 9 The end of season bike tour… or was it? Paul Firth, North Wales Branch & Chairman UK Motorcycle SIG 10 Victims, criminals or spies: who are the Unidentified Women? Rod Repton, Derbyshire Branch 13 The life & times of Police Woman number 4 Neil Hallam, Editor. 14 Once a Cop, always a Cop Steve Cherne, IPA Global Writers Forum & Section USA 15 Ground Control to Major Tome: A writers seminar in virtual space Ulrike Neuhoff (IBZ Gimborn) and David Lewis, (Scarborough Branch & IPA Global Writers Forum) 16–17 Project ‘Stan’: The Mighty Morris David Lewis, Scarborough Branch & Writers’ SIG Chair 24 A country life Neil Hallam - Editor 25 Fiction from experience Peter Ritchie 28 Following our Dream Nicola & Paul Brown 18–23 News 28 Classifieds 29 Competitions WIN one of these books by Stephen Rabey Matthews and Robert Mulhern Sports 26 A Golfer’s Dream Andy Picken (Derbyshire Branch) 26 Team Police: bringing back the idea of wellbeing through sport Andy Picken, Derbyshire Branch 31 Diary

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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Hampshire PO6 1TR Graphic Design by BDS 21 Ltd Membership

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 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 Joining the IPA costs just £40 enrolment fee and 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.

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Cover Photo Project ‘Stan’, Liz Dyer of the National Literacy Trust with her mum driving Next deadline 11 November 2020 for publication January 2021

POLICE WORLD Vol 65 No.4, 2020

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ISSN No: 0032-261X

Keeping you informed

Keeping you informed Some of you will remember in my last article I gave details of an e-book of remembrance, which Vice President (Communications & Culture) Sean Hannigan was working on. This has now become a reality as a Facebook page, which Sean has kindly offered to manage. This will give us the opportunity to remember our members who have left us this year prematurely during the current pandemic. Sean has explained to me that he hopes the digital memory can be converted into a hard bound book at some stage, when

it is appropriate, which can be displayed in our Headquarters at Arthur Troop House, in Nottingham.

W hilst I am thinking about Arthur Troop House there are a number of updates to share with you. In the last edition I was delighted to announce that Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal, had agreed to become our Patron during our special 70th Anniversary year. The executive agreed to purchase a portrait of Her Royal Highness, which has been put on display at Fox Road, in close proximity to a portrait of our founder Arthur Troop. If you find yourself at Fox Road our helpful and friendly staff will be happy to show you the portraits. Please do remember to call in advance, as we are a COVID-19 friendly workplace, and have put in significant measures to keep our staff and visitors safe. That said, at the present time our staff continue to show great flexibility by, in the main, working from home. We have invested in technology to enable them to do this. This includes providing laptop computers and investing in a new telephone system for Arthur Troop House, which allows calls to be taken over the Internet. In some ways it was timely to review the telephone system which was no longer supported and hopelessly out of date. I thank our staff for the flexibility they have shown in doing a great job, ensuring that our members continue to receive a first rate service. Whilst we are unsure as to how the rest of the year will pan out, you will recall previously that VP Sean Hannigan, with his Culture portfolio hat on, was arranging an interesting and exciting weekend around Members Day in December this year. Although all events are subject to change as government restrictions develop, it is still hoped that we will welcome the International Executive Board in December to help recognise our anniversary year. On Saturday the 12th December we hope to visit Skegness, hosted by Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Bill Skelly, for the dedication of a plaque to our founder Arthur Troop. On Sunday 13th December we hope to be at Fox Road, with the usual opening of the archive and other events. I know Sean will publicise this widely when our plans can be firmed up, so do please keep an eye open. It would be great to see you if it is possible. Finally on Fox Road the executive have recently agreed to undertake some works on the building and site, to help keep it in good order. We have agreed a program of decoration both inside and out, together with some work to increase the car parking capacity at the rear of the building (always an issue when events are on). I am hopeful this work can be undertaken in the next few months.

Many of you will be aware there is a current review about the long-term future for Arthur Troop House, but it was clear that this expenditure was both appropriate and necessary to maintain the building, whatever the decision of National Council. As an executive we recently agreed that all Special Interest Group (SIG) matters should be coordinated and overseen by Vice President Yvonne McGregor, who holds the Social portfolio. She has kindly undertaken a review of our current SIG’s. Throughout the past few months I know many SIG’s have continued to provide opportunities for members. The motorcycle group is extremely active, and has recently been out on rides in an appropriately socially distanced way, although I was sorry to see their annual BBQ had to be cancelled. I also know the Writers Group have been meeting regularly to develop their skills. Finally I should mention at our recent executive group meeting, we fully endorsed the formation of a Family History Special Interest Group. I believe this was born out of a coffee morning on Zoom, and I’m delighted there has been such interest shown. Further information can be obtained from Denis Hunt, who is the Secretary of Region 4 (Wales). I know this is an interest of many members both here and abroad, and I am also aware that our group have offered any assistance possible to members from other sections researching their family history here in the UK. I hope to be able to make this offer at this year‘s World Congress, which is to be held virtually in October. Whilst I await further details, I have received the conference pack and will give you an update in my next article. Many other events are being held virtually this year as I’m sure you have found. This includes the National Police Memorial Day (NPMD) and the Care of Police Survivors (COPS) events, and I encourage you to have a look on the websites for these events.

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POLICE WORLD Vol 65 No.4, 2020

Keeping you informed

Finally I wanted to update you in relation to the Young Member Forum (YMF). The chair of this group has recently changed and I am pleased that Aidan Goundry from 5 Region has taken on the role. Some of you will know Aidan and the tremendous work he is doing around the travel bobby app. Aidan has recently been co-opted onto the National Executive to carry on the good work he is doing working alongside VP Martin Turner. I also want to shout out a thanks to David Hunter, Chair of 3 Region, who has kindly offered to take the lead on the International Learning and Development Exchange program (ILDEP). If you are interested in an exchange with another police organisation, contact David. He recently had correspondence from New Zealand, who are keen to work with us. So whilst the first part of 2020 has not been at all as I expected, it has certainly in IPA terms, continued to be extremely busy. There is without doubt, always something to be involved with. You will see elsewhere in this edition, details which show, you are never too old to get involved online, using the Zoom facility I have spoken about many times. So if you haven’t yet got online, what have you got to lose? I thoroughly recommend getting hold of a tablet or iPad, and joining in one of the many groups which weekly meet on line. Thank you as always for your continuing support for the Association, let’s hope that all our circumstances soon improve. In friendship. Clive

I’m sure I’ve told you previously that I chair a Recruitment & Retention Working Group, which is developing opportunities to increase our recruitment, and ensure we retain members with interesting and relevant opportunities. You may have seen a couple of initiatives which were approved by the National Executive, after being developed in the working group. These include a 2 for 1 offer, which enables two colleagues to join and only pay one joining fee. This is excellent value, providing the opportunity to come along with a friend to your first branch meeting and see what the Association is all about. The other initiative is an incremental, or reduced joining fee offer, which means there is never a bad time of year to join our wonderful Association, as the fee is stepped throughout the year to provide absolutely best value. Another initiative which we have recently introduced, encourages Branches or Regions to recognise colleagues who find themselves in the media, having attended incidents which have had a profound effect on their life and well-being. We have agreed that when such individuals are reported to the executive, we will consider extending the offer of free membership for a period of up to two years to help with their recovery and return to normality. Further details and advice can be obtained from Secretary General Steve Bretherton. Whilst a lot of face-to-face training has changed over the past few months, I hope you have seen the virtual learning opportunities being offered on the website, or circulated on the latest news. I am enjoying a set of six lectures provided by IBZ Gimborn, which cover terrorism and violent extremism. Our own Vice President (Professional) Martin Turner, has been working closely with colleagues in IPA Finland to deliver this training. This is the second such lecture series I have attended, and it is actually a lot easier than going to Germany for the week. Further training opportunities have been advertised, which we hope will be face-to-face, and we are keen to support them. This includes the Young Police Officers Seminar (YPOS), which is due to be held in Sri Lanka next March. Further details can be obtained from Vice President Yvonne McGregor. There is also an opportunity to travel to Green Bay Wisconsin in the United States of America, for their annual training week. Further details on the bursary available for that can be obtained from VP Martin Turner.

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POLICE WORLD Vol 65 No.4, 2020

Professional Development

S Policing with Communities in Fragile and Conflict Affected States Mark O’Donoghue , Joint International Policing Hub In January of this year, the UK’s Joint International Policing Hub (JIPH), together with the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior and Strategic Expertise International, delivered a five-day Security & Justice course entitled Policing with Communities in Fragile and Conflict Affected States, on behalf of the European Union Police & Civilian Services Training Programme. E R V O P E R A M I K E C O I N T E R N A T I O N A L P O L I C E A I O N

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T he course was aimed at serving police officers and civilian members of police organisations who are deployed, or waiting to deploy on international policing missions at a middle management level or above. The course can be delivered by any of our consortium countries. The course, in Bulgaria’s capital of Sophia, was attended by 22 officers and law enforcement academics from: UK, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands, Finland, Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, Ukraine, Hungary and Montenegro. The course was officially opened by the UK Ambassador, Her Excellency Emma Hopkins OBE. The overall objective of the course was to build the capabilities, understanding and skills required for policing in different communities. In particular, it examined the role of a police mentor; when working with diverse, minority and vulnerable communities. It also reviewed good practice in working with community partners, and the development of training in fragile and post-conflict states. The course drew on practical and theoretical elements from UK, EU and other international approaches. But it also drew on the skills and experiences of the participants themselves, by introducing case studies from recent international missions. The course was led by officers with current international experience.

These courses are part of the European Union Police Services Training programme. The courses have been running since 2011, and a new three year programme: European Union Police & Civilian Services Training began in 2019. The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (RNM) is the lead partner in the consortium and runs the EUPCST Programme Office. The UK has contracted to the programme for the next three years, and our membership will continue post Brexit. The UK’s partnership with Bulgaria has been very successful, and we are the first two countries to deliver a course jointly.

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Article

Homeward Trek 1952 Bill Hollington , British South Africa Police, Regimental Association I n 1951 l was stationed at Bikita in Victoria Province , South Africa, with Jack Berry. One evening over a few beers Jack and I decided that an overland journey to Britain would be an adventure. Little did we realise what we were letting ourselves in for. Jack found a Willys Jeep, which we fitted out for the journey. We decided that four people would be a good number for the trip, so we invited Stuart Alford and Dave Craven, who had been in Jack’s Squad. On March 3rd 1952, we set off from Salisbury, enjoying a trouble free trip through Sinoia, Chirundu and Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) to the Congo Border. Our nights were spent camping by the road or in Rest Areas, or occasionally in little lnns. Everywhere was peaceful and there were no problems at Border Posts in those days. After crossing into the Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo), the road to Elisabethville (now Lubumbashi) became dreadful, consisting of wooden logs across the road. In Elisabethville we stayed at the Leopold ll Hotel, which was luxurious for the 1950’s. Elisabethville itself was affluent, as was the whole of the Congo in those days.

These days we think nothing of jumping on a plane to enjoy our international policing relationships. Back in the 1950s, the officers of the British South Africa Police had a much more difficult journey home.

We stayed in a comfortable Game Park Lodge for a few days before continuing our journey through the Congo, reaching the Ituri Forest where the Pygmies live. Sunlight could not penetrate the thick forest and it rained a lot. So the forest appeared dark and was often flooded. At this time we came across two Irishmen in a Morris Minor. They kept moving with the help of Pygmies carrying their car across the flooded areas. We crossed many rivers by chain-driven ferry. It was from one of these that Stuart decided to escape the heat by diving from the front of the ferry. He swam 100 yards to the shore, whilst we all held our breath, because the river was full of crocodiles. Many miles further on we reached a Government Rest Cottage on the banks of Lake Kivu, with a fantastic view of the Mountains of the Moon. After a few days rest we drove on to Costermansville, a beautiful town on the Lake shore, surrounded by mountains. Further on we stayed at the Stanleyville Hotel, enjoying a few beers on the veranda, whilst The Yellow Peril underwent more repairs. After a couple of days we drove to Bangassou, on the Border of French Equatorial Africa, passing through Fort Lamy where we stopped for a while. The scenery became scrub, bordering on desert. Then we drove through the French Cameroons on our way to Kano in Northern Nigeria. 76 miles from Kano, our front axle snapped, so Jack and I hitched a lift. We took the axle to Kano where we found a replacement. We stayed in the hotel at Kano Airport and I remember a large number of vultures sitting on the runway. Stuart and Dave stayed with the truck until we got back. We left Kano on Good Friday and drove into the Sahara Desert. After about 650 miles we ran into a large sand dune, which put the steering out of action. That night, by an absolute fluke, the French Camel Corps came by. The Officer in charge spoke perfect English and sent a message for assistance on our behalf. We had to wait in the Sahara Desert for four days before help arrived. During that time we did not see a single person. There were many sandstorms during the days, but the nights were beautiful. Back in Kano, we abandoned our expedition and flew home.

At this point the vehicle, which we had named The Yellow Peril, started giving us trouble. After a short delay for repairs we set off again, reaching Albertville at the southern end of Lake Tanganyika. Proceeding in a northerly direction, we visited the Albert National Game Park, the county’s biggest Game Reserve. It was fantastic, with every variety of game, in huge numbers. We were even given an Askari (a local soldier serving in Africa’s European colonial armies) to guide us. This was also when our trip could have come to a sudden stop. I was driving and the others were hanging out of the jeep taking photos, when unknown to me a hippo started running alongside the truck. The others began shouting at me to speed up as the hippo was charging us, but I couldn’t hear them over the noise of the engine. We were only saved by the ground being very wet after heavy rains, causing the hippo to fall over. It landed within two feet of our vehicle. Even our armed Askari was terrified.

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Life in Lockdown

Cycling to say Thank You Ronnie Dukes , West Scotland Branch Many people turned to exercise in order to get themselves through lockdown. Former Section UK VP, Ronnie Dukes put his cycle training towards a very personal, good cause. D uring lockdown I was out on my cycle every other day , building up the strength and stamina to cycle from the west coast of Scotland to Edinburgh in the east, a journey of over 60 miles. I wanted to use

Along with many other NHS staff, they are dedicated to the health and welfare of their patients. In these extraordinary times their lives revolve around their working hours, with very little time for relaxation or recreation. I decided to raise some funds to allow Carol-Anne’s team, when it’s safe to do so, to enjoy a night out. They are not allowed to receive cash as gifts, but it will be possible to present them with a gift voucher for the team to enjoy a meal at a local restaurant. Any extra funds raised will go to their Department’s Endowment Fund, to purchase additional equipment for patient and staff comfort. When I began to plan my cycling route, the lockdown rules did not permit such a long journey. But undeterred, I plotted my route from Bowling in the west, along the Forth & Clyde Canal, to the Falkirk Wheel and then continuing along the Union Canal to Edinburgh; a total distance of over 100 kilometres. So, within the rules of exercising locally, I began to build up my cycling stamina. By Sunday 12th July, the rules had relaxed sufficiently for me to take on my challenge. This was by far the longest cycle ride I had attempted, and it was with some trepidation that I rode away from Scotland’s west coast. I arrived in Edinburgh seven and a half hours later, with a feeling of immense pride at completing my personal challenge. I did take the luxury of a train ride home. The pride in completing my cycle ride was nothing at my pride in the donors, who helped me raise £537 to thank the team of hard working medics.

my challenge towards a good cause and, like many people, I was touched by the efforts our NHS workers put in during the height of the pandemic. My niece Carol-Anne Keenan provided the inspiration for my fundraising. She is one of the 20 strong team at Inverclyde Royal Hospital’s Endoscopy Department. Like so many other NHS staff, they were all redeployed to assist

their colleagues in other areas of the hospital, only returning to their

normal field of work to carry out emergency procedures.

The Endoscopy Department (Photo taken pre-lockdown restrictions, during happier times prior to social distancing)

The Falkirk Wheel (junction of both canals)

Only one thing remains to be done; when they can find an appropriate time to do so, is for the staff of Inverclyde Royal Hospital’s Endoscopy Department to enjoy a well deserved night out.

The recorded mileage

The start at Bowling

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Article

The end of season bike tour … or was it? Paul Firth , North Wales Branch & Chairman UK Motorcycle SIG The UK Motorcycle Special Interest Group (SIG) are an active bunch. In any normal year we would enjoy several different events, which range from tours abroad, midweek coffee and BBQs. Some of the most popular have been weekend ride outs, based around a well tested formula of, meeting up on Friday at our accommodation, enjoying a group ride on Saturday and riding home on Sunday.

T he Scottish Borders Tour was one such weekend event. It had been advertised as our end of season event, except as things turned out, it was the year’s first event. The whole of 2020 has been turbulent for all of us, and the motorcycling calendar wasn’t immune from restrictions. All of us had missed the open road, and we wanted to make the best of our gathering. Choosing a bank holiday weekend gave us an extra day to enjoy the fantastic scenery of Dumfries and Galloway. This area is often overlooked by visitors to Scotland, especially by bikers who seem drawn to the now famous North Coast 500. This relatively new route is often called a bikers paradise, proving that Don Henley was correct in saying, “call somewhere paradise, kiss it goodbye.” This northern region has now become more M25 than NC 500. So it was an inspired choice by SIG Secretary, Stuart McMillan, way back in January before the world changed, to choose Dumfries as our base for the long weekend. Following our normal formula, we made our way in small groups up to the Premier Inn, at Dumfries on Friday. My wife Kim and I arrived first as we had travelled up the previous day to visit an old friend. We were worried about the hotel experience under lockdown, but we needn’t have been. I have to say, “Hats off to Premier Inn,” they were well organised and as safe as can be expected. Bikes slowly began to materialise alongside my own bike, and by the evening the number had risen to 12, with another four members staying elsewhere in town.

We all managed to book in to the Solway gate for dinner, despite numbers per table being limited for social distancing. It was great to see everyone after so long, to catch up and recharge our social batteries. The main business started on Saturday morning, when we had to amend our normal pattern of group riding. We split up in to three smaller groups to keep within rules, and to improve our chances of finding lunch stops. Hats off to the ride leaders for finding great routes. Kim and I rode with Stuart who, as always in his route planning, didn’t disappoint. Our group set off in-land whilst others headed towards the coast. Riding north towards Cumnock, we explored some fantastic B roads ending up at the highest pub in Scotland, the Wanlockhead Inn, for lunch. A similar meandering route brought afternoon tea in Peebles, alongside the river Tweed, before heading back to Dumfries, and another onslaught of the Solway Gate. We rode north again on our second day, this time heading for the coast. The roads were fantastic and largely empty, except for one mobile home driver who was sightseeing. His 15mph progress along 10 miles of winding road with double whites kept us, erm “entertained.” We ended up at Girvan viewing point for lunch. The afternoon brought another great ride back, with some of us splitting off to see Loch Ryan and others heading back to Dumfries with an aching back (that would be me!).

We enjoyed a final night together in the Solway before going off in different directions the next morning. Some were going further north into Scotland, while others headed to the Lakes. As Kim and I were back in work on Tuesday, it was straight home for us. Our First and Last ride of the year was a hugely successful weekend. As always, we rekindled old friendships and made some new ones. Who knows what 2021 will bring, but where there is a will, we will find a way to keep the wheels rolling and the friendships safely intact. Anyone interested in joining our SIG please get in touch with me or our secretary, you are guaranteed a warm welcome. All you need is a motorcycle and a passion for riding it.

Paul and Wendy Firth

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Article

Victims, criminals or spies: Who are the Unidentified Women? Rod Repton , Derbyshire Branch

Two years ago I was doing research for my lectures on a cruise to Scandinavia when I read about two intriguing mysteries:

The Plaza Woman Twenty five years later in 1995, a young woman was found dead on the bed in the Oslo Plaza Hotel, shot through the forehead. She checked in as Jennifer Fergate, a Belgian citizen, but it was a false name. Who was this stylish woman? Why were the labels removed from her clothes? A year later, the Plaza woman was interred in a nameless grave in Oslo. To date both women remain unidentified, and it is widely speculated that they were involved in one or more of the following: Espionage, Drug smuggling, Prostitution or Extortion. Rye Man In January 1971 a young man was found dead in the Hotel Rye, Osterbro, Copenhagen Denmark. The man claimed to be a British citizen named Michael Scott. The passport number he provided was false, its number relating to a passport issued to a 17-year-old British seaman. No passport or any other personal documents were found. The Police do not know the cause of death; knew nothing about his identity nor why he was in Denmark. He remains unidentified. A Suspect During my research I have identified a suspect whom I can place at the scene of both deaths. He is an Italian national who died in a fatal Road Traffic Accident in Italy in 1996. From all the information and evidence I have collected, I believe that both women were murdered and their deaths were connected I now need help from the International police community who may have any knowledge of the Norwegian investigation and of my Italian suspect’s fatal accident. Specifically, I would like to research the following in the three countries: • Plaza Woman - where I can obtain details of the inquest and coroner’s report in Oslo. • Rye Man - where I can obtain details of the inquest and coroner’s report, and where he was buried/cremated. • Fatal RTA Italy - where I can obtain details of the police enquiries and file, the inquest and coroner’s report. If you can help Rod, please contact him at rod@reptongroup.co.uk

The Isdal Woman This was a name given to an unidentified woman who was found dead at Isdalen near Bergen, Norway in 1970. Although police at the time ruled a verdict of likely suicide, the case encouraged speculation over the years. Half a century later, it remains one of the strangest Cold War mysteries in Norwegian history. The circumstances were in 1970, a man and his two young daughters were hiking in the Isdalen Valley, near Bergen. Noting an unusual burning smell, one of the daughters found the charred body of a woman, located among some rocks. Three days later, investigators found two suitcases belonging to the woman at Bergen Railway station. In the case were: clothing, shoes, wigs, makeup, eczema cream, Norwegian krona, Belgian, British and Swiss coins, maps, timetables, a pair of glasses (with non-prescription lenses); sunglasses (with a fingerprint that matched the body), cosmetics, and a notepad. As with her body, any possible identifying information and labels had been removed. Police were able to decode the notepad entries, and determined that they indicated dates and places the woman had visited. As a result, based on handwritten check-in forms, police determined that the Isdal Woman had travelled around Norway with at least eight fake passports and aliases, whilst claiming to be Belgian. While authorities concluded that she had committed suicide by ingestion of sleeping pills, others believe that she was murdered. The Isdal Woman was given a Catholic burial in an unmarked grave within the Møllendal graveyard, Bergen. Attended by 16 members of the Bergen police force, she was buried in a zinc coffin to both preserve her remains and for ease of disinterment. Her ceremony was also photographed in case relatives came forward at a later date

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Cultural Corner

LOCKDOWN RULES 2020 Geoff Jackson , Blackpool Branch & Writers’ SIG

All around my home I roam, Where shall I walk today ? I’ve climbed the stairs so many times, The carpet’s come away !!! I’ve worn a rut around the lounge And shone the kitchen floor.

I’ve been in there so many times, I need new hinges for the door. Ahhh, there’s some rice, that might be nice, I can use that for a curry. After all it’s Lockdown Rules, and I’m not in any hurry. Before I start to cook my meal, A walk around the yard I feel. So out I go into the heat with my comfy sandals on my feet. Twenty turns around for me, and then I’ll pop and cook my tea. The Seminar Ian McNeish , Central Scotland Branch & Writers’ SIG

A throng o’ brass were clustered, enlightenment ordered the day. The questions flew, knowledge grew and the dinosaurs shuffled away.

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Cultural Corner

2021: A new year of cultural opportunity Writers and Family Historians Next year will continue to be a world of opportunity with two Special Interest Groups, Writers and Family History. O ur Writers were involved in the first webinar, organised by Gimborn Germany , where over eight weeks, a full programme about creative writing was delved into. IPA members were involved in Novel writing, Screen writing, Poetry, creating believable characters, Publishing, how to create a social media presence and how new writers get started. On 21st and 22nd November 2020, the writers will host a writer’s weekend which will involve a small number of presenters guiding interested IPA members over Zoom There are several events planned for 2021, so please put these in your diary. It is anticipated that members of the newly formed Family History group will meet for a conference on how to complete a family tree, conducting research, and the use of websites to aid your family’s journey. Crafty Copper too 2021 will see the return of the Crafty Copper in October, where IPA members will have an opportunity to experience a two hour session on a range of cultural activities, including Bee Keeping, Crafting, Jewellery Making, Writing for Pleasure, Water Colour & Oil Painting, Craft Beer Making, Bonsai Tree Care and Health Product Making. If you have a skill or hobby you would like to see included please email vphannigan@ipa-uk.org All News is good news News stories are the life blood of Police World and Web News. Please can you consider writing a small piece for Web News and Police World? There have been some great activities happening across the Regions and Branches, so please send in any articles to Police World Editor Neil Hallam mail@neilhallam.com and for Web News cathy.key@ipa-uk.org A year of competitions What is there not to like about a gift voucher? All you have to do is take part in the Caption Competition, write a piece for Police World or Web News, or submit a great photograph. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Letter to the Editor Can I just remind Police World readers we are always happy to receive letters to the Editor. Please mail Neil with your comments or questions mail@neilhallam.com Police World Supplements I am incredibly pleased to announce the production of Police World Professional and Police World Social & Cultural . These will be available to IPA members in an e-Version, and a small print run will aid recruitment & retention. I am planning several other supplements to help members recruit and retain in 2021; including Specials, Police Staff and Retirement plans. If you have an idea for a Police World supplement then please get in touch with Sean on vphannigan@ipa-uk.org • March 26th to 28th a Murder Mystery Weekend in Worcester • April 26th to 30th the third Gimborn writer’s seminar in Germany

Above and inset (3rd from right): On parade for HM Inspector of Constabulary in May 1957

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POLICE WORLD Vol 65 No.4, 2020

Article

The life and times of Police Woman number 4 Neil Hallam , Editor. Barbara Hallam had been many things in her life, but it was nine of her 86 years that defined her. Those years in Police uniform built the strength of character that made mum, even in her later years, a very phenomenal woman. W hile my Dad, Gordon Hallam , was finishing his probation in 1954, a young Barbara Joyce became bored One of Mansfield’s larger than life police characters was Chief Inspector “Big Bill” Hancock. Big

Barbara Hallam on duty in Mansfield Market Place

Women joined in London. Barbara was very proud to be invited to their celebration at Nottingham’s Central Police Station. Although I was a Detective at the time, I dug out my uniform, to accompany Mum, who was one of Nottinghamshire’s oldest surviving Police Women. I had recently taken over as Editor of Police World, so Editor’s privilege came in handy, as I was able to put Mum on the front cover. I lost my Mum in July, after a very short and aggressive bout of cancer. Our final choice of music for Mum’s funeral was the theme from TV’s Heartbeat . This was essential viewing in our home during the 1990s. It seemed like ancient history to my brother Clive and I, but it was set in the period that Mum wore a Police uniform. She enjoyed sharing that window into her police service with us. You can read more about Barbara & Gordon Hallam’s careers, in Neil’s book The Tricycle Spy available on Amazon and at www.neilhallam.com

Bill drove a Police Ford Popular to make point with the Constables. Point was the way in which supervisors kept track of their Constables in the days before personal radios. Big Bill’s large stomach rested on the steering wheel. He never used the handbrake, causing the car to roll back and forth. When HMIC visited Mansfield, Big Bill was asked what additional training probationers got on return from training school. His reply, in a very deep voice, was “a fortnight on nights.” Although there were many similarities between the Police work of men and women, there were also some very significant differences. Police Women got 9/10ths of the men’s pay, but they did not work nights unless there was a job requiring a Police Woman. Barbara always thought the 1/10 less pay was a very good trade off for not working night shift. Barbara made the local newspaper a few times. The first was for prosecuting a mother, who she found drunk in charge of a baby in a pram. Mansfield was at the time a hard drinking mining town, where even the women liked a pint or two. Barbara’s second brush with fame was after the Policemen’s Easter Ball. The local paper pictured Barbara covering the switchboard at Mansfield Police Station, while the men were away at their meal. The Inspector was interviewed for the article, making a comment he would not get away with today. “We would like to have invited the women, but it’s always been stag. We bought them chocolates as a consolation. I thought about buying them Easter Bonnets, but the Police Authority provides their headgear.” In accordance with the expectations of the time, Barbara left the police in 1963, for the birth of their first son, Neil. Once my brother and I were safely off to school, it was time for mum to re- enter the world of paid work, in the Police Control Room, from where she retired in 1993. In 2016 Nottinghamshire celebrated 100 years of Police Women, a year after the first Police

of her office job and sought out a new adventure in the Police. She joined the County Force, into what was then a completely separate Police Women’s department. One of her former school friends told me a funny story, about their first holiday together after mum joined the police. Her friend was under strict instructions not to tell any of the men they met that she was a Police Woman. Probationary Constables were sent to larger Police Stations, so Barbara began her tutorship in her home town of Mansfield. She was moved after confirmation of appointment, to Beeston, where her duties included covering the Shire Hall Courts in Nottingham. Here the caretaker’s wife made a huge pot of tea during breaks. All ranks joined the Barristers in their wigs and gowns for a cup of tea. Barbara’s regular beat was in Beeston, but she also covered traffic duty outside the Erikson Telecoms factory. There was a level crossing nearby and when the factory turned out, there were so many bicycles that the crossing keeper could not close the gates when trains were due. In her first job at Beeston, Barbara was teamed with a Detective investigating thefts from the Boots factory. When women were interviewed, the rules of the time demanded a Police Woman had to be present. After her marriage, Barbara moved back to Mansfield, which had eight beats. Numbers one to four surrounded the market place. Numbers five to eight surrounded the first four. Often Officers had to take two beats through lack of numbers, a situation which has remained consistent into today’s Police. One hour of each shift was spent on the Signal Light, which was a call for officers to return to the station. Unoccupied properties also needed checking, and Aliens, as they were called at the time, were visited once a month, which was how Barbara first met the Ukrainians, who would become lifelong friends of our family.

Neil and Barbara Hallam

POLICE WORLD Vol 65 No.4, 2020

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Article

Once a Cop, always a Cop Steve Cherne , IPA Global Writers Forum & Section USA

The phone rang. I saw it was my youngest daughter calling from the States. “Hi Sweetie,” I answered. “Dad,” she says accusatorily, “Did you stop a man with a spear who was stabbing someone in Mexico? And did I have to find that out from a co-worker?” “Umm, yeah. I did but, …” “ Why did you do that? You could have been killed!” W hy indeed? I have been retired from law enforcement work for five years, serving in Duluth, Minnesota for most of my career. I exchanged the frigid winters for the warm and sunny climes of Mazatlán, Mexico, where my wife and I live in an apartment looking out over the sparkling Pacific Ocean for six months of the year. Martine looked up at me as I approached, and our eyes met. His eyes were not pleading for help. They did not look at me with hope, but only a look of resignation and sadness. His eyes said, “I am going to die.”

Steve Cherne

I was joined by Bob, another retired officer from the States, who lives in our building. We advanced on the attacker, who saw us coming and backed up a few steps, allowing Bob and I to get between Martine and him. Two other expats from our building were able to help Martine into the lobby and close the security door. Bob and I continued to advance on the man in black, as he retreated across the street where he stood at the top of the steps, in the doorway where Martine slept at night. We remained at the foot of the steps to block his escape until the police arrived. I could hear sirens approaching and within minutes several squad cars arrived. The assailant kicked out the plate glass window in the door and ducked inside the building. As soon as additional officers responded, an entry team was formed, and they went inside. A short time later, we heard loud commands and the unmistakable sound of a Taser being discharged. The man was taken into custody and whisked away. We gave our statements and contact information to the officers. Martine was transported to the hospital with multiple stab wounds. Now, my daughter was asking why, why did you intervene, why did you put your life at risk?

Martine is a Mexican man who suffers homelessness, and sleeps in the doorway of the vacant building across the street from us. A giant of a man, he weighs over 21 Stone and stands about 6 feet tall. Some form of mental illness brings about outbursts of laughing, roaring and shouting at imaginary figures. If you did not know him, he could seem very frightening. The expats living in our building often bring Martine meals. We all talk with him and buy seashells from him, which is how he ekes out a meager existence. The local police know him well, and they too bring him food and drink regularly. Martine functions as the de facto watchman for our neighborhood. After dinner one night, I was lounging on my couch reading, wearing my usual Mexican garb; a tank top, running shorts and flip flops, when our neighbour began pounding on my window and shouting, “Call the police, someone is trying to kill Martine.” My wife, who is fluent in Spanish grabbed the phone, while I jumped up and ran down the stairs to see what was going on. As I ran, I thought to myself, what are you doing? You are on a Tourist Visa, you have no legal standing here. You are unarmed and you are certainly not dressed for a street fight. Nonetheless, I continued, bursting out the front door of our building onto the sidewalk. Martine was down on his hands and knees, drenched in blood. His assailant, a man in his early thirties, slim build, shaved head, and dressed all in black, stood over him. He had a hand scythe tucked in his belt and a four foot long wooden spear in his hands, repeatedly plunging the spear into Martine’s back and neck.

“It’s simple,” I said. “Because that is what cops do.” You might leave the Job, but the Job never leaves you.

Caring for Martine after the attack

Martine a few days before the attack

The attack

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POLICE WORLD Vol 65 No.4, 2020

Professional Development

Ground Control to Major Tome A writers seminar in virtual space Ulrike Neuhoff (IBZ Gimborn) and David Lewis (Scarborough Branch & IPA Global Writers Forum) Names keep coming in, messages in the chatroom are popping up “Hi, Hi, Hi from cloudy Frankfurt!” “Welcome everybody.” “My reception is pretty bad, is it all my end?” “All fine here!” “Refresh, refresh your page!”

I t is 5:30 pm in Germany, 4.30 pm in the UK and 10:30 am for our American delegates. A bunch of people, passionate about writing, met online when IBZ Gimborn hosted the 2020 Writers Seminar Series. We found that delivering lectures via Webinar across the world was a complex initiative. David Lewis and Neil Hallam, the facilitators of last year’s week-long seminar at Schloss Gimborn, were in charge, navigating the growing group through the wonderful world of writing. We came from all walks of life and what bound us together was: a deep love for the written word, membership in a global organisation, and somehow or another, with a connection to policing. Neil Hallam started the series with a very much to the point lecture on writing for magazines. “Tell, tell and tell again” was his message in a nutshell. It encouraged a very disciplined approach. There was a student assignment at the end of each lecture, and everybody was invited to give it a go. Poetry, the novel, writer’s health, script & screen writing, publication and characterisation were among the many subjects covered. New members were brought into the IPA and fabulous new writers emerged. But how did this is all come about? With the pandemic, all of IBZ’s well laid plans, including our 2020 residential seminar for writers at Gimborn, had to be altered or abandoned. But each crisis holds the chance for something new. Lockdown did not bring IBZ to its knees, but inspired the team and their supporters to strike out in new directions. Among others it was David Lewis and Neil Hallam from the UK Writers SIG (Special Interest Group) who with great enthusiasm, supported Ulrike Neuhoff from IBZ in getting an online seminar for writers on its way. After plenty of test runs using the Eduquip webinar platform to get familiar with the new format, we kicked off. From 2nd of June to 30th of July the group came together on a weekly basis. David and Neil, supported by UK VP (Culture) Sean Hannigan, ran this productive seminar which attracted more and more potential writers.

David said of the series, “This was a bold adventure into the unknown for us all, and despite the technical challenges I really feel the seminar series was a great success. The feedback was tremendous, but the greatest thrill was to see the standard of submissions from the assignments: great poems being written by people who had never penned a verse in their lives, wonderful magazine articles on interesting, unique subjects, moving experiences from the world of policing and beyond. It was nothing like the experience of physically being at our spiritual home of Gimborn of course, but the ethos and philosophy of the schloss still shone brightly. A huge thank you to Ulrike, Rene and their team at IBZ for making it all happen.” All good things must come to an end, and at the end of July it was time to say goodbye. The virtual classroom closed but before the FINISH button was pressed messages from across Europe and the US flooded in: “Great Seminar, thanks all of you for your hard work. Hope to see you at Gimborn!” “I’ve only managed to participate in the last 3-4 online seminars and they’ve been excellent.” “ ...a HUGE thank you David, Neil and Sean.” “You’ve all given me loads of idea.” “‘Thanks all; learned so much from the webinars.” “‘Thank you everyone.” “Thanks René, Ulrike and team…I’ve been to Gimborn five times in the past…such an amazing place!” “Thank you all for your support. Hope to see you all in Gimborn.” “Thank you for your input.” “Thank you so much for allowing me to join in. I have learnt so much.” “A great deal of work from all of you moderators.” It is with great hope that we look into the uncertain future. Will we be able to see a Major Tome at Gimborn in April next year? Fingers crossed that PPE is no longer needed, and our virtual classroom becomes a great alternative to meeting together.

POLICE WORLD Vol 65 No.4, 2020

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