The Staffordshire Knot

Transcription

1 The Staffordshire Knot Staffordshire Branch of N.A.R.P.O. Keeping the ties with former colleagues. National Association of Retired Police Officers. Staffordshire Branch No Chairman: Mr. Mark Judson 19 Larchwood, Wildwood, Stafford. ST17 4SQ Tel E Mail: markjudson@narpo-staffs.co.uk Hon. Sec.: Mr. Des Lockwood 97 Pirehill Lane, Walton, Stone, Staffs. ST15 0AS Tel E Mail: desmondlockwood@narpo-staffs.co.uk Hon. Treasurer: Mr. Reay Pearman 2 Spode Grove, Clayton, Newcastle, Staffs. ST5 4HE Tel E Mail: bruce.pearman@btinternet.com Gerry Robinson - Staffs Knot Editor drakeford24@btinternet.com 'Serving those who have served' AGM 2014 Edition This is the 43rd Edition of YOUR very own NEWSLETTER - February We keep the print of this Newsletter as large as possible to assist our members with failing sight. NOTICE. 63 rd ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. 11:00 am Saturday 3 rd May 2014 Police Headquarters, Weston Road, Stafford. LIST OF MEMBERS JOINED SINCE LAST STAFFS KNOT. Welcome to membership of NARPO to you all. Thank you for joining us and please take advantage of all the facilities we have on offer for your present and future welfare. NAME SUB NAME SUB BRANCH BRANCH Francis Martyn HORDERN Northern Kevin DAVIES Leek Ian Stewart REVANS Stafford Edward Roy ADKIN Tamworth Derek John REEVES Northern Ian HACKNEY Northern Lyndon Bleddyn MORRIS Northern Philip John BOULTON Leek Kate Joanne SCOTT Northern Steve WINTER Lichfield Raymond Frederick KEY Stafford Paul Keith MATTHEWS Stafford Martin KIRRANE Leek Stephen Gainford BENNETT Leek Neil BAXTER Stafford Michael Francis FISHER Stafford Robert Andrew PILLING Stafford Martin David COX Stafford Lloyd Anthony MASON Burton Can we wish you all a long and healthy retirement? Remember you can t buy time enjoy life and take as many holidays and join in as many activities as you can afford!

2 -2- Members Called to Higher Service. Obituary 2013/14. Deaths since Last Staffordshire Knot. Your Branch Committee record with regret the deaths of the following members. Our sympathy is extended to all the bereaved families. Ret d Pc Anthony (Tony) CHILDS Stafford Ret d D/Sgt Richard Henry A EVERETT Burton Ret d Pc Frederick THORNTON Stafford Ret d Pc Richard HYMUS Northern Ret d Ch/Insp Anthony Eric JOHNSON Stafford Ret d Ch/Insp William Peter SMALLWOOD Shropshire Ret d Sgt Alan A STEVENSON Northern Ret d Supt Kenneth AINGE Stafford Ret d Pc John A BRIDGETT Northern Ret d Sgt Eric John SAUNDERS Tamworth Ret d Ch/Supt Keith PERRINS Leek Ret d D/Sgt Alan William EARDLEY Northern Ret d Pc. Eric J WARD West Bromwich Ret d Ch/Supt Walter Leonard JONES Northern Ret d Supt Donald MALKIN Stafford Widows & Wives called to Higher Service. Obituary 2013/14. Your Branch Committee record with regret the deaths of the following widows and wives. Our sympathy is extended to all the bereaved families. Mrs (Wife) Eveline HILL Lichfield Mrs (Wife) Barbara JONES Northern Mrs Gwendoline Mary GRICE Stafford Mrs Alice Elizabeth TEW Stafford SOUTHERN TRAFFIC GROUP, LICHFIELD RE-UNION. Arrangements have now been finalised for the first Re-Union of Southern Traffic Group Members, Wives, Partners, and Civilian Staff. The date is Friday, the 4 th April, 2014 time 7:00pm until 11:00pm, at St. Matthews Sports and Social Club, St. Matthews Road, Burntwood, WS7 9EP. A large number of Ex Members have been in touch with Brian Brough and Linda Hicken, but there are more of you out there. Please come along and renew acquaintances and friendships with ex colleagues, and talk about the 'good old' days, and make this a successful event. Please pass the details on to Ex Members who may not be NARPO Members, or who may still be serving with Staffordshire Police.

3 Chairman s Corner. It appears although Spring is just around the corner, perhaps we need to give Spring a new connotation with all the rain and flooding everybody is experiencing at this moment in time. On the Staffordshire Police front all seems reasonably quiet at the moment. The Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner are forging ahead with new technology i.e. body worn video and streamlined computer processes to try to ease the burden of falling numbers of Police Officers and Police Staff. The PCC is hoping to have the now cleared old H.Q. Site sold by September One problem on the horizon, is the recent judgement in an Employment Tribunal in Nottingham which has ruled that the use of A19, [the forcing of officers who were eligible to draw a pension to leave the force on the grounds of efficiency] is unlawful due to age discrimination. If this ruling is upheld it could cause the Force some serious financial problems. The Local Police Federation is awaiting guidance from the National Federation as it affects many officers who were forced to leave Staffordshire Police. It could herald interesting times. On the Police Federation front the National Police Federation have commissioned an independent report into how the Federation operates, following mounting criticism from a number of areas, including its own members. The report has now been published with recommendations that are radical in nature. If accepted the Federation of the future will be a very different animal than it is today. The 2014 Federation Conference in Bournemouth is going to be very interesting this year because many of these recommendations will have to be voted through. N.E.C. wise, National NARPO is in a sound financial position, recording a 194,504 surplus for A motion is going to be taken to conference proposing that a 10,000 accidental death cover be taken out on behalf of National NARPO for all fee paying members. The cost of this would be approximately 73 pence per member and would be picked up by NARPO at Wakefield. It is seen as a way of giving something back to the membership. The theme of Conference at Brighton in September is going to be along the lines of maintaining and if possible enhancing pensioner benefits. NARPO will be joining up with other pensioner groups to attempt to lobby MPs and Parliament on the run up to the General Election in May Our Conference is one of the first of the Conference season, so NARPO are endeavouring to make it as professional as possible. To this end they are employing the services of a specialist communications company The Live Group, who may provide a Web-caste of the whole proceedings at conference. It is hoped to attract some high profile speakers to engender a lively debate. There are a couple of interesting articles in February s edition of NARPO News. Clint Elliot s editorial about the issue of the New State Pension in 2016 and the correlation between this and National Insurance contribution is worth a read. As is the Hawkridge inheritance on page 21. At my suggestion, National NARPO are piloting a NARPO App for Android Smart-phones, this will mean that so minded NARPO members will be able to access the National NARPO Website whilst on the move. If successful this will be extended to I-phones. Steve Edward s the Deputy Chief Executive has been responsible for pulling this together at minimal cost. The Voluntary Exit Scheme [Voluntary redundancy] which Staffordshire Police introduced under the Winsor Report, has (at this moment in time) been halted. The possible effects on NARPO membership numbers were discussed at the NEC meeting, because it was envisaged that the scheme may extend to other Forces. The decision of the NEC to deal with any members leaving under this scheme and wishing to join NARPO was to make them associate members.

4 From the archive. A couple of updates from my previous posts. I received a letter from Alan Perry, an ex Traffic Officer who now lives in Barmouth in Wales. Here is an extract from his letter. I was posted to Cannock from Mill Meece Training School in January 1958, the Police Training Centre at Cannock had then closed, but the premises were being used as a hostel for men from numerous Eastern Bloc Countries. After the uprising in Hungary in 1956 the disused RAF Camp at Hednesford [the top of Brindley Heath] became a clearing station for the people who had fled Hungary and other Eastern Bloc countries. The families were found accommodation within the local area and the single men placed in the old Police Training School, which was turned into a hostel with good living accommodation and kitchens. A warden was appointed to look after the young men and a lot of them who had worked in the mines in their own countries found work in the local pits, namely Littleton and Cannock Number 5. The warden was responsible for the conduct of the men, but normally on a Saturday night after too many drinks trouble would flair and the police would be called. I attended there on numerous occasions with my sergeant, the great Jack James, to sort things out. After a few years the men found their own accommodation and the hostel was closed for a while. The N.C.B then took it over and I think it became a computer centre where all the wages for the N.C.B staff were worked out. This lasted a few years and then the N.C.B moved to a new Headquarters in Stoke. On a similar vein, Mark Judson received an from Brian Podmore, a former H.Q drill instructor. He now resides in the Thames Valley Area. He confirms that the Cannock Training School did exist on the Walsall Road. He remembers whilst a P.C. at Cannock, the prisoners had blankets embossed with Police Training School. Also, his wife worked at the N.C.B. premises and he stated that they would often find items lying about which referred to the old Police Training School. My thanks to both Alan and Brian, from afar sharing their memories with us. The publication of the article on the Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal also drew some interest from members. Chase Hobson from the Northern Branch sent me an to the effect: I was a third generation Bobby. As a result I was able to present my mother with a set of three of these medals. What makes this even more unique is that each is accompanied by a Queen s Coronation, Silver and Golden Jubilee medal - not given to every officer in the past. All these medals were earned North of the County in Newcastle Borough Police, Stoke-on Trent City Police and Staffordshire County Police. In addition I was contacted by another retired officer who was seeking assistance in how he might be able to retrospectively obtain his L.G.C. Medal. I made some enquiries on his behalf and put him in touch with someone at Headquarters to see if the matter could be progressed with the relevant department in London. I am yet to receive an update. At our recent Branch Meeting, the honour of NARPO Life Membership was approved to Peter Toghill (Welfare Officer, West Bromwich) and Glyn Thomas (Chairman, Tamworth). Also, Joe Molloy (Website Manager), was nominated as our Staffordshire NARPO representative at the London Cenotaph Parade in November later this year. Regards Mark Judson [Chairman Staffordshire NARPO]

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6 Branch & Sub Branch Contacts and Meeting Dates. BURTON Ralph Seville Secretary, Lesley Bennett Meeting & Socials at 7:30 pm. 9 th April 2014, 9 th July th October LICHFIELD Ron Hill Linda Hicken Lichfield Rugby Club. 19 th March. 21 st May. 16 th July. 17 th Sept. 19 th Nov. 10 th December Xmas Lunch. TAMWORTH Glyn Thomas Dave Gardner Coton & Hopwas Social Club. 4 th March. 6 th May. 1 st July. 2 nd September. 11 th Nov. CANNOCK Joe Edwards Secretary John Hartshorne Meeting & Socials at 7:30 pm. AGM 13 March 2014, 19 th June, Social Event 8 th November NORTHERN Keith Houlston Dave Malam Tollgate Hotel (Oakwood Suite), Ripon Rd, Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent. (off Trentham Rd) 3 rd April. 2 nd October. WOMBOURNE Roger Jones John Cooper Wombourne Tennis, Bowls & Cricket Club. 3 rd June. 7 th October. LEEK Peter Simms Bob Scrimgeour Meeting & Socials at 7:30 pm. Leek Golf Club 4 th March. Leek Golf Club. 1 st July Cheadle Cricket Club. STAFFORD Michael Kozam Vice Chair. Gerry Robinson Secretary Maureen Poole Constitutional Club, 5 Lloyd Street, Stafford, ST16 3AS. 26 th June. 23 rd Oct.(AGM) WEST BROMWICH Ken Stevens Terry Barton Meetings and Socials 8:00.pm. The Royal Naval Association Club, Bull Lane, West Bromwich 12 th May. 1 st Sept. 1 st Dec.2014 BRANCH CHAIRMAN BRANCH VICE CHAIRMAN BRANCH SECRETARY Mark Judson Gerry Robinson Desmond Lockwood BRANCH TREASURER WEBSITE MANAGER ALL MEMBERS Reay Pearman Joe Molloy Keep right up to date by following our Website. You may attend meetings at any of our 9 sub branches.