August - eastkentnarpo.org.uk

East Kent NARPO
Newsletter
“Eis Servire Qui Serviverunt”
www.eastkentnarpo.org.uk
Ramsgate Reunion
Luncheon
Thursday 15th September at Royal Temple Yacht Club,
Marine Terrace, Ramsgate. 12noon for 1pm lunch
Number 149
August 2016
DON’T FORGET
Chicken Breast stuffed with Spinach
D e al R e un io n o n
Wednesday 10th August
at 7.30 pm. The venue is
Elizabeth House, 32 St.
Mary’s Road, Walmer,
CT14 7QA
~~
DON’T FORGET
Menu
Pate with Melba and Chutney
~~
Apple/fruit crumble and Custard
~~
Tea/Coffee & Mints
Subsidised at £15 per person - £8 widows
(Service not included)
Branch Christmas Luncheon 2016
Ramsgate Reunion Lunch
on 15th September.
Tickets are still available.
See details on page 8
Lunches
Application forms on
Page 8
Thursday 8th December 2016
12 noon for 1 pm
Ashford International Hotel
Simone Weil Avenue, Ashford TN24 8U
Menu
Honey-baked carrot& red lentil soup (v)
Pressed ham hock, split pea & parsley terrine, honey & mustard dressing,
chicory leaf salad
~~~~~~
Ashford
Reunion 2016
See page 4
IN THIS EDITION
• Chairman’s Column:
Page 2
Creamed Roquefort & roasted pear salad, watercress pesto (v)
Traditional roast turkey, bacon-wrapped chipolata, sage & onion stuffing,
• Editorial:
Page 3
roasted root vegetables, roast potatoes
• Ashford Reunion: Page 4
Warm wild mushroom& brioche press, roasted root vegetables, truffle
• Skeleton & Attorney
Quotes:
Page 5
cream (v)
Baked cod, chorizo & roast garlic parmentier potatoes, crispy fried kale
~~~~~~
Steamed Christmas plum pudding, brandy sauce
Black Forest torte, brandied cherries & cherry syrup
Ginger brûlée tart, whipped sweet cream, citrus fruit compôte
Subsidised at £15 per person - £8 widows
© 2016 All rights reserved. The East Kent NARPO Branch Newsletter is published by the Branch Executive
Committee. Opinions expressed by contributors are theirs, and not necessarily those of the Branch Committee. EO&E. Printed in Broadstairs by Seward Copyshop Church Street St Peters Broadstairs CT10 2 TU
• Obituary for Frank Halse
& Summer Lunch: Page 6
• Cappadocia:
Page 7
• Woes of an Admin D?S:
Page 8
• Small Ads & Message from
Tony Masters:
Page 9
• Obituaries:
Page 10
• Life Membership for Bill
Eggleton:
Page 11
• Branch Directory: Page 12
East Kent NARPO Newsletter
Chairman's Column
Summer
is upon us
or is it? I can’t remember a season
like it, the old saying
“don’t cast a clout
‘til May is out “has been extended
to the end of June!
This will be held on 15th September, tickets can be obtained from
Tina Sloman our event’s organiser
at £15 per head.
Please support us and I look forward to seeing you at one of our
events.
still available for the Lunch at the
Royal Yacht Club, Ramsgate.
Terry Barham has moved
address in Worcester
Neil Walker has moved address
in Ashford
Babbacombe
Corrine Shaw, Devon to
Staines-on-Thames
Raymond Scott, Bekesbourne to
Westgate-on-Sea
Ian Newman, Battle to Duffield,
Derbyshire
Brian Rushford, Lympne to
Herne Bay
Jinaketu Gridley has moved
address in Eastbourne
Paul Cooke, Whitstable
Skegness
to
Alan Wall, Scotland to Sandwich
Joyce Booty has moved address
in Faversham
Joanne McCann has moved address in Herne Bay
This corner is for those who
have access to the internet
Don’t forget to tell us if you have a
Can I remind you that tickets are
Graylingham, Linconshire
Bob Pollard
The National NARPO Conference
will be held in September at Torquay, a proposal to reintroduce the
rules has been delayed until 2017
so we will have plenty of time to
consider our response. A report on
the conference will appear in the
next newsletter.
reunion last year it will be held
again on 1st September at the same
venue – more details in the newsletter.
Paul Kent, Doddington to
Tony Holley, Dartmouth to
Govett from West Kent
NARPO and I were invited to attend the Police Federation Open
Meeting at Maidstone to spread the
message to officers of the benefits
of NARPO. The Police and Crime
Commissioner Matthew Scott was
present. We took the opportunity
to invite him to the next meeting of
Kent Chairs of NARPO so we
could hear his vision of Kent Police
and let him know the views of our
members and he has accepted our
invitation.
Due to the success of the Ashford
On The Move
Kind Regards
Nigel
special wedding anniversary coming
up, if you are celebrating a golden
or diamond wedding so we can all
share in the celebrations.
Page 2
In this edition:
Web Corner
http://www.snopes.com/
fraud/fraud.asp
This web site provides an insight to all the scams that exist and enables
you to check and see whether the origin or content of an email you’ve
received is genuine or not. By going onto Snopes you can search your
query and it will identify bogus emails or indicate whether an item is suspect.
Note: Most public libraries will have access to the web; you may have
to book in advance
East Kent NARPO Newsletter
Editorial
It
doesn’t seem like
five minutes since
this column welcomed everyone to a
happy new year and
by the time you all
read this it will be
August already.
So
what’s happened in the last
eight months? Tim Peake orbited
the earth countless times, we had
a wet spring, Jeremy Corbyn fell
out with the opposition on both
sides, followed by England football
plunging down the world rankings.
Then we had a wet June during
which we voted for Brexit and
David Cameron resigned. So not a
lot really, just another typical year;
pretty wet!
The new email system seems to
be working to the benefit of
those who are on the database. If
you are not receiving these emails
and would like to then contact
me and I will include you.
In the absence of the old ‘Get
Well Soon’ column: On behalf of
the membership I would say to all
that are not in good health, that
our thoughts are with you.
With regard to the
Christmas lunch the social
events secretary Tina
Sloman asks that you provide
her with the names of the
people attending and their
individual menu choices.
Moving on to important things. I
Dave Ashwell
have raised this one before and
again would emphasize that this
newsletter relies on participation
from the members in providing
articles, stories, memories, skeletons etc to make the newsletter a
success for all. At this point in
time I am not getting very much
material at all. The Editor would
be most grateful for assistance in
this matter.
Editor
You will see that I have included
on page 6 an extended obituary;
that of Frank Halse aged 104 years
and the last Kent officer with a
three figure force number. His life
was, to say the least, eventful.
This
years summer lunch was
held at Boughton Golf Club. It
attracted just thirty eight members and guests. From a membership of over 1200 it does show the
level of interest, or lack of! These
events are subsidised with your
money. I would again ask you to
suggest other activities that you
think would be of interest to the
membership,
Welcome to New Members
Maureen Skingle, Dover
Page 3
This Irishman bought a donkey
from a farmer for £100. The
farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day.
The next day he drove up and
said, 'Sorry son, but I have some
bad news. The donkey's died.'
The Irishman replied, 'Well then
just give me my money back.'
The farmer said, 'Can't do that.
I've already spent it.'
The Irishman said, 'OK, then, just
bring me the dead donkey.'
The farmer asked, 'What are you
going to do with him?'
The Irishman said, 'I'm going to
raffle him off.'
The farmer said, 'You can't raffle a
dead donkey!'
He said, 'Sure I can. Watch me. I
just won't tell anybody he's dead.'
A month later, the farmer met up
with the Irishman and asked, '
What happened with that dead
donkey?'
George Lawton, Hythe
Keith Stallan, Ramsgate
Christopher MacalpineDownie, Whitstable
Lydia Watson, Herne Bay
He said, 'I raffled him off. I sold
500 tickets at £2 each and made
a profit of £898'
The farmer said, 'Didn't anyone
complain?'
Peter Stamp, Challock
Phillip Pryce, Ham Street
Susan Coleman, Margate
Wendy Sherwood, Minster,
Ramsgate
He said, 'Just the guy who won. So
I gave him his £2 back.'
This Irishman now works for the
Royal Bank of Scotland
Patricia Tester, Chard
David Hopwood, Sturry
Jacqueline Pearson, Dover
Acknowledgements
The Matt Cartoons © are copyright and
reproduced by kind permission of Matt/The
Daily Telegraph.
Large Print
Large print Newsletters are
available by arrangement with
John Piears [see page 12] for
any member who is visually
impaired. The Newsletter is
double the normal size.
East Kent NARPO Newsletter
Page 4
‘The Final Inspection’
The policeman stood and faced his God.
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as brightly as his brass.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I’ve wept unmanly tears.
“Step forward now, policeman
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My church have you been true?
I know I don’t deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fear.
The policeman squared his shoulders and said,
“No Lord, I guess I ain’t,
Because of those of us who carry badges
can’t always be a saint.
If you’ve a place for me here,
Lord, it needn’t be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don’t…. I’ll understand.
I've had to work most Sundays,
and at times my talk was rough,
And sometimes I’ve been violent,
Because the streets are awfully tough.
There was a silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod.
As the policeman waited quietly,
For the judgement of his God.
But I never took a penny,
That wasn’t mine to keep….
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills just got too steep.
“Step forward now, policeman,
You’ve borne your burdens well.
Come walk a beat on Heaven’s streets,
You’ve done your time in hell.”
After the success of this event last November arrangements have been made to hold another reunion for East
Kent members on Thursday 1st September. Hopefully this will now be an annual event held around this date.
This again will take place at lunchtime at the Willesborough Windmill Barn in Ashford, commencing at 12 noon.
A buffet will be provided for those attending, together with tea and coffee. It is hoped that this will again be
well attended by members. I would ask members to let me know if they will be attending so that catering requirements can be efficiently organised and to contact me by telephone or email
Tel: 01233 627340 - email: [email protected]
Numbers are limited to around 45/50 max because of the size of the premises so first come first served.
Access to the Windmill can be made via free car parking just off Cornes Close which is off Silverhill Road in
Willesborough. The postcode is TN24 0LG.
East Kent NARPO Newsletter
Page 5
Skeletons
I was reminded recently by my old chum, retired 5618 John ( Biffo ) Griffiths of a time when we had fun.
A long long time ago, in a far off land called Sheppey, both he and I on no.2 Support Group out of Nackington
were on foot patrol in uniform in Leysdown, neither of us could recall exactly what we’d done wrong!
I believe we were 6-2 nights, winter time, ‘high’ profile policing due to rowdy behaviour, (theirs not ours ) reassuring locals of a ‘high’ level of Police presence.
Donning our full length Gannex’s, or is the plural Ganni? resplendent in our helmets, Kent’s finest walked
bravely but timidly side by side, in the gloom, hand in hand (I made that bit up) along the ‘High Street’, Leysdown
reassuring.
“ I'm bored Biff” says I, “so am I” says ‘e. So like naughty boys we hatched a plan, giggling I put Biff on my shoulders, obviously with his full blessing and assistance, he clambered aloft, I didn't just pick him up and plonk him
there like some giant King Kong in uniform.
So dear reader, now picture the scene if you will, Biff sitting on my shoulders, proudly wearing his helmet, his
Gannex completely covering me, only my trousers, boots and the bottom of my Gannex showing beneath his
Gannex, as we leant against a lamppost.
Imagine the locals wonderment as they drove by gawping at this 9ft copper leaning nonchalantly, “Geez, look at
the size of that copper” they must have been thinking and then us sauntering off, Dixon of Dock Green style at
the regulation pace along the street, “ I wouldn't want to tackle that Gavver” they'd say………...yes folks, we’d
go off duty on many an occasion from the 2’s with ‘Facial Cramp’ from laughing!!
There was no rowdiness reported on Sheppey that night, not after our ‘high’ profile Policing.
Ex 5681 Kev Stones.
Editor - Our thanks to Kevin for sharing his past service history. There must be many more ˛stories’ from the
distant past that can be shared; anonymously if so required. Your secrets are safe with me being ex SB.
U.S. Attorney Quotes
These are from a book called ‘Disorder in the American Courts’, and are things people actually said in court, word
for word, taken down and now published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these
exchanges were actually taking place.
ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height
and had a beard
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town
I'm going with male.
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis,
does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it
affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget..
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give
us an example of something you forgot?
ATTORNEY: Were you present when
your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting me?
ATTORNEY: Are you sexually
active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
East Kent NARPO Newsletter
Page 6
Obituary of Frank Halse
Former Sergeant 958 Frank Halse passed away on 2nd May 2016. At the time of his passing he was 104 years
old and had been drawing his pension for just three months short of 50 years.... His young son Doug (who is in
his late 70's) tells us that Frank was still a NARPO member so never lost his connection with his old Police
days. Frank was our last remaining former officer with a three figure force number.
Frank was born in Hackney, in 1912, the youngest of 7 children. His father James was a member of what passed
for the Metropolitan Police at the time; in fact he was a mounted branch officer, and apparently he kept his Police horse tethered in the front garden of the terraced house the family lived at in the city. After leaving school
Frank became a manager at an Asphalt company in the docklands, but in 1933 Frank joined the Army. He became a member of 3rd Battalion Coldstream Guards. In his time with the Guards, Frank undertook duties at
Buckingham Palace, St, James Palace, the Tower of London, and he participated in the Trooping of the Colour.
He took on a training role, but this was not so much Army training, he was in fact used as a tutor to guardsmen
who needed to be taught the basic 3R's which perhaps goes to show the educational calibre of some of the soldiers in those days.
In 1936 he had joined the Kent County Constabulary and was serving at Southborough. In 1937 he was serving
at Horsmonden & Tonbridge. In 1939 at the start of the war he was recalled to the Army at Purbright. We
don't know exactly where Frank served, but his son seems to recall his father being a red cap which is indicative of him being in the Military Police. In 1942 Frank went to Sandhurst and received a commission and by the
end of the war he had achieved the rank of lieutenant. We know that in 1943 he was serving at Catterick, and
in 1944 he was posted overseas and involved in the training of soldiers in Italy. He was a firearms range officer
and a specialist in Aircraft recognition.
A memorable anecdote is that following his commission Frank was in charge of a unit responsible for arranging
the security at one of the venues where Nazi war criminal Rudolph Hess was interned following his infamous
flight to Scotland in May 1941 and his deportation to stand trial at Nuremburg.
Frank was "demobbed" in 1945, and he rejoined the Police Force serving at Cranbrook. His son Doug has a
memory of his father riding an old velocette motorcycle at the time (quote... "like the one out of Heartbeat. " )
Sadly further information about Frank's service in the Police Force is rather scant. He certainly served at
Strood, where the family lived in a Police house, and went on the serve at Chatham, and as already mentioned
he ended his time with Kent Police as the station Sergeant at Rainham.
His retirement from the Police was not the end of Frank's working days. He took a part time job working in a
solicitors office where he was responsible for preparing the papers for court. Frank finally retired in 1977 aged
65.
Summer Lunch at Boughton Golf Club
The lunch was held on Thursday 30th June at the golf club and 38 members attended. Numbers were down on
last year but this did not detract from an excellent 3 course lunch being enjoyed by all. A raffle was held with
several lucky winners. The event was the first organized by our social event’s new organizer Tina Sloman and
was a great success.
East Kent NARPO Newsletter
Page 7
Cappadocia
A while back our Chairman, Bob Pollard and his wife Dottie took a trip to Cappadocia in Turkey. Here he
recounts their experiences.
In the NARPO magazine there had been included an envelope concerning a tour of Cappadocia, (pronounced Cappadokia), Turkey so Dottie and I decided to go and see what it was like. We had been to Turkey before and enjoyed the
country and so late February we boarded a Free Bird Flight at Gatwick and set forth.
The Holiday had been advertised at basic price of £149 and a supplement for specific weeks and we had to pay an extra
£20 each for the week we had chosen. The price was for Bed and Breakfast and on arrival every one of our party upgraded to full board for an extra £195 per person for the week. This included all dinners, 5 lunches, entry to several sites
and a Turkish night on which I will expand later.
We arrived in Antalya where the weather was cool but warmer than back home, the Gypsophilia hotel complex was very
nice and we spent two nights there. Once we had mastered the air conditioning we enjoyed good food and started to get
to know our fellow travellers. It was clear that the vast majority were of our age group and several turned out to be retired cops so an immediate rapport was built. The holiday had been advertised with several organisations such as the
Women’s Institute and RSPB, National Geographic.
Day 2 entailed a visit to Aspendos which is the best kept outside theatre in the world. Dating back to Roman times with
steep sides and a central arena. This was followed by a visit to the Roman Aqueduct which stretches for over 20 miles.
Then on to the Star Belkis restaurant and the delights of river trout. The day was rounded off by a visit to a Mosque at
Minoulgat where we able to go inside and look around. The ladies had to cover their heads and shoes were taken off before entering.
Day 3 was an early start following a 5.50am breakfast and we set off up into the mountains and encountered thick snow
on the passes which were 1800 metres above sea level. We visited the Mausoleum at Econium (Konya) and paid a visit to
the underground city and a Caravansary which dated back to ancient times and were stop overs for the trade caravans. Be
warned the underground city was cramped and anyone who does not like enclosed spaces might be a little wary. Fascinating to see how people lived in the rooms in the hillsides and then onto the Hotel Yiltok for 3 nights. A nice hotel (4 star
standard).
Day 4 was again an early call as half our party decided to take a balloon flight, (Optional) there were in excess of 40 balloons taking off over the amazing naturally sculptured rock formations and the views were fantastic. The ability of the pilot
to manoeuvre the balloon into tight spaces and almost touch the ground was exceptional. Unlike back home the balloon
landed on the back of a trailer rather than the ground so a nice soft landing! The flight was preceded by a light breakfast
and we were back at the hotel for 0830 to partake of more food if required! 0930 on the road again to Camel Valley to
admire the fantastic formations at closer quarters and take photos , the Magic Chimneys and Churches cut into the rocks
were a sight to see. Further stops at the Valley of Love aptly named for its phallic rock structures .After lunch the day was
rounded off with a visit to see the Whirling dervishes. An experience we tried and I would heartily recommend was a visit
to Turkish bath which included a full body massage and sauna and being soaped from head to foot – truly invigorating! (25
Euros each and well worth the money)
Day 5 – A visit to a carpet weaving centre, very interesting and deep pockets required to purchase these excellent carpets
which came in all shapes, colours and sizes. All Hand made. There was a leather shop and Dottie purchased a handbag at a
very reasonable cost. Lunch at the Ramada Hotel was very nice. A visit was then made to the Goreme open air museum
to see some more churches, and back to the hotel for the Turkish Evening. Following dinner we were all transported
across the river to the venue built into the caves. All drink and snacks were free as part of the package and local dance
groups , a mock Turkish wedding which involved some of the audience and a magical whirling dervish display complete
with LED lights , the evening was rounded off by an exotic belly dancer who invited members of the audience to practice
their moves. Great fun was had by all. The evening concluded about 2230 and back to the hotel.
Day 6 was taken up travelling back to Antalya and a one night stop at our hotel. (4 Star quality hotel with a nice restaurant, it was extremely busy).
Day 7 involved a visit to the Bazaar in Antalya (very colourful) and a visit to a Jewellery factory where several made purchases of exquisite jewellery and followed by lunch. A visit to a leather factory was arranged and then onto our final hotel
in the centre of the city, close to the airport. (This was the lowest grade hotel and was just somewhere to rest prior to
going home)
Day 8 – early start to catch our flight at 0505 from the Airport back to Gatwick.
Conclusions - A lot to take in, in a week but a good impression of a country gained, steeped in history and yet looking
forward at the same time. Overall good value for money. There are other trips organised and we hope to return to visit
Istanbul and Troy. Bob Pollard
East Kent NARPO Newsletter
Page 8
TICKET APPLICATIONS: CHRISTMAS LUNCH 2016 / RAMSGATE REUNION 2016
Name…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Address………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………..Post Code ………………………..Telephone………………………...
Please send………….tickets @ £15 (same for guests), widows £8 for the Christmas Lunch
AND/OR £15.00 for Ramsgate Reunion. widows £8. Cheques to be made payable to ‘NARPO East
Kent Branch’. Please enclose an SAE for your tickets, and post the completed form to Tina Sloman, 5
Lime Tree House, St Lawrence Ground, Old Dover Road, Canterbury, CT1 3NY. Tel: 01227 763760:
E Mail: [email protected] will be a vegetarian option.
Please indicate — any seating preference, - if transport is required or is offered, and if you would like
a location map for the venue: Tina requires names attending and menu choices for each
person for Christmas Lunch
If you do not wish to cut the application form (s) this Newsletter, you can download & print off the
form from the branch web site www.eastkentnarpo.org.uk
The Woes of being an Admin D/S
Terry Gabriel recounts one of those days when Admin D/S at Dover:
On one occasion I had the misfortune of reading a crime report submitted by an officer alleging ‘ criminal damage’ to the wing mirror of an expensive foreign car. The officer who completed the report had written a rather
muddled explanation of what had occurred and so I returned the report to him for an explanation which I
might easily understand. I was particularly interested to know about the position of the car when it was damaged in order to determine whether the damage to the wing mirror was malicious or could have been caused
accidently by a passing vehicle, in which case it should properly be recorded as a Road traffic matter.
When I received the report back from the officer, he had written the following:
‘A left hand drive car with its nearside close to the pavement on the other side of the road’.
To this day I still haven’t got a clue what he meant. Fortunately in those days we weren’t governed by computers and ‘performance’ targets, so I wasted no further time and the matter was ‘filed’ in a small round ‘filing’
cabinet next to my desk.
Complaints to the Council
Our kitchen floor is damp. We have two children and would like a third, so please send someone round to do
something about it.
I am a single woman living in a downstairs flat and would you please do something about the noise made by the
man on top of me every night.
This is to let you know that our lavatory seat is broke and we can't get BBC2
The man next door has a large erection in the back garden, which is unsightly and dangerous.
East Kent NARPO Newsletter
Page 9
Members wishing to place an advert should send the details to me together with a cheque for £5
which will be for welfare purposes. Please make cheques payable to ‘The National Association of
Retired Police Officers East Kent Branch’ and forward to Mr. D. Ashwell, Windmill Lodge, Mill Lane,
Willesborough, Ashford, Kent TN24 0QG.
Services offered by advertisers are not specifically endorsed by this Branch. The Editor reserves the
right to refuse or withdraw advertisements at his discretion and does not accept liability for clerical
or printer’s errors, although every care is taken to avoid mistakes. Advertisements in the East Kent
NARPO Newsletter are accepted only on the understanding that the advertisers warrant that the
advertisements do not contravene the Trade Description Act 1968, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975
and the Business Advertisements (Disclosure) Order of 1997 and conform to the British Code of
Advertising Practice.
Madeira
For that special holiday for two this modern apartment
with uninterrupted breathtaking views of the Atlantic
Ocean, is within 5 minutes walk of the beach, bars and
restaurants. Set in the picturesque village of Canico, the
apartment has all the modern facilities including many English TV Channels, and internet access. The capital of Madeira, Funchal is only 13km away, accessed by a 30 minute
bus ride from outside the apartment. Guests will be met
at the airport on arrival by taxi to the apartment at an
additional cost of 25 Euros each way. Cost: £500 for two
weeks - £275 for one week. For full colour brochure and
details Tel: 01303 779272
Church Bulletins
For those of you who have children and don't know
it, we have a nursery downstairs.
Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir.
They need all the help they can get
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on
October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that
began in their school days.
Former Detective Inspector Tony Masters, member of East Kent Narpo, sadly lost his wife Susan who died
suddenly in April. Our welfare representative, Gerry Skinner, has been in touch with Tony over the past few
months offering help in his hour of need.
Tony recently contacted Gerry via email thanking Gerry for that help and providing an insight as to how he has
coped with his loss. Tony would be pleased to pass this message to friends and colleagues and would welcome
contact. His message follows:
Hi Gerry,
I first of all want to thank you for the contact we had very soon after Sue’s death. It was very difficult at that
time, as you obviously understand, but I do appreciate the contact and help that you provided. I’m not sure
what was arranged about giving out the notification on the East Kent Narop news but I would like to notify all
colleagues, friends and contacts of Sue’s sudden death. I would also welcome any contact from our past friends
and contacts just to be able to keep in touch, being so many miles from our previous life. I am happy for you to
pass on my contact details both email and telephone to those who may enquire.
I expect you have had enough experience of my situation involving other colleagues to know that time does
heal but not very easily. The grief does subside slowly and with time and friendly contact the sorry becomes
less frequent. We all deal with it differently. I have joined a local bowls club with the help of my neighbour a
retired Lincoln bobby, a very good friend and neighbour!! I have joined a local walking group and they are just
fantastic, so welcoming and understanding. A couple of other local clubs also help me to get away from the difficult times.
Overall my situation is slowly improving but not without the help and friendliness of those who have crossed
our paths in years past. I would be more than happy for you to pass on this message to friends and colleagues.
Thanks again for your kindness,
Kind regards and very best wishes,
Tony Masters.
Please contact Gerry Skinner via email at [email protected] should you wish to make contact with Tony.
East Kent NARPO Newsletter
Page 10
OBITUARY NOTICES
It is with great regret that I inform you of the following deaths. We send our sympathies to their families.
Please note: Information available at the time of publication is often very limited.
Aslett, Basil John, former Kent
officer 2702 aged 86 years of
Sturry, died on 21st June 2016.
Basil joined Kent County Constabulary at the age of 29, in
1958. Having completed his basic
training at Sandgate he was posted
firstly to Tunbridge Wells and
then to Margate and finally to No3
ATO at Nackington where he
spent the rest of his service, retiring in July 1984.
Bruce, Robert B.E.M. former
Detective Constable 4694 aged 64
years of Dover, died on 28th June
2016. he leaves a widow, Susan.
Robert was born on 16th November 1951 He joined the Force in
January 1971 and retired on May
2001 having served mostly in Dover, then in Thanet and Traffic. His
final years were in Special Branch.
Robert won the British Empire
Medal for his charity work for the
Royal Marines at Walmer.
Fiander, Rhoda of Herne Bay
died on 8th April 2016. Rhoda was
the widow of the late former
Chief Inspector 2095 Ray Fiander
Fretwell, Brian Laurence, former Kent officer 3499 aged 79
years died on 18th June 2016.
Brian had lived in Spain for the
past fifteen years. Brian joined
Kent Police in June 1958 serving as
the “beat-bobby” for Eastleigh and
Sandwich and finally serving in Dover before retiring in May 1986.
He played for the Kent Police
football team.
Gray, Clifford former Constable
2154 aged 87 years of Rochester,
died on 14th April 2016. Clifford
joined Kent Police in August
1952 and served at Northfleet,
Gravesend and Rochester. After service on Traffic at Rochester he took on the role of
undercover motorcyclist with
the Regional Crime Squad during the 1970’s
and finally
served as a beat officer in
Rochester before retiring in
August 1982.
House, Dennis former Kent
Officer 2257 aged 91 years of Faversham, died on 21st June 2016.
Dennis joined Kent Police in
October 1953 serving initially at
Gillingham before moving in 1961
to Brasted, Sevenoaks where he
served until his retirement in
1980.
Lloyd, David former Kent officer
8525 aged 51 years of Ormskirk,
Lancashire died on 3rd June 2016.
David joined Kent Police in April
1989 serving in Herne Bay and
Canterbury before retiring in September 2001. He had battled with
Multiple Sclerosis for some 16
years. He was living in Lancashire
and was a member of the East
Kent Branch of NARPO and also
of Lancashire NARPO.
Masters, Susan Mary of Lincoln
and wife of former Detective
Inspector 4279 Tony
Masters
died on 17th April 2016.
Roberts, Donald James former
Sergeant 2208 aged 89 years of
Nacton, Suffolk died on 11th May
2016. Donald joined Kent Police
in January 1953 serving in
Sevenoaks and Edenbridge before retiring in April 1978. Following his retirement Donald
and his wife Doreen moved to
Dorset where he was ordained
as a Church of England Minister
in 1986.
Streeter, Michael John former
Kent officer 3962 aged 69 years of
Rochester, died on 29th May
2016. He leaves a widow Linda.
Michael joined Kent Police in
November 1966 serving at
Ramsgate, Dover, Rochester
and River Policing for Medway/
Thames and Coast until 1984
and FHQ. In 1986 he worked
within Fingerprints Dept until
his retirement in 1989. He continued working within this department in a civilian post until
1990 when he became a Coroners Officer for Medway &
Swale, he finally retired in 2008.
Watson, Peter former Chief
Inspector 1967 aged 94 years died
on 10th June 2016. Peter joined
Kent Police in August 1950, serving at Dartford, Broadstairs, Deal,
Chatham and Gravesend before
being seconded to the then Flying
Squad - Internal Investigations. He
returned to Maidstone before retiring in July 1980. Peter lived in
Canada for the past thirty years
East Kent NARPO Newsletter
Obituaries continued from page 10
Page 11
Life Membership Awarded
Westgate, Bridgette of Hythe
died on 30th April 2016. She was
the widow of the late Inspector
1957 S.F. Westgate who died in
July 2003. Her son is Tony Westgate, who is a member of East
Kent Branch of NARPO
Wolley, Robert former
Constable 5832 aged 63 years of
Lincoln , died on 23rd June 2016.
Robert joined the Force in November 1975 and retired in January 1989.
Wright, Doris Kathleen of
Hawkinge died on 29th May 2016.
She was the widow of former
Constable 2607 Peter Wright.
Drake, Margaret aged 88 years of
Deal died on 2nd July 2016. She is
the widow of the late PC1559
R.A. Drake who served at Faversham, Canterbury and Deal.
Our congratulations to Bill Eggleton on being awarded life membership of
NARPO in recognition of his many years of service to the Branch. Bill
who represented Folkestone Rural and was the event’s organiser was presented with his certificate of life membership by Bob Pollard, Branch
Chairman on 6th July at his home address.
Bill was delighted and surprised to receive the award and expressed his
gratitude for being recognised in this way and sent his best wishes to all
members of the branch.
EVER WONDER …
Evans, Freda widow of the late
former Inspector 1333 Arthur
Evans died on 2nd June 2016
Great Quotes
When the white Missionaries came
to Africa they had the Bible and
we had the land. They said 'Let us
pray.' We closed our eyes. When
we opened them we had the Bible
and they had the land.
~ Desmond Tutu
Are there specially reserved parking spaces for "normal" people at the
Special Olympics?
If the temperature is zero outside today and it's going to be twice as cold
tomorrow, how cold will it be?
If it's true that we are here to help others, what are the others doing
here?
Do married people live longer than single ones or does it only seem
longer?
Do you cry under water?
America is the only country where
a significant proportion of the
population believes that professional wrestling is real but the
moon landing was faked.
~ David Letterman
How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be
a good idea to put wheels on luggage?
Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?
The East Kent Branch of NARPO
Serving those who served
www.eastkentnarpo.org.uk
Branch Directory
Page 12
Chairman:
Bob Pollard
01227 363594
[email protected]
Vice Chairman
Peter Reynolds
01227 765948
[email protected]
Norman Liggins
01304 852265
[email protected]
Mrs. Lynn Gridley
47 Park Avenue
Deal CT14 9AW
01304 364806
[email protected]
Mrs. Diane Witney
01227 766215
[email protected]
Branch Secretary
1 Ash Grove
St. Margaret’s at Cliffe
Dover
CT15 6JE
Treasurer
Membership Secretary
16 Meadow Road
Canterbury CT2 8EU
Obituary Snowball
Gerry Skinner
01227 272357
[email protected]
Newsletter Distribution
John Piears
01843 845425
[email protected]
Newsletter & Website Editor
Dave Ashwell
01233 627340
[email protected]
Welfare Co-ordinator
Gerry Skinner
01227 272357
[email protected]
Deputy Welfare Co-ordinator
Phil Wood
01797 364410
[email protected]
Picture Gallery