NARPO- SWANSEA BRANCH (98) NEWSLETTER

SPRING 2011

SPRING/SOCIAL EVENT

(INCORPORATING THE 2011 AGM)

WILL BE HELD AT 7pm ON FRIDAY 8TH APRIL 2011

AT DUNVANT RUGBY CLUB

A FREE BUFFET WILL BE PROVIDED

(The AGM will take about 45 minutes) - All welcome to attend ------

NEW MEMBERS – Welcome to Simon Thomas, Colin Jenkins, Brian Baynham, Ritchie Jones, John Jones, Andrew Rees, Bill John, Dean Phillips, Kaye Jones, Andy David and Colin Wooldridge -The Younger

BEREAVEMENTS- Margaret Evans (wife of Ianto), Kathleen Rees (widow of late David Rees Pontardawe), Wally Williams, Doreen Nicholson, Pat Bayley (Secretary to C/Supt Cockett)

ILL HEALTH – We send best wishes to Graham Thomas, Graham Davies, Danna Davies and Hilda Johnson

CONGRATULATIONS- to the following celebrating special birthdays between April and June 2011 Brian Hopkins, Gladys Spencer, Tom Evans, Jan Huxtable, Gwyn Watkins, Marjorie Rees, Jennifer Owen, Lilian Morris, Gareth Jones and Ray Norwood ------JOB OPPORTUNITES

1. SERVOCA RESOURCING SOLUTIONS are currently looking for retired or retiring Police Officers to work in South Wales and West England regions. The positions range from Civilian Investigators • Disclosure Officers • House 2 House Enquiry Teams • CCTV Viewing • PNC Operators • Communication Officers• Intelligence Analysts/Researchers• NPIA Accredited Financial Investigators• Enforcement Officers• Incident Room Staff; Holmes Staff• Case File Preparation• Public Enquiry Officers• PCSO Trainers• Scenes of Crime Officers.

Please contact Amanda Butler at Servoca: Telephone: 0845 073 7800 0r 0845 073 7800 . Email: [email protected] or view website www.servoca-police.com

2. G4S (was Securicor) - have a wide range of job opportunities for retired officers. Contact Rachel Barham at Tel 020 8249 6614 Fax 020 8249 -6397 Email [email protected] or visit their website www.policerecruit.co.uk ------

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION Retired Sgt Julia Brown – North Wales is offering 2 bedroom Mobile Home Holiday accommodation sited at Camps du Pylone, Antibes nr Nice, France. Prices range from £160 -£410 per week, with Special Offers of 4 for 3 during April and May. Julia can be contacted at 01492-879108 or by Email at [email protected] Fuller details can be viewed on our website or at www.brownsword-mobilehomes-nice.net

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AGE CONCERN -SWANSEA

At a grassroots level, many local groups helping older people still retain the name”Age Concern”. One example is Age Concern Swansea, an independent local charity, helping more than 8,000 residents of the City and County of Swansea each year.

ACS offers a variety of services – visiting older people who are lonely or who have just come home from hospital, helping with shopping and assisting with Welfare benefit forms. It also has a Footcare team and a Home Services (Handyperson) team. ACS employs 50 members of staff, but also relies heavily on its volunteers (currently about 170 – spread across the county). As well as helping with the services listed above, some volunteers help in the offices or assist with marketing & fundraising. The charity recently received the Investing in Volunteers quality mark, only the 40th charity out of more than 30,000 in Wales to get this award.

Instead of running a second-hand clothes shop to raise funds, it sells gas and electricity, insurance and some financial services, funeral plans, coach holidays and stair-lifts.

Retired Police Officers have a lot to contribute and would fit in well to various aspects of the range of activities- particularly in relation to home Crime Prevention advice Full training will be provided and expenses paid.

If your are interested please contact - Nicky Stonelake Volunteering Manager at 01792 648866 or Email - [email protected] Or write to Age Concern Swansea, Page field House, Page Street. , Swansea SA1 4EZ Or look at the website www.ageconcernswansea.org.uk ------PHOTO QUIZ TIME This is a difficult one - what is the connection between the picture of the handsome young man with the mortar board and this year’s Summer Trip to Wells and Street, Somerset in September. As the answer is almost impossible we will not keep you in suspense as we usually do.

When it was decided to visit Wells, one of our members was particularly pleased as his father - photographed left as a young schoolboy came from Wells. He attended Wells Cathedral School and was a member of the Cathedral Choir The member is Bill Collins who many of you will have worked within your service. So if you are on the trip, keep a lookout for someone delving into churchyards and Archives sections of the local library -it will be Bill. Thank you Bill for this interesting contribution

------FIVE EDUCATED PUNS Did you see that Russian spy-plane? It was an optical Illyushin The fattest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. - from too much pi. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart Atheism is a non-prophet organization

5 more later!!

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The Prince’s Trust work with 14 to 30-year-olds, who have struggled at school, have been in care, are long-term unemployed or have been in trouble with the law. They give practical and financial support, developing key workplace skills such as confidence and motivation. The Trust helps 100 young people every day and more than three in four of them move into work, education or training. People with a Police background are ideally suited to assist.

Whether you have a few hours a month or are available full-time, there is a rewarding and challenging volunteering opportunity for you. If you can give:  Four hours every month you can mentor a young person and help them to progress in life  One or two days a week you could help coordinate other volunteers to enable them to support young people  20 days over a 12-week period you could support 15 young people as they progress through a personal development programme. For more details, please contact Zoe Byrne by email at [email protected] or call 0207 543 1288.

For more information about the work of The Prince’s Trust please visit the website www. princes-trust.org.uk ------

PHOTO QUIZ

Can you assist us indentifying those pictured above – the photograph is on our website but so far we can not get collective agreement as to who is who- we are fairly confident of the following reading from left to right excluding the entertainer in front.

1-.?? (Graham Beevers?) 2- Ron Draisey 3.- Hugh Williams 4 -Bev Curtis 5- John Thirlwell 6- ?? (Miike Charles or Con Morris) 7 -Bev Morris 8- Jerry Protheroe 9- Stuart Gallacher

Please email or phone any Committee Member with your answers

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POSTCARDS FROM THE PAST

The postcards shown here illustrate well, how the postcard photographers of years ago when seeking to create and capture an interesting street scene, would frequently include a police officer in their photography much to the delight of many post card enthusiasts. Sometimes the presence of the local gendarmerie on the postcard could be unintended, as would appear to have occurred of the Sergeant plodding among the pedestrians on the Oxford Street pavement towards the camera (taken in 1905). Note also in the far right hand corner a police officer, looking at the departing Sergeant, doubtless having just “booked” a conference with the Constable.

The other photographs (above) are much more the norm of postcard photographer technique. The scene is again Oxford Street, both officers imposing figures. Hand picked for the job by the duty Inspector, without doubt, pre-arranged with the photographer. Both are prominent, no walking on the pavement dodging pedestrians for them. They are centre stage and the focus of attention (taken in 1910).

The scene (below) at High Street/Welcome Lane (taken in 1938) is similar to those of the two imposing looking officers in Oxford Street. The scene is built around the police officer. The photographer would be well pleased with the result of his endeavours. Finally it is interesting to note the changing style of helmets, each one is different-. No expense spared in those days for the Borough Police!!

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LES TAYLOR – BLITZ MEMORIES

This item is based on an article published in the Evening Post where Les, one of our Life Members – Les Taylor was interviewed on his vivid memories of the Swansea Blitz

Les Taylor was just 15 when he heard the bombs drop outside his home in Langdon Place – rushing out with his father William, Les would see a large engulfing his and his neighbour’s homes “ I remember looking out with my father and all along Mumbles Road was incendiary bombs dropping and burning. At least 50 of them landed in the middle of the road.

My father said “We’d better go in the Anderson shelter in the back garden and we heard horrible dull thuds which was the bombs dropping. The house next but one to ours was destroyed by a direct hit."”

Now 85, Mr Taylor a former Superintendent with South Wales Police still remembers the “Three Night Blitz” which destroyed the heart of Swansea in 1941. The bombing from the Nazi left 230 people dead, 409 people injured and affected 11,000 buildings. After spending the night in the shelter, Les had to leave his home because a bomb had failed to detonate nearby.

“On the second night there was an unexploded bomb in the garden next to where we were staying so we had to leave again. On the third night we went to the Ben Evans Department Store and stayed in the basement. There were about 50 people in the basement which was being used as an but the building was on fire above us and we had to be rescued."

“I can’t really remember what I was feeling – I suppose I was upset in a way – but I had my mother and father and sister with me and we had to get out together”

“We got out somehow and the next thing I remember was standing outside St Mary’s Church and watching it burn – it was a mass of flames. Men were trying to get on the roof to put the fire out. They managed to climb the tower but couldn’t jump across.”

As the city took stock of its casualties, Les was put on a train first thing the next day and sent to Ebbw Vale where it was deemed to be safer. But it was not long before he was back in Swansea and not much longer after that before he was doing his bit for the War effort. “ “I joined the RAF in 1943 as a Radar Mechanic and was sent out to India at the beginning of 1945. I was based in Delhi and we were about to be sent into Burma but the bombing of Hiroshima stopped those plans”

“There was more bombing over Swansea over the next few years but it was nothing like it was on those three nights.

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5 MORE EDUCATED PUNS

 A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab centre said: 'Keep off the Grass.'  The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran  A Buddhist refused Novocain during a root canal job? His aim - transcend dental medication.  When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.  If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine.  Finally- We sent ten puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did... ------

FUTURE SOCIAL EVENTS

1 .BUS TRIP - The trip this year will be to Wells and Street on Wednesday 7th September . 2. VIDEO FUN RACING EVENING

 Red Lion – Morriston on Tuesday 11th October 2011

 Free Chicken and Chips for all attending

 You may win some money but you can’t lose much and we can promise a good laugh

3 .CHRISTMAS DINNER will be on Tuesday 13th December 2011 at the Manor Park Clydach

Fuller details of these events in future Newsletters ------NEWSLETTER

We are conscious of the poor picture quality in recent issues. - The Newsletter is printed and distributed from national headquarters at Wakefield and we have informed them of this problem. We have been advised that they do their best with the photo-copying facilities they have available BUT they point out that they are not professional printers. If you want a sharper view then you can read all our Newsletters in a clearer format on our website

NEWSLETTER - ITEMS

We thank all the other contributors to this Newsletter and everyone is welcome to send in items of interest - it could be a charitable interest or unusual hobby etc. We will do our best to include them all at some stage. ------P.S. Don’t forget to update Phil Taylor of any changes of address, telephone or email address. ------P.P.S. Keep checking our website www.narposwansea.co.uk for up to date information. We are aware that more of you now visit the site regularly.