Malcolm Parry Chairman

NARPO Bulletin

(Merseyside Branch)

Branch No. 68 November 2008

NARPO Bul le t in (Merseys ide Branch)

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News and Branch Bulletin posted to you at home. If you’re moving

house, just fill in the form below, cut it out and post it to:

David Anderton, 15 Childwall Park Avenue, Liverpool, L16 0JE.

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The Chairman’s Column

H i everybody. Hopefully, despite

the weather, you did manage to

enjoy the „summer‟. In September,

Branch representatives attended the

NARPO Annual Conference in

Bournemouth. The theme of the

conference was welfare and a key

presentation was made by the National

Executive on one proposal to improve

welfare provision. You will remember

it was your own Branch‟s motion that

led the National Executive to research

the issue of welfare. The National

Executive will be working with a

private provider of 24/7 support. This

support will initially be by telephone

and followed by one to one contact if

necessary. This partnership will be

assessed after the first 12 months. The

cost for the trial will be met from

National Funds. Full details will be

made available to all members in the

near future.

Last year, you will remember, a

motion to increase subscriptions above

the agreed percentage was carried by a

majority but was later voided due to the

required lack of a two thirds majority.

The motion was reintroduced this year

and, after another lengthy debate, was

remitted. It had become obvious during

the debate that the motion was very

unlikely to get the two thirds majority

and if it failed it could not be debated

again for two years. The remission

means it can come back to conference

next year. Your Branch supports the

increase as it believes it is the only way

that NARPO will be able to meet the

future demands, particularly in respect

of welfare. Much of the opposition is

based on the belief it will deter

membership, it is not needed, it will

cause hardship and members will be

forced to leave. Your Branch does not

support these beliefs. The increase was

about 50p and, in cases of hardship,

Branch co mmit t ees can adopt

flexibility. When I asked for comment

last year those who responded were all

in support of the increases believing it

was the only way for the organisation to

go forward. Are your views still the

same?

The conference was once again

chaired by David Anderton in his role

of President. After three years, David

retired as President and on conclusion

of the conference he received a well

deserved presentation for a job well

done. In his address to conference he

o nce aga in e mp has is ed t he

importance of reducing the number of

Branches by the formation of larger

ones. Your committee has supported

this for many years and as you know

many people, including myself, have

tried to bring the four local Branches

together but without success.

Our new professionally designed

web site has now gone live -

www.narpo-merseyside.org.uk

Now you will be able to get copies of

past newsletters and get the news

from NARPO. Why not have a look

at it and let us know what you think?

The message board continues to

grow with well over a 1,000 members

now registered. All future group

emails will come through the message

board servers as it is now the only

way we can send large circulations

due to restrictions being placed on us

by internet providers. It would be

helpful if all members who were on

our email list were to register, even if

you have no wish to use the message

board itself.

As always, I finish my thoughts with

the reminder that NARPO is here to

support all our members, from our new

to more mature pensioners, the needs of

which may be very different. The

Merseyside Branch will always

challenge our current endeavours to

ensure we are meeting all these needs.

As winter approaches please take

care and have a very nice Christmas.

Thank you.

Gladys Lowe - 104 not out

O n 4 October 2008, Gladys Lowe,

who lives in the Speke Nursing

Home, celebrated her 104th birthday.

Members of the Branch Committee,

Colin and Ruth Rowan, attended her

special birthday party, together with

many friends from various parts of

Lancashire and Merseyside. The party

was arranged by the Home and the

entertainment was provided by a local

singer and pianist. Gladys was in good

spirits and enjoyed being the centre of

attention. Ruth Rowan presented

Gladys with a bouquet of flowers on

behalf of the Branch.

Gladys is the widow of Joe Lowe

who served in ‟A‟ Division and died in

1986.

Letters to the Editor

NARPO Bul le t in (Merseyside Branch) Page 2 November 2008

NARPO Bul le t in (Merseys ide Branch)

Everton Terrace

I was very pleased to receive a

number of contacts, following my e-

mail to you, requesting information

about Everton Terrace Police Station.

The response was excellent and I have

received correspondence from David

Liptrot, who was stationed there and

Geoffrey Smith, who is working with

the Force archives. I have also received

an e-mail contact from a John Pardoe,

who I assume is a former fireman.

You may wonder how I managed to

locate you; well I regularly receive a

copy of the NARPO Bullet in,

Merseyside Branch, from my mother.

My father was Sergeant Frank

Williams, who transferred into

Merseyside Police, from the Bootle

County Borough Police. So I do try to

keep up to date by reading your

Bullet in. I transferred out of

Merseyside Police in 1976 to become a

„country copper‟ and competed 31 years

in uniform.

I am now employed as civilian

support staff in the force control room.

However, Gloucestershire is not so

much the rural county that it once was.

Time moves on.

My enquiries will continue, as most

of my family were Liverpool based, so

following family lines will keep me in

touch with the area. Many thanks for

your assistance.

Mike Williams

Gloucester

Police Families

M y son Gareth passed out as a

constable at Mather Avenue last

Thursday. He is the fourth generation

of our family to serve as a police officer

in Liverpool.

His great great grandfather, Joseph

Cliffe, joined Liverpool City Police in

1887 and retired in 1913. His

grandfather, Phil Armstrong, joined

Liverpool City in 1951, then Liverpool

and Bootle, then Merseyside, before

retiring in 1976.

His father (me), Tom Armstrong,

joined Liverpool and Bootle in 1971,

then Merseyside and retired in 2003.

My two brothers Stephen and David

a l s o jo ine d M e r s e ys id e a nd

Metropolitan respectively.

Can any other members match that?

Tom Armstrong (ex 3384)

Old Swan

The Chief Constable welcoming the Guests

Guests listening to the Chief Constable

…was just one of the many

complimentary comments received

by the Citizen Focus Department

following the Chief Constables

celebratory event for retired police

officers and staff held at Aintree

Racecourse on the 2nd July earlier

this year.

The event was held to

commemorate the designation of

the City of Liverpool as “European

Capital of Culture” for 2008, and to

acknowledge the contribution made

by retired Police Officers and Staff

to making Merseyside a safer place

to live, work and visit.

The Chief Constable, Mr

Bernard Hogan Howe, welcomed

guests and presented three of those

present with a commemorative gift

to mark the occasion. Ellen

Petterson was one of the original 18

members of the Women‟s Auxiliary

Police Corps of Liverpool City

Police that was formed in

September 1939 to offset

the depletion of the Force caused

by the Second World War.

Gifts were also given to Charles

Lancey, one of the original „fire bobbies‟

serving in 1939, and Kath Williams, the

earliest serving police woman in

attendance.

Following refreshments, guests were

entertained by the police band and

displays by the mounted and dogs

sections.

There was also a stand containing

police memorabilia, where guests were

able to view a number of artefacts

spanning the history of the force. A

photographer was also on hand to take

photographs of guests on request and

capture various aspects of the event.

“A brilliant afternoon…”

George Craig Bowls Competition

T he 2008 George Craig Bowls

Competition was played at the

Riversdale Police Cub on Sunday 24

August 2008. In an excellent final, the

„outsider‟, Jean Bethom, defeated Charlie

Baker in a very close game. The losing

semi-finalists were Pat and Peter

Roughley.

The Finalists: Jean Bethom and Charlie Baker

Widows’ Draw

T he winners in the August 2008

Draw were:

Mrs. Aileen Asher, Mrs. Davida

Bentham, Mrs. Dorothy Cook, Mrs.

Margaret Rose Dagger, Mrs. Maria

Carmela Evans, Mrs. Carole

Marshall Firth, Mrs. Jean Lilian

Greenough, Mrs. Marie Therese

Gregory, Mrs. Ruth Hagerty, Mrs.

Eileen Hart, Mrs. Jean Kirby, Mrs.

June Barbara McGowan, Mrs. Mary

McGuffie, Mrs. Elizabeth McMinn,

Mrs. Margarita Nicholson, Mrs.

Irene Mary Peden, Mrs. Beryl

Colwyn Richards, Mrs. Irene Maria

Robinson, Mrs. Ruth Mary Sawle,

Mrs. Isobella Starkey, Mrs. Eileen

Sullivan, Mrs. Margaret Elaine

Symon, Mrs. Edna Lloyd Williams,

Mrs. Delia Wilson and Mrs.

Barbara Joan Woolley.

Merseyside Police Mounted Section

NARPO Bul le t in (Merseyside Branch) Page 3 November 2008

NARPO Bul le t in (Merseys ide Branch)

Employment Opportunities

I f you wish to be included on the list

of retired police officers seeking

employment contact:

David Anderton

Telephone: (0151) 722 9823

e-mail:

secretary@narpo-merseyside.org.uk

MERSEYSIDE NARPO

NEW WEB SITE

H ave you visited the new

Merseyside NARPO web site?

If not, and you have access to the

Internet, go to:

www.narpo-merseyside.org.uk

and keep up to date on NARPO

activities and matters of interest.

Pension Pay Dates

2008

Friday 31 October

Monday 1 December

Wednesday 31 December

I n August 1958 a party of 24

Liverpool City Police Cadets and

their drill instructor, Acting Sergeant

J o hn E d w a r d s , w i t h C h ie f

Superintendent Joseph Hegg and the

then Chief Constable, Sir Charles

Martin, together with Lady Martin,

took part in a police exchange visit to

Hann Münden, Germany.

This two week vis it was

reciprocated shortly afterwards when

a similar number of German cadets

and their officers visited Liverpool.

Three years ago an idea was

formed that some members of the

original party might return to Hann

Münden in August this year, to mark

the 50th anniversary and contact was

made with the German Police.

Accordingly, an 82 year old John

Edwards once again led some younger

men onto German soil, although on

this occasion the journey was by

easyJet rather than a long and often

uncomfortable coach ride across

Europe.

The eight day trip was a huge

success with their German hosts

excelling in hospitality. The visit

coincided with the Hann Münden

branch of the IPA celebrating their

25th anniversary. Lunch with the

Chief Police Officer, a Civic

Reception with the Mayor of Hann

Münden, an afternoon barbeque at

their Police Club in fine weather,

were just a few of the highlights.

Back Row: Michael Hӧhne, IPA (Hann Münden), Roger Heath, David Liptrot, Alan Bonner, Frank Breen. Front Row: Joan Breen, Jackie Heath,

John Edwards, Barbara Bonner and Elaine Liptrot:

Hann Münden 2008

Cadets on Parade at the Rathaus for Reception by Burgomaster: Hann Münden 1958

Cadets outside the Museum in Kassel: 1958

National Fraud Initiative

A s in previous years the Force is

again taking part in the National

Fraud Initiative. This is a data matching

exercise required by the Audit

Commission and is aimed at ensuring

that public money in respect of

pensions and benefits is being spent

correctly.

All local government bodies are

required to supply details of those

pensioners to whom they pay a pension

and as such details of pensioners being

paid a police pension in October 2008

have been sent to t he Audit

Commission for matching against the

records of other public bodies. This will

help to ensure that pensions are not

being paid to persons who are deceased

or who are no longer entitled to that

pension. The data supplied may also be

used to ensure that pension income is

being declared in claims for housing

benefit.

The supply of data and the matching

exercise adheres to the requirements of

the Data Protection Act 1998 and data

is destroyed once it is no longer

required.

Two now retired German officers,

who were part of the original 1958

group, one as a student and one an

instructor, heard of the visit and made

the trip to Hann Münden to be part of

the celebrations. Chief Police Officer,

Hans Wargel, who made an 80 mile

journey from his home to attend the

Civic Reception, spoke of the 1958 trip

as being a „leap of faith‟ coming as it

did just thirteen years after the end of

hostilities and he spoke in glowing

terms saying that the visit had been the

first to be undertaken by any significant

organisation of any country and he

acknowledged the importance of such a

gesture then and of its repetition now

fifty years later. He went on to say that

in making that trip we had been

„pioneers in public relations towards the

then West Germany recovering from

the war years‟.

Press cuttings from 1958 were

produced which showed how impressed

the German people had been, as had

some of the hosting police officers, to

see a display of „continuity drill‟, a

fixed marching and drill routine without

orders of command and performed by

the cadets, which was a marked

difference to their own vocal style.

A two day visit to Berlin on the journey

home brought a wonderful eight day

trip to an end.

Alan Bonner

Return to Hann Münden....after 50 years

Parade at the Police Training School: 1958

Page 4 NARPO Bul le t in (Merseyside Branch) November 2008

NARPO Bul le t in (Merseys ide Branch)

Obituaries

Police Pensioners Died Name Age Rank Retired Force

June

21 Donald Woods 59 Constable 6424 2002 Merseyside

25 Howard Isaacs 65 D/Constable 5007 1996 Merseyside

30 Jimmy Catterson 87 Sergeant 7701 1972 Liv/Bootle

30 Alfred Davies 72 Con. 2007 (Dog Sect.) 1989 Merseyside

30 Brian Scott 69 D/Sergeant 2507 1993 Merseyside

July

6 Elaine Nillson-Black 48 Constable 5960 1984 Merseyside

6 Paul Martin 52 Con. 6394 (Dog Sect.) 2000 Merseyside

18 Kenneth Stowell 76 Constable 1065 1979 Merseyside

29 Eric Gaddas 82 Con. 8321 (Warrants) 1976 Merseyside

29 Brian Rimmer 77 Constable 6698 1962 Liverpool

August

6 Terence Morgan 55 Constable 3607 1989 Merseyside

9 William (Bill) Lawrenson 85 Superintendent 1983 Merseyside

13 David Crispin 55 Con. 4668 CJU 2005 Merseyside

14 Bruce Fletcher 80 Constable 490'A' 1974 Merseyside

17 George Roskell 80 D/Sergeant 1982 Merseyside

17 Andrew Holland 70 Asst. Chief Constable 1993 Merseyside

September

4 Rodney Whiteley 69 D/Constable MerCro 1990 Merseyside

4 John Walmsley 82 n/a 1981 Merseyside

11 Brian Williams 65 Sergeant 2320'T' 1993 Merseyside

19 Ralph Cutts 71 Sergeant 1472„T‟ 1991 Merseyside

25 Arthur McMeakin 79 D/Constable 1254 1986 Merseyside

October

12 John Edgar 72 D/Superintendent 1988 Thames Valley

Widows

Died Name Age Died Name Age

July September

5 Mrs. Esther Moneypenny 84 8 Mrs. Edna Fisher 87

12 Mrs. Evelyn Hilton 80 14 Mrs. Gwendoline Jones 79

15 Mrs. Penelope Davies 58 October

17 Mrs. Sandra Blake 65 2 Mrs. Alice McCauley 91

27 Mrs. Elizabeth McGregor 85 8 Mrs. Irene Barnard 94

New Members

A warm welcome is extended to the following new members of the Branch:

Full Members

Mrs. Wendy Afonso, Mrs. Susan Margaret Allen ** Mr. Alfred Bean, Mrs. Karen

Bourhill, Mr. Timothy Alwyn Cox, Miss Lynne Christine Cox, Mr. George Davies,

Mr. Paul Davies, Mr. Terence Dwyer, Mr. John David Ellis, Mr. Philip Gaskell,

Mr. Philip John Halliday, Miss Elaine Mary Henstock 1, Mr. David Michael

Hobson, Mr. Timothy Joseph Hodgson, Mr. Philip Hughes, Mr. Colin Everett

Lewis, Mr. Christopher Lezemore, Mr. Stefan Luszniak, Mr. Peter Lynch, Mr.

James Michael McKernan, Mr. Martin James Melia, Mr. Anthony James Metcalf,

Mr. Stephen Montgomery, Mr. Peter Mossford, Mr. Michael Charles Nelson, Mr.

Colin James Pierce, Mr. James Jayson Powell, Mr. Michael John Shaw, Miss

Patricia Southern, Mr. Robert Francis Taylor, Mr. Gary Williams, Mr. Gary Lee

Williams and Mr. Gregory Wilson Wood.

Widow Members

Mrs. Joan Frances Catterson, Mrs. Cathleen Margaret Davies, Mrs. Jean Dalling

Fletcher, Mrs. Joyce Gaddas, Mrs. Joanne Miles, Margaret Constance Rimmer,

Mrs. Barbara Isabel Roskell, Mrs. June Scott and Mrs. Dorothy Blanche Whiteley.

Additional Member

Mrs. Susan Margaret Allen 2

1 Retired from Leicestershire Constabulary

2 Retired from West Mercia Constabulary

Editor’s Note

T he next Bulletin will be

published on 1 February

2009. Items for inclusion in this

Bulletin should be sent to David

Anderton:

Telephone: (0151) 722 9823;

e-mail:

secretary@narpo-merseyside.org.uk

to arrive by 20 December 2008

M.P.S. & S.A. Lottery

T he Lottery is drawn weekly

with prizes of £500, £300,

£100 and £50 and a monthly

draw with one prize of £1,000.

Each entry in the lottery costs

25p and each member is entitled

to a maximum of ten chances.

If you wish to join the lottery

or increase your chances, please

complete this application form

and send it to: M.P.S. & S.A.,

Fairfield, Prescot Road, Liverpool,

L7 0JD.

I wish to join the lottery

for...... chances per week @

25p per chance [*]

I wish to increase my chances

to ...... per week @25p per

chance [*]

[*] delete as necessary

and I authorise the deduction of

£...... each month from my

pension.

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Date ............................