From Strength to Strength
Chris Charlton, Secretary of Scarborough branch, reports on another enjoyable branch twinning get together.
I
n May, Scarborough branch members, Judith
Smith and Mark Faunt, and Bolton branch
member Bill Lloyd met with members of
Ludwigsburg branch - Scarborough’s twin branch.
Following the successful twinning between the
two Branches in 2013, Dieter Bart, the Chair of
IPA Landesgruppe Baden-Württemberg (Region),
had invited a small delegation from Scarborough
to Baden-Württemberg to join the festivities at the
Grand Police Benefits Gala in Esslingen, Germany.
First on the agenda of a busy weekend was a visit
to the police station in Marbach am Neckar where
Ludwigsburg branch Chair, Peter Kolwe, is Chief
of police.
During a typical working lunch, Peter showed us
a folder that contained the detailed plans drawn
up by the local police for a visit to the town on 24
May 1965 of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The
story goes that at the end of the visit, Her Majesty
asked when she would see the horses. Alas, the
Royal visit had been made to the wrong town
because the horses were at the famous Marbach
Stud – about 150 kilometres away. Although the
veracity of this anecdote is doubtful, it is often
retold!
Marbach, a beautiful mediaeval town is known
as the birthplace of the classical poet and
dramatist, Friedrich Schiller. The walled town has
a picturesque centre with several churches and
many historical houses, including the house in
which Schiller was born.
After lunch, we went on a guided tour on foot
through the town which included a visit to a
local brewery and a small schnapps distillery.
The evening was taken up with a scientific event
put on by a drink driving awareness group. We
could eat and drink as much as we
wanted providing we recorded what
we consumed and agreed to be breath
tested at intervals during the evening
– an interesting method of raising
awareness about a very serious issue.
The next day, we went to the nearby
city of Esslingen am Neckar where
the Baden-Württemberg IPA Regional
Meeting was taking place. After
refreshments, and brief introductions to the
Regional Committee and the Section Germany
National President, Horst W. Bichl, we joined a
guided tour of the historic city.
After a sumptuous evening meal, together with
the 300 guests, we listened to music played by
the State Police Orchestra of Baden-Württemberg
- which played a wonderful range of classical and
contemporary pieces. We were also entertained
by magician Jorgos Katsaros and Crimestop - a
local band of police officers. In addition, a total of
5000 Euros was raised in aid of a local hospice.
The following morning, we were joined by several
members of Ludwigsburg branch before being
whisked off for a tour around the nearby Porsche
Museum where the phrase ‘child in a sweet shop’
came to mind. Never had I seen so many splendid
sports cars under one roof!
After a walk through the city of Stuttgart, the
evening was spent with local members in a
restaurant close to the IPA apartment in Ditzingen
where we enjoyed a final convivial meal together.
Forming strong professional, cultural and social
friendships with police officers in other countries
was what Arthur Troop had in mind when he
formed his first ideas about what the IPA should
stand for. It is part of the Association’s history
and Scarborough branch’s friendship with
Ludwigsburg is going from strength to strength.
As far as we are concerned, it is also part of the
future and we very much look forward to hosting
and entertaining 22 members from Ludwigsburg
when they visit Scarborough in September.
Chris Charlton
, Scarborough branch
Chris Charlton enjoying a test drive
State Police Orchestra of Baden-Württemberg
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Article
POLICE WORLD
Vol 59 No. 4, 2014
