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A Gimborn Facelift
Clive Wood; Vice President, responsible for the professional portfolio
Sometimes you get the strangest jobs as a VP especially the new VP on the board. Not long after I had started I was told that monies had been put
aside to refurbish the section UK bedroom at Castle Gimborn the IPA international training centre in Germany. This took quite a bit of planning as not
only did the furniture need replacing the room needed redecoration including new curtains and appropriate memorabilia.
I had a vision for this room which was currently cold and unloved to become
warm and welcoming and to reflect well on section UK to friends and
colleagues from around the world who would stay there whilst attending
seminars at Gimborn.
At this point it would be appropriate to thank a few people. Firstly my wife
Helen, who made the curtains for the bedroom and covered a lampshade
with IPA tartan provided by Region 1. Also of course to region 1 for their
generous donation.
Region 4 provided helmet plates, crests and a small red Dragon which now
sits on the newly installed console table.
Region two provided crests as did many other regions and branches, so
thank you all.
Two days of long hours, hard work and a trip to the biggest furniture store I
have ever been in to select the new sofa beds meant there was not a minute
to spare to get the job finished. Whilst not quite the 60 minute makeover you
see on TV it was something close!
There is still some further work to finish the job. The sofa beds have to be
delivered and installed. The staff at Gimborn have kindly agreed to paint out
the rest of the two rooms and hopefully in the early New Year two beds will
be purchased as the ones currently in use are at best past it.
I hope in reading this article you will be inspired to look at the 2018
brochure offer for courses available at Gimborn. There is an excellent range
this coming year and I’m happy to talk to you if you have any questions about
any seminar.
Remember funding of £200 every other year is available and that further
bursaries may be available from your region or branch to help with travel.
And do of course remember to ask specifically to be put in the
section UK room!
New Specialist
Interest Group
on the horizon -
Road Cycling
IPA member Simon Watters
(6 Region – New Scotland Yard Branch)
is very keen to start a new SIG within
Section UK – Road Cycling.
Simon would like to hear from
members who would be interested in
joining this new group which would combine
meetings at some of the many events that
take place regionally and nationally.
Simon has worked alongside Primal
to commission an IPA
cycle jersey. The Company require a
minimum of 10 orders before going ahead.
The jerseys are priced at £55.00/each inc. p&p.
Please contact Michele Rai at
Please contact Simon direct at
If the level of interest is sufficient
he will be looking to take this
group forward.
Size Waist* Chest* Height*
XS 66-74 84-86 up to 163
SM 74-81 89-96 163-173
MD 81-89 96-104 168-179
LG 89-96 104-109 173-183
XL 96-107 109-117 178-193
2X 107-117 117-125 188 +
3X 117-129 125-132 188 +
*sizes in CM
Treasures in the
Treasury
Pauline Osborne, Social Secretary Thames Valley Branch
On 14th November a band of inquisitive members of Thames Valley Branch
ventured into the Weston Library in Oxford to view their amazing treasures.
Each case contained a pair of treasures, often centuries apart but with a
connection. One example was of a copy of the Magna Carta which appears
to have been nibbled whilst in storage by a rodent accompanied by a
miniature manuscript in a silver case.
So tiny is this gem that it was fastened to a chain and rod for fear that it
could be carried away by a mouse.
Another case contained letters written by both Kenneth Grahame and J.R.R
Tolkien to their children accompanied by beautiful hand drawn illustrations.
The letters reveal the tales of Toad and his friends and also stories of
attacks by goblins on Father Christmas in the North Pole.
Other delights included Shakespeare’s First Folio, Morse encoded pigeon
feathers and a log of the telegraphic messages sent regarding the loss of
the Titanic.
A fascinating morning followed by an international lunch, Nordic style before
a gentle stroll home through the beautiful streets of Oxford.
POLICE WORLD Vol 63 No. 1, 2018
IPA News
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