police world Edition 3 2013

Article

the great train adventure Staffordshire branch ‘track’ down one of the mail coaches that was involved in the Great Train Robbery. Alan Everall tells the story.

Full steam ahead

I n May, 32 members of Staffordshire branch enjoyed a day out on the Severn Valley Steam Railway. The journey we embarked on took us from Kidderminster to Bridgenorth and included a stop at Highley for lunch. The engine house at Highley contains a very interesting collection of steam locomotives but of particular interest to our group was the actual coach involved in the Great Train Robbery that took place in 1963. Bryan Tunney, our Social Secretary, and I were in the CID at Stafford at that time. The tour around Highley brought back many memories for Alan Hancox, another one of our members, who was later involved in the escort of one of the robbers from Stafford prison to the Old Bailey in London for his

appeal hearing. He recalls that the arrangements were quite tight as information had been received that an attempt was to be made involving a bogus police car to spring him free en-route. Fortunately, the trip was almost incident free despite an event in Northamptonshire when a local police car overtook the convoy in respose to an unrelated 999 call. A stone was thrown up by this vehicle as it passed and shattered the windscreen. The driver, PC Tony Bowers, had his truncheon handy which he used to knock out the glass so that he could see. Alan laments that we thought this was it until the patrol car carried on unaware of the anxiety he had caused. Happy days! Alan Everall , Chair Staffordshire

At Highley Station

In the mail sorting room coach

2012 Photography Competition Results

UNDER 16: 1st: Jamie Brown ‘Protecting light’. Runner-up: Jamie Brown ‘Storm bound’. After selecting the winners the judging panel then selected 12 images for publication in the Section UK 2014 calendar. Details of the Calendar and the published images can be seen below. For more details on next year’s competition contact: vpdukes@ipa-uk.org

POLICE: 1st: Harvey Whittam ‘Policing gets younger at 10 Downing street’. Runner-up: Daniel Barker ‘Bobbies in New York’. PORTRAITS: 1st: Ronnie Dukes ‘Sisters in Paris’. Runner-up: Michael Murfin ‘Fruit seller’. LANDSCAPES: 1st: Tom McInally ‘Forth rail bridge’. Runner-up: Alex Wheatley ‘Colorado river’. OPEN: 1st: Michael Chambers ‘Young kestrel due to fledge’. Runner-up: Michael Chambers ‘Padstow lifeboat launching’.

The results of the 2012 Photography Competition were announced by Vice President Ronnie Dukes at the National Council Meeting in Torquay - and are as follows: OVERALL FIRST: 1st: Michael Chambers ‘Young kestrel due to fledge’. Runner-up: Tom McInally 'Forth rail bridge. Category winners: IPA: 1st: Tom McInally ‘The team fez throwing’. Runner-up: Chris Eccles ‘Police Christmas party in Swaziland’.

Available Now for £3 inc p&p

www.ipa-uk.org/Shop or call

0115 9813638

Order on-line:

10