He made the excuse that he had lost his dog and in fairness he did have a dog with him for it came running after the officers had grabbed its owner.
No more was done on the matter to quote a police jargon phrase of those days; it was “Cuffed,” meaning nothing was done about it.
The officer was sent on his way with advice, Claude was to know him in old age, he retired an Inspector!
Claude always found his shift colleague a very pleasant and helpful individual, did his job was quiet and really an ordinary cop or so Claude thought.
Whilst patrolling the town one day, he had occasion to visit a local jewellers making enquiries to ascertain if anyone had been offering stolen items for sale. Whilst he was there he was invited upstairs above the shop into the living room of the jeweller. Looking down onto the street they saw Constable Busby walking past.
“There is a man who won’t stand any nonsense and can take care of himself,” said the jeweller.
“Really,” replied Claude, “I have always found him to be placid.”
The jeweller laughed and said, “A few weeks ago I was looking through this window it was 1am. There were two troublemakers standing just on the junction there, I kept watch as I thought they would soon be up to something. After some minutes Constable Busby walked along and passed them. They began to shout abuse at him and threaten him.”
Claude interrupted and asked, “What did he do arrest them both on his own I can’t recall hearing of it.”
“Nothing like that,” replied the jeweller, “He walked back and without hesitation and with one punch each he downed both the trouble makers, knocked them out cold and then he carried on his patrol leaving the two lying on the pavement. They eventually came round and walked off home, helping each other to stand as they went.
Claude saw the jeweller again some weeks later; it was in the bread-cum-cake shop near his jewellery shop. Claude had visited to buy a pie for his lunch break. The shop was full mostly ladies wearing large rimmed hats and carrying cane-shopping baskets, normally associated with such ladies who attended “The Mothers Union or Women’s Institute.” A man walked in, he was well known as a vagrant in the town. He slept in a derelict house owned by the jeweller. The man was often seen rummaging for waste food and other items in waste bins. All knew him as did the police but he never committed any crime or interfered with anyone so was left alone by the police. Although at low ebb and all residents knew him it seems not many knew of him. A lady standing in the shop was irritated by his presence, he had called in the hope of being given some stale cake or bread or both. He was unkempt, ripped clothes and needed a wash. When he had gone the lady said to the shop owner, “I say, that man, you should ban him, coming in here with us decent folk.”
Before anything more could be said the jeweller spoke and Claude always recalled what he said, “Madam you say that he isn’t good enough to be in here with us, let me tell you, he was good enough to carry a rifle running up the beaches on “D” day. When your son stayed at home in the business making money which is why you are like you are and the veteran is like he is.”
Had a pin dropped all would have heard as the lady turned and left the shop without purchasing anything.
Whilst shopping and off duty one day in Copton town Claude met a man he seemed to know but just couldn’t bring a name to mind. The man introduced himself as Percy Read and Claude recalled seeing him at the headquarters but he had now resigned. He asked, “Are you still in the police, Claude?” who replied in the affirmative.
“I remember being in the police at Ashton years ago the money was poor, the hours long.”
“I was a painter by trade I could have earned extra money but as you know coppers are not allowed an extra job.”
“One day the Inspector was away so when the local undertaker asked old Fred and me if we would help out at a funeral we did it for the extra cash.”
“The funeral went Ok until we were driving through the town and I was surprised to see an Inspector from a nearby station who had come over to fill in. As the cortege passed he stopped and saluted and what an expression he had on his face when he saw me driving the hearse. As it happens he didn’t do anything about it so we both got away with it.”
“On another occasion we were drinking after hours in a pub, whilst off duty of course. When we left the pub just after 1am we were surprised to find our own Inspector standing outside waiting for us. We were marched up to the police station and given a rocket and moved to another police station. We knew one of the rural Bobbies had shopped us so before we were posted we got our revenge on him.”
“We knew he was having it off with a woman at a local bowling club and parked his police motor bike along a lane. We crept up one night and took his bike and hid it in the cattle auction. When he returned his motorcycle was gone and eventually he had to report it stolen. It was not until the next day when the auction opened the motorcycle was discovered. He got in the shit the same as us and was moved.”
Claude felt his fortunes were about to change for he took further driving lessons with a local driving school and on this occasion he was successful and passed, presumably because he didn’t end in a private drive.
Passing the driving test eventually led him to take further instruction and he took a police-driving test in Copton. The instructor himself a constable failed Claude for speeding along Copton High Street.
This none driving proved to be a nuisance and on one night at about 1 15 am, Claude was working in the police station. The Sergeant had just retired to bed, for Claude always heard his boots drop onto the bedroom floor whilst he was sitting in the room below. Just at that time a report was received of a road accident outside the town some 5 miles away. Claude felt he had no alternative but to ring the sergeant, he was on call and was a driver of the vehicle.
Claude telephoned him and updated him to which the sergeant replied, “You have got two thumbs on your hands the same as the rest of us, get outside and thumb a lift or stop a lorry,” he then replaced the handset.
Claude did just that and on arrival there were two vehicles involved, both damaged. He used the telephone from the nearby pub to ring Copton Headquarters and arranged for a break down vehicle to come out. When all was completed, the statements taken, measurements done Claude managed to get a lift back with the driver of the breakdown truck.
These methods of transport were often used in those days. When a sudden death was reported by a doctor the police officer on duty was required to attend but before doing so called a local funeral director who would be paid by the Coroner, as it was a sudden death. He then called at the police station picked up the officer and they both travelled to the address. Once the enquiry was done the body was removed and taken to the mortuary at the hospital, the officer was taken back to the police station by the funeral director.
The following day no matter what shift he may have been roistered to perform or even if he was on a rest day that officer would attend the post mortem and finish off the case he had started, there was no additional pay of course.
It was not for a further year Claude became qualified as a police driver and was able to attend incidents outside of the town centre on his own via police transport.
Having become a police driver Claude was sent by the duty sergeant to check the housing estates for vehicles parked without lights. He arrived at one to find some fifteen vehicles parked without lights and having noted the details he reported the driver of everyone. He was about to set off when one of the offenders approached him and said, “You have booked us for no lights, what about your car, you have a light out?”
Claude left the police car and sure enough one of the lights was out. He returned to the police station and on wiping the egg from his face updated the sergeant, as a result, nothing was done about any of the cases including the driver who had pointed it out and who at that time was the one who maintained the police car at a local garage.
Life whilst off duty at his lodgings was prett
y miserable so after about six months Claude heard of a widow who was seeking a lodger. She was a farmer’s widow, her husband was tragically killed after a bull he had reared since it was calf had turned on him one day without warning and killed him in the bull `s pen.
Having submitted his report seeking permission to move using the two in one room as an excuse he duly packed up and moved to the widow Hastings home. Things were fine there though nothing like his first lodgings. He still had to get his mother to do his washing and ironing and vacate his lodgings on his weekly rest days.
Mrs Hastings often had a visitor, the widow of a bank manager. Claude noted that when she arrived and was given a cup of tea and a biscuit a strange thing happened. Mrs Hastings made the drink and after handing it to Mrs Tomlinson, his landlady left then returned with the sugar and a spoon. Seeking to know if sugar was required and the answer was always two spoons. Mrs Hastings actually put it into the friend’s cup and then stirred it up taking away the spoon and sugar.
After some time Claude had asked why this was, he was told Mrs Tomlinson was a compulsive thief and would steal anything, in fact she more or less had to be constantly watched to prevent her stealing.
Some time later Claude was on duty in the town and whilst standing in the local Grocers shop, there were no large supermarkets in those days. He saw Mrs Tomlinson in the shop and having been served she was leaving when; as she left she picked up something and put it into her coat pocket.
Having seen this Claude brought it to the attention of the shopkeeper who smiled and said “Yes I know she has shopped here for over twenty years and she always takes something on the way out. We watch her and the next time she comes in we charge her for it.”
Asked if he ever thought of charging her for stealing, the shopkeeper said, “Oh no of course not, Mrs Tomlinson is Mrs Tomlinson everyone knows her, she can’t help it.”
This was true and Claude recalled another case of a lady who was reported as shop lifting or stealing from shops. On this occasion it was reported to the police. The lady was arrested and taken to the police station. When the house was searched Claude discovered a room stacked high with bags of goods. The goods were seized and it required a large van to remove them from the house. Subsequent enquiries revealed the woman had been stealing for years. On arrival home she had simply left them in a spare bedroom. Nothing had been touched or used. The lady was not prosecuted but received treatment in a mental hospital.
Claude arrived home at his lodgings about a year later to be told by his landlady she was giving him notice. He looked surprised at the statement and asked the reason.
“When you went out this morning just before 6am you left the heater on in the bathroom, money is money.”
She added that a friend of hers wanted a lodger and would take in Claude and so he once again sought permission, got a rousting for leaving on the heater but was given consent to move once again.
His new landlady on this occasion was a Mrs Edgeley, she had previously had the railway Station Master as a lodger for many years and without warning it seems he fell in love with a visitor to the railway station and thus had left to marry the lady, much to the disappointment of Mrs Edgeley.
Claude had not been there long when arriving home one afternoon Mrs Edgeley confronted him. “I hear you have been speaking with the woman next door.”
“I have,” replied Claude, “just passing the time of day, is there a problem?” He asked.
“You can bet there is,” said Mrs Edgeley, “I have not spoken to her since the day war broke out in 1939.”
“Good heavens,” replied Claude, “Whatever happened all those years ago?”
“I was here one day and she knocked on the door asked if I would let her have some onions until she went down town. I loaned her some, then I went down town. I learned food rationing had come into force and so never had my onions back. I later found out she had heard the news and so had my last onions, I have never spoken to her since.”
Claude kept well away from the problem he smelled tears and not from the onions, if getting involved with such disputes.
In those times the war often featured either in events or conversation even though the war finished in 1945 and it was now 1966.
One day he was called to some criminal damage at an old vicarage, named The Old Vicarage. It was built several hundred years ago. It was derelict and now housed a recluse.
The place was often visited by children who broke inside then played or caused damage to windows. On visiting Claude went inside, it was a mass of items including what appeared to be countless typewriters, all seemed junk and were piled up. It was not for over forty years that he learned those machines were not typewriters at all but were code breaking machines.
The building had seemingly been an offshoot to another in the south of England used during the war for code breaking. As far as Claude was aware all the items were later destroyed. The recluse himself proved to be a man stranger than fiction. He was often seen by night duty police officers leaving the old house just after 4 am, he would then walk about half a mile to the cemetery. All police officers knew him and took no heed of him.
One morning a new police officer arrived and decided to stop and check the man and what he was doing out so early. The man objected and was on the verge of being arrested. Claude was called to the scene and explained to the constable the circumstance of the man who was permitted to proceed unhindered.
Claude later spoke to him and peace was restored. During the conversation the man related how his wife had died and he would visit the cemetery early when there was no one else around, to speak with her.
That was the end of the matter and the man was often seen making the same walk at the same time for years. Once there he would simply sit by a grave.
It was many years later when Claude had retired and the old man had died that Claude ascertained he was never married.
The secret therefore as to why he left home at such an hour for years on end and would sit in the cemetery died with him.
Returning to the war years various related items came up from time to this was not unusual for one day he was directed by the sergeant to go down to the cellar and clear it out, to make more storage space.
When he did as he was instructed he discovered old police war helmets and gas masks and other equipment and documents. As per his instructions he took all the items to the local tip and they were unceremoniously buried.
There were unforeseen dangers even in rural Ashton when on motor patrol duty with the regular patrol car driver. On one shift a man was seen walking along the main road on the outskirts of the town. It was decided to stop the man, who had been thumbing a lift. Once inside the patrol car he was questioned as to where he was going. His details were taken and it was decided to see what was in his pockets, the man systematically removed the items but then had a problem removing something from his belt. As he pulled out his arm it was grabbed in time to realise he has holding a German luger pistol fully loaded. He was arrested taken to Ashton Police Station where he used the excuse it was for self-defence. He was charged and later sentenced to several years’ imprisonment.
The man who was arrested for sacrilege was later released as cured of his mental illness but he came to Claude’s attention once again. He was a farmer and in addition owned another small farm, which he rented out. He wanted rid of the tenant and his wife.
The owner Eric Davidson had been giving the couple a life of misery resulting in police visits and many letters from solicitors.
One day the young couple arrived home to find their dog dead. Seemingly it had been found drowned in the cattle-drinking trough. A complaint was made to the police and Claude investigated the case. The statements taken indicated Davidson had done the deed. He was arrested and subsequently admitted killing the dog. In view of the long history Claude took advice and eventually Davidson was charged with causing unnecessary suffering to the dog.
When he appeared before the court in
spite of what he had admitted, he pleaded not guilty. The case was adjourned for a full hearing and all the witnesses were called.
It was at this time that a new personality appeared into Claude’s professional life one Jane Hudson a newly qualified solicitor. A very pretty lady, slim, well spoken had attractive eyes and a very outwardly friendly demeanour.
Once inside the court the gloves were off and it was battle commence. Unlike all the old style solicitors this lady was to change the attitudes of the police who were intent on bringing justice upon the wrong doers and some satisfaction for the victims.
The police found her clients suddenly had a vast array of excuses and defences for all manner of reasons. Those excuses presented appeared to the onlooker to be way above the capability of the local defendants.
On this occasion she was defending Davidson and made little effort to dispute the evidence of the police. When their case was presented and finished she rose and her first witness was a veterinary surgeon.
He was as an expert witness he said he had carried out a post mortem upon the dead dog on behalf of Davidson. He had found the cause of death to be as a result of one sever blow to the head of the dog and not drowning. He stated that in his professional opinion the dog had died instantly and therefore had not suffered. The case against Davidson was dismissed. As the police had not preferred a charge of criminal damage the accused walked free. He had obviously done the deed, it was a matter of words but in the end dealing with lawyer’s words and their use is what matters.
Occasionally officers might well be advised to hold a degree in mathematics. Claude recalled there was a set of toilets in the town, long since closed. There were habitual complaints of homosexual acts within the toilets, in those days it was a criminal offence and I believe still may be if performed in a public place such as a toilet.
There were constant complaints, which resulted in the police being instructed to taken definite action. Claude was temporarily detached to plain-clothes duties to assist the CID officer. One day he visited these toilets and by one means or another he together with another officer visited and caught two men red handed taking part in anal sex.
Police Memories Page 28