During New Years Eve heralding in 2026 we asked the question as to who might be the first of our ExPo members around the worlde who would have celebrated the arrival of the New Year . We received several answers wth one of the best coming from our good friend and former colleague Clive Crossman who resides in New Zealand, along with several other former colleagues who have settled in the land of the Kiwis. Here is Clive’s response which was also ideal to be published in our “Then and Now” column
Where is Mosgiel? New Zealand
45.8838 / 170.3329. The distance Mosgiel to Bermuda via USA 17,116 or 24,786 kms via the indian ocean . It is a small town just outside Dunedin on the South Island of New Zealand. As the first landmass to the West of the International date line New Zealand is the first place to see the first light at the start of a new year.
On the 1st November 1964 (the day afIer my 17th birthday) I became No.56.; or more accurately cadet No.56 in The Essex County Police Force. This was to be the first of several numbers I was to have over the next 50 years. As a cadet I was attached to the various departments within the Police: from Administration ( a clerk), C.I.D (coffee maker) and the Dog section (dog bait). I got to learn 100 legal definitions and sent on character building/ leadership courses including Outward Bound at Ullswater in North West England.
In 1966 it was time for a new number, 728. This time it was as a constable and it was off to the number 5 district police training school, Eynsham Hall in Oxfordshire. After 3 months at the training school I was churned out as a newly minted probationary constable and posted to Greys Thurrock in the South of Essex near Tilbury. I got to walk the beat drive a panda car and occasionally rose to the giddy heights as observer in an area car.
In 1968 I was given the job as prisoner escort to go to Brixton prison. The other constable on escort duty that day was Tony Diggins. He told me an interesting story about having lined up a new move to a tropical island, Bermuda. I chewed this over for about 6 months and then saw an advertisement in the the 'Police Review' asking for applicants to join the Bermuda Police. So I was off to the library to find out, firstly, where Bermuda is, and then to ask around as to what it was like to live there. After getting favourable reviews, I ' threw my hat in the ring' and put in an application. Less than two months later I was invited for an interview and then received an airline ticket in the mail. On the 14th May 1969 I flew to Bermuda with 12 (I think) other recruits to start a very interesting 4 years in Bermuda.
Time for a new number, 122.
Tony Diggins was already settled into life in Bermuda. I was introduced to Bermuda by Custfield Crockwell and Barrie Meade who were our instructors for the induction course at Prospect Police Headquarters. At the end of the course Peter Counsel, Bill Buchanan and I were posted to Somerset in the Western District.
The next four years were very eventful.
I met and married Freda Wright, a nurse at King Edward VII memorial hospital.
I served a term on attachment to C.I.D in Somerset and then Freda and I decided to spread our wings and headed for New Zealand.
On the 2nd April 1973 we arrived in New Zealand.
Time for a new number ...5125, as a constable in the New Zealand Police, where I stayed for 20 years. Before a retirement without numbers.