Where are you for the Christmas Holidays?

Christmas is always a time when we can hopefully look back on our lives with fond memories of the good old days!

I vividly recall being invited up to Sgt Derek Fletcher’s home at Prospect for my first Bermuda Christmas dinner in 1964.  His wife cooked a delicious meal for the family and in so doing introduced me to cassava pie for the first time. I have to confess to not having been a great cassava fan for the first few years but these days I would have withdrawal symptoms if my wife decided not to include it with our Christmas dinner. 

We may not have the snow and ice, or even the cool weather  enjoyed elsewhere but we Bermudians certainly know how to get into the Christmas “spirit”!  Our dinner will include roast turkey with Bermuda thyme and onion stuffing, new Bermuda potatoes – if we get to the vegetable cart early enough  and bearing in mind that many of our crops were destroyed during the visits of Fay and Gonzalo -  fresh carrots,  brussell sprouts,  roast parsnips, cassava, ham, loads of gravy and mustard sauce, and all dat der! It will be followed by homemade Christmas pudding and brandy sauce, mince pies (from Msrks and Spencer's) and if still hungry,  homemade Christmas cake that has been soaking for months  Goslings finest black rum.   And of course it can be washed down with egg nog with brandy or the same Goslings black!

We are fortunate to have our family here for the festivities so our apartment will be inundated with children and their spouses, and our five grandchildren, all of whom are still firmly in the “I believe in Santa” phase.  In fact they know he's for real because they witnessed him arriving in Bermuda last Friday on top of City Hall, and  saw him again this afternoon at the Santa Clause Parade through Hamilton.  CLICK HERE to see great photos of the Parade on Bernews, and see if you can find Gertie Barker's son, Che, in motion!

Early on Christmas morning we might even head down to John Smith’s Bay for an invigorating swim, depending of course, on the weather.  The alternative would be a walk around Spittal Pond.

We have many former colleagues who served in Bermuda Police spread all around the globe, and we would be delighted to hear from you about where you are and what you will be doing over the Christmas period.  Please also feel free to use our website to pass your best wishes on to old friends and colleagues who you served with whilst here in Bermuda.  And by all means send us any photos you would like to see published of either Christmas's past,  or this one.

On behalf of our Bermuda Ex-Police Officers Association I wish everyone a healthy and happy Christmas and New Year.

We received this message from  Barry (Tim) Burch  who served from May 1962 – August 1965.

I'm rather sad that the real Christmas appears to be rapidly  disappearing, and has been taken over by the electronic age.

Well,  this year I will be in Hospital for a few days prior to the big day having heart surgery but hope to be home in time to eat the bird!

I can remember a time when as a young copper on the Island on Christmas Day I was on motorcycle patrol and dropped into the old Nurses Residence and was introduced to eggnog plus (Gosling’s) Black Seal and thought it tasted just like custard  -  so I had a couple more!  I then went out to ride around the island, only to kick up the bike start off and ran though a big clump of oleander bushes into someone’s back yard.

I cannot recall what happened after that, but it has made me extremely wary of eggnog ever since.  I just remember howls of laughter at my demise. 

All the best of the season to you all in the Force at this time and to all my old colleagues who are still with us.  I enjoyed my years of service in Bermuda, and married one of the nurses. 

Tim Burch exPC 103

Editors note  -  We wish Tim all the best with his heart surgery and for the Christmas Season.

Colin Mackenzie we have received this message from Colin:-

Just wanted to wish friends and former colleagues best wishes for a happy and healthy Christmas and all the best for 2015.

I pass on good wishes to Barrie Mancell and his wife Jenny, Mike Rickards and his wife Rosalie, Dave and Sue Garland, Bill Butterworth, Moby Pett, Tom and Morag Smith and Peter Stubbs.

In keeping with the season, thought you should know that Santa has been doing his homework during 2014 and this is what seems to be happening in his world now. He is looking for some changes from everybody..... like this!

On the afternoon that he wrote to us Colin and his wife were hosting their annual Christmas Lunch Gift exchange. Colin explains, ‘Friends and neighbours bring a wrapped present and we draw names as to who picks a gift. The next person can "steal" that gift or pick another one. A maximum of three steals for a gift and that's it.  I have never heard so much cackling and laughter in all my life..... almost noisy enough to get the bobbies to come by!!

Of course, my dark and stormy will be close at hand!!’

Colin has also promised to write to us about his recollections of Christmas’s in Bermuda.

14th December 2014

Dave Barber  has written:-    

Marge & I have always enjoyed our Christmas's in Bermuda, but every year when the children were small I would go to Boston in early December with Pete Shaw, Charlie Dorrington and Trevor Knight, we would all shop till we dropped in the daytime buying lots of gifts,  then wine and dine in the evening.

After a few years we decided Boston was too cold;  also we had to carry heavy winter stuff with us,  so we changed our venue to Florida doing our shop till you drop in a warmer climate.

One year our Mini bus wouldn’t take all our purchases - TV's,  sound systems etc. etc so we had to hire a car to carry the excess!

At Christmas the Somerset Police club used to have a great Party with a wonderful selection of food prepared by Eddie Robinson who was a Prison officer who had worked in several hotels in London & Europe as a qualified Chef.  The evening would also include a wonderful raffle.

Young Inspector Dave Barber

Possibly my most memorable Christmas Day happening was on December 25th 1980 about 7am as I was preparing to go to work at Western CID where I was a Detective Sergeant.   I told my small unit to take the day off and I will go to the Station, and deal with any overnight crime.

Approximately 7.15am the phone rang and it was Commissioner L.M “Nobby” Clarke.  He asked me,  “Dave,  what have you got for Christmas?”  I told him and he then said, “I have another present for you ….  you are promoted from this day to the rank of Inspector.” 

Shortly after,  WPC Coralie Trott shouted out,  “You have been promoted.  It’s just come on the teleprinter.” 

I believe I’m the only person in the Service who was promoted on Christmas Day. Enough said.   

Marge & I wish everyone a peaceful and Happy Christmas.

DB

14th December 2014

Gerry Lyons wrote to let us know who is in our latest “Who, Where and When” Photo – the one of the darts team in Somerset Mess  - and he added:-

“My first Christmas in Bermuda was spent working night shift. But I did have Christmas Dinner with my landlady and family. She was Bessie Lowe, mother of Robert Lowe and mother-in-law of Hazel Lowe of Salt Kettle.

Gerry and Shina Lyons will be hosting family and 

friends for dinner at their home on Christmas Day

This year we will have our usual dinner at home on Wreck Road with some family members and a few friends.

We generally have a few strays wander in later in the evening to partake in some of MY Christmas spirits.

Wishing everyone a great holiday,

Cheers

Gerry

12th December 2014

John McQuaid  -  We just received this article from our old friend Sgt John McQuaid in the UK.  Apologies to you John if it is not in quite the same format you sent it.  Hopefully the content is the same.  

John McQuaid

At this festive time of year Roger asks of his colleagues past and present, to remember and record bygone memories of Christmas times spent in the Islands - for me, a span of some 50 years since.  Lynn and I were to marry at Hamilton Register Office in 1965 and so next year is the golden one, but ask Lynn and she will assert that I have remembered only about 20 of them!  Anyway, what has that got to do with Christmas’s past?   Well, there is a tacit connection in my case, so get a bottle of Bacardi and some of those mince pies and I will explain.

Harman’s Bay, Somerset.

During the week before that particular Christmas, Lynn and I were just settling down to married life in to our new home at Leastways Cottage, then tucked away in deep undergrowth at Harman’s Bay on the Great Sound in Somerset (currently occupied by Dave and Marjie Barber.)  Over the entrance track and above our heads  was a very noisy wooden bridge which once carried the old railway track across the to our little house and later the ‘diddleybops’taking the back roads with their little illegal packages; it was then still in need of serious renovation.  To digress for a while, I had happened across this very tiny one bedroomed cottage on the Heydon Trust property whilst on patrol and seeing that it was approaching dereliction and almost totally covered in vegetation besides lacking a front and back door, I enquired of the owners as to its availability for me to rent with a promise of repair.  Receiving a response which suggested that I might be a bit odd, I was handed the house at a peppercorn rent.

As Christmas approached in 1965, not only were the turkeys getting fattened up for for the festive season but Mrs McQuaid was by now extremely large with child.  With the cottage by now watertight and the front jungle converted into a passable lawn, where else on earth would anyone choose to be than on the edge of the Great Sound, isolated amidst one of the largest undeveloped areas of the Island and looking East towards Hamilton harbour - especially on my rent!  Of course, in between times I worked hard patrolling the highways and byways of the Western side of Bermuda and controlling crime to earn a meagre living for my soon to be enlarged family.  I suppose in many ways I was halfway to heaven - but down on earth, fatherhood loomed!

Around the 18th day of that December the ominous warnings of imminent childbirth began - like the rumbling of thunder before a great storm or the shaking of buildings during an earthquake - well it perhaps wasn’t quite like that, but Lynn certainly described feelings which led us to abandon ship and prepare to head to the safe enclosure of KEMH at Hamilton for her delivery.  I had borrowed my good friend Bob Holdbrook’s blue mini and when loaded up with our requirements we were to make base in good time and without incident.  In no time at all, my good lady was whisked away from me, prepared for her ordeal and placed into a side ward.

I need to digress here once more, this time for the benefit of any younger people who might not understand.  It is to inform you that men, husbands that is, did not in those long-ago days, attend or partake in the birth of their offspring.  Fathers in the room was just taboo and I remember clearly that this suited me fine as I never did like to witness great pain at a close proximity.  Anyway, that is the way it was then and so ushered into a nearby waiting room, Matron assured me that I would be well informed of any progress and that they would indeed take great care of my precious cargo as it underwent this very common ritual; I knew my place.

Within an hour or so, I was officially informed that the magic moment was probably a little further off than first anticipated and that I could relax; perhaps return home?  I chose to stay and when approached by a young off-duty nurse, (whom I knew well from my very recent courting days), I felt justified in doing so when she informed me that she was off to the nurse’s Christmas party being held that very night and just across the way: would I like to tag along?

“Oh gosh no, but I couldn’t, my dear wife is in there and about to give birth”I asserted, but with very weak conviction. 

Well, after being assured that they all knew what I was hanging around for and that as soon as anything might happen of interest to me they would be able to whip me away for the moment.  Well, that seemed O.K. to me, so off I went to the ball.

I don’t remember too much of the actual party but it appears that I got pretty well laced.  I do though, recall being discovered in some sort of bike shed, apparently asleep on a concrete floor and looking decidedly rough. It was by now 8.30am and I slowly began to remember where I was and the reason for my presence - quel horreur - my wife! my baby! - was this day to be a defining one in my life? In panic, believing that I was well and truly in the dog house, I headed for the ward.

KEMH Maternity Ward - 1965

A Child is Born

Another discernible memory I retain is that of the ‘old fashioned’approach to maternity care at the hospital in Bermuda and indeed, in England.  Securely locked doors which afforded only lawful access to a small ‘viewing room’which in turn was separated from the busy nursery by large glass ‘observation’windows.  Being somewhat akin to visiting hours at Casemates, no physical contact was allowed, especially in the hours immediately following birth when babies were held up high by the nurses on the business side of the glass and pirouetted like dolls to display their features.

What I do need to tell you however, is that upon my tardy arrival I was greeted by the self-same nurse who had earlier inveigled me into her drinking den and whom I was later prepared to accuse of getting me drunk or worse. Between them, my apparently forgiving wife and the nurses on duty were awaiting my arrival seemingly hell-bent on some sort of feminine vengeance plot.  Being directed to the observation point at the window I was next approached by my nurse ‘friend’, now returned for the morning and carefully cradling my precious bundle - oh how my little heart was beating!  With a deft flick of her fingers and right in front of me, she folded back the blanket to expose the most beautiful little black baby girl you would ever wish to see.  This awful attempt at humour did actually work for a few seconds as I violently shook my head in a manner suggesting that a mistake had surely occurred.  My face must have been a picture as just about the whole shift of nurses came forward to congratulate me and as a special favour, they unlocked the portals to the inner sanctum and allowed me a visit to Lynn beside whom, in a small cot lay my very own, first-born child and son, red-faced, tousled black hair which was wet and matted:  looking not unlike a skinned rabbit lying on the kitchen worktop, he had only just arrived!

Monday, 20th December, 1965 was indeed a special day for us, as of course such moments have been for the many of us over the years, but this was my stellar moment, Michael John weighed in at 8lbs, 3ozs which is not a bad weight in anybody’s book and when the time was right - up to 10 days in some cases in those days - he would be joining us at tranquil and festive Leastways.

Christmas was by this time well upon us and as Lynn lay abed at Hamilton cuddling her new charge, the ‘nouveau père’made himself busy around the home.  A small tree was gifted to which I applied my artistic best, crepe paper streamers, silver glitter and the usual wrapped up presents festooned the very small area of our little home whilst great excitement mounted.  When I received a call from the hospital to say that Lynn and Michael were to be liberated prematurely on Christmas Eve my joy knew no bounds.  Bob’s mini was requisitioned once more and I drove off into the morning rush hour to collect my presents.

A minor mishap at the hospital occurred when, in all the excitement of the morning, I drove away from the car park having forgotten to remove a very expensive topcoat from the car roof which must have slid off somewhere along the journey never again to see the light of day.  But more important things were happening and before long we three were bumping in Bob’s little car down the very precarious and rutted track which led from Sound View Road, under the wooden bridge and the overhanging cedar tree, just about on its last legs and onto the front of our house. With bundle in arms, we went into our home to enjoy our first Christmas as a family.  But we were not taking into account a serious problem which need to be resolved - and this, sooner rather than later.

Lynn doesn’t have a great memory of my former colleagues from Bermuda, but there is one man, now passed on, whom she constantly reminds me of.  What rankles with her to the present time, especially at this time of year, relates to events on the day which I have been describing, the 24th December, 1965 and her memory goes something like this.

All of my preparations for her homecoming seemed to have passed muster, but whilst our excitement knew no bounds what was pretty daunting about the situation was that we were now totally on our own; isolated.  It rapidly dawned on us that we had no follow-up care or help from the authorities and worst of all, no other family member was nearer than about 3,500 miles away and this realisation soon began to play upon our minds.  In an effort to cheer her up I recall making the crass remark to her that ‘all we needed to to do was to feed him at one end and clean him up at the other.’- rocket science advice, that was not and which went down like a lead balloon!  Then to compound this situation, yet another, even worse thought came to both of us when I realised that in the haste of the moment combined with her unexpected and early discharge from hospital, I had not taken into consideration the small fact that I was scheduled to work a night shift that very night.  I realised that it was extremely short notice and on contacting Sonny Roberts, my erstwhile shift sergeant, I was informed that my chances were slim as the minimum staff could not be pared further.  Following his conference with the station Inspector George Taylor, Sonny was to advise me that I must turn out and that childbirth could not rate as exceptional reasons or grounds. Our dream was rapidly becoming a nightmare.

Astonished as the reader might be in today’s enlightened society, I did go to work that night and left a frightened new mother at home with her little one.  I enquired of her quite recently whether I did in fact return home during that shift and she assured me that I most certainly did not, it seems that I went off to Hamilton to provide cover in the capital; it is all very clear in her memory as she recalls that her eyes never closed until I came home the following morning.  Suffice to say that that Christmas day was punctuated with mainly the sounds of snoring.  (CLICK HERE for John's article in our "Then and Now" column)

Epilogue

On Christmas day, sometime in the morning when we are all together once again and have shared our presents, Lynn will raise up her glass, look across at me and say quietly, “Cheers Sonny, cheers George; Rest in peace”  Michael, who will have recently turned 49, will just grin and Mimi, now 45 will just let it all pass by.

Leastways, Somerset circa 1968...  

And a very Merry Christmas to you all.

Greetings from David & Penny, Spruce Creek Fly-In, Daytona Beach, Florida. I love Christmas and possibly still believe in Santa! This year David and I are taking a cruise, very different from any Christmas before but we are looking forward to it. We set sail on 21^st and return home on 28^th.

David and Penny Long

Over all the years we have carried on many traditions from Bermuda or from our British heritage. Our Christmas tree stands majestically decorated including many ornaments from Bermuda, a “gold” one of The Bird Cage, Bermuda Cedar Christmas cut-outs and I am sure everyone one reading this has a Bermuda sand filled ball in their collection! Over the years we have carefully selected an ornament that depicts something special representing the year. We love unpacking all the ornaments as each one “tells a story.” 

David still gets his haircut on Christmas Eve as he did for many years at the barbers in the Walker Arcade. Ready to look dapper for his Christmas photos! The stockings are filled and hung and a great feeling that all has been done.

On Christmas Day we start very early in the morning stuffing our turkey and throughout the bastings we sip on our Harveys Bristol Cream (not sure where this comes from, I believe David put this into play, perhaps thinking of years gone by celebrating New Years Day at Prospect!) Somewhere during preparation time I switch from sherry to Eggnog laced with no other but Bermuda traditional rum, a much tamer concoction than the Bermuda recipe served at “Clarendon!”

We telephone and receive many phone calls from Bermuda, England etc. reliving many memories of Christmas past and their news of the day! Trying to time the calls just right with hour differences not wanting to interrupt any one’s Christmas feast!

I take great pride in setting a formal table with all our finery mostly from wedding presents when we married in Bermuda, 1966. I set the table a day or so before as it really is a masterpiece and I have memories of who gave us what and it is a lovely warm feeling! Our table is adorned with Christmas Crackers at each place setting. I have come to buying the “stuff your own gift” ones, they come with the hat, joke and of course the cracker to pull. I have it down pat to what gift to put inside: a golf ball, miniature Black Seal, lipstick etc. snuggly fitting in place A little more thought when it comes to an age appropriate toy as you have only so much room to insert the gift!

Another lovely tradition David makes a toast to all present, absent friends and family including passed loved ones. My Mom was the last of her generation; she passed away just before Christmas last year at the ripe ole’ age of 95. We will miss her dearly.

Unfortunately, our traditional meal does not include homemade Cassava Pie or Auntie Joan’s renowned Christmas pud anymore. I do still have the pudding bowl to remind me of her thoughtful special additions to our meal over the years! I now look for the smallest Cross and Blackwell Christmas Pudding to present in brandy flames and my family always say something like “Oh no, here comes that Christmas Pud again!”  Luckily they have my English Trifle made with Mount Gay Eclipse rather than sherry, petite fors and many other Christmas delights to satisfy that sweet tooth.

Not to forget the mincemeat tarts that I make each year, remembering that as a child we always put out a mincemeat tart and brandy for Santa. Actually that is how I found out who Santa was, as one year although the brandy was gone, the tart had been neatly placed back in the bakery box still counting to a dozen!!!!

Should I mention one act that has been a tradition over all the years? After such an extravagant sumptuous meal most men of the house tend to nod off while clean up is being done! Well planned I am sure! Our photograph collection has them well documented over the years.

We will be thinking of many of our Bermuda Police friends this Christmas and wish you all a very special day wherever you celebrate. We wish you full of memories past and new ones to follow and hope your New Year is one of happiness and good health. Cheers!

David and Penny Long

NB  David served in the Bermuda Police from 1964-1967 before leaving Bermuda with his Bermudian wife, Penny (nee Stevens) and moving to the U.S. where David took up a new career as an Airline Pilot.  He and Penny are now retired and live in Florida where they are both avid golfers.  CLICK HERE for an article in our "Then and Now"  column for an article on David and Penny.

DAVE AND SUE GARLAND -  Dave Garland’s recollections of his first Christmas in Bermuda.

I well remember my first Xmas in Bermuda, but before  I get there let me describe my arrival. I, along with Derek Singleton. Peter Rose and John Bailey were met at the Airport by Inspector Jim Hanlon. He told us that we were being billeted at Admiralty House, which didn’t mean a thing at the time.  (Editors note  - Does anyone have photos of the old Admiralty House as it was in the early 1960's?)

Derek and Peter were dropped off and taken to rooms in Cypher Block while John and I were taken to the main house. John disappeared into the bowels of the old house with Insp Hanlon who returned a few minutes later to myself where I was standing in the hallway. “Follow me” he said as we ascended a large stairway, went  down a passageway where at the end he opened a door into a vast room. (about 30 x 16 ft).

This, he said, was the Admiral’s bedroom. The room had two windows on each side, except the back wall which had a built-in closet the length of the wall. Two 8 ft fans overheard whirred into action when I switched them on. Boy, did I love those fans! I had a view of north shore from Dockyard to Fort St Catherine's. There was a massive flagpole on the north side. From the room I had a great view of the beautiful bay below.

Later I ventured downstairs and met a real character, Sid Gregory who lived downstairs in a room opposite the Ballroom. Welcome to Bongo Land was his opening remark as he stood there in baggy underwear and a grubby looking vest two sizes smaller that needed. What a character! I loved him. In a room at the right hand end of the building, up some turning stairs, resided Bob Stewart who introduced himself later that day. Bob was, and is, a bright Scotsman who went on to a great career with Shell. An excellent sportsman,  he played centre half on a very good Police football team, and also represented Bermuda in international matches.

So, around to Xmas.  Due to Derek Jenkinson and I assisting him in building the first police boat we met Tony Soares and his family who lived in Spanish Point. Tony was a boat builder, and Mary was his lovely wife. Along with another officer named Clive Thompson we had a great dinner with their family, and, became good friends with Earl, their son, who later became a Customs Officer.

We were welcomed into quite a few houses in the area. The good old days! Through this friendship Tony and Mary visited my family in Yorkshire the following year.

I would say that having Xmas in a home like the Soares’ was very comforting and made me think of my own family back home in the old farm house where I was brought up.  Because of this Sue and I, when we lived at Prospect, always invited single poIice boys to the house for Xmas dinner. The first I remember to be invited were Ian “Paddy” Ackroyd,  Jimmy “The Wop” Costello and “Big” Mike Parris.  I believe that was in 1971.

 

That year we also hosted Pat and Linda McBride. Many others followed in subsequent years including Phil and Kathy Every, Malcy and Diane Smith, Jeff Baker, and many others. Apart from the  PRC what was there at Prospect at Xmas time?

Perhaps Ian “Paddy” Ackroyd sums it up best  when he says, “I feel very fortunate to have been "adopted" by Sue and Dave Garland shortly after arriving in Bermuda.We became and remain good friends and still stay in touch.

“Their home at Prospect was an oasis for many of us and their hospitality and friendship was truly appreciated by the new recruits when they welcomed us to their home.”

First class hosts - Dave and Sue Garland

3rd December 2014

RAY AND PAT SOUSA  -  Celebrating Christmas in Western Australia – A Far Cry from early days in Bermuda!

Our old friend Ray Sousa just wrote to let us know what he and Pat will be doing this Christmas.

We have just been told that one of our children and his family from Bridgetown (Australia) are coming for the Christmas Parade in Perth on Saturday (Editors note  -  It might be warm in Bermuda over Christmas but it’s the height of summer in Perth).  Of course Pat already had plans for the week, which have to be changed.  Whenever these 3 grand-children stay with us Pat and the dog take a week to recover!

You can imagine the state of Pat and our dog "Muffy" a few years ago when we had our 4 children with their families including 7 grandchildren for Christmas. 

The procedure at Christmas is for everyone including the Muffy to gather around the Christmas Tree whilst I give out presents one at a time.  Sometimes this is interrupted by a bush fire call.  In the case of the Bridgetown mob, we are not likely to see them at Christmas [due to distance and fires]; so we are rushing around putting up the Christmas tree, lights etc.

Comparing Christmas in Bermuda and Australia.  In Bermuda my life can be divided into different sections.  As a kid the smell of 'gun powder' from cap guns and cooking comes to mind.  Every kid wanted a cowboy set of rhinestone or ivory handle guns.  I remember some big shoot-outs including outside St. George’s Police Station when the shooting was with toy guns!  

Preparation for Christmas started months before.  The Bermudian tradition was to soak mixed dry fruit in strong rum in large glass  bottles.   The mix was used for fruit cakes and puddings.  It was also tradition for kids to find the mix and eat some before it was used.  Yes, some kids became very happy before Christmas.  Some of us had to dig up, soak and grate cassava for Christmas.  Then there was the smell of cooking, my favourite being baked hams.  Bermudians, particularly those with a West Indian background used a lot of nutmeg and cinnamon, and of course rum.

Then there was the year my mother died the week before Christmas.  I was 11, and had to look after a sick baby brother.  By Christmas Eve  I had a bad case of flu.  I remember telling my father it was his turn to look after the baby.  I poured myself a glass of rum, added lemon, and honey, walked over to my bed and drank it.  I woke up the next morning with the worst possible hangover, but no flu.

My father remarried a few months later.  I then spent a lot of time before Christmases killing, cleaning, plucking chickens and geese for my step-mother's friends and relatives.  Thinking of the smells still make me sick.  I also hated most of her meals at that time.

I have previously mentioned my first Christmas when I was on the Force.  Due to friction in the family, my Christmas lunch at barracks was a tin of ham and a glass of scotch.  I worked the 4-12 shift and dealt with a domestic family fight.  I must have broken every rule in the books, but made two little girls happy by sorting the problem out without making an arrest.  Other than 1972 and 1973, after I got married, my Christmases were spent with other Police Officers.

Christmas in Australia varies a lot.  A considerable number of people spend Christmas at the beach.  Pat, like most people, likes to cook large dinners / lunches. Due to the heat I prefer something light such as salads. 

As mentioned before, I have dealt with a number of Bush Fires and other emergencies at Christmas.  One year I dealt with 3 fatal traffic accidents between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.  People have stated that they appreciated my professionalism at these incidents, and this helped them at the time.  However I do get flash backs this time of the year, including the smell of chicken and geese on my hands.  Much to her credit, Pat is aware of my issues, and ensures the kids always have a good Christmas.  Although some kids in other families might have got more, our children seem to have good memories of Christmas.

It is possible due to having difficult Christmases as a child in Bermuda, that I enjoy helping people this time of year.  Besides dealing with emergencies, Pat and I do volunteer welfare work.  One project will result in 120 families receiving  Christmas Hampers and over 200 children receiving presents.

I mentioned that people spend Christmas in different ways in Australia.  Here is one such story.

A city slicker decided he had enough of the rat race and moved to the bush.  After 6 months he was getting lonely and was glad when his nearest neighbour 250 miles away dropped in to invite him over for a Christmas party.

" I must warn you" said the neighbour, "that at my parties, there's a lot of drinking, drugs, loud music, swearing, fighting  and wild sex "

" I don’t mind that ", said the city slicker.  " What should I wear? ".

" You can wear anything you want.  There’ll only be the two of us", came the reply.

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas, and a Happy Healthy 2015.

All the best,

Pat, 'Muffy' and Ray

Editors note  -  We asked Ray to send a Christmas photo and he obliged with this one of himself with Pat's beloved dog "Muffy" taken just recently when he and his family went off to see their Christmas Parade in Perth, along with 300,000 others (5 times the population of Bermuda!).  As we figured,  the temperature in Perth on the day of the parade was over 80 degrees  but dropped down to around 70 by the time the parade started.  Ray and Pat have 7 grandchildren, and Ray is here with three of them (l-r)  Adison (5), Jada (9) and Brandon (7) who managed to stand still for just a moment for the camera.   

Pat adopted "Muffy" about 4 years ago and you can see her size from the photo, but Ray says she always wants to fight dogs bigger than herself and loves to chase snakes (not a problem we have in Bermuda!).  This is definitely NOT an Australian traditions, but two Christmases ago, Ray and Pat's daughter Reber; dyed Muffy bright pink which glowed in the dark and nearly caused accidents when she was out walking at night!

We wish Ray and Pat and their family a wonderful Christmas.

11th December 2014

Joe  Mercer -  There is probably no one who has served in the Bermuda Police who will still remember former P.C. Joe Mercer who served here as  a Constable having joined the Force in February 1949.  Joe only served here for 9 months but during that time he formed a close friendship with a Bermudian constable, Howard Mitchell who many of us will remember as a Parish PC in the early 1960’s.

 

I had been given Joe’s contact details by former P.C. Derek Singleton who met him at a Memorial Service held in Rutland, England in 2010, and subsequently wrote a brief article about him in our “Then and Now” column (CLICK HERE to view the article).

I called Joe in the UK earlier today to enquire what he would be doing over the Christmas holidays.  Although he lives alone in the Lake District he is still exceptionally active for an 86 year old who was diagnosed with Prostate cancer several years ago but has undergone trial treatment and is doing very well.

In addition to walking daily he assists local farmers in clearing woodland of dead trees and invasive plants to “let in the sunshine” and encourage the growth of daffodils and bluebells.  He does this as an unpaid volunteer in return for half the logs he removes. In fact, when I called him he was sitting in his living room in front of a warm and cosy wood fire.

When asked what he would be doing for Christmas, Joe said he has been invited to a nearby neighbor’s farm for Christmas dinner, and will spend Boxing Day with another family who always extend a welcome to him for 26^th December.

Joe says he has excellent choices of local pubs and restaurants in his area;  he still drives his car,  and by all accounts he is still living life to the full.    He sent his best regards to Derek Singleton and to all former members of the Bermuda Police.

The following talk was given during Police Week 2014 when I was asked by Commissioner Michael DeSilva to give a “lecture” on the history of the Bermuda Police on the occasion of its 135^th Anniversary. 

Andy Bermingham prepared several vignettes in addition to this talk, but was off Island on an urgent family matter so they were given by Chris Wilcox.  I have not included these vignettes because they will be published in a beautiful book on the History of the Bermuda Police that will soon be available for sale.  The “coffee table” book contains numerous photographs and information that is not included in my talk, and I would urge anyone interested in the history of the Bermuda Police to purchase one as soon as possible. We will keep you informed about how to purchase books.

Chris Wilcox has written a superb  History of the Bermuda Police which is available to view on the Bermuda Police Service website. CLICK HERE to view the highly informative article.  This very comprehensive Bermuda Police History is contained in three chapters:  The Early Years 1609-1929;  The Years of Change 1930-1979; and The Years of Transition 1980-1999.  Much of the information in the following talk was obtained from Chris Wilcox' history, which is without doubt a MUST READ for anyone conducting research about the History of the Bermuda Police.

Roger Sherratt

Good evening. As you will have heard, the Bermuda Police Service is celebrating its 135^th Anniversary this month, and this evening we’d like to take you back in time for a brief look at the development of the Police during the last 135 years and beyond.  We’ll be looking at crime and social problems the Police have had to deal with, the development of their communications, technology and transportation, and their recruitment and training.

But why did we need a Police Force in the first place?  Have we always had crime and antisocial behavior in Bermuda along with a need to enforce law and order?

Our history books tell us the first murder in Bermuda occurred just a few months after the Sea Venture was wrecked off the East End, when Edward Waters killed a fellow sailor. Waters was caught, tried and sentenced to death, but he managed to escape and was eventually pardoned.   So from the very earliest days someone had to deal with crimes as serious as murder - even if the culprit was pardoned!

The first mention of “constables” appears in the record books in 1620 at the assizes in St. George’s referring to constables working for the Bailiffs of the Tribes.  We believe there was probably one constable in each Parish by that time although they were not paid except when executing a writ or a warrant. And its doubtful if they received any training

The first Police Act was passed in 1786 using the word “Police” for the first time. Constables were still unpaid “volunteers” and the Act set down a fine of £5 if the chosen few refused to carry our their duties as constables. By the early 19^th century constables were finally being paid for their services – still on a part-time basis

Sir Robert Peel established the world’s first professional Police Force in England in 1829 (“Peelers” or “Bobby’s” as they were called) and this quickly encouraged other cities and countries around the world to follow suit.

It took quite a while for the idea of a full-time Police Force to be accepted in Bermuda, and one event that may have shaken the Island was the first recorded murder of one of our volunteer policemen, Rural Constable Thomas Burrows Browne in 1867, who was stabbed while trying to recapture an escaped prisoner and died from an infection caused by his wounds. The culprit was committed to what was then called the “lunatic asylum”.

Perhaps the final push came with another murder in 1878 that shocked the Island. Edward and Anna Skeeters lived at Somerset Long Bay and were said not to have had the happiest marriage.  When Anna mysteriously vanished her husband was the prime suspect, especially when bloodstained clothing was found at their home.  Some time later several local fishermen discovered her body underwater tied to a heavy boulder, and Edward Skeeters was subsequently tried, convicted, and hanged for his wife’s murder. He was buried on the Island in the Great Sound that bears his name, and the boulder he tied to his wife to keep her body submerged was used as the headstone on his grave.

The year after the Skeeters murder, our Legislature passed the Police Establishment Act on 1^st October 1879,  and Bermuda finally had a full time Police Force. 

The wording of the Act began,  “Whereas the present police force is deficient in organization, discipline and efficiency it is expedient to reorganize it under more efficient management.”

But what were the Police having to deal with? Bermuda was occasionally shocked by a murder, and as in the Skeeters case these were often the result of what we call domestic violence.  If there were domestic murders we can be sure that domestic violence was also prevalent  -  and in many ways nothing has changed. There were crimes such as breaking and entering, stealing, drunkenness in public, fighting and affrays and so on.   Again we are still plagued with the same problems although affrays have morphed into gang violence.

Our new Force comprised 10 full time officers led by Superintendent Clarke, a former army officer who was stationed in Hamilton along with 3 constables.  His second in command was Chief Constable Dunkley (would he be a distant relative our current Premier?). He was stationed in St. George’s with 3 more constables, and another two were posted  to Sandys Parish. They were supported by 21 Rural Constables who worked part-time.  It’s likely that most of the full-time constables were ex-soldiers from the British Army who had been stationed here.

One of the earliest full-time constables was Thomas James Powell who joined the Police in 1884 following a short but remarkable career in the British Army. He served with the 11^th Hussars during the Crimea War where he was awarded the Crimea War medal with 3 bars (Alma, Balaclava and Sebastopol). 

Editors note -  It was believed for some time that Thomas Powell had the middle name Joseph, but research by retired Inspector John Skinner finally revealed in 2020 that his correct name was Thomas James Powell.

Uniformed officers like Constable Powell wore this thick dark serge uniform which I can assure you is far from ideal in our summer climate. We believe there are direct descendants of P.C. Powell still living here.

As I mentioned, Supt Clarke, seen here with his flowing beard, was our first head of the Police and he held office for 10 years.

This very early photograph of the Hamilton Detachment of the Police was taken in 1895 outside the old Hamilton Police Station located at the corner of Church Street and Parliament Street next to the jail. The Force was then led by Superintendent Tear sitting to the left of the front row. While some officers were full-time, some would have been part-time Parish Constables.

The only modes of transportation for policemen at that time would have been either on foot, or horse and carriage such as these operated by the Post Office between Hamilton and St. George’s, or by boat, although it would be more than 60 years before the Police acquired their own police vessel.  We can find nothing to suggest that the Police ever owned a carriage of any kind.

But technology was making its presence felt. The first telephone lines began to operate between Hamilton and St. George’s in 1885, and the Police were no doubt at the head of the queue. 9 years later the Bermuda Electric Power Company began installing our first street lights.

It’s believed that at the turn of the 19^th century as many as half a dozen of our Rural Constables were originally from the West Indies where the sugar economy had collapsed, one of the first being Constable Henry Montgomery Beach who was born in St. Kitts and came to Bermuda in the 1890’s.   

Photographs of police officers during those early days are quite rare, but here are two excellent photos of P.C. Charles Albert “Bo” Tucker, also from the West Indies  - a familiar sight to Pembroke residents where he patrolled the beat for many years after joining the Police Force in 1912.  On his retirement in 1935 the Bermuda Digest reported that he had “fought to maintain the British high standard of law and order upon the land” and also noted that he could remember a time when the Force consisted of just 12 full-time constables.

By this time Hamilton had become our capital and with both tourism and the population increasing, the Police Force was beginning to see a rapid increase in traffic as we see here on Front Street during crop season.   There were efforts to bring automobiles to Bermuda, including our first public motor bus – the Scarlet Runner which, it was feared, would frighten horses and ladies! The public was strongly against allowing such menaces on our roads  (“motoritis” it was called) and residents signed a petition demanding that all private motor vehicles be banned.  Mark Twain signed the petition during a visit to the Island. And in 1908 the Motor Car Act was passed banning all private vehicles. Perhaps it would have been more apt to call it the “No Motor Car Act”!

However, the City of Hamilton was not without its traffic problems by this time. Trees planted on City streets were being severely damaged because they were being used as stands for pedal cycles and hitching posts for horses, with the Royal Gazette reporting that the trees were being “nibbled and killed off” and are “a disgrace to the City.”  (City trees are still in the news. Some things never change!)

And we all thought that parking was only a problem when cars were allowed on our roads.   By now the Police had established beats in Hamilton and St. George’s but officers in the outer Parishes were no doubt using pedal cycles.

At  the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Police had a new problem - keeping the peace at military establishments such as the Dockyard.  Visiting military troops invariably caused trouble in the form of drunkenness, general rowdy behaviour and fights with the locals.  When I arrived here in 1964 we still had Shore Patrol working out of the Marine Police Station in Barr’s Bay Park to control rowdy visiting US and Canadian servicemen.

In the 1920’s the most dangerous street to patrol was said to be the eastern end of Reid Street,  as a lone constable, Albert Rogerson, no doubt one of the new recruits from the UK, discovered when he was called there to deal with a noisy crowd gathered to watch two men fighting.  When he tried to break up the fight he was set upon by one of the protagonists, and then by the crowd who armed themselves with bottles and sticks.

Rogerson managed to hang on to his prisoner until reinforcements arrived even though he had been severely cut with a sharp object. He was rushed to hospital where his life was said to have hung in the balance. He eventually recovered but lost the use of his hand and was discharged from the Force.  He was later awarded the King’s Police Medal for Gallantry; we believe probably the first Bermuda policeman to do so, though not the last, while six men and women were duly sentenced to long terms of imprisonment – with hard labour. )

BERMUDA'S FIRST EVER DETECTIVE

Just after the War, with crime on the increase, the then Chief of Police, Mr. Semphill, appointed Bermuda’s first ever detective in 1919.

Charles Edward Simons had joined the Police Force as an acting Rural Constable in Warwick in 1902 and as a full-time constable in 1905. When he started as acting Rural Constable he was filling in for his father, Edward Benjamin Simons who took a trip to New York.   Charles Edward quickly established a reputation as a highly efficient and resourceful police officer, and he was chosen as our first detective.   After his appointment he was forever known as “D.O” or Detective Officer Simons.

For many years he investigated all serious crimes almost singlehanded. In 1924, “D.O.” and another young police officer were sent to the NYPD Criminal Identification Bureau for training in the new science of fingerprinting, and on their return they set up our Fingerprint Department. To the best of our knowledge this is the first ever course for any Bermuda police officer 

“D.O.” continued as head of CID and oversaw its development until his retirement in 1935.

I think it fitting to quote what was said about “DO” in the Bermuda Digest at the time of his retirement.  “He had many narrow escapes from death and is practically unscathed. He has been what every police officer should be … fearless … he has seen on many occasions his assailant armed and yet himself unarmed conquers him unaided. Coolness of mind, a non-smoker, a teetotaler and his genial personality have been the principal factors which spelt success in obtaining such as enviable reputation.” Sounds to me like an ideal job description for a modern police constable!

Here he is sitting with his team of six detectives. Sadly, D.O. Simons served in the days when black officers were not promoted to the rank of Inspector, and that is maybe the reason why he was always known as “Detective Officer” rather than Detective Inspector. There is no doubt though that “D.O” had both the ability and charisma to be a natural leader of men. And there was no doubt that he was in charge of black and white officers and highly respected by all.   

D.O’s descendants include Dr. Marilyn Simmons and Marc Telemaque, and I must say that here is a man who’s story needs to be told in far more detail.   We can’t change history but we can make sure that the legacy of D.O. Simons  is never forgotten.  I should add that his father, his older brother Joseph, and one of his sons, St. Clare, also served in the Police Force. Clearly a very law abiding family.

By the early 1930’s the Island began to experience major changes, most notably when the new railway opened in 1931,  providing many Bermudians with the ability to travel the length and breadth of the Island for the first time. Police officers would have taken advantage of the trains to patrol their parishes and conduct enquiries.

There were several serious and fatal accidents attributed to the railway system and these would have to have been investigated by the Police.   We also had our first fatal motor vehicle accident in 1937 when a pedestrian was run over by a Public Works truck.

We believe that our first police officer of Portuguese origin was  P.C. Joseph Ray Correia who joined the Force in 1933.  We would be very interested to hear of any other Portuguese officers around that time.

Crime was generally low and the relationship between the Police and the general public was said to be good according to another of our outstanding Bermudian police officers, Vernon Jackson, a revered member of the “Jackson Clan”  who shared his memories with Andy Bermingham some years ago.   Vernon confirmed that he rode the train to Somerset on his first day of duty. He also described in detail the time he was looking for an escaped prisoner and when he caught up with him, the man admitted he was tired of being on the run, and even agreed to sit on the crossbar of Vernon’s pedal cycle for a ride back to the Police Station.  Sadly,  Vernon left the Police Force when he realized that there was no upward mobility for men of colour.  I also had the privilege meeting and knowing Vernon who was an absolute gentleman, with a sharp mind, a phenomenal memory and a great sense of humour.

Through the 1930’s crime was said to remain low, the standard of living continued to improve, and tourism was growing with the inauguration of commercial airline services in 1937 when Imperial Airways (now British Airways) and Pan American World Airways established their flying boat services between New York and Bermuda, landing in the Great Sound when our sole airport or rather, seaport, was at Darrell’s Island.   In those days you could no doubt take your boat out to Darrell’s Island and greet passengers as they disembarked  -  without having to face Travel Control -  and passengers could keep their belts and shoes on!

We have heard quite a lot recently about the appropriation of land in the Tucker’s Town area for the development of tourism and the luxury homes there.  Beautiful it might have been, but it was somewhat isolated and the new residents there felt rather vulnerable.

So they raised enough cash to buy a horse which they donated to the Police to be used by an officer to patrol the area.  Here we see PC John Galloway our first and only mounted policeman on patrol. A downturn in the economy led to this unique patrol being withdrawn a few years later.

The Police Force published its first Annual Report in 1938 showing we had a total of 77 men. And just to give you a flavour of the time,  there were 84 motor vehicles on our roads – these would be trucks, mechanical road rollers, stone crushers, public works vehicles and fire trucks  - still no private motor cars -  590 public carriages (horse and buggies)….   

…..  and a grand total of 19,863 (just under 20,000 pedal cycles when Bermuda’s population was less than 31,000.  I have to wonder if Bermuda’s population was far fitter then than we are now!

And just in case you have this idyllic picture of pedal cyclists slowly wending their way around the Island,  it was reported that “the chief cause of complaints regarding traffic is reckless riding by cyclists”.   Traffic problems were beginning to emerge even then.  Surely, it wouldn’t be out of place if Commissioner DeSilva were to include exactly the same sentence in his next Annual Report.

Commissioner McBeath took over just after the outbreak of World War II. and when work began on the two U.S. Bases in 1942, his biggest headache was trying to ensure that his men (and yes it was still all men)

kept in check the American Navy Seabees who were building the bases and getting into trouble on a regular basis. Of course, that is one problem we no longer have with the closure of all the military bases.

After the War, there was great demand for the public to be allowed to have private cars, no doubt in part because the Island had been flooded with military vehicles for 5 years  During a debate in the House of Assembly in 1946 it was said that with the introduction of the “one car per family rule” the maximum number of motor vehicles in the foreseeable future would be between 500 and 1,500. Some might say this shows how our politicians can occasionally be wrong!  Motor vehicles had finally arrived in Bermuda and there was a need for the Police Force to keep up with the times.

Here we see the pride of the fleet, our first police car, a Dodge Sedan, purchased second-hand for the use of Commissioner McBeath and driven by Constable John Marshall who went on to become the first Inspector in charge of the Traffic Department. 

Commissioner McBeath oversaw the purchase of 6 police cars and later a delivery of Excelsior 2-gear autocycles for use by District Constables and Supervisory Officers.  Could the Police be said to have started the motor cycle craze?

Believe it or not these vehicles were part of our police fleet, seen here between the Police Station and Hamilton Jail, with P.C. John Marshall.

The early 1950’s saw technological breakthroughs in the Police.   Police Stations were provided with radios for communication,  and these were followed by two-way radios in police cars.  And by now some reports were being typed on manual typewriters.

There was a rapid increase in motor vehicles resulting in more frequent, and often fatal accidents, with speeding cited as a major cause of accidents.  Again, has anything really changed?    

The Police decided to clamp down on speeding and the late Inspector “Tug” Wilson once described to me how the first motorist was “trapped” , or should I say “flagged” by the police.  Sgt Wilson and a group of policeman took with them 4 white flags and a couple of stop watches. They measured a section of Middle Road in Warwick where Belmont Hills golf course is now located, and had two men at the start and two men at the end of the stretch.  When a speeding truck drove by, the two men at the starting line raised their flags and the stop watches were started.  As the truck reached the measured distance two constables lowered their 2 flags and the watches were stopped.  The average time of the journey was duly calculated, and “Scarface” Hutchinson made history when he became the first driver ever convicted of speeding at something like 23.5 miles an hour.  The speed limit at that time was 20 miles per hour.

But this method of catching speeders was hardly efficient!  In 1951 the Police  purchased their first electro-matic speed meter, and over the years,  have used ever more sophisticated radar devices to catch speeders, the latest being considered are  speed cameras that capture both the speed and a photo of the rider or driver and vehicle number.

The Reserve Police Constabulary was formed in February 1950, headed then by Reserve Commandant, Captain Ross Winter,   and over the years the Reserves, now known as Bermuda Reserve Police, have provided invaluable support and assistance to the Police Service.

Shortly after being appointed Commissioner  in 1958, Mr. Henderson accepted a Government invitation to relocate the Police at the recently vacated British Garrison facilities at Prospect which became our headquarters and Traffic Department.

One other legacy from the British Garrison was our first  female staff member and first civilian clerk, who had been working at the Garrison.

Miss Carole Royer was hired by then Inspector John Marshall and stayed with us until she retired in 1999 after 40 years during which she served under no less than 7 Commissioners. If you look closely at the photo you will see 3 young detectives who all went on to become Commissioner of Police.

The Police Force was tested to the limit in 1959 when Bermuda recorded no less than 6 murders and it marked the first time that Scotland Yard detectives were seconded to the Island to assist in successfully investigating the infamous Warwick murders. 

Leading the local team was Inspector Oliver Trott who was a great detective in the tradition of “D.O” Simons, and went on to become Chief Superintendent before he retired.  Here he is with the Scotland Yard officers examining the scene of one of the murders. 

Seen here is Inspector Trott and Detective Sergeant Milton Murray Marsh who played a significant role in identifying the culprit even before the Scotland Yard detectives arrived in Bermuda.  More of Milton Marsh in a moment.

The Police had to deal with the Island’s first major civil demonstration  in 1959 when dock workers marched through the streets of Hamilton to the No 1 Shed on Front Street and were faced by police officers sent to guard the docks.  This is believed to be the one and only occasion when a magistrate read the Riot Act from a nearby shop balcony, and fortunately peace prevailed as the crowds gradually dispersed.

Our next Commissioner was George Robins, a former Army Officer who assumed command from 1961 until 1969.  There is no doubt that Commissioner Robins led the Police Force at a very difficult time in Bermuda’s history, when the community faced a long period of social unrest as people of colour fought for equal human rights and social justice, with the Police invariably finding themselves in the unenviable position of trying, sometimes in vain, to maintain law and order.

However, in looking back on George Robins’ legacy I believe  he made more significant changes in the organization of the Police Force than any previous Chief of Police, and that he made every effort to bring the Force up to par with other small, modern Forces around the world, particularly with regard to training.

Although we have only scant information about how our first police officers were trained, for many decades those officers hired locally were given at maximum, a couple of days to read through the law books.   Vernon Jackson explained that when he joined in 1933 it was purely a case of “on the job” training.   A few years ago I interviewed retired Inspector Milton Murray Marsh who was then 101 years old (and believe me, there were no flies on Milton!) and asked him about the training he received when he first joined the Bermuda Police in 1941. 

Milton quickly replied, "Next to nil." He said he was handed a worn out flashlight, a pair of handcuffs, and a truncheon, and off he went to patrol the beat in Hamilton with absolutely no training other than reading a few law books.

You may recall that I mentioned the first overseas recruits brought to Bermuda in 1920, and that they were either trained police officers from the Metropolitan Police, or British Royal Marines who would have been professionally trained.

By the 1950’s it was the policy when hiring men from the UK to send them to one of the Police Training Schools in England for a 3 month training course before bringing them out to Bermuda.

This was far cry from training opportunities for local recruits. This young man, who went on to become Chief Inspector Hilton "Jellybean" Wingood, had the same experience as Milton Marsh when he joined as a young recruit in 1955 – no training at all!  

However, when Lynn Hall joined the Force one year later in 1956 he recalls that he and several other local recruits spent about a week at the police station on Parliament Street, with a Superintendent as their instructor going through the law books, with relevant sections specially marked, and some written instructions on how the Force was structured, how to deal with everything from children, to dangerous dogs, and how to take care of their uniforms.

Change was coming for local recruits – but at a snails pace. This was, of course, in sharp contrast to overseas recruits, such as PC Dryburgh, also in the photo, who received 3 months training in England before arriving here.

Just one little anecdote from Lynn Hall about dealing with domestic disputes during his early days on the beat.  He and another officer attended a house off Parsons Road where a husband and wife were said to be having a violent row.  Unbeknown to the two officers, the husband had stormed out of the house, and when they knocked on the front door, the lady of the house was upstairs in her bedroom and thought it was her husband returning to cause more trouble. She promptly picked up the 'night bucket 'from under her bed, opened her window, and deposited the contents onto the heads of Lynn and his partner.   If there is anyone here who has no idea about what a night- bucket was, and what it would contain, just speak to one of the older members of the audience after this talk.

Lynn was a very popular and much loved member of Force, and earned his nickname, “Mr. Outward Bound” because he ran our  popular Outward Bound programme for many years.

To his credit, Commissioner Robins realized the imbalance regarding training local recruits and it was he who set up our first Police Training School when he hired a full-time experienced training officer, Inspector Roy Chandler, who organized our first 3 month Police training course in 1962 set up along the same lines as the UK Police Training Schools. For the first time the playing field was being leveled for local recruits.  

And here are members of our first course, which you will see also includes women.  The instructors are Chief Inspector Roy Chandler and Sergeant James Moir.

Commissioner Robins made the decision to recruit women, bringing in an experienced Woman Inspector from the UK, to organize and head the department,  and here are our pioneer policewomen in 1962 with Inspector Isobel Lee.

Our first female Bermudian police officer, Jean Vickers, went on to head the Police Women’s Department, and also spearheaded another innovation made during the time of Mr. Robins, the Juvenile Liaison Scheme designed to assist young first time offenders without giving them a criminal record.  I truly believe we would be much better off if the Police had been able to continue operating the JLS.

If Inspector Vickers looks familiar you may have seen her for many years as a school crossing lady outside Warwick Academy.

In order to attract more Bermudian recruits the Force had also started to hire Cadets in 1960, and the Cadet scheme was expanded by Mr. Robins. Within a few years all cadets were required to attend the Bermuda College at Police expense to take college courses and improve their academic skills where necessary.

Other departments set up during Mr. Robins time included the much needed Marine Section because the police had no way of patrolling Bermuda’s waters or visiting crime scenes on islands.  

There were no funds for building  a boat so two enterprising young constables, Dave Garland and Derek Jenkinson who both had marine and boat building experience in the UK, came up with a design and volunteered to build our first police boat at Admiralty House in a matter of a few weeks after persuading the Corporation of Hamilton to donate £125 and some spare parts. 

The “Blue Heron” was duly launched in the summer of 1962.

Our Narcotics Department was created in 1961, headed by Sgt Leon Bean and Harold Moniz, and then by Sgt Fred Bean. This photo shows the squad with their first major marijuana seizure,  and there is no doubt that fighting the so-called drug war has, and continues to be, a major strain on Police resources.

Cycle Squad was created to deal with the increasing number of stolen auxiliary cycles and motor cycles. I don’t know of any other Police Force that has literally no thefts of cars, but has an ever  persistent problem with the theft or removal of motor cycles, even to this day.

And after an absence of several years, Parish Constables were re-introduced and provided with scooters to police their districts.

It would be remiss of me not to mention one of our greatest police Cup Match cricketers who made history in two ways.  PC Edward “Bo” Swainson was the first batsman to score a century in Cup Match in 1937 with a score of 122 not out. He narrowly missed repeating the feat again the next year, scoring 99 runs before losing his wicket. 

“Bo” is pictured here in 1938 with his pedal cycle on patrol in St. David’s before being transferred to CID.  He was an excellent policeman and later became the first black officer to be promoted to the rank of Inspector.

Getting back to the days of Commissioner Robins, the proportion of white Police officers (mainly expatriate) to black Bermudian officers, compared with the racial make-up of Bermuda, had been a constant subject of debate amongst both the Police and the public since the founding of the Force. In 1965, in an attempt to redress the unequal racial balance, Commissioner Robins sent senior officers to Barbados specifically to recruit black officers. Seven Barbadians were chosen to join six Bermudians on  Basic Training Course #7.

Officers on that course included PC’s John McConnie, Vendall Bridgeman and Orson Daisley, all of whom rose to the rank of Inspector and have since retired from the Police after years of dedicated service.

And in order to help bridge the gap between young people and the Police, we held our First Police Pedal Cycle Gymkhana, organized by constables Ray Sousa, Gary Perinchief and myself, 
in Bernard Park in 1969, over two days, which proved to be exceptionally popular.  

It was followed by the creation of Bermuda’s Outward Bound programme which has taken many hundreds of young Bermudians on courses both locally and abroad and had them doing things they never dreamt they could achieve.

I’m delighted to say that both Outward Bound and the Cycle Gymkhana are still thriving.

And anyone who was around in Bermuda during the 1960’s will remember two activities that gave a lot of pleasure both to the Police officers involved, and to the public.

One was the Police Motor Cycle Display Team performing their high precision manouvres at shows all over the Island for many years and were greatly admired by both young and old for their daring deeds.

The other was the Police Choir who first came together in Somerset at a Christmas gathering, and went on to perform at a very high standard, and were in great demand both locally and abroad.

The 1960’s though was a decade in which Bermuda went through a very difficult time politically and socially, when changes were much needed to bring about a more equitable society.

Unfortunately for the Police we were at the epicenter of these seismic changes, none more so than the BELCO disturbance on February 2^nd 1965, in which some 17 police officers were injured – one very seriously.   The Police were required to maintain law and order even when some of the laws of the land were seen to be unfair and unjust.

I have no intention of attempting to minimize the tremendous social changes that Bermuda has struggled through,  but I would certainly argue that the Police Force was genuinely striving to be fair, to make sure that its officers were well trained, and that by and large, law and order were maintained as fairly as possible.

But if officers serving with the Force in the mid-60's thought they had seen Bermuda through its worst days, they were sorely mistaken. The darkest period in the history of this Island was about to begin.

I simply don’t have time to dwell on those dark days in the 1970’s starting with the shooting death of then Commissioner, George Duckett, followed by the assassination of Governor Sir Richard Sharples and his ADC,  and then just a few weeks later the brutal shootings of two men  during an armed robbery at the Shopping Centre on Victoria Street, along with a series of shootings and other serious crimes and robberies. 

Restoring law and order, and bringing to justice the guilty persons were a major priority for the Commissioner  who took over the reigns following the death of Mr. Duckett,  but LM “Nobby” Clark was one of our most popular and charismatic Commissioners.

As most of you will know, following the biggest investigation in the Force’s history, with assistance from Scotland Yard, two men were tried, convicted, sentenced to death.  Their hangings, the last in Bermuda, in December 1977 sparked serious rioting, but the Island then seemed to settle down. Our CID had gained invaluable experience in the collating of information and investigating serious crimes.

Following the retirement of “Nobby” Clark his successor made history in February 1981, when Frederick “Penny” Bean became our first born-Bermudian officer to rise all the way through the ranks from Constable to Commissioner. 

Computer Training -  Part  of Training for all officers

During Mr. Bean’s stewardship he oversaw many major advances in the Police, particularly in the areas of communications and computerisation.

Mr. Bean also recognized the need for a more sophisticated Community and Media Relations department to replace and improve the old Press Liaison Office and the vital importance of involving the public in the fight against crime.

We have had a further eight Commissioners since Mr. Bean retired  -  Clive Donald, Lenny Edwards,  Colin Coxall who had our name changed from the Bermuda Police Force to the Bermuda Police Service in 1995, John Jaques Lemay, Jonathan Smith, George Jackson -

And of course our present Commissioner, Michael DeSilva who by my reckoning is the 6^th Bermudian police officer to pass through all the ranks to reach the top job after starting as a young Cadet in 1985.   He is also the 4^th born Bermudian to become Commissioner of Police.   

I would like to conclude by making just a few very brief comparisons between the early days of policing and today.

Murders have been committed  in Bermuda since the earliest of times and we are still plagued with them today, most now involving firearms. Even so, our constables on the beat and in patrol cars still travel around unarmed. 

Our early constables were given very little, if any training before being sent out on the beat.

All recruits now attend a 4 month course at the Police Training School where they receive instruction in a wide variety of subjects, some of which were unheard of until just a few years ago,  such as mediation, diversity training and team building. There is now a realization that in today’s complex world police officers have to be equipped and highly trained, with officers receiving extensive training both locally and abroad to better equip them to carry out their duties with professionalism.  A far cry from spending a few days reading law books.

And that includes members of the Reserve Police, who also undergo a 16 week foundation course, wear the same uniform as regular officers, and are a vital resource supporting the Police Service.

It’s noteworthy that just 2 weeks ago the largest number of recruits on any course, 25 in total, all graduated from the Training School and are now out on the streets doing the job they have been well trained to do.

We have come a long way from those early days when most Bermudians lived and stayed close to their own neighbourhoods, then gradually became more mobile as modes of transport progressed from boats, horse and carriages, pedal cycles, the railway, and finally, motor vehicles in far greater numbers than were ever envisaged.

We now have over 46,000 motor vehicles on Island, and despite our 35 kmh speed limit, which almost no-one adheres to, we have far more people killed or injured in traffic accidents than we have ever had killed or injured by crimes of violence.  As an example, we have experienced a substantial increase in murders since the year 2000 due mainly to gang related violence, but even with these terrible murders at their highest levels, the number of deaths and serious injuries caused by road traffic accidents on our roads way outstripped gang related gun deaths by almost three to one. Yes , we need to tackle our gun crime, but  we also need to tackle the tragic loss of lives and serious injuries caused by roads accidents

Finally, here is the earliest photo of Hamilton Police Station, taken in 1890, just a year after the Force was founded. In the background you can see the Cathedral which I believe was just being completed. …. 

… and here is our new Hamilton Police Station today. You can still see the Cathedral in the background.  We may not have moved very far physically, but we are light years away from the Police Force in 1879.

Our police service today is expected to be all things to all people, and I would venture to say that in 2014 we have a Police Service, led by Commissioner DeSilva and his team, that serves us well and for which we can be justly proud.