P.C. 393  Mick Brown

Served from 1971-1977

 

I started my Police career as a PC In Leicestershire and did almost 3 years in The City of Leicester firstly on the beat and then as a Panda driver. It was on an evening out with a couple of friends, one of them being Bob Glennie when an advert in Police Review for Constables in Bermuda (where's that?) was mentioned and we all 3 decided then and there that it sounded like fun and so we all applied. The third of the trio unfortunately didn't get through the interview and so just Bob and I were accepted by the then Commissioner, the late George Duckett.

 

I came out to Bermuda in November 1971 part of a contingent that included Bob, Phil Every, Steve Rollin, Ken Vanthal, Russ Delahaye, Keith Cassidy, Steve Taylor, Steve Peterson, John  Heady, Marg Amos.

After an initial few months in the dreaded McBeath Block I moved out and into a house share at Riddles Bay with Phil, Ken and Steve Rollin together with the late lamented Russ "Big D" Delahaye. Needless to say a good time was had by all and the house was subject to some extremely good parties.

Definite candidates for MCPS
Ken Van Thal, Mick Brown and Steve Rollin  hit the road!
 

I worked inititially at Hamilton on the beat (who remembers the sleeping points on the four different beats on nights?) and then progressed to become Duty Driver on 'Brinky' Tucker's and Derek Fletcher's squad. On the night of the Governor's murder I was driving the second unit to the scene being Uniform 4, a Transit. I picked up several beat men on the way and arrived not long after the first vehicle on the scene the driver of which was Peter Brown. The tension in the van on the way up was palpable - what on earth was going on?

Some months later I began  a spell on Traffic with Micky Burke's Squad, that was followed by a spell as Duty Officer in the Ops room and then I joined MCPS and worked with such stalwarts as Rex Osborne, Sid Gordon, Russ ("Bull") Paynter, Colin Fairbairn, Micky Hale, Mick Richardson, Davy Small, Martin Johnson and John Baxter. All this under the great leadership of Sergeant Eddie ("Boxhead") Foggo.

 

In 1974 I had the very good fortune to marry a lovely lady, Sue (nee Hill) who thankfully is still my wife after over 41 years.

 

Time for the speeches at Mick and Sue's wedding
Cliff Harries, Bob Creager (an American friend), Steve Rollin,  with happy newlyweds Mick and Sue

 

Mick and Sue leaving wedding reception in their trusty Hillman Husky
kept on the road thanks to the genius of Owen Marsh!
 
Wedding reception an Sue's parents home on Belmont Golf Course
Trio on the left is Bob "Spare Parts" McDonagh, Bill Butterworth and Phil Every
 
It was during this time that Everest Dacosta the DJ at ZBM who was a friend of Colin Fairbairn's started referring to MCPS on his radio show with Colin being dubbed "Motor Mouse" and the rest of us as the "Meeces". The public were often warned to behave on the roads or "Motor Mouse and his Meeces" would be after them. I gather that with the disbanding of MCPS the roads of Bermuda are more like racetracks. At least we kept the lid on it!
 

In 1977 Sue and I made the decision to come to England and I joined Dorset Police. I  spent the next 28 years working in Dorset firstly on the beat and area car in a town called Wareham then a spell on Traffic before being promoted  to Sergeant in 1984. I was a Patrol Sergeant in Poole for some years followed by a spell as a Custody Officer ( the newer name for a Charge Sergeant) in Poole.  In about 1997 as I was suffering from a back and neck problem I was made non operational and had a 6 year spell in the Force Ops room. I finished my time as OIC on the Force "Collision Desk" that being the name for the unit that oversaw all road accidents ( except Police involved and fatalities) across the force area.

 

I retired from the Force in 2004 and tried my hand at a couple of things before working for Dorset County Council as an Ambulance Bus Driver which involved  5 hours a day taking elderly or special needs people to day centres and and returning them home later in the day. I was a periptetic driver which meant I covered where regular drivers were missing and so worked from various centres in the county. It was great after so many years in the Police Service to be doing something where everyone appreciated what you were doing for them. I finally retired just before my 66th birthday back in March of this year when I decided enough was enough.

Sue and I live in a large village called Corfe Mullen in the eastern end of Dorset. We have two lovely daughters, our eldest lives with her boyfriend in Exeter and is an Administrative Office at Exeter University. The youngest lives with her husband in north east London where she works as a Personal Trainer. Sadly, as yet, we have no grandkids but live in hope.

 

Proud parents Mick and Sue at the wedding of their
youngest daughter Nicola and her husband Jonathan
 

Retirement involves a bit of still water trout fishing, sessions in the gym, a weekly pilates class, being a member of a local choir, walking and cooking. All in  all life is pretty good. Healthwise after a few problems including a knee replacement I'm doing OK. I keep in fairly regular touch with Steve Rollin, Ken Vanthal and Phil Every and we get together every so often. Sue and Phil's wife Nicky are ardent walkers and have taken off together to walk round  islands - so far the Isle of Wight and Jersey. I have included a photo of  4 old boys  taken during a visit to Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour a year or so back. (L to R are Phil Every, Mick Brown, Ken Vanthal, Steve Rollin.)

 

What a crew!

Phil Every, Mick Brown, Ken Van Thal and Steve Rollin get together

to reminisce at Brownsea Island, Poole Harbour

 

Sue and I will be visiting Bermuda once again in September and look forward to  seeing old friends and some of Sue's relatives.

 

Regards to all who know me.

Mick Brown

(Ex PC 393 aka Mike 5)