Like a “bolt out of the blue” we just heard from our old friend and former colleague Les Pearson who had been informed of the existence of our ExPo website by his old buddy, Alan Barker who now lives in Nova Scotia.
Les wrote initially to let us know he’s alive and well, is in good health living in the mountains in central Mexico where he still plays tennis, one of his passions, and also keeps busy hiking and volunteering to teach English two evenings a week.
After responding to Les’s email with a request for more information, Les wrote back as follows:-
I am happy to report that I turned seventy in May and have been blessed with a great life since I left Bermuda ....I play tennis five times a week and have a great life in the beautiful colonial city of San Miguel de Allende in the mountains in central Mexico!
It was in March of 1970, and I was a bobby in Sheffield on a wet miserable night shift thinking there had to be more to life than this when I spotted the Police Magazine on a table and I opened it and there saw this advertisement for Bermuda wanting police officers!!
Well, I thought they could have me!!!
I came home and six weeks to the day I was there!!
So, I arrived in Bermuda from the U.K on 15th April 1970, with seven others including Alan Barker, Graham Maddocks, Terry Warrilow, and John Baxter , and three others I can’t recall at the moment. (Editors note – the other three were John Broadbent, Peter Treves, and Robert Payne.)
I served on foot patrol in Hamilton before being transferred to Cycle Squad (in 1971) under Tom Cassin. It didn’t take me long to realize I was not suited for the big bikes.
Two things happened to me... firstly I had a really bad accident on the Causeway and came off the bike and was lucky to escape with no broken bones.
The second incident was on Court Street during a riot and I was knocked out by a brick thrown and connected with my head....Terry Cabral reached me and lifted me into the van and drove me to the hospital. Perhaps he didn’t save my life but I am forever grateful to him for his courage and bravery!!
Editors note - See comments about this incident from Terry Cabral below this article.
I was then transferred to CID in Hamilton (in March 1973). I was not involved in the tragic events of the murders but I was one of the few detectives assigned to deal with all the other cases.
I was fortunate to then be selected for bodyguard duty and was assigned to the American Consul General, Donald McCue, a wonderful man and his wife who took good care of me.
After a few years in CID I was transferred to Travel Control at the airport in July 1977 where I served out my remaining years... I did pass the Sergeants examination but only served as acting sergeant in Travel Control.
I represented the Force in tennis, football, snooker, and if I might add I was the tennis singles champion for a few years, and with my lovely tennis partner Arthur Rose, we won some doubles titles as well!!
One of my good friends, although not a policeman, was Dave Walker he was a great soccer player and we were the ones that started the Cavern (in the cellar of the Police Club) with the Friday disco nights!!! (Editors note - We wrote an article about Dave Walker in 2014 in which Dave enquired about his old friend Les Pearson but until now we had no idea of Les’s whereabouts. Dave article can be viewed in our ‘Then and Now ‘column at http://expobermuda.com/index.php/tan/280-davewalker
I also was the tour organizer for the Police soccer club and we did trips to Atlanta, Toronto, San Francisco, where I bumped into Peter Treves!, Fort Lauderdale, and New York City.
In May of 1980 I married Connie DeSilva who worked for Air Canada at the airport, she had two young daughters by a previous marriage and her brother lived just outside of Edmonton, Alberta, and he sponsored us to emigrate to Canada. We left in early May of that year having completed ten years service.
Unfortunately, our marriage did not work out and in 1982 we were divorced.
I have very fond memories of my life in Bermuda and I was very fortunate to work with some amazing women and men...
My life has been great and I met Gracie two years ago here in San Mihguel and she is very wonderful. We take it one day at a time and are happy.
Here where we live I often go the town square which is always the focus of life in Mexico. We have a magnificent church, said to be the most photographed in Mexico, and I sit on one of the benches, look around me and say, how did this 21 year old kid from Sheffield end up here?!
I have been blessed all my life with good health and I am now enjoying my life in this Mexican town with a fabulous woman and a great life...best wishes and please pass on my e-mail to anyone who wants it - and the door is always open for visitors!!
Best wishes Les
Editors note - We prefer not to publish email addresses but if anyone wants Les's email I am more than happy to send it to you.
Editors note - After receiving the comment below from Terry Cabral, who mentions the time when Les was riding along the Causeway on his police bike and came off in grand style, thus earning the nickname "Evel Knievel" from Terry, I couldn't resist posting this photo of the infamous Evel Knievel who, I must admit, had something in common with our Les!!
Les, you're now officially registered on our List of Nicknames which you can find at http://expobermuda.com/index.php/lia/166-nicknames
30th September 2016
Editors note - We received the following account from Terry Cabral regarding the incident on Court Street in which Les was injured when a concrete block was thrown at him.
"The incident Les refers to was a Cycle Squad cycle check on Dutton Avenue in 1971. Just our usual checks.
It was about 10pm when myself and Les were checking cycles/registration et al when one guy took off on his cycle and rode down Parsons Road and up Court and then Elliott and then Princess Streets.
I know Tom Cassin was there along with Terry Warrilow and one other. The new MCPS was on patrol with Sgt. “Boxhead” Foggo, Russell Paynter and Steve Petty. How the hell I followed this guy in Kilo 4, the old Ford lift-back, is a mystery but I did with Less as passenger. The person stopped on Princess Street and started calling his mates who lived upstairs in one of those dwellings. They all came out and started a confrontation with just us two. I called a 10/55 and a couple of minutes later the above MCPS guys turned up along with Tom Cassin.The concrete blocks began to fall from above from the balcony and a few bottles were thrown.
Les and I were still trying to arrest the guy when Les was hit from above with a concrete block that luckily hit him but glanced off his head. He went down instantly.The other guys rode off.
The few people who were throwing and dropping blocks continued until the vehicle had lost all windows and windshield. I opened the passenger door and picked Les up and put him on the floor and slammed the door when I was hit again but not seriously. I started the vehicle and drove to KEMH with no windshield and covered in glass and a two-tone horn that I never shut off even after arriving.
What a night.
Two lucky guys.
Shalom.