This is clearly no "pyjama party" and they all look rather serious, so we asked if anyone tell us something about this group, where and when was the photo taken, and more important, can you identify everyone in it?
We received a total of 18 excellent responses on our ExPo Facbook page (CLICK HERE to view it) including from old friend Jim Fullerton who wrote the following:-
"This was the Bermuda Police Karate Club in it's formative early years, later to become the Bermuda branch of the Japan Karate Association. Ian Saunders had recently joined the Bermuda Police and started the club. It was taken over by Mark Tailford when Ian Saunders went back to the UK. Mark was a brown belt in Shotokan Karate at the time of this photo and continued for many years to become a senior black belt in the JKA organization. Teruyuki Okazaki was in charge of the Americas for the JKA and we came under his organization. Teruyuki Okazaki was a tenth dan and a pupil in Japan under the founder of modern Japanese Shotokan Karate, Gichin Funakoshi.
It was a great honour to train under his guidance when he visited the club to do gradings. Ralph Saints and I trained together for many years, under Mark Tailford. I reluctantly retired from formal training at 40 years old and 17 years in the club due to accumulated injuries hindering my cross training. Many great years and memories."
We also heard from Dave cooper, another member of the Karate Club, who confirmed that the photo was taken in 1974 at the Police Recreation Club, He listed those present as Back Row (l-r) Dave Cooper, Les Brown, Jim Fullerton, Frankie Dublin, Bob ("Spare Parts") McDonagh, Bob Payne, and Norman Ingemann. Front Row - Dave Ashurst, William (Ralph) Saints, Ian Sanders (who served in the BPS briefly from April 1974 - April, 1975), Mark Tailford (Civilian), and Malcolm Hinds
EDITORS NOTES - I briefly checked the police register and believe that the correct spelling of Ian Sanders surname is Sanders.
When we last heard from Jim Fullerton who served here in the Bermuda Police from 1973-1996, he and his lovely Equadorian wife, Glenda, had settled in Equador after leaving Bermuda. Jim and Glenda were still in Equador in 2016 when Paul and Lora Singh visited them. CLICK HERE for our article on their visit.
Bermuda Police Karate Club - 1974
