Ties

Here's a change from our usual "Who, Where and When" challenge. We don't mean to tie you down in knots! All of these police-related ties have been worn by members of the Bermuda Police Service, but can you tell us anything about their origin. The 2nd photo provides a close-up of the ties that have small insignia to assist you in read any wording.

One more question. Do you have a tie or ties with a Bermuda Police connection. If so please feel free to send us a photo and explanation of its origin.

22nd February 2017

Here are clues to two of the ties -

(1) First tie on the left feautures a Staffordshire knot, and the initials HOCPC

(2) Sixth tie from left features a Bishop's mitre

25th February

So far we have the second tie (the half eaten cherry) correctly identified along with the 6th tie from the left (C.I.D. Course ties from Bishopgarth) plus the tie on the extreme right which is our regular BPS tie.

The tie on the left is my own Home Office Crime Prevention Centre tie when I attended a Crime Prevention Course at Baswich House in Staffordshire. Incidentally, it is said that the Staffordshire knot depicted on the tie can be used to hang three men simultaneously with one rope!

We will move on to the next "Who, Where and When" photo but will give readers a little more time to provide answers before asking the person who provided most of these ties to let us know what they all signify.

We also received an excellent suggestion from Jeff Baker to kindly provide photos and a list of all the Police related mechandise on the sale at the Police Recreation Club. Will sort it out as soon as possible.

9th May 2020

We have heard from Benedict Kennedy who I'm presuming is or has been a member of the Metropolitan Police to the effect that the seventh tie from the left depicts the 'feather and sword' motif of the Met Police Fraud Squad (which was also adopted by some other regional Fraud units too). The Met Police Fraud Squad motto was 'The pen is mightier than the sword'. Still used today, but the Fraud Squad is now rebranded as the Economic Crime Command and is part of Specialist Crime.

Editors note - Many thanks for this information Benedict. It sounds as though one of our officers must have had an attachment to the Met's then Fraud Squad.

Photo 1

Photo 2

19th February 2017

This photo of another Bermuda Police tie was sent to us by Dave duCann and will no doubt be familiar to those of us who are a little longer in the tooth!

Benedict Kennedy 3 years

The seventh tie from the left depicts the 'feather and sword' motif of the Met Police Fraud Squad (which was also adopted by some other regional Fraud units too). The Met Police Fraud Squad motto was 'The pen is mightier than the sword'. Still used today, but the Fraud Squad is now rebranded as the Economic Crime Command and is part of Specialist Crime.Editors note - Many thanks for this information Benedict. It sounds as though one of our officers must have had an attachment to the Met's then Fraud Squad.

Dave du Cann 6 years 3 months

:-) George Your memory is much better than mine so now you have a T.K.O (tie knock out) and we are even - and still mates Kia Ora Dave

George Rose 6 years 3 months

So what about Tie 7 in Photo 1 - and Ties 2, 3, 4 and 5 in Photo 2.Take a close look and reach back in time.Editors notes - All of these ties have some connection with the BPS. They are either ties from a paticular department or they are ties brought back from courses attended by our guys attending overseas courses.

The last time I got into a dispute with Dave du Cann back in the late 1960's he TKo'd me in the second round. We were mates so it was no loss. However, in respect of the Travel Control tie I was told that the straight line represented land travel - as in the earlier border crossings throughout Europe; the wavy line represented sea travel and the compass points related to air travel - in pre-GPS days known as 'waypoints' which never represented a direct highway in the sky and required compass recalculation at each waypoint handover. More input needed on this one perhaps?Editors note - As I remember it George and Dave were the corageous first pair to enter the ring at our inaugural Evening of Boxing. The PRC was packed to capacity and the first round started with polite clapping! By the second round the audience were going nuts - and the scene was set for one of the most successful series of sporting events ever organised here in Bermuda.

Thanks for your comments George and Roger.I recall asking one of the instructors about the tie's meaning on my SB Ports course in 1971 and recall:The straight line represented air travel , the wavy line the sea routes and the compass points for global travel.I was the only one wearing my tie in the Original Travel Control photo! Ref: photo in my Then and Now column.

Peter brown 6 years 3 months

Tie sixth from left is West Yorkshire Police CID Training School at Wakefield.Editors note - Many thanks Peter. I can confirm your answer because the tie is mine having attended a CID course at Bishopgarth in Wakefield back in 1975. That was the year of the major drought in the UK when I saw rain on just one day in 3 months. I also managed to return home to Bermuda just in the nick of time because my wife, Marian, was pregnant with our first child and I just made it.

Dave du Cann is most definitely correct his identification of Tie 4 from the left as the Special Branch Ports course (Travel Control). Can he or anyone else describe the meaning of the insignia thereon? The same would go for the other ties - what does the visual emblem on each of the ties actually represent?Editors note - Good questions George. Top marks to Dave duCann re correctly identifying the SB Ports Course.

Fourth tie from the left in Photo 1.

Fourth tie from left is SB Ports tie issued by the old MPSB(Met)for officers attending the National Ports Course.

Terry 6 years 3 months

Terry said :

Terry said :
PHOTO #1I still have #10 in a secure place.Shalom.Editors note - and it is .....?
Sorry.Don't follow."and it is.....?"Editors note - Terry, you mentioned that you still have #10 but didn't say what exactly the tie is.

Quite obvious; a police crest tie.Shalom.Although obvious we'ver had several "official" police ties of which this is one. We've also received another police crest tie from an earlier era. Does anyone have any other variations of our official police tie? Will check to see if the ties currently being sold at the PRC are the same as this one.