MORE PHOTOS FROM THE OLD DAYS AT CANNON ROW (Scroll down page)

Here are more pictorial memories of days at 'AD'.

The first set of four pictures were presented by Ex PC. 197 'A' / 153146 Bob Holden.

All four show the 'famous' wooden locker used for many years by PC Jim Titmus of ABA fame. It now adorns the garage of Bob who uses it as a tool box.

 Both the locker and the surrounding shelves were 'rescued' from a skip in AD's yard after major refurbishment to the station had taken place.

Well done Bob! Just what we wanted.

BEFORE YOU VIEW THE IMAGES HERE IS AN EARLIER ITEM PRESENTED BY HARRY SLIPPER REMEMBERING JIM TITMUS :

JIM TITMUS
I am prompted to write as a result of arriving at the October page of this year's MP Friendly Society calendar. The calendar features photos from the MP archives and this month I looked at a well posed shot of the Met's answer to errant motorists in the nineteen-thirties. A three-wheeled 9hp Singer [I think] open top car about to leave the back gate of Rochester Row. [An escapee from the Sally-Ann is being required to await the exit of the car by what looks like the Duty Officer]
The figure behind the wheel, the passenger seat and most of the outside of the car, is the unmistakeable Jim Titmus PC 232A [?]
Jim was a well-known army and police heavyweight boxer pre-war. I knew him from the late nineteen-fifties when endeavouring to put my newly found skills as a class iv driver to use. Jim ran the drivers duties at AD and being allowed to actually drive was considered a privilege.
When on duty, Jim would relate tales of taking what he called, a motor bike with a steering wheel, down to brand new Kingston By-pass to 'see what it would do' - about 45 mph flat out!
I say 'when on duty' because Jim was usually shown on the drivers duty board as 'W/L' - this enabled him to fulfil his day job as stand-in Secretary of the Amateur Boxing Association at their offices in Victoria Street. On those rare occasions when he chose to appear he always insisted on being van-driver. If one was already so posted - tough - you found something else to drive. During one such appearance, we were required to attend Rochester Row to bring in a stolen car. We were greeted by a young Station Sergeant David Powis who lectured us of the forbidden evils of driving such cars into the station - they had to towed. Jim's only comment was, 'Is he new here' and proceeded to drop me off at the car before driving off saying 'you've got yer wire and clips, drive it in'.
It seemed more politic to agree with Jim than Powis.
After he retired properly, Jim took up black cabbing - I am not sure that he ever actually took the 'knowledge' - but he did have a lot of friends in the right places! Anyway, he only ever drove on Sundays because there was 'too much traffic about on other days'.
He was certainly one of Canon Row's unforgettable characters.

Harry Slipper.
Ex PC 150 'A'/138915
email: harryslipper@btopenworld.com

Below: 1967 Parliament Square. PC 137 'A' / 156264 Barry Cooper.
Barry says that it must have been Trooping The Colour day and the picture was taken by the girl who was to be his Wife three months later! Barry remembers vividly that the No 1 ceremonial dress he is wearing would, when not being worn, stand up on its own due to its thickness.

Above: Ex PS 41'A'/ Horace Thorpe (Duties Sergeant, on right) and George Sleman civilian night duty telephonist. Picture kindly presented by Ex PC 150'A'/138915 Harry Slipper.
Harry says that George used to run the weekly Littlewoods Pools syndicate at 'AD' in the late 50's and early 60's and consequently kept up the hopes of financial prosperity for most of the PC's at the time. George's list to starboard is due to him leaning on his walking stick (or was he holding Horace up??)

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Above: Does this form bring back memories? Form 410 the annual leave application form used many times by us all over the years.
This one was found recently by Ex PC 405 'A' Martin GOSLING who was at 'AD' between 1959 and 1962.
Martin found the form in the rear of a dictionary.

Above left and right : JUNE 1929.
PC. 264 'A' Directing traffic EAST side of Trafalgar Square outside Morley's Hotel later to become the site of South Africa House.
These excellent pictures have been presented to Alpha Delta Plus by Ex PC 535 'E '& 'C'/143877 (Bow Street 1956 to 1978) Ian Champion who has gone to some considerable lengths to obtain the pictures for us and is interested in investigating further the identity of PC 264 'A'. If anyone can assist him please contact Alpha Delta Plus.

Who remembers 55, 56 and 57 Traffic Points ? The younger ones among us will remember them as 'fixed' posts on Trafalgar Square itself.
These pictures of PC 264 'A' show the points actually being worked prior to the introduction of traffic lights .
Alpha Delta Plus would like to thank The Transport for London Museum, Covent Garden Market, London W.C.2. for allowing us to use the images on the web site.

During the Second World War, Buckingham Palace suffered nine direct bomb hits. On several occasions King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were in the Palace and narrowly escaped being killed. One person did die during the wartime bombing: Cannon Row PC 629 'A' Christopher 'Steve' Robertson, on duty at the Palace, was killed by flying debris on 8 March 1941 when the north side of the Palace was wrecked. A plaque inside the garden commemorates his heroism. Constable Robertson's final resting place has recently been traced by the 'Police Roll of Honour Trust' at Chadwell Heath Cemetery, in the North East London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, (plot details, section 'C' No 1646) , cleaned up and photographed. The hard to read text on the headstone reads: 'The brow is bitter. The loss severe'. Grateful thanks to the 'Police Roll of Honour Trust' for providing the picture.

Ex PC 120 'A' / 127318 Dennis Daines sent us this picture of himself dressed ready for action during World War 2

Leica II

TRAFALGAR SQUARE LICENSED PHOTOGRAPHER'S CAMERAS

IN THEIR OWN WAY THESE ITEMS ARE QUITE FAMOUS
EX PC Len Bentley explains right>

Leica M2


"When the T. Square photographer named 'Alf' retired in the very early eighties, I asked him whether he would sell me his cameras. I collected cameras at the time and also thought that I could use them. He was a canny old so and so and he realised how much I wanted them and charged a very nice price but I wasn't too worried. They are both Leicas and are very well worn, they must have taken hundreds of thousands of photographs in their time. According to their serial numbers the Leica II dates from 1938 and it's Summar lens from 1936. The Leica M2 dates from 1960 and it has a Japanese Canon Lens".

Len Bentley Ex PC 799'A'/164477

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GENERAL 'A' PICTURES (6) CONTINUED

VIC COVENTRY'S RETIREMENT 'DO'
The item from Lennie Bentley showing photos of two Leica cameras bought from the Trafalgar Square (Official) Photographer Alf Shead, prompted me to forward this photo taken by Alf at Commander Vic Coventry's retirement drink in the Canteen at Cannon Row about 1973. With the avuncular Vic is his wife, I believe her name was Bertha, the ever dapper Chief Supt. Cyril Canham and making the speech Det. Chief Supt. Jim Neville. Half hidden behind Vic is Bert Wilder the Commander's driver and the dark haired girl is Yvonne Docwra from Divisional Office.
Regards to all,
John Guttridge PS 10"A"/149733 Divisional/District Clerk 1973 - ?

Rememberance Day 1965 King Charles Street j/w Whitehall
Ex PC 405'A' /148123 Martin Gosling (on left) aboard 'Marquis' a grey gelding plus admirers

'Supporting' the Barking to Southend walkers 1962
L to R: 'A' PC's Harry CHENERY, Ian WATT, 'Basher' BATES, Jack BUNKER

Many thanks to Ex PC 503 'A'/144887 Jack Bunker
( email: jack@bunkersonline.plus.com) who presented us with the above pictures

1963 :Taking an afternoon nap whilst on Station trip to Brighton
L to R: 'A' PC's John GRAYSTON, John GROOMBRIDGE, Jack BUNKER