Death of a retired Police Officer : PC 78 Jane Lambert

It is with regret that we have to announce the death of a retired Police Officer : PC 78 Jane Lambert who died on 24^th August 2015, aged 47 years.
Jane retired from Criminal Justice Unit on 20^th July 2011
The funeral will take place at 11.30 am on Wednesday 2^nd September 2015 at St Hilda’s Crematorium, Acklam Road, Teesside, TS5 7HD.
The service is not private. Friends and former colleagues are welcome to attend the service and to join with the family afterwards for a buffet at Billingham Golf Club, Sandy Lane, Billingham, TS22 5NA.
Family flowers only.
Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to The British Heart Foundation.
Our thoughts are with Jane's friends and family at this sad time.

Fund raising events for Police Memorial at Darlington

Two fund raising events to be held end of September / beginning of October in aid of the Darlington Police Memorial Fund

Job Opportunity – Carmel College, Darlington

Federation Magazines available to view

Federation magazines for the months March to July have been updated on the website

To view these magazines please CLICK HERE to go to the Federation page of the website and then click on the individual month to read the magazine

Death of a former Police Officer : Allan Edgar

TRIBUTES have been paid to a policeman turned publican who was a force to be reckoned with on the cricket pitch and the life and soul of every party.
Surprisingly agile given his large 6ft 2ins frame, Allan Edgar was nicknamed “the cat” by his colleague and teammate on Durham Police’s cricket team Alan Courtney.
In his prime, in the 1970s, the popular PC also played for Bishop Auckland Cricket Club and was described by fellow cricketer Keith Hopper as "the best wicket keeper who didn’t play for Durham County."
But if there was one thing that overshadowed his cricket ability, it was his colourful personality.
Mr Edgar was a good friend to many and when he swapped catching criminals for pulling pints there was never a dull moment in the pubs he managed, which included the North Briton in Aycliffe Village.
On cricket tours, he would entertain everyone with impromptu stand-up comedy performances, the most famous involving taking apart and reassembling a pub piano.
His recent death at the age of 70 has prompted an outpouring of tributes from his many friends.
Born in Ferryhill Station in 1944, Mr Edgar attended Broom Cottages School and played for Mainsforth Cricket Club in his youth.
On leaving school he worked at Patons and Baldwins Wool Factory in Darlington, before joining Durham Police in 1964.
He stayed in the force until 1977 when he left to manage the bar at Bishop Auckland Cricket Club.
Five years later he became the landlord of the North Briton where for a decade he worked happily alongside his good friend Phyllis Blenkinsopp.
Many well known cricketers stayed at the pub during this time and it became a Mecca for those who enjoyed good banter and sport chat.
Alongside cricket, Mr Edgar, who never married, enjoyed horseracing, an interest which culminated in him and his friends at the North Briton buying a racehorse.

In the early 1990s, Mr Edgar moved to Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, where he managed a French cafe bar before taking over the Honest Lawyer.
Last week, his brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Carol Edgar, from Bishop Middleham, visited the real ale pub to chat to the regulars.
Mrs Edgar said: “People came up to us and said they wanted us to know how well liked he was. They couldn’t speak highly enough of him. He really was wonderful, the ultimate host.”  
Bob Edgar added: “He was just Allan. He was daft as a brush and lived life to the full. He never complained about anything.”
Mr Edgar’s funeral takes place at Woodlands Crematorium, Brumby Wood Lane, Scunthorpe, on Wednesday, August 26 at 2pm.

Death of retired Police Officer : PC 608 George Bennison

It is with regret that we have to announce the death of retired Police Officer, PC 608 George Bennison, who died on 16^th August 2015, aged 83 years.
George joined Durham Constabulary on 14^th Feb 1953 and served at Consett, Stanley, Chester-le-Street, Fingerprints, and the Special Incident Squad.  He retired on pension  18^th December 1983 from HQ Photography.
Mr Bennison leaves a widow Margaret.
The funeral will take place on Friday 28^th August 2015 at 1.30pm at Durham Crematorium. This service is not private.
Family flowers only please by request or donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the Great North Air Ambulance please.
Our thoughts are with the Bennison family and George’s friends at this sad time.

Death of a retired Police Officer : George Fenn

It is with regret that we have to inform you of the death of a retired Police Officer : George Fenn, aged 91 years, who died on Monday 3^rd August, 2015 at his son’s home in Kent.
Mr Fenn was a widower (wife Pearl) and leaves an adult son, Anthony (Tony) and daughter.
George Fenn was a popular and  very well respected member of Durham Constabulary, serving early service in Crime Cars ( Darlington & Aycliffe), Sergeant Instructor at Harperley Hall, C.C's P.A. to Alec Muir, Commandant at Harperley Hall (Training), Commandant at Police Staff College (Dishforth Wing) (1969) Commander of the Special Course, Bramshill from 1970 for two years and Assistant/Deputy Chief Constable, Durham Constabulary until 1977 when he was appointed Chief Constable of Cheshire Constabulary, retiring on 31^st January, 1984.
Funeral arrangements are as follows : Blacon Crematorium, Chester.(Directly opposite to the Blacon Police Station- post code CH1 5BD) at 2.40pm on Thursday 20th August, 2015 at 2.40pm.
Family flowers only.
Our thoughts are with the family at this sad time.

Cadets Summer Camp Harperley Hall 62/63

Cadets Summer Camp Harperley Hall 62/63

This one came from Robin Dodd and was wondering where are they now ?

Please reply to durhamnarpo@gmail.com or post a comment below

Looking sad for itself

The old HQ looking tired, overgrown & desolate. Hard to imagine now that it was the thriving home of Durham Constabulary for approximately fifty years !

Revised pension lump sum factors : Further update

Further info from David Devine in relation to the revised pension lump sum factors :

‘‘Just for further clarification the revised factors apply to male officers who retired between 1/12/2001 and 30/11/2006 inclusive and female officers who retired between 1/12/2004 and 30/11/2006 inclusive

The reason the female start date is different is because the revised factors from 1/12/2001 are lower than the factors used to calculate the lump sums for female officers who retired between 1/12/2001 and 30/11/2004’

If you are in this catchment please email David Devine at Pay & Pensions ( David.Devine@durham.pnn.police.uk ), with your Rank, Collar number & email address and he will be in contact with as soon as possible

Revised pension lump sum factors

The below info has come from David Devine : Pay & Pensions (David.Devine@durham.pnn.police.uk) 

To those who this concerns : Please can you email David with your email address & service details (Rank & collar number) as this will potentially speed up the process

“We have now received the instructions and factors from GAD for the changes to the commutation factors

GAD have also advise that they are to issue a calculator that is to be used to calculate the lump sums “in a few weeks”, no set date as yet. Obviously they don`t want anyone going off alone and perhaps ending up with different figures from the GAD advice. I understand the calculator will also have a checking process to ensure the correct commutation factor was used originally and that the correct commutation factor is used in the revised tables.

In preparation for this we are currently gathering the data that will be needed to complete the calculator once it arrives. There will also be interest payable alongside the lump sum and this will be determined by the date the arrears are paid

The guidance also requires that officers who are eligible will be required to sign a discharge paper in respect of the matter. The exact wording of this has yet to be sorted but the basic gist is that this will be a final payment in respect of the matter and that they agree to withdraw any claims they may have with e.g. the Pensions Ombudsman in respect of the matter

Obviously this will delay the process a bit as we will need to await the response before making payment. We will pull together the discharge wording and have them issued as soon as possible. I propose to issue the discharge via e-mail where we hold this on our system, any without an e-mail address will be contacted by letter. Anyone who now wishes to provide an e-mail address for the issue of the discharge papers will be welcomed and they would also have the benefit of receiving their payslip on a monthly basis by e-mail

I will let you know when we get a concrete date when payment will be made”

Police Pension Commutation update

Further to our initial posting on this website of the 16th May : http://www.durhamnarpo.org.uk/2015/05/police-firefighters-pension-scheme.html

there have been numerous phone calls to Police HQ & Durham NARPO committee members following the publication of the Pension Ombudsman’s Determination into his investigation of a complaint of maladministration by the Government Actuary’s Department failure to regularly review police and firefighters pension commutation factors we have received a high volume of enquiry about the outcome and implications for individual members of that determination.  

The link below from NARPO HQ gives a brief history of the complaint and addresses, in particular, the question of further complaint about historic commutation factors. The views expressed in the document, in particular about further complaint, are based on comments made by the Ombudsman in his determination.  - See more at: http://www.narpo.org/index.php/pensions/police-pensions.html#sthash.8PD0QaD5.dpuf

Blackhill Section : Late sixties ??

Can anyone identify the missing name from this photo ? If so please leave a comment below or email  : durhamnarpo@gmail.com.
All the officers were stationed at Blackhill Section late sixties / early seventies
Left to right : , Stan Hegarty, Cliff Hodgson, Jimmy Hettle, Norman Fletcher,Duncan Adamson, Dougie Smith.

Update : Many Thanks to Stan Hegarty & Cliff Hodgson who both replied and confirmed that the ‘unkown person’ was Norman Fletcher and that the picture was taken between 1963 & 1965

Death of a retired colleague : Christina Barnes

It is with sadness and regret that we have to advise you of the death of Christina Barnes who died unexpectedly at the weekend, aged 73 years.
Many will recall Christina working in the Chief Constables office for many years, retiring in 2003 after 43 and a half years service.  Christina initially began her service as a typist at Houghton-le-Spring in 1959 before moving into HQ in the late 1960's and she remained in the Executive Secretariat until her retirement.
Funeral arrangements have now been confirmed as follows:
friends are welcome to join with family for a service at 10:45 on Wednesday 15th July 2015 in St Cuthberts Church, North Road, Durham.
St. Cuthbert's is near the Garden House Pub across from County Hall. There is a layby for parking to the east of the church on Framwellgate Peth (the A691) opposite the entrance to the DLI car park. Parking is also available on North Road at the west end of the church. For SatNav use the post code DH1 4NH. Additional parking is also available at the DLI Museum.
Christina will be hugely missed by her loving family and many friends.  Any messages of condolence for the family can be sent to Welfare (margaret.toward@durham.pnn.police.uk) who will ensure they are passed on to Christina’s sister and her wider family.
Our thoughts are with Christina's family and friends at this sad time.

Deaths of two retired ex Durham / Northumbria officers

It is with regret that we have to inform you of the deaths of two ex Durham officers who completed their service in Northumbria :

Chief. Supt. Jack NORRIS, was in Durham Force and transferred to Northumbria, where he retired as a Chief Supt. in 1979.
Since his retirement, he has resided at Belmont, Durham.
The funeral is to take place at Durham Crematorium at 12 noon on Thursday, 9th. July, 2015.

Owen Rogers, aged 81 years died after a short illness on 1st July, 2015.
He served in Durham Constabulary at Durham City and Jarrow C.I.D. until the amalgamation in 1974,thereafter he served in South Shields C.I.D. until his retirement.
He leaves a widow, Enid and son, Adrian (53 years). Funeral arrangements are:
South Shields Crematorium (John Reid Road) on Tuesday 14th July at 11am and, it is believed at Jarrow Conservative Club afterwards.
Our thoughts are with the families at this sad time

Death of a retired Police Officer : PC 1272 Robert Pilgram Atkinson

It is with regret that we have to announce the death of a retired officer, PC 1272 Robert Pilgram Atkinson, who died on 13^th June 2015 aged 94 years.
Mr Atkinson served from 1^st September 1949 until his retirement on 23^rd February 1974, having served at Gateshead throughout his service.
The funeral will take place on Thursday 25^th June 2015 at 12 pm at Saltwell Crematorium, Gateshead followed by refreshments at the Park View Hotel, Gateshead. This service is not private.
Our thoughts are with the family at this sad time.

Spouses Pension For Life

NARPO have been supporting a campaign seeking to achieve police spouse pensions for life, initially started by widow member Kate Hall
Kate launched a petition on this topic last year and the petition attracted over 70,000 signatures. We now wish to enlist your support in drawing more attention to the campaign directly with the recently elected members of Parliament.
Although the Government appear to have made some concessions towards spouses in this matter, those concessions have not yet been consolidated in law but in any case leave police widows and widowers in England, Wales and Scotland at a disadvantage when compared with widows and widowers of police officers from Northern Ireland, where the legislation has been changed to allow all police widows and widowers to retain their pension entitlement following co-habitation or remarriage.
We have drafted a letter on this topic with specific reference to the situation in Northern Ireland, which you may be happy to send to your local Member of Parliament to assist us in this campaign. Local Members of Parliament may also be interested in specific cases of how the current restriction on co-habitation and remarriage affects our members who are their own constituents.
DRAFT LETTER
Details of your Member of Parliament can be found at: FIND MY MP

Death of a retired Police Officer : PC 903 John Knaggs

It is with regret that we have to announce the death of a retired Police Officer : PC 903 John Knaggs, who died on the afternoon of 11^th June 2015 aged 68 years, following a battle with cancer for the last year.
John’s service was mainly within the traffic department and he retired from the Accident Investigation Unit on the 14^th July 2002.
Following his retirement as a Police Officer John served as a Vehicle Examiner until his retirement on 31^st May 2011.
John leaves a widow Susan Knaggs, son Paul and daughters Carolyn and Joanne.
The funeral will take place on Friday 19^th June 2015 at 1pm at St Mary’s and St Cuthbert’ Church, Chester-le-Street. This service is not private.
This service will then be followed by a private cremation.
Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to St Cuthbert’s Hospice .
Our thoughts are with the family at this sad time

Memories of the Police HQ, Aykley Heads

An album of photos of the ‘old’ Police HQ at Aykley Heads which was officially opened on the 31^st January 1969 by the then Secretary of Stat for Home Affairs -  Jim Callaghan and finally was closed in 2015 with the opening of the new Police HQ which has been built on the location of the old Sports Centre/ playing fields adjacent to the original building.

The album shows photos of the site just before and after its closure in 2015 and show the main building, cadet blocks, PC’s hostel and classrooms, parade square & traffic/ workshops block as well as the Radio Mast, designed by Brutalist engineer Sir Ove Arup – the creator of the Syndey Opera House, which in 2003 became a grade II-listed mast, and will eventually be dismantled and rebuilt at the new HQ……

Top view the album please click on either of the pictures above or CLICK HERE

Photos were taken by Dave Atkinson & John Attle

Death of a retired Police Officer : PC 1366 Brian Petre

It is with regret that we have to announce the death of a retired Police Officer : PC 1366 Brian Petre, who passed away suddenly at home on 17^th May 2015, aged 67 years.
Mr Petre was medically retired on 1^st December 1990.
Mr Petre leaves a widow, Audrey.
The funeral will take place on Friday 29^th May 2015 at 1.00 pm at Durham Crematorium. This service is not private.
Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to St Cuthbert’s Hospice.
Our thoughts are with the family at this sad time.

Police & Firefighters Pension Scheme: Ombudsman Determination Published

This article has been taken from the Pensions Ombudsman Service website (www.pensions-ombudsman.org.uk)

Final decision published: 15 May 2015

We have published the final decision on the complaint made by Mr Milne against the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) about the factor used to convert his pension into a lump sum at retirement and whether the factors should have been reviewed earlier than they were.

Tony King, the Pensions Ombudsman, has decided in Mr Milne’s favour.  The Pensions Ombudsman decided that the factors should have been reviewed between 1998 and 2005, when Mr Milne retired.  He has directed GAD to assess what the factor would have been in 2005 if reviews had taken place and to notify the administrator of the relevant part of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme so that they can recalculate the cash sum.  He also directed GAD to pay interest on any additional cash sum, from Mr Milne’s retirement date.

Background

Mr Milne is one of a small number of retired firefighters who had made similar complaints to the Pensions Ombudsman Service.  There are many more who would have complained, but were asked not to pending the outcome of Mr Milne’s complaint.  A similar issue arises in the Police Pension Scheme and so the outcome is also relevant to retired members of that scheme.

The complaints followed a 2009 High Court decision that in the Police Pension Scheme GAD was under a statutory duty to produce tables that resulted in “actuarial equivalence”. The firefighters’ scheme has identical rules in this regard. Previously GAD had believed that it was only required to review factors at the request of relevant Government departments. The outcome of that case was that new tables were introduced with effect from 2006.  It did not deal with periods before then.

What does this decision mean for members of the firefighters’ and police schemes?

Strictly our decision only applies to Mr Milne.  It is binding between him and GAD, unless there is an appeal to the court on a point of law.

Mr Milne was a member of the scheme in Scotland. Firefighters are employed by Fire and Rescue Authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in Scotland, though these arrangements have changed over time. So the administration of the scheme involves a number of different bodies as well as different departments in Westminster and the devolved administrations.

However, the Pensions Ombudsman said in his decision that he hoped that all the relevant bodies would swiftly take steps to deal with the position of other affected retired firefighters and police so that it would not be necessary for their complaints to be pursued.

I could make a similar complaint. What should I do?

You should wait to find out what the response to the Pensions Ombudsman’s decision is.

It is possible that there will be an appeal to the court against the decision in Mr Milne’s case.  If there is, then it should be known about quite soon as there is a normal time limit for appeals of a month.

If there is no appeal, then the various bodies will have to decide how to deal with all of the other cases. The Pensions Ombudsman Service is completely independent of them and so does not know whether or not they will voluntarily pay additional cash sums where applicable.

When we know what the response to the decision is, we may publish further information on our website. You may also want to stay in touch with your union, if a member.

How many retired firefighters and police are potentially affected?

We do not have the numbers, but the factors were not reviewed between 1998 and 2006, so anyone who retired in between may be affected if they are reviewed.  However, it does not follow that a review will result in a different factor and a higher cash sum – particularly in the earlier years.

Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration to mark the 175th anniversary of Durham Constabulary

Durham Cathedral, 2.30pm Saturday 16^th May

On Saturday, 16^th May a service will be held at the Cathedral as part of the ‘Summer of Celebration’ to mark the 175^th anniversary of the force. Starting at 2.30pm and expected to last around an hour, the service will include a sermon from the Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler and musical contributions from both the Durham Constabulary Band and the Choir.

Deputy Chief Constable Michael Banks will also be making a short address at what will be one of his last official engagements before he retires.

During the service there will also be a collection, with part of the proceeds going towards the Police Treatment Centres. The service is suitable for everyone, regardless of personal faiths or beliefs and it is hoped as many of you as possible can attend. Family and friends are of course welcome.

If you are going to the service, please take your seats by 2.15pm to ensure the service can start on time.

Latest edition of the Durham Peeler now online

NARPO chairman Alan Watson has been burning the candle at both ends to once again  produce the latest edition of the Durham Peeler – Summer 2015.

Please CLICK HERE or on the image to view the magazine

To ‘catch up’ on previous editions of the Durham Peeler visit the website at :
http://www.durhamnarpo.org.uk/p/durham-peeler.html

Death of a serving Police Officer : Inspector Mark Hall

​Family, friends and colleagues of Newton Aycliffe Neighbourhood Inspector Mark Hall have paid tribute to him after his sudden death last week.
Mr Hall, 47, who lived in Newton Aycliffe, fell ill when he was out on his bicycle on the evening of Thursday, April 23. He was taken to hospital in Darlington then transferred to Durham, where he sadly passed away on Friday, April 24.
Mark leaves behind his wife Tina, children Rebecca, 25, Luke, 24, and Ben, 9; three step-children, Nathan, 24, Chris, 22 and Joshua 20, and three grandchildren.
Mr Hall’s family said: “Mark was a beloved son, brother, husband, father and grandfather. To have him taken from us so suddenly is heart-breaking.
“His career as a police officer, his membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and his work with young people were all extremely important to him, however his first priority and love was his family.
“He loved to watch his youngest son play football and other sports, and in the past couple of years has spent many a weekend playing golf with nine-year-old Ben to help him develop his love and passion for the sport.
“The world has lost not only a highly respected member of the community but most importantly a committed, loving and charitable son, husband, father, grandfather, colleague and friend.”
Superintendent Kerrin Smith said: “We are deeply saddened and shocked by the loss of Mark. He was a much-loved friend and colleague of so many people at Durham Constabulary and will be hugely missed.
“Mark began his career as a police officer with Bedfordshire Police in 1990, transferring to Durham in 2001. During his time with Durham he undertook a number of different policing roles, but most recently was the Neighbourhood Inspector for the Newton Aycliffe, Shildon and Sedgefield areas. He was passionate about the role, leading the team by example, and doing all he could to ensure local people felt safe in the communities in which they live.
“All our thoughts are with Mark’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
An online book of condolence has been opened so that people can leave messages about Mark. You can add a message by following the link below and clicking on the ‘contribute’ button at the top of the page: http://mark-hall.muchloved.com/

Death of a retired Police Officer : DC Donald Stephen Brett

It is with regret that we have to announce the death of a retired Police Officer, DC Donald Stephen Brett , who died on 22^nd April 2015  aged 89 years.
Mr Brett joined Durham Constabulary 1^st September 1951 and served at Houghton, Willington, Dog Section, Crime Stats, NECRO, Newton  Aycliffe CID before retiring from Special Branch at Teesside Airport, 31^st August 1981.
He leaves two sons, John and Leonard.
The funeral will take place at 9:45 am on Wednesday 6^th May 2015 at St Clare’s Church, Newton Aycliffe, followed by a cremation at Darlington Crematorium. 
The service is not private.
Friends and former colleagues are welcome to attend the service followed by refreshments at The British Legion, MacMillan Road, Newton Aycliffe.
Family flowers only by request please.  Donations in lieu of flowers, if so desired, can be made to Macmillan Nurses – a plate will be available in church.
Our thoughts are with the family at this sad time.

Death of a retired Police Officer : PC 1123 Arnold Walker

It is with regret that we have to announce the death of a retired Police Officer : PC 1123 Arnold Walker, who died on the 17^th April 2015, aged 81 years.
Mr Walker retired from Durham Constabulary on the 1^st January 1984. It is believed that he served at Durham City and retired from Durham Comms
Mr Walker leaves a widow Maureen.
The funeral service will be taking place on the 30^th April 2015 at St. Magdalene Church, Belmont at 2.30pm this will then be followed by the cremation service, afterwards friends can gather for refreshments at the Parish Hall in Belmont. The funeral service is not private.
The family have requested family flowers only but donations can be made in lieu of flowers to Alzheimers Research (Dementia Cafe, Belmont)
Our thoughts are with the family at this sad time.

Cadet Reunion

If you were a Police Cadet (or Junior Fireman) with Northumberland/Northumbria, Durham, Cleveland or North Yorkshire and resident at Durham (Sedgefield/Aykley Heads) anytime between 1969 – 1975, you are invited to a Reunion Evening on Friday 9^th October 2015, 6pm – 10pm at Ramside Hall Golf Club, Durham.

Food will be available.

Please see Durham Police Cadets Facebook Group for regular updates and more information. We are trying to contact as many former cadets or perhaps staff as possible, so please pass this on to anyone you are in contact with and anyone you have been meaning to contact for years.

We would appreciate contact to let the venue know numbers.

Please contact Carol Moore (nee Potts)  at carol.moore56@icloud.com

Driving Licence changes on the 8th June

The DVLA says that from June 8, drivers with a photocard driving licence should destroy their paper counterpart and only keep the photocard, remembering to renew it when necessary (gov.uk/renew-driving-licence). Motorists could face a £1,000 fine if they are caught with an invalid licence.

Old style paper driving licences issued before the photocard was introduced in 1998 will still be valid and should not be destroyed.

The DVLA confirmed that there would be no charge for changing an old style paper licence to a photocard licence with a change of details. However, once the motorist has the photocard licence, they will have to pay £20 each time it is renewed (every 10 years).

Anyone over the age of 70 will need to renew their licence every three years, updating it with any medical conditions. This is free of charge. "If a driver updated their licence with a change of address, name or notified a medical conditions then the updated licence issued will be a photocard licence," the DVLA said.

This change means that all licences, including the old style pre-1998 paper licences, will no longer be annotated with new driving convictions and penalty points. Instead, drivers will be able to share their licence details with third parties via a new digital service called "View Driving Licence". Motorists can go online to view their own driving record at gov.uk/view-driving-licence.

This service allows drivers to see how many penalty points they have and what vehicles they can drive.

The DVLA said it was developing another service for those who need to check the driving record of an employee or customer.

A spokesman for the DVLA said: “We want to make it as easy as possible for motorists to access government services.

“Getting rid of needless bits of paper, making changes to free up drivers' time, while saving money for the taxpayer, is all part of our commitment to cut unnecessary red tape. That is why we are introducing new and easy to use digital services that will allow drivers and businesses to check driving entitlement and endorsements. This means there will no longer be a need for the paper counterpart of the driving licence which will save drivers over £5m every year."

Death of a retired Police Officer : Sgt 151 Thomas Henry WHITE

It is with regret that we have to announce the death of a retired Police Officer : Sgt 151 Thomas Henry WHITE, who died on Sunday 29^th March 2015, aged 90 years.
He retired from Durham Constabulary on 31^st March 1973.
Tom's wife Margret has sadly also died on the 4th April.
There funeral will take place at 2:30 pm on Thursday 9^th April 2015 at Hartlepool Crematorium.  The service is not private.  Friends and former colleagues are welcome to attend the service.
No flowers please by request.  Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the Durham Constabulary Benevolent Fund.
Our thoughts are with the White family and friends at this sad time.

AGM of Durham NARPO : Monday 23rd March 2015

 

Date for your Diary…….

Monday 23^rd March at 1930hrs

The Annual General Meeting of Durham NARPO, with guest speakers from Force Executive and Federation.
All members welcome to attend and participate
Ideal time to meet your old colleagues and friends.
(Please put the date in your diary and see if you can attend, meet your committee and see the hard work they are doing for you)
The meeting will be held at the Durham Indoor Bowling Centre, Pity Me, Durham, DH1 5GE

View Durham Indoor Bowling Club in a larger map

Death of a retired Police Officer : Detective Superintendent 403 David Richard Gill

It is with regret that we have to inform you of the death of a retired Police Officer : Detective Superintendent 403 David Richard Gill who died on 14th March, 2015 aged 76 years.
Dave joined Durham Constabulary initially as a Cadet before being appointed as a police officer.  His first posting was Darlington, then he went into CID and served at Seaham, with the Regional Crime Squad, Peterlee, Chester-le-Street and Complaints and Discipline retiring in 1992,  after 38 years service, as Deputy Departmental Commander CID
He leaves a widow, Vera, along with two adult sons Graham and Duncan.  Duncan is also a retired Durham police officer, who is currently working within the Constabulary, so will be known to many.
Funeral details have now been confirmed and friends and colleagues are invited to join the family for a service at 11.15am on Friday 20th March 2015 at St Michael and All Angels Church, Hawthorn Village, which will be followed by cremation at Durham Crematorium at 12.30.  This will be followed by refreshments at Hawthorn Community Centre.  No arrangements are to be private and the family have extended a welcome to friends and former colleagues who would like to join them at any part, or for all of the arrangements.
For anyone wishing to attend the church service but who may be unsure of the location the following information might assist:
St Michael & All Angels : Hawthorn Village, Located right in the centre of the village - down the hill from the pub or up the hill from the Rectory. Entering the village from the north, go down the bank and turn right. If entering the village from the south, go down the bank and turn left at the pub., Hawthorn, County Durham, SR7 8SG
At the request of the family should anyone wish to make a donation in lieu of flowers then they are asked to consider making these to the Respiratory Ward at the RVI, Newcastle.  In order to ensure that the monies are used directly to the benefit of patients on this particular ward the hospital have asked to specify this when making any donation, otherwise the monies are paid into a general Patients Comforts fund.
Our thoughts are with the family at this sad time

Operation Seabrook – Historic abuse investigation

Operation Seabrook is the continuing investigation being undertaken by Durham Constabulary regarding claims of historic sexual and physical abuse at the former Medomsley Detention Centre in Consett, Co. Durham. These offences took place principally between 1961 and its closure in 1987.
The victims were all in their ‘teens’ when they were sent to Medomsley at various dates from the 1960’s to when Medomsley closed in 1987, for what were often relatively minor offences. Previous police investigations in 2003 and 2005 (Op. Halter) led to the conviction and jailing of Neville Husband and Leslie Johnson, former members of staff at the centre who have since died.
In August 2013 a fresh investigation was launched into claims that young men sent to Medomsley Detention Centre, were subjected to abuse at the hands of prison staff.
So far the investigation has led to 1083 victims coming forward to report they were victims of either sexual or physical assaults. Calls have also come in from potential witnesses, as well as a small number of people ringing in with additional information.
Whilst the work to try and identify everyone named continues, so far 16 former members of the prison staff have been interviewed under caution regarding allegations of historic sexual and physical abuse on inmates. All were prison officers at Medomsley at different times during the time it was open who have since retired.
The identification of staff continues to prove challenging with many offenders only known by nickname or surname. More interviews will take place over the next few weeks with other ex-Medomsley prison officers.
Former inmates were transported to Medomsley from court by police officers who would have been conducting court duties at that time. Inmates were transported from surrounding force areas to Durham constabulary as well as other force areas further south.
IF YOU were one of these officers or have knowledge of a former police officer who escorted persons from court to Medomsley and you/they witnessed any type of abuse to those detainees by prison staff or are able to identify any former member of staff at the establishment can you please contact the Operation Seabrook team direct on 0191-3752879 or the Incident room on 101 (Durham) extn. 752237.

Death of a retired Police Officer : Sgt Katherine (Kathy) Sturrock

It is with regret that we have to announce the death of a retired Police Officer Miss Katherine Sturrock (Kathy), who died on 26^th February 2015 aged 88 years.
Kathy may be remembered by the many Cadets she trained over a number of years her family tell us she was Durham’s first ever female sergeant.  She retired from Durham Constabulary on 3^rd November 1977.
The funeral will take place at 10:45 am on Friday 6^th March 2015 at Darlington Crematorium.  The  service is not private.  Friends and former colleagues are welcome to attend the service and to join with the family afterwards for refreshments at Ted Fletcher Court, Salters Lane South, Darlington.
No flowers please by request.  Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to Marie Curie Nurses.
Our thoughts are with Kathy’s family and friends at this sad time.

New drug drive legislation comes into force from 2 March 2015

New drug drive legislation comes into force from 2^nd March 2015 in England and Wales. So long as you are following the advice of a healthcare professional and your driving isn’t impaired you can continue to drive as usual and aren’t at risk of arrest.

In the dawn of new drug drive legislation, THINK! is encouraging people who take medicines and aren’t sure if they are safe to drive to check with their pharmacist or doctor. The new law comes into force from the 2nd March and is designed to catch people who risk other people’s lives by getting behind the wheel after taking drugs, and not those taking legitimate medicines that don’t impair their ability to drive.

The new law sets limits at very low levels for 8 drugs commonly associated with illegal use such as cannabis and cocaine. There are also 8 prescription drugs that are included within the new law. These are:

• clonazepam
• diazepam
• flunitrazepam
• lorazepam
• oxazepam
• temazepam
• methadone
• morphine

However, the limits that have been set for these drugs exceed normal prescribed doses, meaning that the vast majority of people can drive as they normally would, so long as:

• they are taking their medicine in accordance with the advice of a healthcare professional and/or as printed in the accompanying leaflet
• their driving is not impaired

It is illegal to drive if your driving is impaired by legal or illegal drugs.

If the police stop you and think you’re on drugs they can do a ‘Field Impairment Assessment’. This is a series of tests that assesses a driver’s capability to drive.

If they think you’re unfit to drive because of taking drugs, you’ll be arrested and will have a blood test at a police station. If the test shows that you’ve taken drugs you could be charged with a crime.

You don’t have to be on illegal drugs to be unfit to drive - many prescription or over-the-counter medicines can also impair your ability to drive. If you’re taking medicines, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or healthcare professional before driving.

The penalties for drug driving are the same as for drink driving. If you are convicted you will receive:

• A minimum 12-month driving ban
• A criminal record
• A fine of up to £5000 or up to 6 months in prison or both

The consequences of a drug drive conviction are far reaching and can include:

• Job loss
• Loss of independence
• The shame of having a criminal record
• Increase in car insurance costs
• Trouble getting in to countries like the USA

Drug drive law is changing to make it easier for the police to detect and prosecute drug drivers.

A new offence of driving with certain controlled drugs above specified limits is due to come into force on 2 March 2015. These new rules will mean it will be an offence to be over the specified limits for each drug whilst driving, as it is with drink driving. The new offence will work alongside the existing offence of driving whilst impaired through drink or drugs. Drugs covered by the new rules include cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine. The limits for illegal drugs will be extremely low – one smoke of cannabis will put you over the limit.

Cancellation of Older Peoples Question Time

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Older People’s Question Time will no longer be taking place as planned. Apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. Pease be assured that the campaign is continuing at full speed and we will be pressing politicians for answers in other ways.

Connect PA will be writing to inform all those individuals that agreed to attend that unfortunately Older People’s Question Time will no longer be taking place as planned on 27^th February.

We were extremely pleased that some members were able to take part, and please be assured that we will continue to push politicians to answer our questions on later life. If you or branch members have any specific questions that you want to raise with politicians, please do send them to us via Will Sexton on w.sexton@connectpa.co.uk or 020 7222 3533 and we will make sure that we put them to those that we are talking to.

We hope that you will continue to work with us to raise the issues that matter to older people as the General Election nears. If you haven’t done so already, please do download our local lobbying toolkit which has details of how you can get involved in your local community.

Angela Calvert
Senior Administrator
National Association of Retired Police Officers

Consett Police 1989 ??

‘Many Thanks’ to Neil Walker for sending in this photo which was taken outside of Consett Police Station about 1989
Neil was a Police Constable at Consett for a short while during the late 1980's before transferring to Cleveland Police during September 1990 and he recalls his time there with great fondness. His tutor Constable was Steve Smith.
Neil cannot recall why the photo was taken

Back Row: PC Ray Armstrong, PC Joe Minto, PC Sean McCarrol, PC George Ledger, Sgt Eddie Bell, Sgt John Bartlett.

Middle Row: ?, Me (PC Neil Walker), PC Darren Ellis, PC Steve Campbell, Sgt Bill Ellen, Sgt Dave Taylor

Front Row: DI Arthur Proud, Insp. Ian Thew, Supt. Stan Heggarty, Ch. Insp. John Guest.

If anybody can identify the ??’s or let us know why the photo was taken please either leave a comment or send a quick email to durhamnarpo@gmail.com

Federation Magazine for February now online

Police Federation Magazine for February 2015 is now online on the website.
To view the magazines please click HERE and then click on the individual thumbnail image on the page

B & B at Police Treatment Centres

Dear NARPO Branch
I contacted you last November to tell you that we were starting to take bookings for B&B at St Andrews and Castlebrae for 2015.  As you know bookings are open to all serving and retired police officers and represent great value for money with a double en suite room costing £100 for bed and breakfast and £80 for a single en suite room per weekend (Friday and Saturday night).
I am pleased to say that we have had an excellent response and have already sold out a number of weekends here in Harrogate.   We do however still have rooms available at St Andrews for the week-ends of 24-26 April and 1-3 May.   These are both great weekends to be in North Yorkshire with the Harrogate Flower Show - http://www.flowershow.org.uk/ and Le Tour de Yorkshire - http://letour.yorkshire.com/ respectively. 
We also have plenty of availability for weekends later in the year Availability is also generally good at Castlebrae which is of course a beautiful venue all year round.
I hope we will have the opportunity to welcome you or your members for B&B soon!   We are in a state of great anticipation here in Harrogate for our first B&B guests of the year who will be arriving on Friday and trust they will have a lovely stay with us.
I would be very grateful if you could circulate this information to your members.
Kind regards.
 
Wendy Bartlett
Fundraising Administration Assistant
The Police Treatment Centres
Tel: 01423 504448
Email: wendyb@thepolicetreatmentcentres.org
twitter-bird-blue-on-white@PTCentres
Click on the links below for more information

Death of a retired Durham/Northumbria Police Officer : PC Derek Davison

It is with regret we have to report the death of a retired Police Officer : PC Derek Hathaway DAVISON, aged 85yrs, of
30 Newcastle Road, Chester-le-Street who died on Friday 30th January 2015.
Derek served in the Durham Force up to the amalgamation in 1974, transferring to Northumbia Police Force until his retirement in 1976.
He joined the Durham County Branch of NARPO, and immediately became a Committee Member serving thereon until his retirement from the Committee due to ill health in 2011.
In September of that year he was made a Life member of Durham NARPO for his service to the Branch.
The funeral will take place at 11am on Friday 13th February 2015 at Durham Crematorium. Family Flowers only.

Police Federation Magazines : Nov & Dec 2014 & Jan 2015 now online

November 2014

December 2014

January 2015

Police Federation Magazine’s for November & December 2014 & January 2015 are now online on the website.
To view the magazines please click HERE and then click on the individual thumbnail image on the page

National Police Trainers Reunion 2015

The second national police trainer’s reunion has been booked !  It will take place:-
WEDNESDAY 23 September 2015 -HOLIDAY INN, HARROGATE,  which is next to the  Conference Centre
Due to popular demand this year’s reunion will be open to anyone who served at any of the training centres in England and Wales.  (Including CPU and the Police Staff College)
Reception 6pm for 7pm  in a private lounge with Cash Bar, at substantially reduced prices!
Three Course dinner with 3 choices per course,  plus coffee & mints and wine.
Cost of the meal is £32.50 per person, which includes room hire and 4 bottles of wine per table of 8 people.
After dinner we have the use of a private lounge with a cash bar, AGAIN at substantially reduced prices. 
We have managed to secure a special room rate £92.50 for B&B for 2 persons, Single Occupancy £82.50.  Furthermore if anyone wants to stay a second night either before or after the event we have also negotiated the same discounted rate
PLEASE NOTE in event of the unforeseen happening, rooms can be cancelled up to 4pm on the day of the booking, but no refund on meals can be paid after 21st August.
Parking will be free saving you a further £7 per night
Rooms will be available from 2pm on the day of the booking and there is complimentary use of leisure facilities nearby.
Dress. Lounge Suit or Jacket and tie - Ladies accordingly.  Wives, partners etc most welcome
Last year we ran a raffle to cover the cost of the entertainment, this year we will hold a raffle again, but this time we will donate the money to the Police Treatment Centre in Harrogate.  If you have any raffle prizes they will be gratefully received.  The hotel has already donated a prize of a weekend away for 2 at the hotel on a date of the winner’s choice, subject to availability.
 
Action required if attending
1.     To reserve accommodation, please contact hotel direct 01423 849900
Please mention what the event is – the Police Trainers Reunion- There are limited rooms, which should be sufficient to cover our needs, but once they have gone they have gone so get in quickly !
 
2 .   Reunion Dinner is to be paid separately and cannot be included in the hotel booking. Please send details and    cheque made payable to Brendan Lally at 230 Manchester Road, Millhouse Green, Sheffield S36 9NR.  The dinner has to be paid for before the event, so please ensure that Brendan receives your dinner payment not later than 20th August.  Brendan will confirm receipt if you include your e mail address.
 
3.     With seating in mind, it would help to know where and when you served or attended.  Please let Dave Tingle know and he will try to accommodate particular requests.
 
Please bring pictures or other memorabilia for display if you wish but ensure  it is identifiable.
We intend to do all we can to do make this a special occasion- so tell your former colleagues too.  When it's full it's full!!
Contact details for you if you have any questions  are
Dave Tingle  email dave@tinglefamily.net Phone 01909 772173
Brendan Lally email bplally146@sky.com

1st Refresher Course at Plawsworth : 1951

Back Row – L to R : 2^nd - Ray Thompson, 6^th - Ray Kirtley & last Norman Davison

Front Row – L to R : 1^st - Eric Best, 3^rd Norman Simpson (or Ken Elliott)

The picture was provided by the late Eric Best’s daughter Elizabeth Best.

We have subsequently been contacted by Ian Raine (Retired Senior Sergeant, Queensland Police) to say that the constable in the back row, 5th from the right is his father, Raymond Haw Raine who was a detective at Stockton and Newton Aycliffe before he emigrated to Queensland, Australia in 1965. He died in Bundaberg, Queensland in November 2012.

 

.

Sgt Ted Brewster–Tour of Britain

Some great pictures of Sgt 378 ‘Ted’ Brewster (who sadly died in December 2013), performing duties at the Tour of Britain cycle race in the late sixties/early seventies.

Durham’s motorcyclists have performed duties all over the country with escort duties for National & International Cycle races/tours over the years, Commonwealth & Olympic Games etc and  and had the responsibility for operating the ACPO National Escort Group for a number of years in the late nineties

1951 Festival of Britain Celebrations ?

1951 Festival of Britain Celebrations?

Kings Head Traffic Point, Darlington.

Busy Pedestrian Crossing at junction from Bond gate near to Woolworths. 

P.C. Eric Best on point duty. (identified by Derek Sayers)

Any old uniform / equipment ??

Durham Constabulary are looking to commission a piece of art for the new HQ and would like to recycle old uniform and equipment as part of that. 
If any retired officers have any old uniform or equipment – helmets, truncheons etc they would like to donate, then please get in touch with the Force Force Knowledge Manager - Teresa Ashforth :
Teresa.ashforth@durham.pnn.police.uk
0191 375 2022
Teresa has some pieces already but not a lot and would appreciate if you could take the time to contact her if you have anything that might help

A Shift Consett, approx 1999

Back Row – L to R : Mick Dunn, Phil Donnelly, Steve Wass, Sam Chong, Barbara Powell, Dave Mitchell, Cath Knox, Ian Lambert, Dave Summers, Shaun Lavender,

Front Row – L to R : Yvonne Dutson, Sgt Chris Headley, Sgt George Ledger, Steve Donnelly, Paula Cook.

Missing from the shift picture are Insp Colin McGillivray and PC Joe Carr

Many Thanks to Phil Donnelly (who was then a Police Cadet) for providing the photo  (Phil is now living in Cairns, Australia)

If you have any old photos from your time with Durham Constabulary that you’d like to share on this website please email us at durhamnarpo @gmail.com

Death of a retired Police Officer : Inspector 146 Archibald McRorie (Jock) WILSON

It is with regret that we have to announce the death of a retired Police Officer : Inspector 146 Archibald McRorie (Jock) WILSON who died on 2^nd January 2015 aged 85 years.
Mr Wilson retired from Durham Constabulary on 21^st December 1984 as an Inspector but many will recall him as Control Room Sgt & then Sedgefield Section Sergeant for many years .
Mr Wilson does not leave a widow.
The funeral is to be at 1pm on Friday 16^th January 2015 at St Catherine’s Church, Fishburn. 
This is the church up from the ambulance station which may assist those attending the service.
The service is not private and friends are asked to please meet at church for 1pm. 
All are welcome to join the family afterwards for refreshments at Fishburn WMC.  Family flowers only please, however for anyone who would like to make a donation in lieu of flowers the family have asked if donations could be considered to be made to the British Heart Foundation.
Our thoughts are with the family at this sad time.

Death of a retired Police Officer : Superintendent Reay Henderson

It is with regret that we have to inform you of the death of a retired Police Officer : Superintendent Reay Henderson (ex Durham & Northumbria)
Reay had been suffering  ill health for some months and died on Tuesday 16th December 2014. 
He  initially joined the Durham Constabulary and served at Hartlepool and on the S.I.S until the amalgamation in 1974 when he transferred to the Northumbria Police area,  working in many parts of the Force, including the Sunderland area, achieving  the rank of Superintendent. After retirement he moved house to Shotley Bridge.
The funeral is to take place at 12.30pm on Monday 29th December 2014 , at Mountsett Crematorium,  Dipton, near Stanley(Post Code DH99JP). Details will be posted in the Chronicle in due course.

Death of a retired Police Officer : D.C. Thomas Herries

It is with regret that we have to inform you of the death of a retired Police Officer : D.C. Thomas Herries, aged 94 years who died on Tuesday, 9th December, 2014.
His next of kin is Francis BUDKIN (daughter) and son in law Peter Budkin.  ( Service details not available from family)
The funeral will take place on Tuesday, 16th December at 10.15am, at Darlington Crematorium.
Family flowers only.
Donations in lieu to St. Teresa’s Hospice or Marie Curie Funds. Offering plate will be in the crematorium.
Our thoughts are with the family at this sad time.

Explosives Handling Course, Catterick Camp 1960’s

Many Thanks to Steve Hodgson for supplying this picture of an Explosives Handling Course, at Catterick Camp in the 1960’s.

Officers from the Special Incident Squad & H.Q. CID attended

Back row: Lawrie Hodgson, Brian McDonnagh , Paddy Farrell, Maurice Soady, Dennis Cullen,
Army Major running the course, Jim Strachan, Harry Scott, Stan Davison
Front row : Army Sgt, Steve Coxon, Gordon Bacon, John Glendenning, Stan ?, Army Sgt, Bernie Price.

Inter Services Post Joint Operations

Many thanks to Norman Davison for this photo from an Inter Services Post Joint Operation, which was an emergency dialysis cabin lift at Annfield Plain, Catchgate area to Hare Low, Birtley.

Pictured are : Traffic North Officers: Peter Thomas, Ken Bailey, Bill Newby, Norman Davison, Brian Jones,
pilot & co. pilot. R.A.F. Air/ Sea Rescue

Can anyone identify the Traffic Officer far right ? (Many Thanks to Frank Hewison, for identifying Brian Jones)

Paws Up Christmas Cards are now available…

Paws Up (The Durham Police Dogs Benevolent Fund) are delighted to announce their first ever production of a festive greetings card.

These are now available to order on line at the Paws Up shop.
Just click on the image to be taken to the merchandise page at www.pawsup.org.uk
As ever, all proceeds are to help our retired four legged colleagues.

Please note that this is ONE card only ...
It is reversible, with an image on both sides and designed to appeal to people of all ages !

One side shows our very own drugs detection dog -
Police Dog 'Dexter' posing amongst presents with Paws Up mascot 'Bob'.
On the reverse is a lovely festive image of 'Bob' only.

 
The cards are A6 in size and come with an envelope.
Full colour, printed on 300 Gsm card and left blank inside for your own message. 

For mail order / on line sales, we are selling these exclusive cards in packs of 10 for only £5 - including P&P.

They have a limited production of 1,000 cards available.

Support our local retired Police Dogs : Paws Up Calendar 2015

The ‘Paws Up’ team have been busy preparing the 2015 calendar and it is now available by

CLICKING HERE

The calendar costs £8 including post and packaging and has some fabulous pictures of our local Police Dogs.

Get yourself a great calendar and you will also be helping to support these dogs after their working lives are over

Life Should Mean Life–Sign the E-Petition

PC Geoffrey Fox, Det Con David Wombwell and Sgt Christopher Head were murdered in 1966

The recent announcement of the parole board that Harry Roberts, who was found guilty of the murder of three police officers, was to be recommended for release has prompted an e-petition calling for a  Compulsory Life Tariff for Murder of the Police.

To sign the petition use the link below :

Click Here to View/Sign E-Petition

The President of NARPO Ian Potter has described the release of the notorious police killer Harry Roberts, who was jailed for life for murdering three unarmed officers in Shepherd's Bush, West London, in 1966 as ‘a disgrace and an insult to the families of the victims and yet another demonstration of how this Government have scant regard for policing in this country.’ Roberts was released from Prison on Tuesday(11/11/2014) despite opposition from various police bodies including the Police Federation. Ian Potter said ‘ A large number of our members will have been serving at the time of this heinous crime, which at the time sent shock waves through the Police Service owing to the nature of this callous and cold blooded murder of three unarmed Police Officers carrying out the job they loved. This man should never have been considered for release and should have remained incarcerated for the rest of his life for committing this cowardly act, which was an offence against both the victims and the nation as a whole. We wholeheartedly agree with the comments made by the Police Federation amongst others and our thoughts are with the victims’ families and our NARPO colleagues who served with the victims at the time of their deaths. I now call upon this Government to urgently introduce legislation that ensures life means an ‘entire life sentence’ for the killers of police officers.’

Is this how we start a Steel Band ?

This photo was taken outside of Durham City Magistrates Court in 1970 and taken from the Northern Echo.

If I remember correctly,  Clishy “Hendo, is this how we start a Steel Band?”

(The real story was that these items were recovered from the main Durham to London railway line by Tom Clish… disaster averted and a commendation for Tom)

In pic left to right, Jeff Wittingham? Tom Clish, Peter McNulty and John Henderson.

Many Thanks to John Henderson for sending in the photo.

PS. Tunic’s and ‘Bulled’ boots – Those were the days

THINK! Don’t Drink Drive 50th Anniversary Advert

The 11th hour of the 11th Day of the 11th month

Remembrance Day is also known as Poppy Day.

It was first observed in 1919, however until 1945 it was called Armistice Day. Traditionally there is two minutes of silence at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month because that was the time (in Britain) when the armistice became effective in 1918.
Today, in the UK Remembrance Sunday is also observed on the Sunday nearest to November 11th. So, in the United Kingdom, two minutes' silence is observed on November 11 itself, and on the second Sunday of November. Remembrance Sunday, ceremonies are held at War Memorials, all over the UK and over the years it has become a day to commemorate not just the sacrifice of servicemen and women but the suffering of civilians in times of war.

Remembrance Sunday is commemorated by church services around the UK and a parade of ex-service personnel in London’s Whitehall. Wreaths of poppies are placed on war memorials from the Cenotaph, a war memorial in Whitehall, to the tiniest war memorials in villages all over Britain. Small wooden crosses are placed in Gardens of Remembrance as private acts of remembering individual losses and suffering and people pin poppies to their coat or jacket.

History states that it was the poem 'In Flanders Fields' written in 1915 by Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian Medical Officer, that captured the imagination of the British people in the dark days of trench warfare on the Western Front when so many young soldiers failed to return. Six months before the Armistice, McCrae was brought on a stretcher to a big hospital on the French coast and saw the cliffs of Dover from his room. He died that night and was buried in a cemetery above Wimereux. Before he died, he said to the doctor: "Tell them this . . . If ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep." An American woman, Miss Moina Michael, wrote a moving poem in reply and bought 25 red poppies, wearing one herself as a way to keep faith with the war dead; a French woman, Madame Guerin, came up with the practical idea of making and selling artificial poppies to help ex-service men and their dependents in need.

Britain's first Poppy Day was held in 1921 and the money raised helped children in war-devastated areas. The Royal British Legion opened its own poppy factory in London in 1922 to give practical help in time of need to all who have served in the armed forces and their widows and dependents. The paper poppies that are worn today are made by ex-service personnel and are sold by representatives of the Royal British Legion, an organisation of ex-servicemen and women. Today, they make more than 35 million poppies and 65,000 wreaths for the annual poppy appeal. Poppies grew in great abundance in the shell-torn fields of Flanders during the War. Because of its abundance it became the symbol of remembrance of two world wars.