We have a small library but in addition, the County Library van visits each month offering a wider variety of books.”
“We run occasional party outings for clients to various suitable destinations such as the Zoo, Bird Park and a variety of gardens. Residents are required to book these in advance as they are popular, should these be over subscribed anyone who has been on a previous trip will be required to stand down to give those who have not been an opportunity to do so.”
“We have a suggestion box for residents to make suggestions or criticism, constructive of course,” she added to clarify.
He thought to himself I will wager her door is always open, save on a Friday that is, she unsympathetically listens to all clients’ complaints and suggestions, maybe, he thought.
“I might just ask you Mr Friendly, “What interests you yourself have?” she asked.
He said, “I enjoy photography and working on a computer especially visiting the Internet sites such as Face Book and You tube.”
She hesitated, and then said, “Well, we do only have two computers for the use of residents these are limited to one hour per day and the sites you mention are blocked. This falls into line with those of any Local Authority, some such sites are mischief makers,” she added.
“That is unfortunate,” he said.
“It is,” she said, “Do you have such equipment of your own?”
“I did,” Said Claude “but it was stolen, and I had hoped to acquire new items from the money I have.”
She looked and said, “Well you will have to take that up with Social Services who administer your funds. If they agree you must understand the Directors will also have to agree to you visiting these sites and if they do, you must do nothing which might reflect upon the good name of the Company and this establishment.”
“There is the matter of disturbance. You will definitely have to wear headphones so as not to disturb other residents or the staff whilst they are performing their duties. If your use is prolonged you may have to be connected to a meter and pay additional electricity costs by the hour.”
She concluded, “I think that about covers everything for the initial welcome unless you have anything to ask I will bid you a good day and a very happy stay here with us,” she said.
Sally pulled his chair back turned it around and they were gone.
“I think that went just about as I anticipated,” he said.
Sally made no comment, neither then nor when they arrived at his room. She assisted him up, smiled and left. He returned to his seat and looked once again at the now familiar view outside his window.
It was 2 pm, lunch over Claude settled undecided either to watch some television or look through the window at the snow on the ground and the now frozen water of the canal, when Miss Ling arrived saying he had two visitors.
He wondered whoever that might be, he knew no one who might desire to visit him, he thought. He made his way down stairs. On his arrival in the lounge he saw Ned and Mavis smiling and carrying some bags. Ned had, it appeared made enquiries at Claude’s old allotment shed and discovered the contents of the bags in a chest. Claude peered into them and instantly recognised the contents.
They stayed for an hour then, left, Claude was so pleased he had at last recovered something. He asked for help and Charles one of the home handymen came and carried the bags to his room whilst Claude followed, inside he felt as a child on Christmas day.
Charles asked, “Where do you want these putting Claude.”
“Put them on the bed,” said Claude, anxious now to be left alone to examine the contents.
Claude pondered his next move once the excitement had eased, he would decided, spend the time looking at the items and hopefully he would be permitted to display them in his room.
There before him in these supermarket bags was all he now had, to recall his youth and the many happy years and some not so happy in the Police Service.
He recalled how he had been having some decorating done and had taken them to his allotment shed as they had been in the way. He had forgotten them, until of course everything else he had was stolen or destroyed. Sitting alone he had thought due to the good offices of Mavis and Ned he had them once again.
Closing the door he anxiously opened the first bag, peeped inside, then took the plunge and tipped the contents onto the bed. There before him lay his Police Cap and Helmet and rank badges. The designs had changed over the years so he had as far as he could now recall kept one each time there was a change. He picked up and stared at them individually, Copton Police they all said.
When those were all done he found a black folder, on the front was inscribed in now faded words, St John Ambulance, First Aid Certificate. He recalled those far off days when every three years every officer attended lectures at the Police Station where a local doctor gave first aid and life saving lectures. There was an examination at the end of each course and certificates similar to the one he was holding were presented. A trained first aid man I was he thought. He smiled and muttered, “Maybe?”
He recalled how one of the doctors who carried out the talks was often a bit unsteady on his feet and had a reputation of being a secret Sherry drinker. In fact, now he thought of it the same medic had once been called to the Police Station to examine a driver arrested for being unfit to drive through drink.
Long before the breath test laws were introduced drivers arrested for driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink were examined by a medical practitioner any one, in those days, of the local General Practitioners or doctors, as there were no trained Police Surgeons.
The examination included asking the prisoner questions and noting if his replies were sensible or the speech slurred. A newspaper was often produced and the prisoner asked to read something from it. Finally there was the walk the line test often featured in comedies. A prisoner was directed to walk in a straight line, or, the one leg test. A suspect was told to stand on one leg to see if he could stay upright.
The doctor finally assessed, if the arrested person was either fit or unfit to be in charge of or drive a motor vehicle, finally signing a document to that effect.
He smiled as he recalled one Saturday day night just after midnight, a local doctor had been telephoned to attend the police station but said he required collecting. This was done and upon his arrival in the charge office at Copton Police Station the medic himself did appear a little unsteady.
There were looks from the arresting officer and the Station Sergeant who said nothing but lowered his head and shook it slowly from side to side. The prisoner did in fact say something, but after the tests, which certified he was unfit through drink to drive a motor vehicle had been completed.
When being locked in the cell he said, “Sergeant, that doctor, he was more pissed, than me.”
The sergeant made no comment, it was not advisable to do so in those days if one didn’t want police headquarters to receive a report one was a troublemaker and endorse one’s personal file to that effect. It had to be remembered, doctors were gentlemen in those days and often shot and hunted with or were close friends of local magistrates who were also gentry. On many occasions they were also members of the force police watch committee.
Claude was about to look at the next items when the case of the tipsy doctor came back to him once again. He thought of the period in his life when he suffered with boils and eventually was obliged to visit a local doctor.
After examining the boil the doctor announced an injection was required.
He rose from his seat at his desk and appeared to Claude to be a little unsteady. The doctor turned and bent down into a refrigerator and appeared to have difficulty finding the correct medication. Having picked up two bottles and asking Claude if he could read the label, which was not the required drug Claude had become windy made an excuse to leave informing the doctor he would call another day and bolted from the Consulting Room.
The next bag Claude opened contained what appe
ared to be papers; he carefully brought them forth and discovered one to be a bravery award. Several others were letters relating to a promotion and yet another of his retirement and strangely some old school books. He unfolded them, looked across the room and seeing a newspaper he placed them flat inside and then placed a heavy book he had borrowed from the home library upon it in an attempt to persuade the newly discovered items to go flat.
The final bag was larger and covered with paper, when he lifted the covering he saw inside his old police helmet and cap, which he lifted out placing them also on the bed. He attempted to wear them but they didn’t fit, either over the years they had shrunk or his head had gone bigger. He thought that many would say it was the latter though he preferred to think it was the former.
Looking once again into the bag he saw a black leather glove, making a further search he could not find the matching one and that was obviously lost he thought. There was a pair of white gloves used for ceremonial and whilst performing traffic control duty. The gloves like the head wear didn’t fit, not as he would wish to wear one black glove or the two white ones.
Digging deeper he discovered a black leather case and its contents, a pair of handcuffs. There are many old men still around who had worn these bracelets he thought.
The next item was a small black leather fold over case, marked Copton Police Duty Diary; inside there was another brown fold over book. It was marked “Copton Police Pocket book” which was blank. The last item easily identified was his staff as it was known others referred to it as a truncheon.
He would now he thought have to consider if he would dare display these items in the confines of his private quarters. Would Miss Matron, permit such things to be displayed even in the privacy of his own room.
Matron, ah, yes, he thought in the old days all real matrons and head mistresses were called miss. He cast his mind back to those times and recalled how, if a lady wished to achieve high rank in the nursing profession and if being a hospital Matron was her goal then it seemed a necessary qualification for her to remain unmarried, a miss. He presumed it was the old adage of those times, as it was in the Police Service, one was expected to devote all their time to the service.
Over the years he had known of several Matrons who had lived on the hospital premises. When he had visited in the night either officially in connection with his duties or unofficially to scrounge a warm drink and hopefully something to eat, Matron frequently made a round of the hospital often as late as 2 am. One was even accompanied by her dog. She was of course as resident Matron on call to assist with anything the duty night sister was unable to cope with.
In those distant times, Bobbies often called at hospitals having a sneaky brew especially on Friday or Saturday nights. The usual drunks and fighters arrived; either they had been brought in by ambulance or by friends, but more often they staggered there for treatment after fighting or falling or both. The nurses, normally middle aged married ladies; working part time found themselves the subject of abuse and occasionally, violence. The officer or officers quickly appeared from the nurse’s dining room coming to the rescue,
He still had memories of those times, when the police normally an inspector presented cases to the magistrate’s court. One youth, known as a constant troublemaker had a surprise, as did his solicitor.
One Saturday night around 2 am, the youth arrived at the hospital and spent some time walking around the building, banging on the doors and windows.
When the night Sister appeared and opened the door, as she was obliged to do, seeing the man was obviously drunk and not injured, asked him what he wanted.
He shouted he was too tired to walk home and wanted a bed for the night. He attempted to push his way through but Sister with the help of other nurses managed to close and lock the door. The youth did not leave and continued to shout and ball. The police were called and the man was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and a public order offence.
He appeared before the Court some weeks later and as the case was of a petty nature from previous experience he anticipated a punishment of only a fine, which in line with others of a similar disposition he didn’t pay and eventually paid it off each week at a meagre rate.
His solicitor, Mr Alex Edwards a small obese man wearing a long beard always reminded Claude of a look alike Santa, save that he wore a black pinstripe suit and not a red coat.
Anticipating the Magistrates would invoke the usual penalty Mr Edwards advised him to “Plead Guilty,” which he did. Claude vividly remembered standing before the "Bench," when he laid out the facts of the case.
He then added, “Your worships may I remind the court, this is a small town with a small hospital staffed only by female nurses who are obliged to answer the door to all callers.
They are alone and afraid when louts such as this defendant arrive the worse for drink, shouting, and threatening them. Claude knew the chairman Captain Black on the bench, his father had been in the hospital at that time, terminally ill the captain was visiting daily until his father passed away. The chairman was looking very stern.
Claude added, “Think of the patients your worships, many at the point of death, lying within the hospital, terrified.”
The Solicitor rose and as a matter of course in these petty cases made his spiel of how the youth was unemployed and had little education, he came from a family who didn’t care, he was so very sorry now. The spiel continued, his client smiling and looking around as if he didn’t care, he probably didn’t at that moment.
The Magistrates retired and on return the Chairman an ex Guards man with a handle bar moustache looked at the accused and then at the Solicitor. The Clerk indicated for the accused to stand, which he did. The chairman then said to him.
“You Sir, are a disgrace, visiting our hospital causing fear and despondency to the staff and to the sick of this community. You will go to prison for three months, officer take him away.”
As the officer in the case was still in Court he approached the now convicted man and detained him. The solicitor realised he had been caught out and things had not gone his way. He stood put his thumbs into the waistband of his trousers moving them to and fro and said, “This is outrageous I intend to appeal, I apply for bail.”
The Chairman looked at him and said. “An appeal is your clients right, bail is refused take him away officer.”
Claude realised the magistrates intention was to make sure he served some time in jail even if he appealed. No appeal was lodged; the youth served the regulatory two months of the three.
After release did not offend again, he always said! “Hello Mr Friendly,” when he saw Claude on duty.
Claude returned to reality, he was about to put away the items when in the bottom of one of the bags he saw a child’s toy; it was in fact a coloured plastic bottle in the shape of an old comic character, “Desperate Dan.”
When he saw the item it all came back to him. He quickly lifted out the item and unscrewed the head also being the bottle cap. He hesitated, he dared not look inside, then he realised he had to, was it still there he thought?
After some moments he picked up his courage and peeped inside, he saw the rolled bundle. It took a bit of retrieving but eventually he managed it and there on the bed was a tight roll of bank notes. He recalled it was a bond he had cashed in years ago and then forgotten to deposit it.
He counted it and couldn’t believe his luck, £2,000 pounds, he quickly removed the money out of sight for he felt sure if found it was likely to be put away safe for him with his other fortune, which to all intents and purposes was out of his reach seemingly for ever.
This newfound wealth was the answer to many dreams; he saw his camera and computer already before him. The cash safely concealed, he finally sat down in his armchair to contemplate the events of the day.
What he didn’t realise then but would soon learn the finding of the money was not to be his only good fortune. An event was currently taking place, which would transform what was le
ft of his life far more than this newly discovered wealth.
It was soon time for dinner, and he strolled down and sat at his usual table, ate as quickly as he could and retired for the night to his room.
On the way through the lobby he saw a notice on the board announcing a trip to the zoo, which according to the addendum to the note was nearly fully booked. He stopped read the note but walked on.
He thought as he strode onward, “I am already locked inside here I don’t want to view locked up animals as entertainment.”
Having peered outside for an hour at the wonderful sight of the sun going down over the fields with the sparkle of light on the canal and behold there were now narrow boats travelling to and fro. Some had dogs perched on their roof gazing at the scenery as their masters wives worked hard opening and closing lock gates, the master standing and smiling as he endured the stressful task of simply steering the boat.
Over many years whilst walking and filming along the various waterways it had always amused Claude that when a couple were crewing a narrow boat it was more often than not the lady who had to dismount, run in front of the boat then turn the heavy handle to lift the approaching bridge whilst hubby stood and steered. Once the boat was through, the poor wife was forced to run behind then jump back onto the moving boat.
Passing under the many lift up bridges could be fraught with danger. He thought of the case of the man who was steering and his wife turning the device to lift the bridge. Things went wrong and the bridge unexpectedly came down whilst the boat was passing under it, the man had attempted to jump clear, went overboard and was crushed between the side the boat and the brick wall, he was killed instantly.
Chapter 4
Claude arose a little late, unusually, he had slept soundly, it was 7 35 am, nearly breakfast time. There was a knock on the door. He thought it must be one of the carers and called,
“Come in.”
The door opened and a head appeared, then a female voice said, “Hello Claude, remember me?”
Police Memories Page 5
