Welcome to the BTP History Group. The latest news and views will be posted here.
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Recipients of the title “BTP History Writer” will be appointed by the Group’s Trustees and President. Nominations should reflect worthy contributions and are invited from any BTPHG member or retired BTP member of staff. By email please to btpwriters@btphg.org.uk.
BTPHG has launched a web page called StoryBank where many articles from our rich history can be found. These include extracts from History Lines our regular Group newsletter and some fascinating Trial Reports from the Old Bailey. Also, we have introduced StoryBank itself, a section where you will find articles submitted by members covering a wide range of topics. Please think about about sending one in yourself. They can be serious, case histories, amusing incidents, charitable or biographical. They need to true of course and connected to our ‘job’ in some way. And they can’t be too ‘political’ or slanderous. In this way we hope to build up a rich store of articles that tell the real history of the RDC Police (Railway, Dock and Canal.) And they don’t have to be the finished article – just send in a few notes if you want and we’ll do the rest. What better way can there be to portray our history? Please send your story to StoryBank@btphg.org.uk
We have made quite a few additions to the website in recent weeks. In addition to our ‘Short Papers’ articles in the Police History section, we now have ‘Proceedings of the Old Bailey’ a series of historic transcripts from trials at the Central Criminal Court which have a connection to our subject. Additional transcripts will be added regularly over the next few months. We have also begun posting extracts from our regular Newsletter – History Lines – and again, these will be added to on a regular basis. Perhaps most fittingly, in early November, we have our second Roll of Honour. This time dedicated to Officers from the various Railway Police Forces who died serving their country in The Great War. This has been compiled by Committee Member and long time force historian Kevin Gordon and we are very grateful for his efforts. Lastly there have been a couple of additions to the Photo Gallery.
J.R. inaugurated the Whitbread Shield which for many years was awarded to officers for commendable work. But otherwise we know very little about him and if anyone can shed any light on this enduring mystery we would be delighted to hear about it. The book is still available at reasonable cost through Amazon and the like, though some specialist book dealers do ask rather more exhorbitant prices. Enjoy the read.
Bill, an Honorary Welshman, lives in Valley, Anglesey , but is originally from Morecambe – says he has no regrets over his long career. “BTP has been a huge part of my life for the best part of 40 years, and on the whole they’ve been very happy times. During the course of my career I’ve met everyone from down-and-outs to the Queen. My philosophy throughout has been to treat each person equally, which I think has stood me in good stead.” Bill was appointed MBE in 1995 for services to BTP – something which he described as “a huge surprise and quite an honour”. (He may have been particularly surprised because not too long previously he had arrested a peer of the realm for being drunk and disorderly at Birmingham.) Bill has seen huge changes over the years – including the introduction of the CPS and PACE- “When I first started we didn’t have the CPS – you had to be judge, jury and executioner. You’d arrest somebody, prepare the file, take it to court and prosecute it. A lot of bobbies nowadays don’t go to court, but we were there every day.” Chief Inspector Sandra England, BTP’s Sector Commander for Wales , said: “I’d like to sincerely thank Bill for his enormous contribution to BTP over the past 40 years. He’s been a credit to his area and the force, and he will be missed by us all.” I might also add that he has always been hugely popular with his fellow officers and remains a stalwart figure in his local community – over the years he has raised tens of thousands of pounds for charity, most especially for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. On behalf of all your BTPHG colleagues Bill – well done and have a great birthday bash later this month. Viv Head, Chairman BTPHG (Re-produced with thanks from the Wales & Western Area weekly bulletin)  BTP Riot Gear From the BTP website - The rail system has largely been able to operate during the recent difficult circumstances in London and various towns and cities across England. Our officers are out in force and have dealt with some minor problems, but no serious incidents. We will intervene should incidents occur and will take a robust approach to any disorder in support of our local police colleagues. Our priority remains ensuring the safety of the railways and those who work within it and travel on it, and our operations are supporting this. From The Times - Chief Constable Andy Trotter urged minsters to stop ‘pretending’ sweeping cuts to budgets would not affect front line policing. From FaceBook - Our people have been truly magnificent… they have been in the thick of it; particularly when the trouble in Croydon was at its height. We had officers under attack including by petrol bomb. I can tell you that BTP has stepped up to the plate and displayed great courage, Integrity, resilience and professional competence. I am very proud of out people and I am sure you are too. As always the very worst situations brings out the very best in police officers. From Twitter - We are deploying 21 Mobile Support Units across London and UK city centres to respond to any disorder in key areas. and Huge thanks to our Special Constables who’ve risen to the challenge of recent events supporting frontline officers & the rail network. Well done every one.  Major  Spud
New member Mick Kinirey has taken on the job of building on Kevin Gordons excellent work on the origins of BTP police dogs. He will be bringing the story up to date and finding out all those unlikely tales. The photos here are of Pc Alan Beddoe’s dog ‘Major’ who carried out an extraordinary track in the 1980s, and Spud, very much a 21st Century police dog. It’s a big topic and Mick can do with all the help he can get. Do you have any stories, photos or memorabilia? You can contact Mick through his email on the Projects‘ page of this site or via his address in the NARBTPO Directory.
The new Cardiff Story Museum was officially opened by HRH the Duchess of Cornwall on Tuesday 28th June 2011. I was fortunate enough to be invited to the opening, having arranged for a number of police related artefacts to be donated and having provided much information about the Bute Dock Police and their police station around 1900. As you can see I did not waste the opportunity to catch the Duchess’s ear! One of the items on display was a Bute Dock Police cutlass, dating from the 1860s, donated to the museum by retired Chief Inspector and History Group member Roy Hulin. Many former officers will be aware that a large number of these cutlasses were either on display at the docks police station at Cardiff or held in store at Divisional Headquarters. But when the BT police were withdrawn from the docks in 1985, the cutlasses were regarded as unique souvenirs of a time long since gone- and many were spirited away. So it is particularly pleasing to have one on display at the museum- the Bute Dock Police certainly played their part in the Cardiff Story. |
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Perhaps still the best known book about the work of the railway policeman, it was published in 1961, fifty years ago this year. But just who was J.R. Whitbread? We are no further forward in finding the answer to this. The fly-leaf says that he previously worked for the Railway Gazette but he is not known there today despite the fact that their oldest member of staff has been there since 1964. One thing we have learned is that officer standing beside the diesel locomotive in the photo opposite the title page, is the then PC Trevor Steward. It was taken around 1959 when the first diesel locos began hauling trains out of Liverpool Street Station.
