Chair’s Year End Message 2021
I wanted to end the year with a few updates about the work of the British Transport Police History Group (BTPHG) and to encourage you to take part in our plans for 2022.
It’s been a tough year for many people. Serving officers and staff will know of the huge operational impact of the pandemic. From the perspective of the BTPHG we can see history being made and we are developing plans to capture some of the experiences of the pandemic for future historians of transport policing.
The Group itself has been doing well. This is largely down to the work of a few individuals who devote large amounts of their time to preserve and research our history. We are also lucky to have the support of the Chief Constable of BTP and the practical help of serving officers and staff. This has not always been the case and it is refreshing to see people recognising the importance of our history.
I took over as Chair from Mike Layton in the Spring. His work in looking at new aspects of railway dock and canal policing (RDC) history is something that I am keen to build on. Viv Head, one of the founding Fathers of the Group, has stepped back from the Committee to pursue his many research interests but, luckily for us, continues to have a close interest in the Group. Our President, Paul Robb, presented Viv with a token of our esteem when we were gathered at Euston to moving boxes as part of our archive move (see below).
Viv and Ed Thompson organised the very successful unveiling of a plaque at Wigan North Western Station to commemorate the murder of Det Sergeant Robert KIDD of the LNWR Police in 1895. A service was also held at Weaste cemetery where he is buried. We were very pleased to see Sergeant KIDD’s family in attendance at both events, together with representatives of the Force.
The Group has published a booklet by Viv Head on the foul murder in 1901 of Pc Thomas Hibbs. Plans to erect a plaque in his memory are currently subject to (rather protracted) negotiation with Network Rail. We will continue to work to ensure that RDC officers who gave their lives in the course of their duty are remembered.
A new home has been found for our document and artefact collections at Euston. Space has generously been made available by the Force, thanks to the work of Chief Inspector DOYLE who has been tireless in her support. The collection will now be sorted and safely stored. It is hoped that we will be able to put on further displays in the space available as well as allowing researchers to access the collection. This work is being overseen by John OWEN who has created a catalogue of our holdings which makes life a lot easier. We continue to acquire new items and documents and in doing so we are preserving our history. John and Ed have done so much to ‘get our heritage in order’ and I am very proud as Chair to be able to boast about the work of others!
The project to digitise back copies of the Blue Line has been completed and this work, combined with the digitisation of copies of the BTP Journal, give us ready access to major sources covering the last seventy years.
We have been in discussions with the BTP Information Management Unit regarding electronic storage and access. This is a complex area and again I am pleased to report that we have received considerable support from this part of the Force. We are hoping that we will finalise new arrangements in the financial year 2022/23.
The website www.btphg.org.uk remains our ‘shop window’ and is very popular. Please do check it regularly to see news stories and items of interest. There is always something new to see. Martin Mckay does a great job in keeping the website in good shape and acting as the first point of contact for many members of the public.
Your Research Group works in the background conducting research, producing reports and assisting with inquiries from the public, the Force and from media outlets.
Holding everything together in the centre of BTPHG is our Editor and Secretary, Bill Rogerson MBE. Quite how he fits everything in I am not sure. He has the busiest diary of anyone I know – including many in full time work.
The Future: 2022 and Beyond
I have tried to describe just some of the things that have been achieved in 2021. If we can do all of this in a pandemic, what can we do in normal times? History is a long-term activity. Ironically groups such as ours must focus on the future as well as the past. It is our responsibility to preserve our past for future generations. We must be mindful that best practice in the study of history develops, and we need to keep pace with new insights and techniques. The digital world is one which is a challenge to all historians and creates huge volumes of material – much of which is transitory. History is being made every day and we want to ensure that future generations have access to material which could easily be lost. We are the only organisation that is concerned with the history of RDC policing. This is a big responsibility.
Like most voluntary groups we are dependent on a small number of members. Not surprisingly most of them are retired. None of us is getting any younger. This is a familiar refrain in the voluntary sector, as is the cry for new members and new participants. I would urge you to encourage new people to join and to consider if you would like to help in any practical way. We are always looking for new post holders, new members of the committee and of the research group. Please speak to me or one of the committee if you would like to help. We would like to appoint ‘understudies’ for the major committee roles. There are also opportunities to help out with events, projects and working groups. We also welcome ideas for research and are keen to help new researchers who have an interest in RDC Police history but who may not be sure how to access information or how to present their findings.
We have formed a small group to look at developing a strategy and plans for the Group over the next decade. Anybody wishing to join or make suggestions to this group should contact me.
BTPHG is financially sound, and our Treasurer (John Owen) keeps a watchful eye on the accounts. Our subscription model is based on a one-off payment and this has worked well. Some members make a regular voluntary contribution, and this enables us to do additional work. It also allows us to occasionally buy items that come up for sale. This is the only way we can target new acquisitions to create the best possible record of our past. If you do not already do so please think about whether you could make a small contribution on a monthly or annual basis. No amount is too small to make a difference. You may also wish to consider legacy giving. All the money we receive is used for the work of the Group. Details of how regular contributions can be made are attached. As a member you do not have to pay anything other than your original subscription so you can ignore this suggestion if you have other priorities.
Our Annual General Meeting will take place in Birmingham on 21st March 2022, Covid19 permitting. Full details will be circulated by the Secretary. If you would like to attend you will be most welcome.
Early in the New Year we want to experiment with inviting members to ZOOM presentations on matters of interest. These sessions will involve a member presenting the results of some research for about 35 minutes followed by a discussion, questions and answers. The total run time will be 60-65 minutes. Further details to follow. Lockdowns have advanced the use of video conferencing, and this gives us an opportunity to engage with members in a new format.
Members can expect to hear more from the BTPHG (but not too often!) in 2022 as we have updated the way large scale email circulations are done.
2022 will see the completion of several projects and the start of some new ones. For example, we would like to restart the work on Oral History and to mine back copies of Police Review for references to RDC policing.
A busy and exciting year looms. Thank you for your continued interest in the history of railway, dock and canal policing.
On behalf of your committee, I would like to wish you a safe and happy Christmas and a great 2022.
Philip Trendall
Chair