1967 The Last Village Bobby

This report is listed on Social Snapshots 1900-1968 inc

P.C. Smith writes of his life in Lacey Green at the time of the "Cold war" click Village Policemen for Lacey Green "Bobbies".

HOUSE A BIT BASIC. We moved into the Police House, Main Road, Lacey Green, on a cold November day in 1967.    As the village bobby I was to accept 24 hour responsibility for Lacey Green, Speen, Loosley Row and Hampden.   There was a notice board outside the gate and a “County Police” sign over the front door.   The house had been built in the 1930’s for £350, and was a bit basic.   There were no electric points upstairs for example.

MOTORCYCLE PATROL. I was to patrol the area by day, leaving my wife to answer the phone and see callers at my small office.   Fortunately a smart black 350cc Triumph motor cycle went with the job, which beat cycling up those Chiltern Hills.

NO RADIO. Unfortunately it was not equipped with a radio.    My only means of communication was by telephone.  This was achieved by a system whereby the bobby would stand next to a public telephone box at hourly prearranged times so he could be contacted if required.

OFFICE EQUIPMENT. My little office contained a desk, filing cabinet, telephone, typewriter, my own personal world war three early warning system and a large box containing an air raid siren.

WW3 AIR RAID SIREN TEST. This was the cold war 1960’s and our nearest neighbour was Strike Command Headquarters, the Soviet Union’s number one nuclear target.  I did a test run with the siren; it took 45 minutes to drag it out into my front garden, read the instructions and assemble it.

41 MINUTES TOO LATE. The estimated time of arrival of a nuclear missile strike was 4 minutes; this left me 41 minutes short of warning the good folk of Lacey Green of a very loud bang.

OPPOSITE THE OLD VICTORIAN POLICE HOUSE. Our house was opposite to Stocken Farm and the former Victorian Police House called Graham Cottage no 1.

VILLAGE MEMORIES. The well-stocked Hickmans Stores. Palmer & Harvey, the warehouse in Church Lane.   It backed onto the Police House and had a very loud burglar alarm facing my bedroom window. The Crown , the beer-license-only pub in Church Lane. The Foundry in Loosley Row. Thr old post offices in Loosley Row and Speen.. The Windmill in such a sorry state. The Little Lady (Miss Hilda Gomme) of course, who walked miles each day to deliver the mail.

CHILTERN DIALECT. Many of the local residents were from families who had been established in the area for generations, especially the many small farms.  Lovely people as I remember, but the local Chiltern dialect did take some getting used to.  

THE PINK & LILY. Off duty I would like to join colleagues from Risborough at the Pink and Lily, for a pint or two served up by the lovely Ken & Ciss Fletcher.

PUB GAMES. We would regularly be thrashed at crib or dominoes by some of the local characters.   I have fond memories of those evenings in front of the roaring log fire in that little bar.

1971 LEFT LACEY GREEN

In 1969 it was decided that having constables dedicated to villages with little crime or disorder was a waste of manpower.   I was posted to Princes Risborough on mobile patrol duties, finally moving from Lacey Green Police House in 1971.

Editor’s note.   The Police House was sold to a private buyer and renamed “Huntingdon”