Event Reports
8th November 2023
The Chairman welcomed32 members and 1 guest (Shirley Jones) and the speaker, Digby Lovell.
Sick members:Tony Harris, James Anderson (continuing to recover from his fall & spell in hospital).
Correspondence:The Secretary had received a ‘Thank You Card’ from Yorkshire Air Ambulance. (This resulted from the talk given by Marion Gamble and the donation given by the Club, as well as the generous value of purchases made by members.)
Minutes from the last meeting (October 25):These were accepted with no matters arising.
AOB
Should there be any queries about the Christmas Spectacular in Hull, or if anyone still wished to buy tickets, they should contact Gerald as soon as he returns from his holiday. (He still has 10 tickets remaining.)
The Driffield Christmas Tree Festival would take place again this year, and Barbara Hall had booked a space for a Probus Club tree. Ray Jones offered the use of his tree again, with the decorating to be done by Marjorie Battams, Jan Holman & Tina Shelton (should anyone else wish to help, please contact one of the ladies). Tree decoration is scheduled for 30 November, between 2–6pm; public viewing starts on Friday 1st December (notices advertising the Probus Club are acceptable).
Gareth Shelton stated that he has started work on the Facebook page again, which should be updated regularly with Club news (he had been waiting for the members to give the permission for personal details to be used). If you are on Facebook, here is a link to the Club’s Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=driffield%20probus%20club
If you are interested, just click on the ‘FOLLOW’ button and you should get an update when GS posts anything new. If this does not work, just do a Facebook search for ‘Driffield Probus Club’ and you should find it.
The meeting was then handed over to Digby Lovell to give his talk about ‘Men in Sheds’
Digby is the current Chairman, “as no-one else wanted to do it!” ‘Men in Sheds’ is an Australian term, but in the UK, it refers to ladies, as well. It started in 2013, and is a registered charity. There 850 groups nationally, with about 150 in development.
Locally, the Hornsea group has a large number of ladies known as ‘Crafty Shedders’ who are involved in textile crafts. The Driffield group covers art, crafts, gardening, metalwork, pyrography, to name but a few.
Why is it needed? Loneliness and social isolation are known to increase the risk of death by 26%, and are also associated with the risk of developing dementia.
Men in Sheds (Driffield) exhibit their work at the Driffield Show; they have made signposts for The Yorkshire Wolds Way; the planter in North End Park was one of their first projects, along with a fence made from recycled plastics. The Open Day in September was very successful.
The ‘Men in Sheds’ group starting in Driffield was largely due to Barbara Hall, assisted by Mark Blakeston. Covid was a problem and afterwards there was not a lot of interest. However, things gradually improved, and with local funding and publicity, membership has increased, especially for this year. They work with other local groups, e.g. Driffield in Bloom (Barbara Hall said ‘they have done a lot of invaluable work’).
Digby had brought along a number of items that his members had made. He also presented to the Club, a gavel (made by one of the group) along with a hammer, for the Chairman to use at meetings - GS thanked him for this.
Ray Jones thanked Digby for an interesting talk, and asked members to show their appreciation with a round of applause. Mike Battams presented a cheque for £30.00 as a donation from the Probus Club.
The Chairman then initiated a series of random 10 minutes talks from members, called ‘About Me’’ the first couple given were ‘I am Marjorie Battams’ and ‘I am Janet Thornton’
The next meeting will take place on Wednesday 22 November, and Andrew Elliker-Reeve will give his talk on ‘Travelling Blind’
The final date for booking tickets for the Christmas Extravaganza, with fish & chips at Papa’s beforehand, is Wednesday 22 November.
Information and booking form for the Probus Club Christmas Party on Wednesday 13 December has now been sent out to members. (Gerald will have extra copies at Wednesday’s meeting). All bookings and money MUST be received by Wednesday December 6, at the latest (to allow for Pam Woodcock, at the Cricket Club, to make the necessary catering arrangements)
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25th October 2023
Chairman’s welcome: Gareth Shelton welcomed 32 members, 1 guest (Shirley Jones), and speaker Philip Robson today, saying it was nice to see so many for his first official meeting. He gave out birthday cards to Christine Wilson and Mike Thornton. [Ray Jones & Liz Smith offered to wash up afterwards.]
Sick members: Tony Harris is still doing well; Pat Midgley gave an update on James’ condition; GM asked for the best wishes to be passed on to James from the members.
Correspondence: GM had received confirmation from the Mayor of Driffield, accepting the invitation to the Probus Christmas Party.
Minutes of last meeting: Accepted with no matters arising.
AOB: Mike Battams thanked Janet Thornton and Hazel Grant for standing in for him at the AGM and collecting the members’ payments.
The meeting was then handed over to Philip Robson for his talk on ‘The Yorkshire Wolds Railway’.
The Yorkshire Wolds Railway was started in October 2008 and took 4 years to get all paperwork sorted out before people could be allowed in. It cost £16,000 and an 83-page feasibility study to the local council before permission was granted to allow work to be carried out. It is a registered charity with its own website and members forum; there is also a membership scheme. (It is governed by the Heritage Railway Association.)
Tasks include restoration, painting, track laying, gardening (around the whole site), etc. The track has been extended since the railway first opened. To raise awareness of their work they take part in shows, e.g. Driffield Show, and also give public and local presentations (as for Driffield Probus Club).
On site there is a visitor centre, located in a railway carriage, a shop with a small café, track, a platform and a signal box.
Various rides and experiences are available. The venue is open on Sundays and Bank Holidays for different events (including open evenings for private events and group visits).
The railway is funded through grants, membership fees and donations – not just money, but ‘in kind’ e.g. track given by Drax and the time given by volunteers. Events, like the annual Model Railway Exhibition held at the Rix Pavilion in Driffield, also bring in much needed money. The Sledmere Estate were very much in favour of the restoration of the line and the Yorkshire Wolds Railway, and have been proactive with their help.
It proved to be a really quite interesting talk, enjoyed by the majority of members. The Chairman gave a vote of thanks to Philip Robson, and asked for members to show their appreciation in the usual manner. GM asked whether members would be interested in attending a private open evening at the Railway site in Fimber next year and there was a big show of hands from members in favour. As such, GM will make the necessary arrangements.
(Photo by Ian3055 of Yorkshire Wolds Railway, used underCreative Commons Licence).
The next meeting for Driffield Probus Club will be on Wednesday 8 November, when Digby Lovell will give a talk on ‘Men in Sheds’
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27th September 2023
The Chairman welcomed 38 members plus one guest (Barbara Bonner, formerly from Driffield, but now living in Washington DC); PG commented “this may be the most we have ever had at a meeting!”
Sick members: James Anderson is still recovering, and Pat Midgley gave members an update on his present condition.
Matters arising from the last meeting:
Gerald Massey had been in contact with St. Catherine’s Hospice re. group visits, and had been asked for no more than 6 guests at a time, and mid-week visits only, please. GM will contact them again to arrange a couple of dates.
David Woolley’s talk at the previous meeting seemed to go down very well; he also confirmed that he is willing to stand for Vice-Chairman at the forthcoming AGM.
The Bridlington Lifeboat visit has had a very good response.
New members: applications had been received from three prospective members:- Denise Dunnington, Sheila Robb and Sam Walton; all were accepted.
The meeting was then handed over to Bertie Bingham and his wife Claire, from Butterflies Chocolates of Pocklington.
They met at university where they were both working on a cancer research project. When this finished, they both decided on a career change, and having made chocolates for fun, thought this might provide a joint career for them. They have a purpose-built chocolate kitchen at their home in Pocklington, and now sell their chocolates at local farmers’ markets, Christmas markets, etc., and since the Covid lockdown have expanded their online sales, as well. They also give talks to local groups and clubs, as well as offering the occasional chocolate workshop.
They get the Belgian chocolate from a producer (Calibo) who use Fair Trade cocoa from Cocoa Horizons (an organisation who support cocoa farmers to farm sustainably).
They do not use artificial flavours or preservatives, although this means their chocolates have a shorter shelf life. They also use organic products wherever possible, so again there are no preservatives, but this does give a higher quality product. They also like to support local suppliers, as well.
The talk was very well received, with the tasting experience and the ‘tasting notes’ proving most interesting and giving an insight into the complexity of chocolate. Members showed their appreciation by buying a good quantity of the chocolates products on display.
The Probus Club visit to Bridlington Lifeboat Station will take place on Wednesday 4 October at 10.30am, followed by lunch at The North Star in Flamborough, at 12.30pm
The Annual General Meeting takes place on Wednesday 11 October at 10.00 for 10.30am followed by a talk given by Pat Midgley entitled ‘My Life Behind Bars!’
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13th September 2023
Peter Grant welcomed33 members plus 1 guest – Sam Walton (from Beverley Probus Club). He commented that it was nice to see so many at the meeting, and was possibly the most we have had in recent years.
Sick members
James Anderson: He had had a fall at home, and after much trouble trying to get an ambulance, was finally taken to Scarborough Hospital. An x-ray didn’t show any specific reason for the pain he was in, so a CT scan was taken, and they were currently awaiting the result.
David Holman had recently contacted GM and wanted to acknowledge the help that Gareth & Tina Shelton had recently given to him and Jan. Jan had suffered some sort of episode and was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary, with David accompanying the ambulance, and G & T taking the dog, Gracie to look after her. Jan had a blood clot removed from her brain. She is now very much better, and David wanted to thank G & T, saying that “their assistance was an indication of the help and fellowship that Probus was all about”.
Correspondence:
GM spoke about the talk that Marion Gamble had given on the Yorkshire Air Ambulance; he thought she was a good speaker, and gave an inspirational talk. She had emailed GM afterwards thanking Probus members for their generosity in raising £145, which was in addition to the £100 donation given by the Club. She also asked for a copy of the photo of the cheque presentation so that it could be included in the next edition of the YAA magazine.
GM had recently received a phone call from St. Catherine’s Hospice (Scarborough) saying they were trying to raise the profile of the hospice locally, by offering talks to clubs & groups, and would also arrange visits to the hospice, if one was wanted. GM asked members if anyone would be interested in a visit to the hospice, and as a number raised their hands, said he would arrange this. [Denise Massey added that she had previously visited the hospice and found it to be very much a place where life was celebrated, rather than a sad and morbid place – well worth visiting.]
Several birthday cards had gone out. One had gone to John Witty, whose birthday it was on the very day, so all the members sang ‘Happy Birthday’ for him!
Matters arising from minutes of last meeting:GM mentioned that the forthcoming visit to the Lifeboat Station had been booked for 4th October, as well as a table at The North Star in Flamborough, for lunch afterwards. Bookings for these must be returned by Wednesday 27 September, at the latest, as forms needed to be returned to the organisations for them to be actioned. [NOTE: the cost of £12pp for the meal is payable to Probus, as the Treasurer will write one cheque for all the meals.] GM also reminded the members on the visit that the Lifeboat Station was ‘a working environment’ and everyone should take great care whilst on the premises.
Vice-Chairman:GM mentioned that at the forthcoming AGM, the position of Vice-chairman will become vacant if members vote for Gareth Shelton to take over the role of Chairman. He added that the position of Vice-chairman is for 2 years tenure with the holder being required to stand in at meetings when the Chairman is absent and to attend Committee meetings every two months; also, there is not an automatic expectation that the holder of this position will take over as Chairman, as all positions have to be voted on by members at an AGM. GM asked all members to give this careful consideration before the AGM, and if interested, contact him as soon as possible.
AOB:GM commented on the recent Gliding evening at Pocklington Airfield, saying that as a ‘thank you’ to all the crew who helped & looked after Probus members on the evening, the Club bought them a round of drinks, and invited them to have some of the food available. As a consequence of this, when he came to pay the final bill for the evening, it turned out to be less than previously arranged!
The meeting was then handed over to David Woolley for his talk about his time ‘In the Fraud Squad’. (However, he started by saying that he would be putting his name forward for consideration for the position of Vice-chairman at the AGM!)
David is from Trowbridge in Wiltshire, and at 19 years of age thought about joining the Police Force, but coming from a small county town decided upon Leeds City Police, thinking it would be ‘a more lively environment’ – and because he had always been a supporter of Leeds Utd FC!
After his training and probationary period, he was posted to Dewsbury Road Police Station - conveniently in the Elland Road area – and was often on duty inside of the stadium on match days.He had wanted to go into Traffic, at some point, but this proved unsuccessful. He was approached about working in CID, and later, in the 70’s found himself with the West Yorkshire Fraud Squad – the 3rd or 4th largest in the country! David related some interesting stories, which included a particular con-man, whom he encountered on a number of occasions, and who defrauded many people out of tens of thousands, probably even millions of pounds. One case required David and his DC to travel to Malawi, Washington DC and New York to interview people connected to these cases.
David had to finish quite promptly, as the end of the meeting had arrived, but he did say that he had more tales to tell should we wish to hear them at another meeting.
On Wednesday 27 September a member of Butterflies Chocolates (in Pocklington) will be telling us about ‘The History of Chocolate’and will bring samples for Probus members to try, and chocolates to buy.
The Bridlington Lifeboat Station visit will take place on Wednesday 4 October at 10.30am (meet at 9.30am at Driffield Cricket Club to arrange car-sharing).
This will be followed by lunch at The North Star in Flamborough, at 12.30pm.
Bookings for the visit, plus menu choices for the meal MUST BE MADE by Wednesday 27 September, AT THE LASTEST! (Payment for the meal - £12 Each – to Probus, please, when booking.)
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August 23rd 2023
The Chairman welcomed 30 members and Sheila Robb, our guest.
Correspondence
One from David Bannister thanking for the gliding evening. Secondly from Liz Smith nicely explaining her apologies.
Matters arising from the minutes of the last meeting
Firstly, the gliding and picnic had been a great success. The Secretary had requests from several members to repeat it next year. On a show of hands firmly in favour of this, he said it would be included in next years programme.
Secondly, the welfare policy which was discussed at last months meeting had been delayed but would be out soon.
AOB
Ron and Sandra Stark agreed to be washing up monitors.
It was Gareth and Tina’s wedding anniversary today which they were celebrating.
Following the death of her father recently Tina had been under pressure. Marjorie Battams proposed that the Club send her some flowers in appreciation of the work she does for the Club - agreed by all.
Following this Marion Gamble gave an excellent talk on the work of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
She started by saying that the service started in 2000 with a second-hand helicopter and a portacabin. Everything bought was by borrowing or public donations. A big boost came when Richard Hammond of Top Gear fame had his high speed crash at Elvington in 2006. This brought much publicity and a campaign led to donations totalling £265,000 being raised in two weeks.
There are nineteen such air ambulance services covering England and Wales. In 2008 four million pounds was borrowed to buy another second-hand helicopter. At that time it was felt they needed their own base as there were restrictions on their activities flying from Leeds/Bradford Airport. They then moved to Nostell Priory to have their own airbase with all the facilities to house the staff.
Through fundraising they were then able to purchase two new helicopters for six million pounds with no borrowing. Through their Patron, Geoff Boycott, who contacted George Osborne, they received £1 million pounds from the Government. By 2017 they had more advanced medical technology on board, such as blood and doctors who could do difficult roadside procedures. With the advance of simulators and night vision they were able to expand from daylight hours to operating from six in the morning to midnight. Cover was still available in the early hours for real emergencies.
During Covid the fundraising suffered a real setback with the cancellation of over six hundred fundraising events. In spite of this in 2023 two new helicopters were purchased at a cost of £15 million. These could fly at 160 miles per hour at a height of 1,000 feet. The five million population of Yorkshire are covered by four major trauma hospitals. These can be reached from between six and twenty minutes from any emergency scene. It costs £19,000 per day to keep this service running. Eighty per cent of this comes from donations with the rest coming from sponsorships and bursaries.
On the recommendation of the treasurer, the committee unanimously agreed to donate £100 to the Y.A.A. and John Sharman, on thanking Marion, presented her with this cheque The members then showed their appreciation for the inspiring talk.
Later that day an email from Marion said that a further £145.45 had been raised from members donations and purchases from her stall. A wonderful effort from our members for which we can all be proud. Marion also said ‘Thank everyone for their generosity and their help in assisting me, I don’t think I have ever been so well looked after’
(Photo by YAA, used underCreative Commons Licence)
The next meeting will be on Wednesday 13th September when David Woolley will give talk on his time in the ‘Fraud Squad’.
On September 27th Butterflies Chocolates will present the ‘History of Chocolate’. This will include samples and there will be items for sale.
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9th August 2023
Chairman Peter Grant welcomed 29 members to the meeting, saying “another nice day for our Probus meeting!”
Correspondence:
Secretary Gerald Massey had received just one item. Making arrangements for the 2023/24 itinerary, GM had been in contact with RAF Fylingdales (who were top of the list with most votes), but had received a reply stating that they were unable to make any arrangements for visits until next year.
Matters arising from minutes of last meeting:
‘Trusted Traders’ and ‘Welfare Policy’ – lists for these two items would be sent out in due course
Probus Formal Dinner – Gareth Shelton said that preparation was now ongoing, and that John Ford and David Holman had offered to assist with arrangements.
New members: All three guests from our last meeting – Li Smith, Ron and Sandra Stark, have submitted applications to join Driffield Probus Club, which were accepted by all those present in a full show of hands.
Gliding: Whilst the actual gliding had to be postponed due to the weather, the ‘picnic’ arranged for afterwards still took place in the clubhouse, and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Five alternative dates were offered, with Weds 16th August being the most popular amongst participants. So far 18 places have been booked, with 2 still available. It has been decided by all taking part, that another picnic for after the gliding will take place – food offers will be arranged at the end of this meeting.
AOB: PG mentioned that nominations for a new Vice-chairman will be needed for the AGM due to take place during the first meeting in October. It is a 2-year position, and PG asked everyone to consider whether this would be for them. If you may be interested and would like further information, please contact Peter Grant (Chairman), Gareth Shelton (Vice-chairman) or Gerald Massey (Secretary).
The meeting was then handed over to Gerald and Denise Massey for theirVisual Fun Quiz:
This turned out to be a very entertaining quiz, with some ‘challenging’ questions, some trick questions, and a few ‘questionable’ questions!
Members were split into teams of four, randomly, with everyone having been given one of a number of differently coloured discs, with instructions to sit at the table appropriate for the colour of disc.
After 40 questions, the winners were Malcolm Craggs and his team-mates, who were each presented with the much-coveted ‘Tin of Tuna Trophy’ to the applause and amusement of all!
The next meeting will be on Wednesday 23rd August, when Marion Gamble will give a talk on ‘The Yorkshire Air Ambulance’.
On Wednesday 13th September, David Woolley will give a talk on his time in ‘The Fraud Squad’
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26th July 2023
The Chairman welcomed 31 members and 3 guests to the meeting. He then noted that “it was a nice to see the sun shining!” Secretary Gerald Massey mentioned that he had 2 messages from today’s guests:-
Ron and Sandra Stark had seen Driffield Probus Club mentioned locally and were coming along to see what it had to offer; they were from Aberdeen, and Ron had been a member of two Probus Clubs previously.
Liz Smith had first contacted GM some time ago. Her circumstances now meant that she was able to come along.
GM also welcomed back the Treasurer and his wife.
GM stated that “it was a real pleasure to welcome Tony Harris back to join us after so long!”, and that after hearing about him for so long, everyone would now know who he was. There was a round of applause from all present.
Correspondence: The forthcoming trip in October to The Beverley Treasure House had been cancelled due to a planned refurbishment. However, GM had managed to arrange a replacement trip to the Bridlington Lifeboats station, having contacted David Holker, who had given us a talk previously. Details will be sent out in due course for the trip on October 4th, with a meal in Bridlington to be arranged. [David Holman: “The Club made a donation on its last visit there.”]
Matters arising from minutes of the last meeting
Peter Hyde’s talk had been very well received; Richard Mole, who should have been giving a talk at this meeting, will be rebooked.
AOB: there were quite a few topics to be covered, with an accompanying slide show:-
The funeral of Dr. Ann Pilcher had been attended by 4 members – Gerald & Denise Massey, Gareth & Tina Shelton. GM had recently received a copy of the eulogy read at the funeral, prepared by AP herself; she had been preparing a talk about herself for Probus, before she died, therefore GM read this out. The photo shown in the slide showed AP before her illness took more of a hold.
The funeral of Maureen Winn (wife of Malcolm): this was attended by 4 members – Gerald & Denise Massey, David & Jan Holman. It was put forward that, in future, a representative of the Probus Committee should attend, with individual members making their own decision as to their attendance.
Ryedale Folk Museum trip: a lunch at The Crown Inn, was enjoyed by the group prior to the visit. We then had plenty of time to explore the Museum’s many exhibits, in the lovely afternoon sunshine!
‘Trusted Traders’ list: GS stated that a discussion at the last Committee meeting had proposed consulting members about compiling a list of local tradesmen who could be recommended to others (or who to avoid). Please contact GS with any information you have for good tradesmen. John Sharmen mentioned that a similar exercise had been started a few years ago, with relevant information being among old Club documents - possibly with the Chairman!
Afternoon Tea at Clickham Grange: a number of members gathered to enjoy a very pleasant Afternoon Tea, on the farm at Clickham Grange. However, unlike last year, this time we sat indoors, due to a ‘plague of flies’, but it didn’t spoil a lovely afternoon, with extremely good food. GM put a box of food together to take to Malcolm Winn (whose idea a repeat visit had been), who was, unfortunately, unable to attend that afternoon.
Wellbeing Policy: GM explained that the idea for this came after the death of former Treasurer, Ian Fairweather. A sub-committee was formed who decided on the ‘policy’ which was put to the members. There was a lot of discussion, with varying views. GM will send out a questionnaire for members to answer, and hopefully, get a better idea of everyone’s response.
Gliding evening: this meeting represented the final date for booking a place. Arrangements will be made regarding what food participants will bring along for the picnic buffet.
Formal Dinner: GS spoke about the questionnaire he had emailed to members to ascertain their views, give suggestions as to possible venues, etc. He asked for two volunteers to assist him in the organisation.
Prospective Vice-chairman: as GS will be taken over the position of Chairman at the Club AGM in October, he will be needing a Vice-chairman. GM asked everyone to consider whether they would like to volunteer for this position and ask for any information as to what would be expected of them.
Washing up after meetings: Sue Hyde explained the situation regarding clearing/washing up at the end of meetings. It was decided to ask for a couple of volunteers at the beginning of each meeting.
Suggestions: GM stated that it would be useful to know whether members were happy with how meetings run, the type of speakers booked, were member-speakers a good idea, what can we do better? He asked for members to respond with anything they considered relevant to how the Club runs – please feel free to contact GM with your thoughts.
The next meeting will be on Wednesday 10 August, when Gerald & Denise will be doing a fun Visual Quiz.
On Wednesday 23 August, Marion Gamble will give a talk on ‘Yorkshire Air Ambulance’
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12th July 2023
Chairman’s welcome:Vice-chairman Gareth Shelton welcomed 20 members. He asked for mobile phones to be put on silent.
Sick members:Tony Harris – GM was able to speak to Tony recently, who said he was feeling “very much better” and that his oncologist was very pleased with his progress. Tony also hopes to be able to attend the first meeting in August.
Minutes of the last meeting:accepted.
Matters arising:
GM mentioned that he had spoken to Liz Hallet, BEM (last month’s speaker) since the meeting, and had asked how she had been awarded a British Empire Medal, and she told him it was for her involvement with community work, and that she had raised over £40,000 for charity. She had been unable to receive her award at Buckingham Palace, as she had lost first her father-in-law, closely followed by her husband, and could not decide upon anyone to accompany her. In the end, she was awarded her BEM at Hull Guild Hall.
AOB:
GS presented Mike Roberts with his birthday card for later in the month.
GS mentioned the formal Anniversary Dinner he was hoping to organise for next year, and said that he will be sending out an email with a questionnaire to find out if there is interest amongst members for this (paper copies will be available at the next meeting for those who are not able to receive emails) - this will also be on the agenda for discussion at the next meeting.
Parking Restrictions for Tesco’s car park had changed. Whilst the time allowance was still the same during store opening times, once the store was closed, the time was restricted to15 min utes Only.
The meeting was then handed over to Probus member Peter Hyde, for his talk ‘On the Beat’
Peter joined the Police Force after leaving the Airforce, and whilst he tried to join at Hutton Cranswick, was informed by the local bobby there was an 18 month waiting list, but that he could get in straightaway down in Hull – which is where he went. He was sent to the Training Centre in Durham, and said that it was very different from what it is today, and one very important task was ‘observation skills’, which stayed with him for all his life.
Back in Hull, early duties involved night shifts, where he had to check that all businesses were locked at night – by trying all the door handles!
After a while he transferred to the East Riding Constabulary before marrying his wife, Margaret.
He had work in in Bridlington for a number of years and told us quite a few interesting tales of this time. He used to like to volunteer to look after certain dogs from the RSPCA, and this led to him applying for the post of a dog handler within the Police Dog section. At some point he had been nicknamed ‘Crasher’ because of his reputation of being ‘dodgy’ with police cars, having gone through 3 different cars in one day!
He worked in Beverley for a time and whilst there applied for a police motorcycle position, was successful, and his first bike was a 250cc BSA, upgrading to a 500cc bike later on. He spent 3 years as a ‘country bobby’, and during this time, received an award for gallantry for rescuing a disabled man from a burning building (unfortunately the man was already dead!)
He had to attend a course to update his knowledge of the law, and was asked if he had thought of becoming an instructor, which he did soon afterwards, at the Police Training School, being transferred to Dishford for a 2 year secondment. After this he transferred to York, as a sergeant. In all, Peter was a policeman for 31 years, ending up as an inspector. He then became a solicitor’s clerk, where instead of ‘locking up villains’ he was then ‘trying to get them out!’
Gareth Shelton gave the vote of thanks, stating how interesting a talk it had been about such a full and varied career.
It was noted that the funeral for Margaret Winn, wife of Malcolm Winn, would take place on 21 July at 3.30pm at Octon (information supplied by Jan Holman).
At the next meeting on Wednesday 26 July, there will now be no talk, as Richard Mole (who had been due to speak) had to cancel. There will, instead, be a General Meeting to discuss a number of topics with the members.
Probus Gliding Evening on 3 August
Information has been sent out, with a number of forms already returned; there is a limit of 20 fliers on the evening, so it will be a case of ‘first come, first on the list’
Please remember that the final date for booking is
Wednesday 26 July
All applications to Gerald, please.
Previous reports from 2020-2023 are archived and available on request.