Police House 1939-45.

The Police House was located on Radcliffe Road, Cropwell Butler. (now called 'The Old Police House').  On the front wall it bore a sign bearing the words 'County Police'.   From 1939 to 1945 it was occupied by the Village Constable, P.c.200 Sidney Brooks, his wife Dorothy and sons Peter, born 1936 (the writer, now living in OZ) and Michael, born 1939  (now living at Whatton).  There was an old fashioned stem type phone connected to the manual exchange. I think the number was Radcliffe 139. To operate, it was necessary to turn a handle on a box and await a response from the operator.  The system was powered by a wet cell battery.  Sid's  means of transport for work was a sit up and beg style  Raleigh pedal cycle on which he patrolled the villages of Cropwell Butler, Cropwell Bishop and Tythby.. The house had a kitchen with a coal fired iron range, including an oven and back boiler.  There were two separate brick outhouses attached to the rear,.one had outside toilet,  the other  a wash house (laundry) with coal fired copper.   A storeroom under the stairs was  used as an air raid shelter not very effective but all there was.   Near the toilet was a coal house. The pantry and bathroom led from the kitchen.  All rooms had an open fire place..  For cooking, there was the iron range or a portable single element electric stove..  There was a lounge room at the front and a spare room used as an office.  Upstairs were 3 bedrooms, each with a built in cupboard.The garden had blackcurrant and redcurrant bushes at the top, a septic tank with a hand pump for pumping out water for the garden and there were always vegetables growing in summer.  Police wages were only a few pounds a week but married officers had a rent free house. They  were required to keep the garden and grounds in tidy condition. At the rear was a small ash tree and another ash and sycamore tree at the front, which were just the right height for climbing.Next door on the village side lived the village blacksmith, Mr Harrison..  Mrs Harrison. kept a good garden with poultry, always a good source of eggs, and an orchard.  Towards the village was a field and next to that a terrace of tiny old cottages.  On the Radcliffe side was John Sheldon’s field with the large house further away.  The outlook was rural with no houses immediately opposite.  On the opposite side towards Radcliffe was Boxer Clark’s farm. There was a hawthorn hedge on the front boundary, in front of which was a rainwater ditch.  The driveway and back yard were sealed with tar and gravel with wooden double gates at the entrance.  Alongside the gate was a notice board displaying notices connected with Foot and Mouth disease outbreaks, colorado beatle, village events  and other  items of a public nature..  Notts County Council notices were usually signed by the Clerk to the Council, K Tweedale Meaby.  (A fascinating name).The house was nearly demolished by German bombs on one occasion when  3 incendiary bombs fell about 10 metres from the house in the back garden, on the potato crop,  They were extinguished using a strirrup pump and sand from the buckets provided for such an eventuality.Sid was promoted in 1945 and we moved to Mansfield Woodhouse.On my last visit to the area, I observed that the house has undergone  extensions and other renovations.

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