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A Policeman's Lot

Published on March 31st, 2023

If you were in Britain in the 1950s, 60s or 70s then you probably remember a number of popular TV programmes about the police force, such as Z Cars, Softly, Softly, and Dixon of Dock Green, with Jack Warner's genial greeting at the beginning of each episode - "Evening, all!".

This was the time of blue police telephone boxes, Panda cars, policemen taking their lives in their hands when they were on point duty at busy traffic junctions in towns and when a local "bobby" was stationed in most towns and villages.

Many Frith photos have captured fragments of this time, and memories shared by website users add richness to the wonderfully nostalgic images.

Enjoy these memories of a vanished age!

Photo: Tavistock, Policeman 1890.


As the volume of traffic in Kidderminster increased in the 20th century it became necessary to have a regular policeman on point duty in the centre of town, and the "Pulpit", as it was known locally, was erected, shown in this photograph. This was the second of two stands that occupied this site - the first was made of wood and was moved by the police just before the VJ celebrations which took place in the town in 1945. It was immediately replaced by this concrete structure, crowned with a canopy. In 1948 it was actually used as a pulpit, when several bishops preached from it to mark the Lambeth Conference. It was demolished in 1962.

Photo: Kidderminster, The Policeman 1957.


Information about this photograph of Haverfordwest has been sent to The Francis Frith Collection from W David Thomas, who explained that the Ford car "EDE 3" belonged to his late father, William Gwyther Thomas, who was the Divisional Highways Surveyor. The reason for it being apparently abandoned in the middle of the road was that the traffic lights at this junction had failed. At the time this photograph was taken, Mr Thomas was investigating the reason for the failed traffic lights at the control box, whilst the police controlled the traffic.

Photo: Haverfordwest, High Street c.1950.


A member of the local constabulary is on point duty in Lord Street in Southport. The wearing of white coats was introduced in some towns during the Second World War; it gave the policeman at least a sporting chance of not being run down during the blackout. There was even a plan in the 1960s to issue policemen on point duty with helmets that had a revolving flashing light on the top!

Photo: Southport, Lord Street c.1955.


This photo of a policeman on his bike in wet and wintry Worcester in the 1950s recalls an incident in East Peckham in Kent on 28th January 1896, when Walter Arnold had the honour of being awarded the first speeding ticket ever issued in Britain. Mr Arnold was fined one shilling (5p) for travelling at 8mph in a 2mph area. He was caught by a policeman who had successfully chased him on a bicycle!

Photo: Worcester, Broad Street And Crown Hotel c.1950.


The local policeman (PC Hollands) gave me a clout around the ear for scrumping strawberries from Fermers farm, and threatened me with prison if he caught me again. This put the fear of God into me, and once when I found a half crown right outside the police house I rushed to his door, frantically knocking, because as a seven year old child I was convinced PC Holland was setting a trap. When Mr Holland did eventually come to the door and listened patiently to my tale of truth, he beamed a big smile, put his hand in his pocket, pulled out another half crown and gave it to me for being honest. Those acts (the clout for taking strawberries coupled with the policeman giving me the reward) have put me in good stead ever since.

Photo: Lamberhurst, Old Hill And High Street c.1955.


The policeman in this photograph, much to my amazement, is me! I joined the Worcestershire Constabulary in 1961 and worked at Redditch from 1961 to 1965, when I then went to be a village bobby at Oldswinford in Stourbridge. We had no radios or much transport in those days and most eight-hour shifts would be spent walking the streets. To see if we were wanted we either passed the end of Church Street and looked down to the Police Station to see if the blue light outside had been put out, or we hovered by a designated telephone box at a set time each half hour and waited for it to ring. The rest of the time you were on your own and expected to deal with anything that came your way. The newsagent's shop on the cover of the book was at the top end of Evesham Street where it became "Front Hill" and was the shop where I had a standing order for each of the James Bond books as they were published. He was all the rage at that time and all the books were keenly anticipated. I came back to Redditch as an Inspector in 1978, not having been back for many years, and could hardly recognise the place. I preferred the old town but all towns change with the years, although not quite as much as Redditch. I retired from there in 1986.

Photo: Redditch, Traffic Lights, Evesham Street c.1960.


The policeman on point duty at the busy junction of the High Street, Eastgate, and Star Hill in Rochester stands in the seemingly flimsy protection of a small, wheeled cubicle to carry out his duties of directing the traffic. Members of today's constabulary are no doubt grateful that this task is now carried out by automatic traffic lights.

Photo: Rochester, High Street c.1955.


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