Village Policeman

A Memory of Great Waltham.

In the late 1950's I was the village policeman at Great Waltham.   The police house was the last two-storied house at the Barrack Land end of Cherry Garden Road with my 'office'being in the kitchen and the tsble there was my desk.   Next door to us was a lovely old lady - Mrs Woods and on the other side the Hornsby family, daughter's name Jenny.     My duties in those days were not very onerous consisting mainly of attending motor accidents, moving on camping gypsies and paying occasional visits to the local pubs in Great and Little Walthams, Howe Street and Mashbury.   My means of getting around was on a bicycle although about one a month a police car from Chelmsford would come to Great Waltham and I would act as observer for a couple of hours.     My immediate superior officer was Sergeant Leslie Pye from Broomfield who was always very keen for us village policemen (including the one at Ford End (Const.Tom Mitchell) and Great Leighs (Const. Les. Smith) to catch the local poacher who styled himself as The King of the Poachers, by the name of Moore.      The squire was JJ Tufnell who lived in the big house on the Langley estate, and in the garage he had a well polished Rolls Royce.     Some Saturday afternoons I played cricket with the local team but never managed to make a name for myself in either batting or bowling, I cannot recall the name of the captain but do remember that he lived in one of row of houses well up Barrack Lane.     One name I do remember is Archie MyClymont who lived with his wife Nita in New Cottages, South Street, a good sort was Archie.     In 1959 I resigned from the Essex Police and left Great Waltham to come to New Zealand where I resumed being a policeman until 1985 when I retired.     I have had three trips back to 'the old country' and each time paid a nostalgic visit to Great Waltham, a place I will always have fond and pleasant memories of.    Best wishes from John Butcher.

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