Just for interest, from the All Saints Church, Springfield, Chelmsford Parish magazine April 2013.
If he is a Christian, he may have a conscience? It sounds like his plan to move to France may not have worked out.
I was born in Ilford to loving parents and two loving (most of the time) older sisters! My mother loved the sea and, when I was seven we moved that little closer to Benfleet where I was brought up. My parents took me to St Georges Church where I was to become a cub, goal keeper in their football team, a member of the choir and cross bearer, server, bell ringer and one year I was “ordained” as Boy Bishop where my duties included crowning the Carnival Queen! I was confirmed by the Bishop of Bradwell.
Through my love of music, I learned the trumpet and attended the Essex School of Music every Saturday at Rayleigh. My brother-in-law, who played in a group in the 60s, taught me the guitar. We went to a holiday camp on the south coast twice a year and I managed to win many a talent competition with my singing and playing.
Whereas other children wanted to be train drivers and astronauts, I always wanted to be a policeman. There were no other connections in the family with the Force but that was what I was going to do! I left school at 16 with 5 A levels and, following working for a season at the aforementioned holiday camp, joined the Essex Police Cadets two months before my 17th birthday. There I learned all about wearing and looking after a uniform, marching and drill, basic law and achieved further A levels in Sociology and British Constitution. At the ripe old age of 18¾ I joined the regular Police Force where I spent a mostly enjoyable 30 years. I walked the beat. I was trained to drive panda cars, faster cars and really, really fast cars!
I spent time on Traffic, CID the Regional Crime Squad and Drug Squad, as a Neighbourhood Beat Officer, Schools Liaison Officer, Dog Handler, Firearms Officer and Trainer and Negotiator. I dealt with every conceivable crime and incident from kids pinching sweets to a hijacking at Stansted Airport and a Korean aircraft crashing at Takeley just as we were preparing to celebrate the new millennium.
It was during my career that I met Jane. It’s OK, she wasn’t one of the bad guys, but the way we met ….. well that’s another story! We married at Broomfield Church on 8th May 1982. Oliver was to be born in 1992 and, with him planning on going to University as I was due to retire in 2006, I was offered a position, still working for the Police but as a civilian, which I accepted. “Better the devil you know”.
On retiring, we bought a house in rural France (having holidayed there for several years). The master plan when we both retire properly is to move south of the largest circular car park in the world (the M25). Still having friends and family in this country, we will spend two months in France, two months in the UK, two months in France ……. and so on. We can hardly wait! Nick Milbank
