Coincidences X Three

1) In 1962 I was called up to my National Service and initially I was posted to the Royal Signals Reg. at Catterick Garrison, N.Yorks. After the initial 13 weeks square bashing and aptitude tests I was transferred to the Corp of Royal Military Police, Inkerman Barracks Woking. Seven of us made the transfer by train and underground arriving at the barracks after 5.pm. We were taken to a dormitory and told to pick a bed space, put our Army kit on the bed and go to the cookhouse for something to eat.At this time the bed next to mine was vacant. After tea we returned to the dormitory and I found that there was a youth sitting on the bed next to me. he was wearing the insigna of the Royal Artillery. As you do, I asked him his name and as soon as he spoke I could tell that he was a fellow"Geordie" ( born on Tyneside). He introduced himself as Norman E and I told him my name, Ken.L I had not met this lad before and as we got to know each other, and become good friends we began talking about our homes and girlfriends. He had attended Gateshead Grammar School and I mentioned that my girlfriend(later my wife) also went there. He asked me her name and I told him Anne T. He started laughing and I asked him what was wrong. He replied "Anne T she was in my class and I was going out with a friend of hers." Norman had married this friend just before he was called up for his Nationla Service. N0. 2 After I left the R.M.P I joined the Police in 1963 and was stationed at Gateshead(Now Tyne/Wear)My first beat patrol on my own was Night Shift. I was sitting in the Police Box (like Dr Who's Tardis) about 2 am having my refreshments, when I heard the sound of running outside the box followed by a frantic knocking on the door. I got up opened the door and found an old lady in tears. Apparently her husband had come home(Moore Street) from the pub and his su;pper was not ready and a domestic argument started. It culminated with the husband throwing the old ladies clothes downstairs and turning her out. I got dreesed and accompanied her b ack to the upstairs flat where I confronted the husband. I was able to difuse the situation and asked them how long they had been married they said 50 years. I started laughing and the husband asked me what I was laughing at. I told them that I had only been married a few months and yet they were expecting me to solve the problem between them. I told the old lady to put the kettle on and we had a cup of tea while the old man picked up all the clothes. Same area Moore Steet move on to 1995, by this time I was retired(served 30 years) and my son David was a Police Constable in Northumbria Police. He was on mobile patrol(no more walking the beat progress!!) when he responded to a 999 call reporting a domestic in Moore Street he arrived in the street and was met by a young man who had been assaulted by his male partner. The couple lived in an upstairs flat and the other half had thrown his partners clothes down the stairs. Again the mattter was resolved with not too much trouble. Next Story. This relates to my time in the RMP whilst serving in Germany. One night Norman E and I were on standby duty and at about 5am we received a telephone call from the owner of a German Gastehouse. He was also a Geordie who had met and married a German girl whilst he was serving in the Army. The call was in relation to a soldier who hah had too much to drink. Norman and I attended the Hansa Eck and found a soldier dressed in his best B.D It was the uniform of a Coldstream Guardsman. He was the only person in the bar and the owner wanted to close. We approached the soldier shook him and asked him where he was from he mumbled," Gateshead", This is where Norman and I were from. WE carried him outside and put him in the rear of our Police Champ and drove up onto the training area where we knew that his unit was under canvas during small arms training. At the base camp we were met by a Sergeant Guard Commander who asked if we were going to charge the Guardsman. We informed him that as he was a Geordie we were not taking any further action. Move to Gateshead Police Station entrance and it was the time that I had just finished sitting my entrance examination for the force 1963. I was coming out of the Station and I had to pass two Police Constables who were standing talking and one of them said to me. "Trying to join the Force? I said yes and he then said, "have you been in the Forces?" again I said I had and he said "what unit" and I told him I had been a Royal Military Policeman. He then continued, Have you ever been to Germany me yes. Him Were you in Sennelager. Yes, I was based there. He then completly floored me by saying .Remember the squadie you picked up in the Hansa Eck and took back to his lines? I said I remembered it well and then he said. "WELL THAT WAS ME". If you are interested I have another story along similar lines, just drop me an e-mail.