Bognor Regis Men’s Probus Club report

Wednesday November 18th. Bognor Golf Club. Lunch 12.30pm

Abigail Rowe: The Story of the Aldingbourne Trust

 Our speaker in October was Sheila Willis, a retired police officer, talking about the development of women’s policing in England. She had two spells in the police, before her marriage in 1974, and then again from 2002. She married a policeman and two of her three children went into the police.

Women’s policing started in the First World War, when women stepped in to fill patrolling roles played by men who had been called up to fight. A key date was 1915 when Edith Grant in Grantham was given powers to arrest. Women Police Constables began to be appointed and, by the outbreak of the Second World War, a quarter of the police forces in the country had WPCs, about 240 in all. After the war came Women’s Lib, and with the passing of the Equal Pay Act in 1970 and the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975, change came fast. Women eventually became known as PCs (police constables) just like the men, clothing became more similar, and most tasks were open to both men and women, so that today women have risen to become Chief Police Constable in many counties, including here in Sussex.

Sheila told some amusing stories, including how she stood on tiptoe to get past the height qualification that used to pertain, her life on the beat with her trusty bicycle, Nelly, her role in noticing the hiding place of some stolen jewellery in a female robber’s underwear, and how she communicated with HQ before the days of mobile phones. She finished with a quiz on police programmes on tv.

New members are always assured of a warm welcome and are invited to come along and try the club.  Please contact Guy Ashby 01243 584042 or Bill Page 01243 841246.

https://probusclub.net/bognorregis/