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Police Horses

To log on today and see this has given me a bit of a jolt, my sister has this photo,my Dad the motorcyclist 2nd row on the right.
Their first day out on the 'big bikes' and it snowed, I believe.
 
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hi all
I remember the police horse stables as being in ladywood road just down from 5 ways, on a sunday we boys would go and watch as they paraded down towards the town.
great sight now long gone with the constables parading every morning and plenty of bobbys on the town beat, sad really.
regards paul
 
In the sixties we used to go to The Duke Inn, Duke Street, right opposite the Police Stables. There was a great honky-tonk pianist called Fred, who came from Perry Barr, and of a Saturday night there was a wonderful sing-along. Given that me and my friends had hair down to our waists and hippie-style dress, you'd have thought that the regulars at The Duke would've been just a trifle put out, but they weren't. Especially as we knew loads of old music-hall songs, which Fred could always pick up after a bar or two. The all-time favourite was 'Lily Of Laguna', always saved until last.

Most Saturdays the coppers from the stables would come in, and they were a great crowd. I particularly remember one sad night when one of the horses had died, and there was a very solemn and moving memorial to him (I wish I could remember that horse's name, but I can't). The cop whose horse it was, was in tears.

My other memory of police-horses was how they kept things peaceful at Villa Park, just leaning gently against the crowd as we queued to get into the turnstyles.

Another world, or so it seems to me now.

Big Gee
 
yes they use to keep horses at victoria rd during the forties and the early fifties
i used to wait and see them coming out of the stables
and crossing there rear car park and there was a large arch way at the rear
where they would come out on to the street
and also i would walk around to vicarage rd and wait for the big shire horse,s
coming back from there rounds and being taken into the stables
some hadbig badges on them
i think it was early fifties around the 55 ,year they moved them to duke street
best wishes astonian ;;
 
The Police horses were last stabled at Tally Ho on the Pershore Road. The arena which the horses used to be exercised is now the Police driving school.
The old stables have been demolished today 17/09/2009. “I know I was there”.
I will endeavour to get some recent pictures and also some old pictures to hopefully post but I will have to liaise with supervision first.
 
from 1992 to 1999 I was admin girl at the mounted Dept on Park Lane in Aston, we had 40 horses based at Park Lane, Tally ho, West Brom and Chace ave in Coventry. It closed in March 1999 and the horses were sold or retired to the ILPH. As far as I know there are three left, one is stabled up the road from the yard I keep my horse at, 449 Sentinel is now 26 years old and still going well. One is in Warwickshire and the other in wales with a retired WPC from the dept.

It was a sad sad day when we were told the news and the force could do with getting it back but can't see it happening. On the upside thoug Essex have reinstated theirs so there is always hope....

The nearest branch now is Nottingham or Thames Valley, Staffs disbanded before West Mids along with North Yorkshire who replaced theirs with quad bikes.

There is a Duke Street reunion every two years, the next is due in 2011 so if any of you on the forum served on the 'donkey's as they were affectionally called, trafffic or bikes, ring WMP Sports Club at Tally ho nearer the time to enquire. The oldest there last time was 84 and was the Chief Insp on the Dept in the 50's and 60's. I've been told so many stories and have my own as they were for me very happy times spent during my career.

It was my dear dad that took me to Duke Street in around 1971 and sat me on a horse for the first time - he never heard the end of it and have ridden ever since.
 
My cousin Ian Kennedy was in the Mounted based latterly at Tally Ho, I have here some video films of him on the muscial ride and competing at I think White City on Murphy a wonderful dapply grey. When I came home in 1983 he rode Murphy to see me at home in Erdington on my birthday and Murphy did a little bow - it was so sweet. Ian would be retired now, I know he rode as escort on Murph in Diana and Charles Wedding procession. When Murph retired Ian had contact with him and I believe even competed on him and had another horse and I cant remember his name, its on one of the video tapes that Dad took at Tally Ho so would have been before 1991 when they came out here, but like other things it is boxed away ready for the house move.

Dyan
 
Hi Dyan

yes I know Ian, they all called him Ike, don't know why though. Anyway the last horse he had to 458 Victory aka Bernie who I think is still alive and living in Wales. Ian retired I think not long after the department closed in 1999, I remember the musical rides well - I went to a couple not long after I started work there and was brimming with pride knowing the hardwork they put into it. Saw Ian at a reunion 4 years ago and may see him again in 2011 at the next one all being well.

Hope your move goes well

Pagan
 
Stables at Park Lane are now the new shooting range, Tally Ho is now the driving school, Chance Ave is now a property store as is West Brom I think, such as waste of a valuable resource along with the divers, but they called it progress, oh well:rolleyes:
 
Well Pagan if you do see Ike (Ian) remind him he has a cousin in NZ!!!!! Sort of lost contact with the family when the two "dads" then the "mums" died. Oh well thats life I suppose will see if I can find a picture of him at about aged 4 in "knitted" swim trunks!!!! at Weston or Bognor when we went on holiday with Gran and Pop - he was the only boy and we girls gave him hell.

Dyan
 
They were, my Father was in the mounted Police and I have a very wide photo of (I think "D" Div) taken at Dukes st with all the Horses all lined up
 
hi my family had a stables somewhere near Duke street, on the corner, owned by H.H.Whittall I don't suppose you re-call this, we are having problems tracing it, (hackney carriage)
 
A very impressive sight the mounted division. I remember seeing them Policing at the Villa Ground several times, the animals were huge and so well trained to be calm in a noisy stadium. There are still signs of the mounted division around if you know where to look. Ladywood Police station still has the metal rings on a rear wall where horses were tied up. I have no doubt there are similar things at other older police station dotted around the west midlands. There is still a small amount of equipment which once belonged to the mounted division at the police museum at Sparkhill police station.
 
Steve R.
I can remember just before the war I was taken to the Villa ground by our next door neighbour, Mr Hammond, to see Villa playing Arsenal, he was also a mounted policeman, we lived in a police house in Eastfield Road Bordesley Green and dad was on duty at the ground that day. They used to walk, mounted, round the outer track at half time and of course he knew where we were and he stopped and asked us if we were ok as there was a hell of a crowd there. That was the first time I think I realized that he was a mounted police man, And I felt very proud. Many times he used to drop in for a cup of tea if he was patroling the area, The photo I have of him with the whole of the "D" Div is 4-6" wide and there are only two horses on the picture. although I have another photo with 28 horses. He joined the division when it was formed in the early twenties, the photo was taken in 1928, there is also one motor bic with sidecar. I will have to count up as there were a lot of Sergents.

Dave
 
Dave
They sound great photographs I wander if the Police museum has a copy?. We are always looking to scan old pictures to add to the collection and to the internet site when it is finished and goes on line hopefully later this year.
 
Steve, I am not sure the museum is open as the policeman who use to be the curator?? retired some years ago. I will stand correcting but I think he was retired and did it as a sideline. I went there many years ago and I did see a copy of the "D" Div from Duke St hanging on the wall there, I also got a full copy of my fathers service covering the 25 years he was in.
I see you are a new person on the forum, Welcome, there is plenty for you to spend all night on.
Have you any connections with the police force?

Dave
 
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