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Birmingham City Police Cadets 1966-1968

Shardendken

Shardendken

Lapsed Brummie
During my time in the Police Cadets I attended the 1 month training camp in the Elan Valley near Rhayder, mid-Wales. These photos show the full complement of cadets at my first tour of duty in Summer 1967 and me (back row left) in my allocated team.The latin expression translates as 'Difficulties be Damned' which was ironic as we were situated in the area containing several dams that serviced Birmingham's water supply.
 

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I was a cadet in 1970. We went to Wales for two or three days of navigating from point to point. If memory serves me correctly, it wasn't summer. The only protection from the elements was a yellow oilskin tarp that was given to groups of three or four of us to share. It snowed and we were very cold, even doing the long hikes. The worst part was the nights although we did manage to get a decent fire going.
 
Hi Harry, Good to hear your cadet experience in Wales. The last week of our monthly camps was spent navigating for 4 days to Aberystwyth and back with rations being dropped off each day and only a blue plastic sheet to sleep under - shared by three others. During one stormy day we had to walk several yards apart so that if one of us was struck by lightening then it would not bounce through the whole team (very comforting!) I remember being washed out of our 'shelter' half way through the night. Happy days!
 
My experience was similar. Naturally, there were some who had done this 'hike' before, although it seemed as though they managed to get the group lost once or twice. Our experience with the oilskin tarp was mixed. The first night a string was tied to two trees, several feet apart and the oilskin was draped over it like a ridge tent. It seemed like a good idea until the wind started blowing and we ended up trying to sleep (unsuccessfully) in a wind tunnel. Subsequent nights benefitted from the wind tunnel experience and we made our night shelter by securing one end of the oilskin to the top of a low dry stone wall then angling down to where our feet would be. A few stone secured that end and the sides which we tucked in. It was the perfect shelter. After the three days of hiking I had halfpenny sized holes on my heels curtesy of my new boots. Happy days.
 
As light relief from all the physical activities (trekking, gymnastics, hill running up the side of reservoirs, rock climbing and abseiling) we had a few hours on Saturday afternoons to visit civilisation in Rhayader. That is, if we survived the hair-raising journey when transported in the camp Land Rover series 2, with canvas cover, driven by instructors who thought they were competing in a rally stage. The local cafes made very good takings on a Saturday afternoon!
I can also remember the kit inspections each morning and if anything was not 100% clean and in the correct place on your groundsheet then you were put on 'jankers' to do various menial tasks later in the day - usually involving potatoes and a peeler. Evenings after dinner were given over to some more free time when we all congregated in the main hut to play vinyl records on a very well-worn Dansette record player. The Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' album had been released in May 1967 of my first summer camp year and was almost worn out after the four weeks.
 
I was in the cadets 1975 to 1976 and we spent four weeks in the Summer of 76 trekking around Wales, suffice to say we all ended up with a good tan before returning home.
 
No rain just clear blue sky’s for week and weeks. Lakes dried up and Sutton park caught fire a few times.
 
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