Co-OP Safe

[A.Willoughby]

If one recalls the old Co-op shops normally had a counter either side of the entrance and in the centre of the space at the rear and facing the street was the safe. It was in full view and at night it had its own light shining down on it so that the passing bobby could see all was in order.
In 1958 a team of villains began to treat these safes, throughout mainly the Hockley and Aston areas as their own 'piggy banks'.
With prepared charges of gelignite it would, I was told, take them twenty seconds to smash in the front door, insert the charge into the lock of safe, blow it and be off with the cash and so a devious plan was hatched.
Us young uniform lads were positioned in doorways in close proximity of all Co-op shops to await them.
I can recall it was, of course winter time, freezing cold and we had to take up positions between 2am and 4am to correspond to the times they were hitting the shops. Oh I hated that job for I can still feel the cold after all these years.
Bless the bloke, think it was at Lozells, who nobbled them and we could all head for warmer climes

 

[emmachisit]

A.W.
I remember it well...I was on the "A"......You on the "C"?

 

[A.Willoughby]

Emmachist,
Did three years at Kenyon Street and prowled the Jewellery Quarter. Changed out of uniform and finally Sweeney Todd.
Happy memories - except for the Co-op interlude.

 

[Frantic]

When were you at Kenyon St? I was stationed at Ladywood from 1971-1974. Maybe we know some of the same C Div 'Bobbies' olice:

 

[A.Willoughby]

Frantic.
I was there 1958 to 1960.  Left Brum in 1970.
One bloke you may have known for he was Ladywood I believe during your time - Inspector Handley?
Finding out that there are a number of us connected, with the pointed hats one way or another, on this site.
Will. olice:

 

[Pomgolian]

:angel: Hi chaps, were any of you at Bloomsbury St Nechells by any chance around 1962/64? I used to babysit mid morning and early evening for a lady by the name of Dylis Hook, who was the canteen lady there.
One of the 'Coppers' would walk her home after her evening shift to Offenham House, Kellett Rd flats  and then walk me across to Wickham House on Great Lister St.

I was really shy then  ;D and never said a word to any of them, except thanx at my door. (Gosh I missed out on all those young 'Coppers' in their uniforms  O0 :smitten: :2funny

Chris :angel:

 

[Frantic]

And I bet you just thoughjt that they were looking after you...........they would have 'Looked after you' if they had half a chance.....never trust a copper. ;D
Will, I don't remember Inspector Hadley, but here are some other names that you may know. Sup't Morrison, Tony 'Tiger' Timms (insp), Jack Wylie (Vyse St), Jack Todd (Broad St beat). Where are you now? I left the Police and emigrated to NZ. Got fed up with the IRA trying to blow us up . Like you say, there are a few of us here, I remember that one chap said that he used to work at Victoria Rd nick.

 

[mike-g]

Hi Chris.
I worked out of Bloomsbury St but a bit later than you asked about ( 66 - 69 ) Went between Bloomsbury and Vic. When they gave us those Blue and White A40 s I went to Canterbury Rd. olice:
Regards Mike G

 

[A.Willoughby]

Looks like I am grand dad on here, that is unless someone older is looking in and keeping quiet.
Sorry Frantic non of the names you mention ring any bells.  But then the old grey matter is not what it was. ???
I went to a reunion, that old 'C'  Division officers have at the Black Eagle Pub some five years ago.
Only recognised a couple there though I was recognised by a number - must still have my youthful looks  :
I too experienced the bombs when they took out the Grand Hotel in Brighton. I was sent to liaise between certain departments. One of my last acts. Took the opportunity to sort out a retirement location.
I am now enjoying the south coast climes.
Will.

 

[Icarus]

I was stationed at Bordesley Green and Coventry Road(SH), part of 'E' division from '56 to '61. Sunday mornings were spent at Digbeth PS for self-defence training. Spent some time on mobile 'R' division at Steelhouse Lane.

 

[Frantic]

If we keep going lads, we might find someone on this forum that WASN'T a bobby ;D

 

[Astonian]

hello , hello will, before i start i am not taking the mick, i have been reading your articules with intrest , and i would like to ask you what was your most sererios case did you have to deal with which you didn,t like to do , and attend , secondly , did you ever work along side a chap called baumber, , i beleive he became an cheif in spector ,, and thirdly what are your veiws on todays crime , and why there aint no safe crackers around today ? ,. when i was a young lad , i was told the very first bank note forger was burried in witton cemetry, would you know if there his truth in that? i am not an ex copper but i do have an intrest , and did have connections with in the system my grand parents where in the law system and today i have cousins in the walsell force , my generation of grand parents was high court judges and my great grand father was the hanging judge , he sentence a william yarnold to be hung for murder at worcester jail 4 th november 1905 by henry piepoint , from brad ford my grand father ,s father and his older brothers are known in the b,ham courts for handling big crime cases and sentenceing in the early 1925 / 40, and sendinng them to jail or hanging , i persononaly think you was the boys of the times and its apity that we have to rely on teenabopas to look out for us today it makes me smile you can now join the force at i6 yrs, and be four foot high they have no chance agaist the villans , incidently my grand mother ,s father was a police officier i,m not sure where he was stationed at ; his name was william hinton, my grand mother ,and grand dad was living in new cannal st, her dad would visit her , he could have come from digbeth , or steel house lane with another man named horris . whom was the appointed jailer with a big bunch of keys ,iam told , best wishes , astonian, ;;;;;

 

[Alf]

Frantic proves there was always a Policeman around when you needed one in those days olice: O0

 

[Frantic]

It looks like we all served, either in different divisions, or at different times so we all would have a variety of stories to tell.People often ask me why I joined, why I left and what were the best and worst times. I was working as a Toolmaker, and one day I saw a 'Panda' car (austin 1100) go tearing along the road with his blue light flashing and his horns going and I thought "That's what I want to do". It was as simple as that. The thing that I liked most about the job was when I used to drive out of the yard at Ladywood at the beginning of my shift, and think to myself "I wonder what is going to happen today". Oh I know that there was a lot of boring work, but there are very few jobs that you can do where you don't know what is going to happen next. Particularly as a 'Panda" driver; we were sent to everything that came in the door, and that is what I liked. I wasn't interested in C.I.D or any of the other departments, I just liked being 'out there'. Worst thing; multiple fatalities of kids in a car crash. Best thing; helping to deliver a baby on a bus in Broad St. And I've already given the reason for leaving. Things were getting a tad too hairy for my liking, and 23 quid a week wasn't enough.

 

[A.Willoughby]

Astonian:
You refer to Gerry Baumber.  He was Chief Superintendant CID in Newton Street when I took off the pointed hat and transferred to the Department.  It was in the days before overtime payments.  You did the hours because you enjoyed the job and finances certainly came second.  On transfer he told me that if I was a clock watcher I was out of the Department.
As an old timer now, I feel that they ruined the job once overtime payments came in as you then had 'clock watcher's and the dedication fell somewhat.  Before I am picked up on the last I will admit that we were taken advantage, in those early days, but it bred a feeling that one 'breathed and ate' the job, to the detriment of one's home in a lot of cases. 
I now sit back and pick up my pension.  I cringe at what I read of how things are going but I am a dinosaur now and I keep my memories when it was dealt with so differently.
With the advent of plastic and accordingly the small amount of cash in general circulation the old 'Peter Man' would not find a lot of spare in any safe they may blow and so they they have gone into history.  Better returns obtained with Long Term Fraud and card fraud and are less hazardous.
Many cases of note but I suppose the Cannock Chase murders early sixties and of course the Grand Hotel bombing stand out as memorable.
Have attended numerous post-mortems of murders and unexplained deaths these have never affected me with the exception of those involving children.  I have always looked away at the time the pathologist made the first cut.  It, to me, seemed such a violation of the body, ignoring what had been occasioned to the child prior to and following death in some cases.  Once the first cut was made then it was business as normal.
Cannot answer your query on the first alleged forger but I hope I have answered some of them.
Will.   

 

[postie]

I think the forger you are refering to was William Booth of Booths Farm, he was hanged twice, the first time was at Stafford Gaol and the rope broke. He was then taken to Winson Green and hanged there instead. :-\