Life on the Run by Stan Eldon Read Free Book Online

premises, and where customers only ever received cautions if a police officer handed out tickets.
    After the first few months, I was issued with the special uniform of a cadet, and one of my duties was to collect cash from the bank and put the money into the pay envelopes for everyone from the superintendent down to me. I remember being very envious of the superintendent, who received over £20 a week, whilst my weekly pay was just about £3.
    One of the cells was an arsenal of all types of weapons; mainly I think surrendered in various amnesties after the war. On one occasion, close to Christmas, someone put a turkey in there for safekeeping. It was forgotten and we had mild weather, so the bird turned to maggots and flies. Guess who had to clean up all the weapons and other items in the cell!
    When the police opened a small sub-police station on the outskirts of Windsor, I manned this on my own during office hours. I was well looked after by the wives of the policemen who lived in the adjoining police houses; they kept me supplied with tea, cake and company.
    About the most exciting thing that happened to me there, was when a young lady came into the station one morning and said “I am going to have a baby.” “Yes” I said. “When?” “In the next few minutes I think” was the reply. I got the ambulance there very quickly!
    Part of my duties as a cadet, included sorting the wages out for all the policeman in Windsor, as mentioned earlier, which included the superintendent, Fred Salter, MVO. The pay details used to be given to me, and I would write up the pay packets with their appropriate deductions, and go to the bank to collect the cash. Then I would put the correct sums into each packet and make sure it balanced to the penny. A police constable in those days received about £7 per week and the ‘Super’ received something just over £20, but all had their little extras which could be three shillings (15p) for bicycle, two shillings (10p) for torch.
    When I was working at the main police station, I also used to make the tea and sell chocolate biscuits to those who worked in the police station, and always made a small profit. Another duty included looking after the switchboard and teleprinter, as well as showing guests into the superintendent’s office.
    A fairly frequent visitor was a young Army major from the Household Cavalry, Major the Marques of Douro, who is now the current Duke of Wellington, and whom I have met more recently, when he allowed me to organize running events on his estate at Stratfield Saye between Reading and Basingstoke. The ‘Super’ was always very formal on these visits, and would make a very pronounced and distinct bow when greeting his guest; a real hand in front and hand behind deep bow.
    My time as a police cadet was enjoyable and instructive, and I think it has helped me to have a responsible and fairly disciplined life. I certainly learned to type, make out reports, take phone messages and file complicated police files. Receiving phone calls was quite an art, and exact names and details of callers had to be taken; there could be no mistakes. Then there was the art of deflecting calls and callers that the superintendent would not want to be bothered with, or in many cases, no other senior person would want to be troubled with.
    In 1953, I won the Berkshire Youth 880 yards title in 2:6.2, which was faster than the winning time in either of the older age groups; the senior or junior. The runner-up to me was someone who I have known throughout my running life as a competitor, training partner and athletic enthusiast; Brian Bacon (Reading AC). Later I ran and won my first road race. It was 3.5 miles and was part of the Langley Fete near Slough. There was also a seven mile ‘marathon’ for seniors; these were the forerunners of today’s mass running events.
    While in Windsor as a police cadet, I belonged to the Windsor Parish