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*****
I was sitting in a pub chatting to the landlord
about world events (and how we could solve them!) when we discovered that
we were both ex-members of the Metropolitan Police. The pub was The
Seagull in Nottage, Porthcawl, South Wales,
the landlord was John Booth and the year was 2000. As we continued our
conversation we both identified people living locally who were also
ex-Metropolitan Police officers and we decided to try to get them
together for a drink and a chat.
A couple of phone calls later and it was all
fixed up; we had our first meeting on 28 July 2000 in, of course, The
Seagull and it was then that we first discussed the possibility of
forming some sort of reunion or club.
We needed a secretary, Bob Baker volunteered and
I was told that I would be the chairman. The next question was “What
should we call ourselves?” After much debate, and, of course, more beer
we discovered the problem was solved. We were all ex-Metropolitan Police
and we were all living in Wales,
so the Welsh Mets Association sounded just right.
We put an advertisement in the London Police
Pensioner and duly received replies from all over Wales. It
was decided that we should have a first meeting with all interested
parties to discuss the formation of the Welsh Mets Association. Arranging a lunch in The Seagull (of
course), a good few turned up and all agreed that it would be a good
thing to form a club where we could meet and socialize on a regular
basis.
For a bit of fun we had a raffle which, of
course, meant we had raised some money; so what do you do with the money?
Well, you appoint a treasurer of course and Richard Cook was appointed
our first. You then decide you need a committee so that you can decide
what to do with the money.
*****
Then questions started to arise:-
Who could
be a member?
What about
wives, partners, girl friends, boy friends, next door neighbours etc?
The list was getting longer, the answers were
few and far between but, eventually, it was decision time and it was
agreed that to be a member of the Welsh Mets Association the following
criteria applied:
You must
have served in the Metropolitan Police.
You must be
living in Wales.
Wives,
husbands, partners, widows, widowers, were members.
We launched as The Welsh Mets Association — or
so we thought! More questions were
coming up and fewer answers could be given so it was decided to have a
written constitution.
*****
Having been a member of Porthcawl Town Council
for some years and being the current Mayor of the town, I was given the
job of putting the constitution on paper. I carefully inserted the clause that the
chairman could not serve longer than three years in the post; best bit of
writing I have ever done! At the next meeting the constitution was
discussed, amended and soon agreed. There have been a few minor amendments
to that first draft constitution since that time, the main one being that
membership is now open to ex-members of the Metropolitan Police
pensioners who live in counties adjoining Wales.
The Welsh Mets Association has grown to have a
membership of over 70 and we have lunch on the first Thursday of every
quarter, March, June, September and December. Unfortunately we are now so
many in number that we cannot fit into The Seagull, but John Booth has
moved on anyway.
We try to alternate our venues between south and
mid Wales.
We have our own tie for the male members and a Welsh Dragon-type brooch
for the ladies. Due to the tremendous support given to our raffle, which
takes place at every meeting, we are very much in the black to such an
extent that members receive a subsidy on their meals. The annual meeting
decides the annual contribution of members.
One of the major factors of the Association is
its welfare role. Of course we are a long way from London and the local police have their
hands full looking after their own ex-members. I feel we fill a gap here
and I know that the current committee takes its responsibilities very
seriously when dealing with the welfare of our members, particularly when
a death occurs.
*****
Every now and then we invite guests to our
lunches. We have had the pleasure of entertaining the Chief Constables of
Dyfed, Powis and South Wales to our
meals. Both men were ex-Mets themselves. Recently we entertained the
Chairman and Secretary of the London Branch of NARPO. Mostly though, it’s
just the members who enjoy a meal together and the opportunity to discuss
the current problems of the world, in particular those of the
Metropolitan Police. The
conversation usually gets round to what it was like in ‘my day’ (of
course it was better in our day, wasn’t it?). It’s good fun! We are a
nice bunch!
If you are thinking of starting up a similar
organisation in your area I would be only too happy to help you — please
feel free to email or phone me. Also, of course, any ex-Mets in Wales
please get in touch, I am sure you will know someone from our membership.
(Members
seeking to join the Welsh Mets Association or seeking to start-up a
reunion group should now visit the members
reunion page)
*****
Article reproduced by kind permission of London
Police Pensioner
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