Founded 1980
Chair:        
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Treasurer: 

Graham Smith
Jan Thompson
Graham Mumby-Croft


The work I do chairing mental health act panels has all gone online via Microsoft teams, although in early September we did manage one face-to-face hearing before virus levels rose and we had to go back to online only. Patients seem to be coping with the change OK although for some the use of masks is causing them distress. If anything, this has been a very busy time and I am often part of 6-8 MH panels per week. Now that we are not driving to the hospitals to hold the panels it is amazing how much more you can get done at home. A panel in Nottingham would often take the best part of 4-5 hours with traffic and the actual hearing. Now it is into the study, light up the computer. log on to Microsoft teams and go.

I was sad to see that Paul Dixon and Mel Constantine had passed away. They were both from my Assistant Governor year (33 AG’s) and Mel and I joined together at Manchester prison in 1976. I remember working with Paul at Love Lane in the Training planning unit - the old wooden huts by the side of the main college building. Bill Rose-Quirie was the Head of Works Chief Officer II when I joined the Service at HM Borstal

Feltham in 1976 and he went on to have a long a distinguished career. I am still in contact with Alison who I first met at Love Lane when she was a trainer and working on her PhD in prison management. Judith Mathews was also a colleague at Training Services. It was good to see that John Dring was still cheerful despite his illness. Sadly, since I started this letter I have received an email from Harry that John had passed away. I worked with him at Newbold Revel when he was the Head of College and then he was my Area Manager when I moved to Gartree.
Having now been retired 13.5 years I am working towards the same ideas that John Powles has - for me 31 years with HMPS and now I am looking forward to the same number of pensionable years, so 17.5 to go.

I enjoyed the article about Lowdham Grange and emailed the author to remind him that David Walmsley reprised that walk at the 50th anniversary in 1980 leading a group of Feltham Borstal boys back along the same route. I remember visiting Lowdham because we used to send boys from Glen Parva there when we re- categorised them as being suitable to move from a closed to open borstal. I still have the wooden magazine rack I bought from Lowdham on one of my visits.

Next year I complete my time as a member of the East Midlands Veterans and Pensions Advisory Committee. I joined when my son, a Captain with the Royal Irish Regiment was seriously injured after serving in Afghanistan and it has been great to see the gradual improvements being made for Veterans. My only concern is that as we go forward Governments may forget the sacrifices made by so many Veterans and reduce the level and up- rating of benefits payable to them.

I will also be retiring from the Magistracy having reached, in March 2021 the grand old age of 70. Strange that you can sit on a jury until you are 75 but not stay as a Magistrate. There is a suggestion that the age may move to 72 but that will probably not be decided until after I retire. Still, it has been interesting to have worked as a Prison Governor, Magistrate and IMB member, Mental Health Act associate hospital manager, as well as working part- time for 10 years after I left HMPS as an Assistant Director with a physiotherapy company. A somewhat interesting and varied career. I will still continue with the mental health act work into the future: it is interesting, varied and I enjoy it and the pay, such as it is, gives me some additional funding (after the Revenue and Customs have had their additional share) to pursue my hobbies.

I have been able to add a further volume on prisons to my growing collection. This is the diary of a prison governor - James Newham who was Governor of Maidstone prison - and it contains some fascinating reflections upon prison life and the oversight of the Prison Commission on his management of the prison. It also contains a passing reflection on the hanging of John Lee at Exeter prison in Feb 1885, (the man they could not hang), who, after 3 attempts, had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment. The trap door used to be in the museum at Newbold Revel before it was all moved to the Galleries of Justice in Nottingham.

I have been compiling his letter over the last few months and now we are back into what I suspect will be a long lockdown given this new variant of Covid 19. Still, could be worse. Have a peaceful and obviously quiet Christmas and hopefully 2021 will allow us to have more freedom of travel in a safer, virus-controlled society. Regards John

John Berry OBE, JP

From John Ramwell, Member R P G A. Westhoughton.

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RETIREMENT

Thanks for the 40th Anniversary Edition of our Newsletter. I was just thinking...could we not refer to it as a magazine?

Anyway, I can feel the urge to write for the Newsletter on what is, at least, a relevant subject: retirement. Realising that several of the winning Irish Six Nations team in yesterday’s game v Italy weren’t even born when I retired in the late 20th Century made me think that if I’ve anything to say, I’d better get on with it!

Not that I’m claiming to hold any record. My father retired aged 55 as did I. My retirement date came as part of my conditions of service as did my Dad’s, earned by spending many years working in West Africa. For each year thus employed he was entitled to three months of his retirement, normally due at 65. I remember how surprised his employer (Unilever) was at him taking retirement so early. Apparently it was usual to perhaps leave a year early; but ten...!
“A man is as rich as the fewness of his wants,” was his guiding force. He died aged 85 having being able to indulge in his passion for fly fishing and chrysanthemum cultivation.

We have, my generation has, been extremely fortunate. In fact my wife Jenny, and I have been more fortunate than we could have ever imagined.
On retiring I managed to launch a magazine on ocean kayaking for which I held the post of editor for a few years; before we started a business based on the British Country & Western Music scene; before buying a second home in Newfoundland, Canada before the invidious pandemic hit by which time, quite frankly, I was ready for lockdown. We’ve been so lucky with our ups and downs in that neither were that extreme and so remained manageable.

Not so those still climbing the ladder of work, of rearing a family whilst preparing financially for retirement. Though we, my generation, started from a low base following the Second World War (I can remember food rationing) the future kept showing promises, most of which were kept.
Just before Covid19 struck the Governor of the establishment I retired from back in ‘97 kindly acceded to my request for a chat. To say it was illuminating would be a gross understatement. Not once did he claim to be a victim of bad luck. ‘It is what it is and we’ve all to make the best of what we have’ was the definitive tone as he described how, soon after his arrival he made it clear that, if nothing else, he wanted a clean prison.

Fully aware of difficult issues such as prisoner welfare, reducing budgets, staff morale and pressure from ‘above’ which included his own masters as well as politicians and the media, he set about getting his staff on side and used his aim of a cleaner prison as his method for achieving this. It had worked. One gets a sense about any establishment after only a short while. My senses told me he was successful. I recently heard he had been transferred to Liverpool. This has to be their gain and hopefully not a loss to his previous establishment.
What came across to me was the clear differences from ‘my days’ to the present time, seemingly mostly led by less and less available resources.

From experiencing so much financial waste during my early years to the imposition of greater accountability in my latter we were never that short. Once the Area Manager had been convinced we would make the best appropriate use of funds we usually got what we’d asked for.
But then came the 2008 crash. My own experience was limited to noting our local grass verges were no longer kept trimmed. The impact on public services was massive and we all know the results. I used to think, and still do, that climbing up a ladder is a darn sight easier than coming down. Just to develop this analogy a little further... how about climbing down blindfolded whilst carrying a bucket of water in each hand!
Try this whilst hoping you can make it to ‘Terra Firma’ in one piece rather than hurtling down in free fall as you’re sodden wet through from the contents of the buckets.

Am earnestly hoping that the future returns with all, if not most, of the promises it held for us... and soon.

John J Ramwell.
Westhoughton, Bolton, BL5 2SL

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YOUR CORRESPONDENCE from Bob Duncan

This has not been the best of years for any of us, more colleagues have left us, and more are not in good health. On the other hand we ought to give a thought for colleagues still serving. I am still in touch with Elmley Prison and can state for a fact the conditions that they are currently working under are more demanding and daunting than anything we faced. They are very much in the front line as ‘carers’ but get very little credit for their devotion.

In fact when Kent, and in particular the district of Swale (which includes Medway and the Isle of Sheppey) had a sudden rise in the number of confirmed virus cases and was very much in the news, some local councillors tried to claim that it was all because of the three prisons in the area. There were no facts to support this claim. I felt strongly it was an unnecessary slur on the prison service.

Issue 83 Autumn 2021 - Anniversary Edition
​YOUR LETTERS
Dear all​

I am pleased to report that once again I have a considerable tome from my good friend Bob Duncan which I reproduce below. I also delighted to have received the very first letter sent directly to me from John Berry, and include a letter from John Ramwell sent to Paul Laxton as editor.

As an aside Bob Duncan has written a book which I had the privilege of proof reading and preparing for publication which is now completed. It is essentially an autobiography intended for his grandchildren, but it contains a great deal of information and anecdote of Bob’s journey through the prison service which I found extremely interesting. Bob has given his permission for us to publish the relevant parts of book which we will hopefully serialise within the Newsletter over the next few issues. (Click Here)

As ever please take time to write something that will be of interest to all your retired friends and colleagues and send them to me. Nice short chatty letters will be published in this section of the newsletter longer with more specific content will be considered for a separate entry in the Newsletter. The address to use is roger@rsoutram.co.uk or Roger Outram, 12 Grove Park, Magazine Lane, Wisbech, PE13 1LF.

Letters:

Hi Roger,










Please send Letters to: Roger Outram, 12 Grove Park, Magazine Lane, Wisbech, PE13 1LF

E-mail: roger@rsoutram.co.uk

Other contact: Telephone 01945 582624
It's been a few editions since I made any contributions and now the feelings of guilt are back. Not that I have much of value to say, but I do enjoy reading what others have contributed and without individuals sending in articles the Newsletter might be somewhat slimmer.

It has certainly been an interesting 6 months with Covid lockdown and totally new ways of working. I have not been in court for 5 months and only now are we starting to return, but that may soon change as the virus is starting to surge again. Visiting HMP Leicester as an IMB member has been interesting. The prison is doing really well but even then, we have lost a prisoner to Covid and several staff members have been very seriously ill.

However, the prisoners are coping well with the regime even though it is very restricted. The colder weather might cause some problems as exercise may be curtailed. Visits are by iPad although we are just about to start social visits again - very restricted but at least they will be face-to-face with social distancing to reduce any chance of infection.
Phil Wheatley is looking well, travels a lot and is a keen photographer, as is Alan Scott and Luke Sergeant who both look remarkably fit and happy. Luke is a keen and successful gardener. His garden abounds with colour. He would normally open it up to the public to raise money for charity. The dreadful pandemic prevented that last year and probably this one also.

Always pleased to hear news of my dear friends John and Jean Childs, I cannot believe we have now known each other for coming up to 60 years and John must be near to being our oldest member. His handwriting gets a little more difficult to read each year, but his mind remains as clear as ever. As John states, they fall into the ‘Extremely Vulnerable Group’ in respect of the virus, and are weaker these days due to age, but they have kept mentally strong. As a number of their children work and live abroad it has been a sad year in that they have been unable to visit. The exception has been their daughter who lives in Southampton who has tried to visit more. They have several grandsons and they have kept in touch via ‘face time meetings.’

Another dear friend also originally from our Dover days, Ron and Sue Curtis are both well but sum up the year as ‘bizarre’ and outline very vividly how the virus has impacted on the frail and elderly. Sue’s mother, although suffering from dementia, was with some support managing at home on her own. As her condition deteriorated the family were sharing travelling to be with her in Dover weekly. This became increasingly difficult, and place was found for her in a care home. ‘She is receiving good care but our only regular communication with her is via What’s App which she does not always understand. Visiting is limited to one person and then in Covid- restricted conditions. The normal activities and stimulation for residents are seriously curtailed. It is far from an ideal time to be in a care home. Many of us because of our age have had to face this issue re someone in their family. I felt Ron and Sue had spelt it out so clearly.

I do not understand Facebook, but many retired colleagues use it and I seem to be a recipient. It is useful and interesting; firstly, it informs me that they are still drawing their pension and secondly I am amazed at the quantity and quality of the photos they share. More importantly I came across this picture. All praise to the Butler Trust for recognising the importance of the work that prison staff undertake and for doing something tangible to show their support.

One fascinating email was from Max Morrison, only it was meant for his son whose Christian name must be Duncan, but the computer had sent it to me.
Oh dear, senility settling in, it is happening to too many of us. Do not worry; I appreciate every contribution however it comes.
Sadly, as I type this, I attended and participated in the Funeral of Paul Wailen yesterday (15 Jan 2021). He had died on Christmas Day at home in his flat in Rotherhithe being looked after by his partner. This is my third funeral with restricted numbers and no singing; there were less than the 30 allowed, as a few could not make it at last minute, including his sister- in-law who fell down the stairs the previous day and was taken to hospital. I still have not adjusted to the loss of Paul. I first met Paul when I was posted to the Scrubs in 1979, 2 days after the riot! He also accompanied me to Uganda to visit my son who was undertaking 2 years voluntary service building medical centres in remote villages.

The undertakers were brilliant and helped considerably in creating a positive atmosphere in which to celebrate Paul’s life. It was a full Catholic Mass so it would have helped if the church had been a little warmer! Paul’s elder brother by 10 years, said he never expected he would be attending his younger brother’s funeral. I met several of Paul’s friends I did not know, and it was a joy and privilege to talk to them. The
only advantage of restricted numbers is that you know they are all close and dear friends of Paul.
Another close and dear friend, Danny Ozanne, passed away in September 2020. I was unable to go to his funeral but Veronica Bird attended. She relates, “There were 60-70 there, mostly from the Salvation Army in full uniform. They lined the route and clapped Danny into the Crematorium, which was very moving. Only 30 went into the chapel with the others remaining outside. Joan coped very well with the support from her family. There was no one else from the Service there. Joan was so thrilled to see me there, it made the journey to get there so worthwhile and it all helped me to face another chapter in my life. I had worked with Danny for 4 years at Risley and he helped me enormously with the difficulties at Risley which were many. He was always there to offer support and a very kind person.”

Danny Ozanne was born in Rushden, Northamptonshire on 13th October 1928. He was the eldest son of Salvation Army officers and a third generation Salvationist. His parents went on to have four more sons and a daughter. Danny's early life was marked by moving many times as a Salvation Army officer's child and by the impact of the Blitz in World War Two, which curtailed his educational opportunities. After the war, he completed his national service in Malaya and returned to train as a Salvation Army officer. He was posted to the corps at Raiman and a chance meeting between his mother and Vesta Errington, with whom she had trained, introduced him to Vesta's daughter, Joan. Although their relationship got off to an inauspicious start, they soon fell very much in love and married on 28th May 1955. They have remained deeply in love over all the years since.

Danny and Joan were stationed in Corps in West Yorkshire and then Cornwall. They left the work when their eldest daughter was still a baby and Danny worked in children's homes and taught in an Approved School in Kent. He joined the Prison Service and he worked in a variety of borstals and prisons, including some of the biggest and most challenging in the country such as Liverpool Prison, Strangeways in Manchester, and Risley Remand Centre near Warrington. He eventually retired from Northeye Prison near Bexhill-on-Sea, where he was governor, in 1988.

He then moved north to Doncaster to be nearer to his grown-up children and their families. He and Joan became active and committed members of the Salvation Army in Doncaster and Danny served as band sergeant for some years. He also worked for a Prison Service Charity for some time, travelling round to shops in the region.

In his later years, Danny was a familiar figure at the corps, always there to talk to, help and support others. He died at home in the early hours of 18th September with Joan by his side.

I had worked with Danny at Liverpool in the early 70’s, we bonded from day one and you could not wish for a more able and friendly colleague. Danny and I alternated driving to the prison each week, with big Jack Hanson puffing away in the back, and we all felt uplifted driving over the Aintree race course each morning. Danny and I were almost like brothers. George Bride was the Governor, and he always referred to us as ’his boys’. I tried to visit Danny every year for a good old ‘natter’, but not last year due to the virus. Joan wrote me such a lovely letter; I enclose it in full.
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Dear Bob

I received a letter from the R.N.L.I. saying a big thank you for the £25 which had been given to them by the Retired Prison Governors Association. What a lovely thought. Danny would have been so moved, for the R.N.L.I. was close to his heart. Whichever seaside resort we lived in or visited he always went down to talk to them and observe. Could you say a big thank you to whoever is responsible, we are most grateful. My faith is strong and so I have strength for each day. I have fond memories of you and Jane, Jack and Dorothy Hanson when we all lived in Maghull.

God bless yours affectionately, Joan

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Jim and Shelia Blakey have been through a rough patch: they write, ‘What a terrible year for so many people. We have virtually self-isolated since early February having developed pneumonia in late January following our Bowls Club annual dinner. A couple attending had recently returned from abroad and Covid 19 had not even been heard of by the general public at the time. I had many of the symptoms of Covid. I had an inkling not all was well and rang 111 which was answered immediately, they contact the local practice, a Doctor came to the bungalow within an hour and I was on medication that afternoon as the GP was desperate to keep me out of hospital. Absolutely brilliant treatment. The reason I believe it was Covid was that a couple days later Shelia became delirious, vomited violently, recovered sufficiently to go to bed and slept the clock round. Not nice. Other than that we have not left the bungalow other than for medical appointments. I am getting through a novel a week on average. We have a seven mile trip if we want anything other than from the Co-op, Paul and Lin have been very good in making sure we have plenty of provisions. The Sainsbury home delivery service has also looked after us very well. Fortunately, being pensioners, we have not had to jump through the hoops of applying for Government handouts as have so many.

I have to say I am really starting to feel my age. Now that my shoulder problems have been resolved I feel I should be able to do most of what I used to. Sadly that is not the case. Shortage of breath and aching muscles prevent that. Still we are better off than many of our age. 
(I think your very wise words reflect the position many are feeling amongst our readers). Son, Paul is well but his business has taken quite a hit.

Our bowls club programme has been totally decimated this year with all matches cancelled. Following my shoulder operation I felt fit enough to play having missed out on the two previous seasons and had bought lighter bowls and new ‘whites’ for the new season. They remain in their packaging. 2020 is our centenary year and we had plans to hold a major event in September, to no avail.”

That is a tale of how easy it is to succumb to the virus unknowingly, and taking precautions remains imperative for us all. It is also a tribute to the swift and wonderful care from our Health Service. Let it be hoped we can all expect the same should it be necessary.

A card from Kit and Kate Jarman to say they are keeping well, but the ongoing conditions are a strain. Much the same from Steve and Lesley Metcalfe, saying they have had a bad 2020 but are surviving, and looking forward to a better 2020. Dave and Anne Simons reminding me of the good times when we all served! Best wishes from the Rev Tom Johns, who has moved house again, and I have his new address.

From Angela Burgess and David Taylor (Pentonville), to say that are still going despite the year we have had. Now retired 7.5 years and not missing it! The dog keeps them going and gives them exercise.

Contact with Tim Newell, who states they are both well and keeping to the rules which means they have not seen their daughter in Leeds for over a year. Tim says his allotment gives good exercise. He is in regular touch with John Dring, but a bit less now under the current restrictions. John remains in positive spirit. Sadly his voice is deteriorating but he can still hold a conversation over the phone. He has recorded his voice so that his computer will take over his speech soon with eye control – the wonders of technology.

His house is fitted with all sorts of support so that Midori can care for him with a professional carer as well. He plays bridge every afternoon and watches opera most evenings. He remains remarkably positive and takes a keen interest in all that is going on nationally and internationally. Encyclopaedic knowledge of all the staff he worked with over the years.

John was possibly one of the fittest of us all in our time; he is probably one of the bravest with what he is now facing. He is a shining example to us all.

Just after writing the above news arrived from Tim Newell that John had died at home on Saturday 30 January. He remained courageous to the end facing full on all the issues he had to face.

Local prisons are full, and the remand population has increased from 10,043 to a figure now of 12,274, its highest figure for 6 years. It is rumoured that a proportion of these will not come to court until 2022. The likelihood is that many of these will have probably served more time on remand than the sentence they eventually receive. In addition there are 403,568 outstanding cases in magistrate’s courts and 53,950 in crown courts making a total of 457,518. Should this be tackled in due course expediently the prison service is likely to be overwhelmed, with the possible outcome that all the big local prisons will have to concentrate on ‘warehousing’ rather than rehabilitation or even providing adequate pre-release preparation. The situation reference establishing housing on discharge will just continue to escalate.

A note from Sue and Colin Tanswell to say there is not much news as they have been virtually housebound since March, especially Sue as she needed to shield since her cancer treatment. They are just about managing to keep active. They had hoped to visit their son in Canada in 2021 but that is now looking like a faint hope.
For those who are not readers of the Times Newspaper I include a very supportive letter from The Rev Jonathan Aitken, which although about a specific prison applies to most prisons. He is the only person of whom I am aware who has made public the positive way prison staff have risen to the challenge facing all prisons, despite the risk to their own health and well being. His plea that they should be placed in the priority group for the vaccine is absolutely correct.

I remain in touch with John Ship by email and have been in respect of Paul Wailen. The annoying fact is, during our winter in particular he always describes how he is sitting in the garden over his morning coffee in temperatures in the 70’s, whilst here it could even be snowing!

Had a chat with Dave Simons on the phone, he is well, but Ann is still very limited in what she can manage. He states he has hardly been out over the last 6 months, and then only for essentials, the car has only done about 40 miles over the last few months. He has very good neighbours which is a great help. We naturally had a good natter about the ‘old times,’ each memory sparking another. So much livelier and more interesting than just communicating in an email; It just warms the heart and brings back all those positive feelings about the service in our time and the people we served alongside. Quarters were a great asset, not only providing a house, but

creating a mini village: we cared about our neighbours. We also got around our establishment more frequently instead of being stuck at a desk answering piles of emails.

Like Jim Blakey, I am also now feeling my age, and at the same time so many colleagues of my era are no longer with us. The two combined lead me to conclude I need to take even more of a back seat. I still believe passionately that the overriding aim of the Newsletter is to gather news of colleagues and share it, and many have been in touch to confirm that. I will always be happy to receive information and pass it on. I also believe that the committee en block needs to regain a heightened awareness of this priority, and each of them contribute more. They must all be in contact with a few colleagues. I do not deny that I have taken the lead in some correspondence, but many a letter came out of the blue. My 16-year correspondence with Betty Dennis was a labour of love, much of which was never printed. I never met her, but she clearly felt comforted by my efforts, and I would often receive a 16-page letter to digest. In this time of lockdown maintaining contact is even more imperative. Perhaps we have passed that golden age when we cared about each other. If so, we need to face up to that, we need to get our act together and remember we are committed to serve. It has been my privilege to serve now for 22 years. If it is now not thought important to share news of colleagues, then we lessen the value of the Newsletter. If it is accepted then it is a commitment of the whole committee, and not something shuffled off to a lone member. 

RD 27.01.21