Brian Penfold

So, I retired as a Manager E after 30 years service in 2010. I had done my fair shift in that time and worked as a manager in many establishments that required additional help also at that time. Here is my story.

I started off my service doing my NEPO training at Bristol, and as I was the only person on that input I walked around in my suit alone largely being ignored by officers on the landings and feeling

pretty isolated. I wrote reams and reams at night about the number of fire extinguishers and alarms in each area that I visited. Some of this seemed as though I was just filling in my time, which was not thrilling but I kept on writing. I remember one ED sitting on the twos with a cup of tea watching the whole wing watch a video on a single tv screen, and after coming from a building site, I thought that this was great as I was getting paid to sit in the warm.

Two months and I was posted to Wakefield now in my blue uniform. I was good at the marching bit as I had served 6 years in the army in a previous life. As I had come in with a trade, I carried out a trade test which consisted of bending a few bits of pipe into a recognisable shape and a few questions on plumbing, so I was one of the few recruits who knew where they were being posted when I opened my envelope. No tears for me. I was posted to Channings Wood in Devon which had a direct labour project to build the establishment ongoing. When I turned up at the gate to start my initial 3 months on Discipline nobody knew I was coming. Story of my life.

I served the next 8 years as a Trades Officer helping build Channings Wood. I continued to work on the wings picking up EDs and RDs during that time. When the project was completed I was moved across to Discipline for the last year, but as I had previously taken and passed my SO on the Works I was able to apply for promotion as an STO. So it was back on the Works moving to Huntercombe as an STO. It was in those days a public expense move, and I needed it with the prices around Henley. I then passed my PO exam while I was there .

I then moved to Woodhill as PO as it was transforming into the High Security Estate, which meant another great experience not available elsewhere. When contractors drilled through both the fire and gas main in mid-winter, we lost all heating to the establishment and ended up sending a Cat A van to B&Q to buy up all their power showers, and cable to rig hot water to wings. It came close to evacuating Woodhill at that time. GMC was supporting then and PL was Head of Operations and Security.

I passed my G5 and moved to Wellingborough as HWS. I had some issues to manage there but saw it all through as well as delivering a new house unit. I worked closely with the SMT and then moved across to Head of Business Planning after another interview as G4 (manager E), and I also kept an overview of the Works. I was sat in the car park of B&Q in Northampton on a Monday and I received a call from my old Governor at Wellingborough who had taken charge of Holloway after the Marjorie Boon report. He asked me if I would come down to help and to take up the position of HWS there. I asked him when that would happen and he said next Monday!!!! I was offered an incentive and first class rail travel, my Governor at Wellingborough was on holiday that week, and when he came back I was gone.

Holloway was three years of hard work trying to bring it back onto national targets. The first two years I planned and rebuilt a great deal of the internal structures from relocating the gate lodge to setting up external Cat A style locker rooms and RID system where the goods in were checked and then taken into the establishment in a sealed electric truck as well as building a new internal staff mess. The last year I took over as Head of Security and managed to achieve, for the first time at Holloway, the highest HMCIP grade available. I received the Butler Trust award for my work there. Holloway would take a page or two on its own.

Then back to Woodhill as eventual Head of Operations and Security which is a highly intensive post. I then moved onto so many posts that I lost count. One of the hardest was when the Head of Learning and Skills walked out after receiving an unacceptable marking on an inspection. I was asked to take up this position and was the only operational Governor grade to do this. I managed to bring the department up to a Good marking on the follow up inspection a year later which had not been achieved previously so I must have done something right.

While at Woodhill I also managed the gardens department which won an award for landscaping and putting in place a large water feature for staff and visitors to sit by. I also introduced bringing a beehive into the prison as I then kept bees. It was interesting bringing the bees through the X Ray when some of them decided to make a break for it.

My last three months were at Exeter as I was moving back to my roots. I had started in Devon and wanted to finish there. After working at Woodhill I found Exeter less challenging but very enjoyable. On my last day, staff on parade asked if I would stay on.

So to retirement.

As I was pre Fresh Start, I was able to retire at 55, which I did. Did I really want to retire? If I am honest, if someone had sat me down and talked it through I may well have stayed on, but I was tired after 7 years of hard work at Woodhill. I was one of the most experienced Governor Grades at my level at that time, no one else had the depth of experience that I had gained in my service. Why did this not happen? It was just how it was back then.

I remember walking down Torquay high street on the first week of retirement thinking that this was strange, and it felt as though I was taking my first sickie after 18 years. I bought a van and started doing removals, mainly doctors and students moving between Plymouth and Exeter. I then took a job working with my son at a local builder in Dartmouth, and ended up running their small projects department until they went bust after 3 years (not my fault).

At that time I owned three houses as I had never sold when I moved, just rented them out. This became a pain after a while, so I sold up and moved in my village to a house that needed some work.

The last 4 years I have been working for a local company selling and delivering motorhomes at the weekends. I do odd days in the week when they are short. I am 70 now, and only thought that I would work for a year over the winter, but I have just renewed my C1 licence that allows me to drive up to 7 tonnes. I had to have my first eye test and then a medical. I still do not need glasses, result.

So why have I written this, not sure really. I started writing and tried to show that there is life after retirement. It is not easy to give up working after all those years, and I am aware some people will not be as fortunate with their health. For anyone who knew me I tried my best.

BRIAN PENFOLD