What Are The Odds..?

All these images are my photos of photos.

I’d like to share with you a true story from my recent trip to Flanders Fields.

I had planned to attend the Last Post at the Menin Gate on our first night but we were too tired so went on the Friday evening instead. With the relaxing of social distancing rules there must have been a couple of hundred people gathered. I noticed 6 London police officers (in uniform) were to lay a wreath during the ceremony so asked if they wanted their photo taken, which they did. I thought I’d also grab some video of them laying the wreaths so stood where I thought I’d get the best angle.

Whilst I waited for things to start I heard someone behind me say ‘there’s some police, I wonder where they’re from’. I turned around and told them, the follow conversation followed:

Man, ’Are you police as well?’
Me, ‘Was but left 23 years ago, are you?’
Man, ‘Yes we both were, I did 32 years and Janet did 7 yrs before we started a family, I was in Diplomatic.’
Me, ‘I was in Royalty, did 21 yrs before being injured out’

There then began a Q&A as to who we might know in common. Back in our day there were at least 27,000 other police officers within the Metropolitan Police but sometimes you find common ground.

At this point I became aware his name was Russ and a penny dropped.

Me, ’So your warrant number would have been ***76?’ Leaving off the last number.
Russ replied, ‘2’ with a very suspicious look on his face.
Me, ‘I was ***761, all 3 of us were on the same class at Hendon…’ 

We had joined together on 20th June 1977, did the 16 weeks training course together then went out to our stations. The next and last time we met was for our final exam on 17th February 1979. 

So what are the odds..?



The poppy in my Extras is from my front garden.