NickLangley

This looks like it.

Dorset and Bournemouth Police were the first to adopt the Hardy Amies designed uniform in the very late 1960s. One of its innovations was a cheaply-made shield to display the officer's collar number. I have this vague memory that the Met' trialled the Hardy Amies uniform along with their version of a shield.

I shall have to do some digging. It's bugging me.

Thames Valley, Dorset, GMP and Kent have at one time or another had a shield as part of their uniform. Now I seem to recall that the Met' trialled a shield, can anyone confirm whether this is the case or if my memory is playing tricks.

Digging around on the t'internet I came across another force that can be added to the list of those that issued straw helmets to its men. Grantham Borough Police. I believe it was the first force in Britain to have sworn female officers.

LKH = Lindsey Kesteven Holland. Each of the three Parts of Lincolnshire had its own county council but for policing they amalgamated. The Lincolnshire Constabulary used a logo with the letters LKH. And Lincolnshire was only a ferry ride across the Humber from Hull.

Having looked again I have a feeling that the lack of a crown on the HP means we are in railway/dock police territory

LKH?

The RH Hird brother was definitely a constable in the Kingston-upon-Hull Police. As for the other brother I would go for West Riding Constabulary.

Gentlemen, believe I have the answer.

Denham's auction house have a white Brighton helmet up for auction. According to the catalogue it has been converted for use on a motor scooter.

http://www.denhams.com/auction-catalogue/antique/541/toys-carpets-memorabilia-militaria/clothing-luggage-baskets/

http://images.denham...1/541lot382.jpg

Hi Jamie:

This photo from the PMCC website.

The motorcycle helmet is a very good suggestion. If the strap is made of a leather-type material rather than nylon webbing then I would say that is almost certainly correct.

A later Brighton helmet is now on eBay.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1960-S-WHITE-BRIGHTON-POLICE-HELMET-/330725438718?pt=UK_Collectables_Memorabila_RL&hash=item4d00c5b4fe

This is a genuine Brighton helmet.

Hi Geoff:

If your white Brighton helmet has a riot chinstrap then it isn't genuine. No British forces had that style of helmet furniture until the late 1970s and the Brighton force was merged into Sussex Police in the late 1960s.

I would guess you have a film prop.

Widely used by colonial police forces.

Nottingham City Police acquired an illicit stockpile of this type of kit in the aftermath of the 1958 riots. The Home Office would have had kittens.

No major supermarket would ever clothe its staff so shoddily.

And as for having the officer's name on the epaulette it is just odd. If you are going to have a name tag it should be placed so it is easy to read: hardly rocket science.

Not too many forces beginning with an "A". Off the top of my head: Accrington, Anglesey, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Ayrshire, Angus and Argyllshire. Of course it could be one of those WWI badges where a town issued its own SC badge without having a force. And then SC might be short for Sports Club!

Mervyn, this is the "new" national uniform as designed by an ACPO committee. All forces are adopting it. The Met will look even worse when this is teamed with their ill-fitting, high visibility potato sacks.

North Yorkshire have just introduced their new uniform.

Who on earth designed it? Who had the brilliant idea of attaching an epaulette to the sleeve of the shirt? Can anyone think of a worse uniform from any force around the world?

Is that a modified DMP (Dublin Metropolitan Police) helmet? I seem to remember reading that the Free State government allowed their officers to continue wearing the old style helmet but with a Dublin City and then Gardai helmet plate.

Evening Orwell.

Dennis Nielsen.

I knew there was something about the BTP helmet plate that was bugging me but I couldn't put my finger on it ... until now. I can't recall another force's plain metal helmet plate where the lettering is contersunk rather than proud of the badge.

Does anyone know of another force that had a similar style of HP?

I need to get some new reading glasses. On closer inspection the coat of arms on the original photo are not those of Audenshaw.

Mea culpa!

The coat of arms that are just about visible on the bridge are those of the township of Audenshaw which, technically, was not part of the borough of Ashton-under-Lyne.

As for the POW feathers they probably are emblematic of Cheshire of which Audenshaw was, until 1974, a part of.

I'm not convinced by the tram theory for picture #2. The brickwork is just too substantial for a tram shed and why have arches? I would say that those are lines for running rail wagons into more secure storage facilities. So definitely railway police of some description.

In those days any royal visit would have seen the bunting out - not just for a Coronation. Is their any significance in the Prince of Wales's feathers between the flags? The foliage suggests that this a very temporary arrangement so perhaps a royal using a railway station during a visit.

As for the second photo the backdrop suggests railway arches which would be odd for a municipal force. So perhaps more railway police constables?