County Constabulary Bobby helmet county reference

[my8trax]

Hi, althought from the US, my wife and I visited London a few years ago. It peaked my interest in bobby helmets so I collected a ball top, coxcomb and rose helmet. At that time I found a website that showed a reference for the counties and what type helmet they used ( coxcomb, rose, or ball top) and also which was the proper band (black, silver, etc). I have tried and tried, but can't find it back...maybe it has been removed since that time. There are so many helmets for sale on the internet that are assembled from different pieces, I found that reference invaluable. Does any one know of another source to reference the above. Glad to belong to your Club. Thanks, Oliver

[conner395]

Here's a very informative site run by a retired officer:

http://www.britishpolicehelmet.co.uk/index.html

[my8trax]

Thank you, I have it bookmarked and you are correct, it is a great site!

[my8trax]

I think I found it....Londonbobbies.com, however it no longer seems to be active. I believe this is the site that had a section that gave all the info for county type of helmet, badge and band it should have. It now comes up as Londonbob.tripod.com, and none of the pages seem to work. I am really sorry I did not save the printout I made years ago.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Oliver - welcome to GMIC. I haven't seen a complete listing of Forces and helmet patterns for many years.

This seems like a good idea for our Member's to assist with such a list. To make a start................

London Bell

Dorset Coxscomb

Hampshire "

Cornwall Ball

[my8trax]

Thanks, that would be a great help to me and I am sure there is a great knowledge base here.

[Craig]

Very apt that you have a Blue Meanie behind you. In Liverpool some refer to the Police as this!

Craig

[Deelibob]

Hi Craig,

I Did 30 odd years in Liverpool Police, been called a lot of things, Scuffer, Bizzie, Blue Bottle, Rozzer and an awful lot worse but never a Blue Meanie. The hurry up van for transporting Prisoners was known as a Black Maria but I have never heard the phrase Blue Meanie.

Regards

Peter

[Craig]

there was a documentary made by Granada in the 80's on the first Mereseyside Derby and the final scenes were the fans getting home in the early hours. A few were heading home the worse for wears and the conversation was to keep an eye out for the blue meanies or they could get lifted. Maybe they were just taking the mick out of the Manchester camera crew!

Craig

[Craig]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_police-related_slang_terms‎

[Craig]

List of police-related slang terms - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Craig]

[Deelibob]

Hi Craig,

The lad on the Coach appears to say Blue Beanies but my hearings not that good, but I don't recognise that either. You may be right and it was one blokes phrase or he may be referring to the film Yellow submarine where the Blue Meanies were a Clan of Fierce Buffoonish Music Hating Creatures and relating it to Evertonian's. My only regret re this posting is watching that film all through for the interesting bit to be in the last 5 seconds. I hate football so thanks Mate.

Yes the predominant name for the Police in Liverpool is Bizzie, I think this relates to Prisoners shouting for something from the cell's to be told " I'm Busy"

Regards

Peter

[Craig]

I've often wondered where it came from. You have to admit the criminal classes do come up with some good names.

Watching that video took me back in time to the old Granadaland I think it was the late Bob Greaves doing the VoiceOver

Craig

[my8trax]

Yes, it is indeed the Blue Meanie from Yellow Submarine: a large statue in the Beatles gift shop in the Mirage at Las Vegas. We traveled there to see the Circ du solele show, Love. It was great, and in fact did have some performers in mock bobby uniforms!

[Mervyn Mitton]

OK - now let's have some helmet styles for different Forces...........................

[my8trax]

HI, here is a rough list I started...I am far from an expert on this, just trying to get a list started. Some terms may be wrong,

I may have left a county off, and the info I got was just off the internet....I tried to use reliable sources. I am not sure how to

attach it or make it available for change/edit. Also, if the ball top had a different configuration on the base I tried to show a

rough pattern, but I don't think it will show up. This is Microsoft Excel 2007. Maybe I can email it to someone who

has more knowledge than me to make available to all to work on? Thanks, Oliver (hope the below list shows up)

cockscomb ball rose band AVON & SOMERSET X narrow black braid band BEDFORDSHIRE X wide black plastic CAMBRIDGESHIRE X narrow black braid band CHESHIRE X wide black plastic CITY OF LONDON X wide black plastic CLEVELAND CUMBRIA DERBYSHIRE DEVON & CORNWALL X wide black plastic DORSET DURHAM shield wide black plastic DYFED-POWYS ESSEX shell narrow black braid band GLOUCHESTERSHIRE GREATER MANCHESTER GWENT X narrow silver braid band HAMPSHIRE X wide black plastic HERTFORDSHIRE X narrow silver braid band HUMBERSIDE KENT X narrow black braid band LANCASHIRE LEICHESTERSHIRE wide dk. Blue cloth LINCONSHIRE MERSEYSIDE X wide black plastic METROPOLITAN POLICE X narrow black braid band NORFOLK NORTHAMPTONSHIRE X narrow silver braid band NORTHUMBRIA NORTH WALES NORTH YOURKSHIRE NOTTINGHAMSHIRE wide dk. Blue cloth SHOUTH WALES X wide silver braid band SOUTH YORKSHIRE STAFFORDSHIRE SUFFOLK SURREY SUSSEX X narrow black braid band THAMES VALLEY X wide black plastic WARWICKSHIRE WEST MERCIA X wide silver braid band WEST MIDLANDS WEST YORKSHIRE X narrow silver braid band WILTSHIRE

[my8trax]

Sorry, i see the chart just dumped in as text. Please ignore it, as it isn't much use unless it is in the chart it was on. Maybe I can figure out

a way to put it on the internet and provide a like, but I am not very good at that. Oliver

[Ian Shepherd]

Hi oliver, another site you could try is www.pmc-club.co.uk. this is the site of the police memorabilia club. there is one section that shows pics of most of the british forces helmets. Ian

[my8trax]

Thanks Ian, I do have that one bookmarked in my group of sites. Oliver

[speagle]

Tried the site and got this error message:

The URL "www.pmc-club.co.uk" is not valid.

Suggestions?

[Nick]

I think the easiest thing to do here is to start a helmet database with pictures supported by a topic. I will set one up.

[my8trax]

I believe this might be the link http://www.pmcc-club.co.uk/

The helmet database would be a great idea. There just does not seem to be a really good reference out there except

maybe the book Badges of Office by M.B. Taylor (I haven't seen it). They only have hard cover on Amazon US at around

120 dollars plus postage, and not many softcover copies on Amazon UK with an understandably high shipping cost

the US. Plus, I believe it's references ended in the late 80's. Don't have the money for that right now. Thanks, Oliver

[NickLangley]

My8trax. Don't worry about "Badges of Office" only going upto the end of the 1980s. For the past 40-odd years English and Welsh forces' insignia and uniforms have become increasingly standardized and of less and less interest to a potential collector.

Now that the traditional helmet is an increasingly rare sight on the streets it is almost impossible to tell one force from another.

Edited July 4, 2013 by NickLangley

[my8trax]

Thanks Nick, good to know. Oliver