Retired officers take a trip down memory lane at Museum of Policing

A group of retired senior Cheshire Police officers visited the Cheshire Museum of Policing to reminisce about their time serving with the force.

On Monday 1st July, ten retired Cheshire senior officers of varying roles visited Cheshire's Policing Museum on Arpley Street Warrington.

D/Supt Frank Ball, Ch Supt Derek Barnett, Ch Supt Gary Finchett, D/Ch Supt Phil Charlton, Ch Insp Steve Gould, Ch Supt Tim Jackson, D/Supt Richard Hood and D/Ch Supt Steve Wilkins visited the Warrington-based museum to reminisce about their time serving with the Constabulary and patrolling the streets of Cheshire.

Also among the guests at the museum was retired Detective Superintendent and the museum's own researcher, Will Brown and retired Deputy Chief Constable Graeme Gerrard, who first raised the idea of bringing a policing museum to Cheshire.

The senior officers were given a tour of the museum and enjoyed seeing their old haunts, beats and various items of equipment, uniforms and historic policing artefacts on display within the museum.

The group regularly keep in touch but for most, it was their first time visiting the museum, and some their first time in a police station for 20 years.

Peter Hampson, Museum of Policing Manager, said:

“The trip brought back happy memories for the officers, who were mostly senior CID Detectives.

“They enjoyed seeing their former offices and the museum cells – where they had spent many hours with offenders.”

Retired Chief Superintendent Phil Charlton, added: 

“It was a fabulous visit to the museum and a great trip down memory lane.”

Cheshire's Policing Museum is an independent charity run by volunteers in co-operation with Cheshire Constabulary to allow members of the public the chance to explore the history of policing within the region.

Found on Arpley Street in Warrington, the Museum of Policing in Cheshire is home to a large collection of policing artefacts; including handcuffs and shackles, murder weapons and police equipment that has been preserved from local police stations from across the Constabulary's history.

For more information about the museum you can visit the Museum of Policing website or call 01606 365803.

Pictured enjoying lunch are from front clockwise: Frank Ball (D/Supt) Derek Barnett,(Ch Supt), Steve Wilkins (Det Ch Supt, Dyfed Powis), Gary Finchett, (Ch Supt) Phil Charlton,(D/Ch Supt) Steve Gould, (Ch Insp) Tim Jackson, (Ch Supt) Graeme Gerrard, (Deputy Ch Constable)  Will Brown standing (D/Supt) and Richard Hood. (D/Supt).