Paul Beecroft: Extract From An English Notebook
My friend, Paul Beecroft, has spent a good deal of his life in law enforcement, in England. He’s worked Foot Patrol, Area Car, Instant Response Car and also as a Police Motorcyclist. He’s currently a coroner’s investigator and has traveled all over England, Wales, Scotland and even Germany to investigate crimes.
Paul is an avid falconer, and he’s a pretty darn good writer. Today he’s taken another page from one of his own notebooks to share with us. Please enjoy.
White
Frost covers the land
Minus 6
7.15 am
Christmas Day
Freezing
8 – 4 shift
De-ice the windscreen
Travel to work
Roads empty
Ice covered
Treacherous
Arrive at Station
No one else
Skeleton staff
No pending jobs
Merry Christmas from Control Room Staff
Police vehicle
Travel home
Live on area
Hot coffee
Cooked breakfast
Open presents
Excited kids
10.15 am
“Echo Charlie One One over”
“Go ahead over”
“Sorry about this, can you attend Kings Hill, one vehicle T.A. (Traffic Accident), car overturned, not known if injury”.
“Yes on my way over”.
Roads still bad, very icy
Very little traffic as I make my way
Headlamp flash from oncoming car
A warning of something ahead.
Car sideways across road
Two occupants, standing to the side of it.
Husband and wife on their way to see relatives
Not injured but very shaken
“What happened?”
“We came over the brow back there”
“The car just went sideways and we just started rolling over and over”.
“Since we have been here other cars have lost control, it’s the ice”.
“You sure you are both okay”
“Yes, yes, just a bit shaken up”.
“I can well imagine you are”.
“Let me call this in and then get some help”.
“Echo Charlie One One over”
“Go ahead over”.
“Yes, first of all can you call the Council, I need the road gritting urgently”
“Yes understood”
“Secondly, can you call the relatives of…………………….
“BLOODY HELL…………MOVE”
Black
Tumbling
Rolling
Roof
Wheels
Over and over
Closer and closer
Transfixed
Slow motion
Running
Me
Husband and Wife
Slowing
Final roll
On its wheels
Stopped
No more than six inches from the front of my car
Exactly where we had been standing
Two occupants
Another married couple
Uninjured
Presents scattered all around inside the car
Wrench open a door
“Everyone OK?”
“I think so”
“Stay here, I will be back in a minute”
Police car
Drive to brow of hill
Park in middle of road
Blue light on
Traffic should slow now
Return to crashed vehicles
Control Room informed of situation.
Both couples chatting
No one killed
No one injured
Remarkable
Both cars scratched and dented
Both driveable
They are ready to leave
Warned re possible shock setting in and to look after each other
“Thanks Officer and Merry Christmas”
“And to you”
Now alone
Waiting for the Gritter
God it’s cold………..but thank you.
What an incredible Christmas gift – no one was injured! Not the expected, rather a most welcome ending.
Thank you Paul.
Thanks SZ. I assume that is not a word you use then.
Best wishes
Paul
A “Brow” ? I love the English terms. Very nice notebook Paul !