Cheshire Police Open Day
September 2007
Cheshire Constabulary had an open day at their Winsford HQ early in September 2007. Took along the parents and nephew George - also thought it might be a chance to try out the new camera.
The greatest British car ever made (and that's a fact so you can stop your internal dialogue) the 1970's Rover P6 3500 - this one once used by Hertfordshire Police on the M1 near Watford (circa 1975). Truly from the Gene Hunt/Jack Regan era and style of policing, this car makes the recent demise of Rover all the more sadder.
I was so pleased to see one of these beasts in captivity that I just had to get a few shots of it.
The Rover P6 was the first car I loved as a kid - the son of the woman next door (who was a doctor - which should give you some clue as to the target market of the car) had a dark blue one, with a brown vinyl roof and the spare wheel mounted on top of the boot.... ahh... the 1970's!
The classic Rover badge - hard to believe that this badge would years later end up on the bonnet of the Metro!
Whilst we are on the subject of the Metro (sadly, the car that sums up our industrial might rather more accurately than the Rover P6 does), here is a Metropolitan Police Rover Metro. Truly from the Reg Hollis era and style of policing. What a place to put a Rover badge (just below the Police wording on the front of the bonnet).
Sussex Police MG - then used as a traffic car. Hard to believe that a tiny factory in Abingdon made this.
Another quality British manufacturer that would die, only to see its old badge brought back from the dead sellotaped on the back of the Austin Metro and....... horror of horrors.... the Maestro!
Norfolk Range Rover.
Spot the deliberate mistake with the logo.....
Essex Constabulary Sierra Sapphire..... nice.
Mid 90's Vauxhall Astra as used by West Mercia Constabulary.....
Don't look for this county on a map - it don't exist (and it's the new name for a load of merged British Army regiments)....
Staffordshire Jaguar - if you are going to patrol the M6 then you need serious wheels... I was once a big Jaguar fan.
Staffordshire crest.
An overseas imposter - a massive Ford Cruiser - can be hired out if you feel the need.
NYPD logo.....
If the last car was an overseas imposter, this must be from another planet - or possibly from a Jeremy Clarkson wet dream. Would love to tell you what it is but I have no idea other than it is a demonstrator and not actually in Police service. Don't worry, Guardian readers, it will be a few years before your humble bobby turns up to pull your cat out of a tree in one of these things (and then he could just use it to rip the tree down to save time).
Hard to say what sort of emotions would be felt by a motorist looking in his rear view mirror to see this monster bearing down on him. Get 'em into production I say. Fill the roads up with 'em! At least they won't be taken off the road by rising sea levels!
A more manageable monster - Cheshire Constabulary Land Rover.
Modern day Cheshire Constabulary Vauxhall Vectra.
A gaggle of Cheshire Constabulary Vauxhall Astras....
Mum with a Cheshire Constabulary Volvo - the traffic motor of choice for just about every force in the UK.
Cheshire Constabulary Mercedes Sprinter - what Arctic Monkeys lovingly refer to as the Riot Van......
George junior behind the wheel of a Cheshire Constabulary BMW X5....
George taking the riot shield challenge......
On the bouncy slide...
Beating the goalie for "Cherity"....
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