Tom was invited to write poems about the Maurice Dobson Museum and the man to whom it is dedicated too. 

Tom Juniper is a poet based in  Sheffield. His work often focuses on the experience of being other, whether that’s talking about being autistic, being part of the queer community (He is a bi, non binary trans guy), or about the Other as in strange and mysterious creatures and entities from various folklore traditions.

He is an experienced slam poet, and has competed in the Great Northern Slam, the Hammer & Tongue National Final, the Axis Slam, Word War, Oooh Behive Slam, Poetry At Your Place a d even the Anti Slam. He has won slams a few times and come second many more!

He is also an educator and workshop leader with a background in youth work and arts education. He delivers poetry workshops through The Writer’s Workshop in Sheffield, and online.
He also offers equality, diversity and inclusion workshops, focusing on disability and/or LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Jamie Doxey is a driven individual and former Royal Marine Commando, the best of the best. But mental health issues and an undiscovered heart condition cut his career short.

He rediscovered his love of surfing and now has his own company, Op Poseidon.

He invites people struggling with their own mental fitness to join him for a surfing retreat. Not only do folk learn new skills, they become one with the sea and connect with the present moment.

For more information and booking you can find Jamie’s website HERE. 🌱

This is the first of a series of five podcasts recorded in London.

My guest today is a former police officer having completed 32 years of distinguished service. Chris Hobbs started his police career in Southall, West London. A vibrant and buzzing town where Sheikh, Hindu and Muslim communities live together. But as history has shown, that has not been without its problems which has resulted in some serious disorder in the late 70’s and early  80’s.

Chris retired in 2011 and is now a respected police commentator appearing on main stream media. He also writes regular articles for the online police magazine Police Oracle. So join us now as we pound the streets of Southall with Chris, visiting places and memories that shaped him as a police officer. 

Comraidship by Edgar Albert Guest 

Edgar Albert Guest was a British-born American poet who became known as the People's Poet. His poems often had an inspirational and optimistic view of everyday life.

From his first published work in the Detroit Free Press until his death in 1959, Guest penned some 11,000 poems which were syndicated in some 300 newspapers and collected in more than 20 books. 

When Guest died in 1959, he was buried in Detroit's Woodlawn Cemetery.

The Poem Ithaca by Constantine Cavafy: 

Since Homer's Odyssey, Ithaca symbolizes the destination of a long journey, the supreme aim that every man tries to fulfill all his life long, the sweet homeland, the eternal calmness, and satisfaction.

Many artists and literary people have been inspired by this interpretation of Homer's poem and have given to this small island of the Ionian Sea a special sense. Famous poets have been inspired by Ithaca and have used its name metaphorically on their works.

The most famous poem about Ithaca has been written by the renowned Greek poet Constantine Cavafy and is entitled "Ithaka". There he makes an allusion of the legendary journey of Ulysses to the journey of every man through life and suggests that each person is looking for his own Ithaca, his personal supreme gaol. 

However, in the end, it is not the goal but the journey that matters, because this journey makes us wise and gives people the richest good: experience, knowledge, and maturity.

This poem was written in 1911 and has been translated into many languages since then. Its lyric words and message are touching.

Text courtesy of Greeka.com

Krish grew up in the shadow of the Himalaya’s. As the oldest son within a Nepalese family, his responsibility within the Buddhist culture meant that he became a monk. He later attempted to join the Brigade of Gurkhas but failed. He tried again a year later and was successful. Later on he was the first Gurkha to pass selection and became a member of the Special Air Service. 

Krish spent the next 19 years within the regiment rising to the rank of Warrant Officer. During that time he became the leader of mountain troop, training his fellow SAS soldiers. He is a world renowned mountaineer and has lead many record breaking expeditions.

After leaving the military in 2021 he now spends his time as a spiritual guide and continues to take injured veterans into the mountains.

His website can be found here

Maurice Dobson was a flamboyant, openly gay man. What is remarkable about his story is that he was running a corner shop in the Yorkshire mining village of Darfield in the 1950s. Maurice being an army, veteran and champion boxer knew how to look after himself. Despite the prejudices he experienced, the village of Darfield, came to accept him.

On his death, he donated his house to the amenities committee, when it was later, opened as a museum in tribute to him, and to all things Darfield.

The website and details of the museum and cafe are here.

My guest today left school with very little. He joined the army and passed the All Arms Commando Course. He then  joined the police service and  became a dog handler. But his mental health was suffering and he went into project management and systems thinging. Since then he has become a director within a company helping other companies to assess data and ensuring their own success.

Liam Mahon discuss’s his recently published 10 point wellbeing plan and to the past looking at the Covid lockdown and to the future of artificial intelligence.

You can read Liams blog here

Ian McMillan is an English poet, journalist, playwright, and broadcaster. He is known for his strong and distinctive Yorkshire accent and his incisive, friendly interview style on programmes such as BBC Radio 3's The Verb. 

We discuss his childhood, his love of poetry and how he is very much enjoying life. 

TRIGGER WARNING: This podcast contains frank discussions surrounding childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence and drug addiction.

Mike and Danny found friendship through a chance meeting on social media. Both had a similar lived experience of sexual abuse, addiction and crime as children and adults.

They now work as a team delivering their message of being trauma informed to health, law and social care professionals up and down the UK. Their company Lads Like Us is genuinely changing the landscape for the better.

You can find Mike and Danny here on their  own website Lads Like Us

The life  of Rhys Rutledge, you would think, was a fictional story, such is the unbelievable circumstances and events contained within in. Yet it is all true. 

From a young boy witnessing domestic violence to becoming a drug dealer and ultimately addict, succumbing to his own product causing him to contemplate taking his own life.

He was in the last chance saloon and joined the army to escape his demons. He excelled and achieved the rank of platoon sergeant, serving across the world including Afghanistan. But his biggest pinnacle would be to troop the colour in front of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the second.

Rhys now devotes  his time to an organisation he set up called Defeat Don’t Repeat, educating those on the dangers of drug addiction. 

We discuss whether time spent  as a police officer changes your political view, or whether retirement from the service and the freedom of expression it brings allows former officers to let rip. We find out with Bradshaw, Horton and Thomas.

In the second of two episodes we talk to the local people from the Yorkshire town of Darfield and wider afield, who share their personal stories of life growing up in bygone times.

The podcast has been produced in partnership with the Maurice Dobson Museum located in Darfield.

Andy Cooke is currently His Majesty’s  Chief Inspector of HMICFRS, an organisation set up to inspect and advise police forces and Fire Services within the UK on their operational performance. As  a former Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, he has more than enough operational experience throughout his career and has held every rank as Detective status. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at a leading University. 

Pat Abram was born and bred in Fleetwood and has the sea in his blood. He became a police officer with Lancashire Constabulary and covered a beat in central Blackpool.

On Wednesday 5th January 1983 and minutes before the end of his shift he received a radio message to attend an incident that would result in loss of life of three of his colleagues and that of a member of the public. He barely survived himself.

Now for only the second time publicly, he describes that day in detail. It is a heartbreaking account but illustrates the bravery of all those involved that day.

Pat now volunteers for the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, unbelievably still a charity funded organisation. If you would like to donate to the charity you can find them here. 

In 2016 I conducted my very first podcast with the then Deputy Chief Constable of Lancashire Constabulary Andy Rhodes and who also happened to be my boss! No pressure then. Since that time a lot of water has passed under the bridge as they say and he retired as Chief Constable in 2021. In this episode, we look back at that interview and reflect on policing both back then and now and how it has changed especially the wellbeing agenda.

Welcome as we review the year in policing 2022.

In partnership with Policing TV, the leading police media channel. 

The first podcast for the Thames Valley Police Mens Forum chaired by Chief Inspector Stewart Codling.

Hari Budha Magar was injured in Afghanistan and is a double above the knee leg amputee. Serving for 15 years in the British Army’s legendary Gurkha regiment, Hari has transformed from injured veteran to record breaking mountaineer. Changing perceptions towards people with disability is what now drives Hari. He is a champion of removing limits, most notably with his persistence and involvement in lobbying officials in Nepal to overturn a ban on people with disabilities climbing Everest in 2018. Not wanting disability to stop him, or others conquering dreams, he has been continually working to positively transform the way people with a disability are perceived, and how they perceive themselves. Hari seizes the opportunity to blaze new trails for people with disabilities. He has kayaked around the Isle of Wight, completed multiple skydives, para-glided and bungee jumped. Mont Blanc, Kilimanjaro and his highest to date, the 6,476m Mera Peak in Nepal, are among the peaks he has already climbed. He is attempting to climb Everest in 2023.

Krish Thapa, World Leading Mountaineer and Ex-SAS Mountain Troop Leader. Krish is a world-class high-altitude mountaineer, ex- SAS Mountain leader and professional guide. He was the first Gurkha from The Royal Gurkha Rifles regiment to pass selection into the British SAS, serving as head of the Mountain Troop. He has been at the front line in Iraq and Afghanistan in countless challenging situations. He led the largest Summit group up Everest of 13 UK special forces and Gurkha and he was the first serving Warrant officer to scale Mt Everest & K2. He has guided amputees, blind, deaf, Parkinson’s disease sufferers and PTSD veterans on expedition in Africa, Europe, and the Himalayas of Nepal. Without a doubt, Krish is one of the finest and most inspirational climbers in the world. He has been the enabler behind some of the decade’s most import climbs and has helped shatter disbelief in the perceived limitation of disabled mountaineers such as Hari whose ability is extraordinary. He has also inspired and trained some of the world’s most prolific climbers including Nims Dai

Their crowd funding page is here

Music by Episound under license to DCT Audio.

In this episode we look at leadership and the associated topics of wellbeing within the police service.

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

In this episode we sit down around the virtual fire and discuss our own police antidotes and those stories that have gone down in policing folklore.  

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

DISCLAIMER: It is entirely possible some of these tales may be untrue or inaccurate.
Update Description

In this episode we consider the Police and Criminal Evidence Act. The rule book for police since 1984 after the previous decade saw some massive miscarriages of justice. 

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel

In this episode we consider the recent report by the HMIC on bad practises within the UK police service. It makes grim reading. What makes it worse it that it is not politically driven but based on solid verifiable evidence.  What is clear is that the Chief Constables have to own this report and deliver on it.

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel

In the first of two episodes we talk to the local people from the Yorkshire town of Darfield and wider afield, who share their personal stories of life growing up in bygone times.

The podcast has been produced in partnership with the Maurice Dobson Museum located in Darfield.

In this episode we consider the current state of policing in the UK and we make no apology of the fact that we think it’s bleak. Of course that’s just our opinion as are the suggestions we respectfully offer up to the new Prime Minister.

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel

Deptherary is a scuba diving charity that helps and assists British military veterans who have suffered physical and mental injuries whilst serving their country. It is fair to say that the work they do have saved lives which has been recognised world wide. Click here to view their website. 

In this episode we continue looking at the penal system and discuss whether the death penalty has a place in modern society. 

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel

In this episode we will be looking at prisons, what is their purpose and are they fit for the job?

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

TRIGGER WARNING: This Podcast deals with terminal illness and trauma some listeners may find it distressing and listener discretion is advised. If you are struggling with your mental health do contact your welfare officer, GP or a MH Charity.

The Curtis Palmer Program is a charity set to help serving and retired police officers get back to a better place after suffering physical or mental injuries. Part of its ethos is always a little further and relies heavily on getting outdoors to improve our physical and mental health.

The charity is helping and supporting John Chart, a former London Firefighter who has MND and Lawrence East (Loz) who has stage 4 Pancreatic cancer. In a powerful and incredibly moving interview they describe living with their diagnosis and the impact a terminal illness has on them and their families. 

We also speak with Helen Barnet who suffered three major traumas as a Met police officer and Damien Isherwood (Ish), the CEO of Curtis Palmer who describes the charity, its aim and activities.

In this episode we will be looking at firearms officers, the training they receive, firearms incidents and the post incident procedure following a fatal shooting. We are joined by Darren Ware. Former soldier and police firearms officer and now a post incident manager with Lancashire Constabulary.

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

In this episode we will be looking at the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner or PCC. Brought in to replace the old police authorities and make Chief Constables more accountable. But has it worked? We will be looking at this and providing our opinions.

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

In this episode we look at the subject of police pursuits and how they could infringe the offences of careless and dangerous driving. There is currently no exemption in law to these offences and no account is taken of police driver training and the higher standards they drive to.

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

In this episode Dave Thomas speaks with the then CEO of the college of policing Mike Cunningham. Recorded a while back just prior to his retirement, Mike is in reflective mood as he looks back on his career.

In this week's NightJack piece, Richard Horton reflects on unexpected good news from the front line and how police uniform has changed beyond recognition over three decades.

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

Jackie Malton was a no-nonsense girl from Leicestershire who joined the police force in the 1970s when women were kept apart from the men. Feisty and determined, Jackie worked in CID and the famous flying squad before rising to become one of only three female detective chief inspectors in the Metropolitan Police. In The Real Prime Suspect, Malton describes the struggles she faced as a gay woman in the Metropolitan Police, where sexism and homophobia were rife.

She is joined by former Detective Chief Superintendent Sue Clarke. Both women, cut from the same cloth but from different generations. They compare their own experiences of policing. Often funny, sometimes sad but never with regret. 

In a preview for the forthcoming podcast about people’s stories in and around Darfield and the Yorkshire area, Sheila McMillan describes uncovering the story surrounding her grandfather she never knew. It is a moving tribute to him and Sheila wrote a short book about his life. All the proceeds go to the Poppy Appeal. 

In this episode we will be looking at the recently published HMICFRS report looking at the police’s poor  response to serious acquisitive crime. We will be taking apart it’s findings and debating why everything can’t be a priority.

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

In this episode we will be looking at whether UK police should be routinely armed. There are cultural issues, cost implications and training abstractions to consider amongst many other factors. 

Dave Thomas, in his first monologue looks at why we as police officers wear emotional masks at work and why that is not good for us.

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

In this episode we will be looking at the offence of rape and it’s very low conviction rate in the UK courts. 

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

Mike Barton grew up on a Lancashire farm which gave him a good grounding in resilience. He joined Lancashire Constabulary in 1980 and quickly rose those the ranks becoming the Chief Constable of Durham. 

He is now retired and through austerity steered the organisation into the best performing police force in the country. His views on drugs have caused controversy.

In this candid interview he talks about his police career and his passion for life. 

Photo by Andrew McCaren 

In this episode we will be looking at trial by jury and whether the process, which is over a thousand years old and enshrined in the magna carta, is fit for the 21st century. 

Richard Horton continues his Night Jack blog and discusses the role of the police and crime commissioner.

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

In this episode we will be looking at the circumstances surrounding the Mets recent downfall into special measures and with other forces in the same position we look at how it came to this and why it’s just more than austerity.

Steve Bradshaw continues his Acting Inspector blog and discusses what makes a good TV detective.

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

In this episode we will be looking at the Police right to strike. It is a topic that divides many officers but one thing is for sure. 

After a decade of austerity and wage cuts, the British Bobby has had a belly full of cuts and under investment.

Richard Horton continues his Night Jack blog and discusses the Airwaves police radio project. 

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

In this episode we will be looking at Police recruitment and the bewildering various routes a potential applicant can follow. We will also be looking at how this impacts on retention and Steve Bradshaw gets quite passionate about the academic entry routes and how it is breaking student officers. 
We have also included a section of a previous interview with Mike Cunningham, the then CEO of the college of policing and we thank him for his generous time.
The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

In this episode we will be looking at the Race Action Plan. A collaboration between the college of policing and the National Police Chiefs Council together with various representatives of the Black and minority communities. It attempts to address the disparities suffered by the black and minority communities in their engagement with the police.

We will be looking at the plan and discussing its merits and downfalls. 

Steve Bradshaw will also be looking at what makes a credible and believable police officer in TV and film dramas in The Acting Inspector.

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

In this episode we will be looking at the police tactic of stop and search and it’s disproportionate use against the black community.

We will also be looking at what constitutes reasonable grounds and the previous College of Policing guidelines adopted by some but not all police forces.

We attempted to make contact with the college of Policing for comment but unfortunately they have not replied. 

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

John is a former fire fighter and World Champion power lifter. He noticed a small tremor in his bicep and that started a journey of discovery and the diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease. 

That was eight years ago which is remarkable and John is in the 10% of people that live longer than two years.

John and his wife Arlene, who has now becomes Johns carer, talk about their daily struggle with the disease and their tireless campaign to raise awareness of MND.

In this episode we will be looking at the impact of social and mainstream media has on police forces and individual officers. It can affect morale and the perception the public have for their police. 

We will also be looking at the way the police use social media between it’s officers and the damaging impact it has had in recent events. 

Finally Danny Shaw, former BBC home corespondent and now a contributor to Policing Tv will give his own views on the matter.

The Thin Blue Line podcast in partnership with Policing TV, the leading policing media channel.

Steve Bradshaw is a recently retired Police Inspector. He has spent the majority of his policing career as a firearms officer before being promoted up the ranks where he became a Force Incident Manager, taking command of high risk critical incidents such as vehicle pursuits, firearms and major threats to the public.

But he also led another life as a budding actor and now retired, is free to fully explore his new career. He has appeared in several series aired on ITV and Netflix and has also appeared in several well know soap dramas.

Steve reflects on both careers and sees how they are not dissimilar. Steve’s acting name is Noah Burd, a name he was perhaps destined to own. Find out why.

You can find some of Steve’s work here.

Richard Horton began his career with a short spell in accountancy before joining the police. Serving in the east side of Lancashire he performed several duties before becoming a Detective, a role he dedicated himself to for more than twenty years. Moving back into uniform towards the end of his career he was a response Sergeant overseeing a team of young and eager police officers.

But that isn’t the real story. Richard wrote an anonymous blog called The Night Jack in which he described the realities of policing. He won the Orwell prize for writing and donated his prize to police charities. You would have thought that would be a reason to celebrate, however The Times newspaper hacked into Richard’s emails and outed him as the author. Disciplinary action followed by his employer. Richard took the newspaper to court and eventually won his case.

Richard looks back philosophically on events and we discover that it still hasn’t  dampened his love of writing.

Richard’s blog was turned into a book and you can buy it HERE

Welcome to what is a first for A Mindful Life. This podcast is a concept if you like, a working idea of something I have wanted to do for sometime. If successful it may become a commercial project, another first. Retired police officers Steve Bradshaw and Richard Horton, together with myself have collaborated to produce a show about current policing issues and topics. 

We would very much appreciate your comments if you have a few minutes. We are keen to get this in the right place before it goes live so to speak. Cheers.