Page 1

The man who tracked down Ronnie Biggs ldquoI hear yoursquore going to Rio Brian I want you to find Ronnierdquo It was 1973 and those were the words of Commander Dave Dilley the boss of the Flying Squad Brian was a Detective Sergeant in Gloucestershire Constabulary but making his mark at lsquoThe Yardrsquo working in a new intelligence unit a forerunner to National Crime Agency Right Brian and his wife Rosemary at their penthouse flat in Cheltenham Below Train-robber Ronald Arthur Biggs

In the lsquoFascinating Livesrsquo series Brian talks to Dick Smith editor of squaretalk and another former cop

Brian Marshall Glevum Lodge

Page 2

The Great Train Robbery Ronnie Biggs was a London villain having already done three stretches in prison by the time he was 30 In the early hours of 8th August 1963 his birthday he was one of the gang that carried out the crime of the century robbing the Glasgow to London mail-train The haul pound26 million would be equivalent to more than pound50m these days There was an audaciousness about the offence which captured an admiring fascination amongst sections of the public tempered only by the fact that the train driver Jack Mills was viciously coshed with an iron bar He never properly recovered from the brain injuries The gang holed up at Leatherslade Farm in Bucks intending to stay there for some considerable time The police however were making good progress Two of the team closing in were masons Jim Neville

who later headed up the Anti-Terrorist Unit and Leonard lsquoNipperrsquo Read who later came to fame successfully capturing and imprisoning the Krays

ldquoPass the ketchup Ronrdquo In the event the gang fled Biggs taking his share pound147000 in two canvass bags The accomplice who had been instructed to burn down the farmhouse failed and Biggsrsquo fingerprints were found on a ketchup bottle Three weeks later he was arrested in South London along with 11 other members of the gang In 1964 he and several others were each sentenced to 30 years inside His incarceration was short-lived as just fifteen months later Biggs escaped from Wandsworth Prison scaling the wall with a rope-ladder

Page 3

and dropping onto a removal van He went to Brussels and then Paris where he underwent plastic surgery in a bid to change his appearance He was joined by his wife and children and they made it to Australia where they remained for two years He did not go unnoticed and in October 1969 the press reported that the police were aware of his presence in Melbourne Ronnie deserted his family and jumped on a ship to Panama From there he made his way to Brazil arriving in 1970

The Sweeney Moving on to 1973 and Brian Marshall had befriended a Brazilian family visiting Gloucester in particular a young lady called Maria Now seconded to the Met he saved up six weeks of annual leave to holiday out in Rio and renew the friendship He had also been asked by a Danny Baldwin a barber in Gloucester to see if he could find his daughter Vanessa Shersquod made off with a Brazilian nightclub owner Then came the third and most secret part of his mission He was called in by Commander Dilley and entrusted with very confidential information There was a ldquowhisperrdquo that Biggs was in Rio ldquoBeing the man you are you might come across him Who knowsrdquo said the boss of The Sweeney There was an arrangement for me to have local police contact but to stay schtum regarding Biggs ldquoI arrived at San Dumas Airport in October 73rdquo said Brian ldquoI was met by Maria and her parents who I believe anticipated I might become a son-in-law and also a high-ranking Rio detective I was installed in an annexe at Mariarsquos parentsrsquo house but my time with her was strictly regulated and we were never left unchaperoned During the day wersquod go sight-seeing but at night Irsquod revert to my lsquoworking capacityrsquo and went on the town with my new police chief friend We covered every aspect of Rio nightlife and got the VIP treatment

Lodge visit ldquoIt was actually through my masonic contacts that I found Biggs Having established that the lodge was recognised by UGLE I got myself an invitation At the festive board after the meeting I got talking to a brother called Alan telling him I was looking for the singer Vanessa He suggested I try Corcovado which was popular amongst tourists and ex-pats Itrsquos that huge granite peak the home to Riorsquos Christ the Redeemer statue He also revealed that he had recently employed an odd-job man called Brian Like many Englishmen he enjoyed strong tea lsquoMichaelrsquo also spent his weekends in Corcovado amongst the touristsrdquo

ldquoI had to get proofrdquo

So the following weekend Alan Maria and Brian went to Corcovado Alan pointed out the man ldquoHe was simply an older version of the ten-year old photo Irsquod seen of Biggsrdquo said Brian ldquoI heard him order lsquoa pot of tea with two teabagsrsquo I knew I had him but I had to get proofrdquo As

Page 4

soon he had finished his tea Brian snaffled the cup and saucer carefully wrapping them in paper napkins and dropped them into his haversack He followed Biggs to the car-park then tailed him by cab to Copacabana Beach ldquoI waited in the street Brian continued ldquountil Biggs came out now accompanied by a very attractive womanrdquo The woman was Raimunda the future mother of Biggsrsquo child who would play such an important role in frustrating the attempts to deliver the crook back to Britain to face the music Brian dropped off the cup and saucer at the British Embassy where it was rushed back to London in the diplomatic bag A fingerprint examination proved it was Biggs Brian had not only spotted his man but had housed him too ldquoI phoned Dilley and he was delightedrdquo ldquoAll in all it was a fantastic six weeks I also found Vanessa whilst doing the rounds of nightclubs I watched Pele play at the Maricana Stadium and even witnessed a voodoo ceremony However I didnrsquot go home with Maria on my arm It was not meant to berdquo

Biggrsquos celebrity status We all know that the efforts to get Biggs back to London went on for years there being no extradition treaty with Brazil He survived a kidnap in 1981 by Brit ex-soldiers but the boat on which he was carried foundered off Barbados They were rescued and Biggs was sent back to Brazil He appeared on countless punk records and films were made about him Unsurprisingly some sections of the press appeared to

treat him heroically A treaty with Brazil was signed in 1997 but the courts there still rejected extradition It was not until 2001 that Biggs arrived back in Blighty voluntarily and on a Lear jet paid for by lsquoThe Sunrsquo which it is claimed had also paid his son Michael in Rio the sum of pound20000 Biggs spent only 8 more years in prison serving less than a third of his sentence being released on lsquocompassionate groundsrsquo He died at the age of 84 in 2013

Queenrsquos Commendation for Bravery

Brian was born in Park Street close to Gloucester Cathedral on 2nd April 1932 Orphaned before the age of ten he moved to Southgate and he retains only sad memories of his childhood He was educated at Hatherley School where he developed a life-long passion for sport not least football rugby cricket and athletics He fulfilled his ambition of joining the police becoming a cadet in 1948 He became a regular constable in 1952 breaking for national service in the RAF for two years

Page 5

Queenrsquos Commendation for Bravery

During his career Brian was to gain 23 commendations the most prestigious of these being the Queenrsquos Commendation for Bravery in 1967 The citation in the London Gazette read lsquoFor services when apprehending a mentally deranged man armed with a shotgunrsquo ldquoHe was intent on murdering his philandering wiferdquo explained Brian quite calmly

Page 6

Sport

Brian excelled in running and rugby whilst in the police He won this 880-yards National Police Athletics Championship trophy 8 years out of ten so often in fact that in 1962 they said he could keep it Brian (circled) played on the wing for the Gloucestershire Police rugby team Hooker Cyril Thomas from Lydney also in this picture played 362 games for Gloucester RFC captained the British Police team and was an England trialist

Page 7

Working for Cunard Brian left the Police after 25 yearsrsquo service in 1977 taking up the post of Chief Security Officer on the Cunard flagship QE2 ldquoLike me Dick yoursquove probably got a degree in kidologyrdquo quipped Brian ldquoHere I was one day a copper working in London The following day I am in San Juan Puerto Rico in a smart uniform and putting on a brave face I am welcoming 800 US citizens the good and the great on board this luxury ship And I am supposed to know what I am doing But we handle it donrsquot we All those years in lsquothe Jobrsquo and nothing phases usrdquo

Brian even had his photo published in lsquoVoguersquo magazine in a feature on the QE2 (below)

Page 8

The Falklandrsquos Conflict a Queen at war Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands on my fiftieth birthday A day later Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced the despatch of a Task Force The QE2 was requisitioned as a Troop ship and I immediately volunteered to remain in post I could guarantee that I would be the only police pensioner toddling off to that warrdquo By 12th May the transformation of the ship for battle duty was complete and we set sail ldquoOur send off from Southampton is an occasion I shall always remember with pride We carried 3000 troops Ghurkhas and Guards regiments Between duties they had waiter service in the restaurants and were on the sun-decks enjoying the sun Once we disembarked our troops it

was something of an anti-climaxrdquo We were later to learn from intelligence sources that an Argentinian sub had been despatched from Buenos Aires with the sole mission of sinking the QE2 Thankfully it developed engine trouble and had to return to base

On the long journey back to port Brian wrote a report for lsquoThe Citizenrsquo newspaper which was printed on the front page He announced he was raising money for a fund set up for the dependants of the Merchant Seamen who were killed or wounded during the Falklands crisis He arranged a series 5-mile races (25 laps of the boat deck) and raised pound3000 ldquoThat got me into charity reallyrdquo he said ldquoI later led a QE2 team in the New York marathon this time in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blindrdquo Left Brianrsquos medals Falklands Medal and Police LSGC Medal with Queenrsquos Commendation spray of laurel leaves

Page 9

Retirement or Brianrsquos version of it I retired from Cunard in 1984 and took a position as an investigations officer with GCHQ ldquoI frankly found that rather boring and took final retirement just two years laterrdquo he said Brian first set eyes on Rosemary in 1970 ldquoShe was in the Information Room with Cheltenham Police and as a lsquoradio despatcherrsquo I realised she had been telling me lsquowhere to gorsquo Sometime later we were to marry and shersquod routinely have the right to tell me lsquowhere to gorsquordquo Rosemary later became an air hostess There are two sons and a daughter At the same time he has not refrained from energetically pursuing his love of running cycling and long-distance walking in the UK and many parts of the world ldquoThe result is that I am now on my second pair of replacement hipsrdquo he joked Following his first hip-replacements he cycled from John OrsquoGroats to Landrsquos End He has lsquowalked in Hannibalrsquos footstepsrsquo across the French Alps and trekked the lsquoSpanish Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostelarsquo Well into his seventies and accompanied his son Simon he cycled coast-to-coast across Mexico The pair then cycled across Rajasthan in India He accepted an invitation to return to South America joining local Freemasons in Brazil in a cycling tour to raise funds for their charities Being in the area he chose to go to Peru to climb the Machu Picchu At 78 he and Simon climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of MacMillan Cancer Relief as reported in lsquoThe Gazettersquo (right) At the age of 80 he took on and conquered Ben Nevis Brian has never forgotten that both his parents died from cancer when he was very young so he has made it his aim to raise funds for cancer

charities including Cheltenham Cobalt In addition he raises money for his village church (he also has a home in Nailsworth) He has been a regular on the lsquopublic speakerrsquo circuit talking about his adventures and experiences in life to many groups and societies

Page 10

50 years in masonry Brian was initiated into Glevum Lodge on 12th November 1968 On 8th January 2019 he was back in the same room being presented with his 50-year certificate by Assistant PGM James Bartlett James had just one or two interesting things to tell the brethren present about this adventurous mason Acting as chauffeur for Brianrsquos special evening was his nephew Simon Slade who was initiated into Thornbury Lodge last year ldquoI shall be watching young Simonrsquos masonic career with interestrdquo said Brian

Page 2

The Great Train Robbery Ronnie Biggs was a London villain having already done three stretches in prison by the time he was 30 In the early hours of 8th August 1963 his birthday he was one of the gang that carried out the crime of the century robbing the Glasgow to London mail-train The haul pound26 million would be equivalent to more than pound50m these days There was an audaciousness about the offence which captured an admiring fascination amongst sections of the public tempered only by the fact that the train driver Jack Mills was viciously coshed with an iron bar He never properly recovered from the brain injuries The gang holed up at Leatherslade Farm in Bucks intending to stay there for some considerable time The police however were making good progress Two of the team closing in were masons Jim Neville

who later headed up the Anti-Terrorist Unit and Leonard lsquoNipperrsquo Read who later came to fame successfully capturing and imprisoning the Krays

ldquoPass the ketchup Ronrdquo In the event the gang fled Biggs taking his share pound147000 in two canvass bags The accomplice who had been instructed to burn down the farmhouse failed and Biggsrsquo fingerprints were found on a ketchup bottle Three weeks later he was arrested in South London along with 11 other members of the gang In 1964 he and several others were each sentenced to 30 years inside His incarceration was short-lived as just fifteen months later Biggs escaped from Wandsworth Prison scaling the wall with a rope-ladder

Page 3

and dropping onto a removal van He went to Brussels and then Paris where he underwent plastic surgery in a bid to change his appearance He was joined by his wife and children and they made it to Australia where they remained for two years He did not go unnoticed and in October 1969 the press reported that the police were aware of his presence in Melbourne Ronnie deserted his family and jumped on a ship to Panama From there he made his way to Brazil arriving in 1970

The Sweeney Moving on to 1973 and Brian Marshall had befriended a Brazilian family visiting Gloucester in particular a young lady called Maria Now seconded to the Met he saved up six weeks of annual leave to holiday out in Rio and renew the friendship He had also been asked by a Danny Baldwin a barber in Gloucester to see if he could find his daughter Vanessa Shersquod made off with a Brazilian nightclub owner Then came the third and most secret part of his mission He was called in by Commander Dilley and entrusted with very confidential information There was a ldquowhisperrdquo that Biggs was in Rio ldquoBeing the man you are you might come across him Who knowsrdquo said the boss of The Sweeney There was an arrangement for me to have local police contact but to stay schtum regarding Biggs ldquoI arrived at San Dumas Airport in October 73rdquo said Brian ldquoI was met by Maria and her parents who I believe anticipated I might become a son-in-law and also a high-ranking Rio detective I was installed in an annexe at Mariarsquos parentsrsquo house but my time with her was strictly regulated and we were never left unchaperoned During the day wersquod go sight-seeing but at night Irsquod revert to my lsquoworking capacityrsquo and went on the town with my new police chief friend We covered every aspect of Rio nightlife and got the VIP treatment

Lodge visit ldquoIt was actually through my masonic contacts that I found Biggs Having established that the lodge was recognised by UGLE I got myself an invitation At the festive board after the meeting I got talking to a brother called Alan telling him I was looking for the singer Vanessa He suggested I try Corcovado which was popular amongst tourists and ex-pats Itrsquos that huge granite peak the home to Riorsquos Christ the Redeemer statue He also revealed that he had recently employed an odd-job man called Brian Like many Englishmen he enjoyed strong tea lsquoMichaelrsquo also spent his weekends in Corcovado amongst the touristsrdquo

ldquoI had to get proofrdquo

So the following weekend Alan Maria and Brian went to Corcovado Alan pointed out the man ldquoHe was simply an older version of the ten-year old photo Irsquod seen of Biggsrdquo said Brian ldquoI heard him order lsquoa pot of tea with two teabagsrsquo I knew I had him but I had to get proofrdquo As

Page 4

soon he had finished his tea Brian snaffled the cup and saucer carefully wrapping them in paper napkins and dropped them into his haversack He followed Biggs to the car-park then tailed him by cab to Copacabana Beach ldquoI waited in the street Brian continued ldquountil Biggs came out now accompanied by a very attractive womanrdquo The woman was Raimunda the future mother of Biggsrsquo child who would play such an important role in frustrating the attempts to deliver the crook back to Britain to face the music Brian dropped off the cup and saucer at the British Embassy where it was rushed back to London in the diplomatic bag A fingerprint examination proved it was Biggs Brian had not only spotted his man but had housed him too ldquoI phoned Dilley and he was delightedrdquo ldquoAll in all it was a fantastic six weeks I also found Vanessa whilst doing the rounds of nightclubs I watched Pele play at the Maricana Stadium and even witnessed a voodoo ceremony However I didnrsquot go home with Maria on my arm It was not meant to berdquo

Biggrsquos celebrity status We all know that the efforts to get Biggs back to London went on for years there being no extradition treaty with Brazil He survived a kidnap in 1981 by Brit ex-soldiers but the boat on which he was carried foundered off Barbados They were rescued and Biggs was sent back to Brazil He appeared on countless punk records and films were made about him Unsurprisingly some sections of the press appeared to

treat him heroically A treaty with Brazil was signed in 1997 but the courts there still rejected extradition It was not until 2001 that Biggs arrived back in Blighty voluntarily and on a Lear jet paid for by lsquoThe Sunrsquo which it is claimed had also paid his son Michael in Rio the sum of pound20000 Biggs spent only 8 more years in prison serving less than a third of his sentence being released on lsquocompassionate groundsrsquo He died at the age of 84 in 2013

Queenrsquos Commendation for Bravery

Brian was born in Park Street close to Gloucester Cathedral on 2nd April 1932 Orphaned before the age of ten he moved to Southgate and he retains only sad memories of his childhood He was educated at Hatherley School where he developed a life-long passion for sport not least football rugby cricket and athletics He fulfilled his ambition of joining the police becoming a cadet in 1948 He became a regular constable in 1952 breaking for national service in the RAF for two years

Page 5

Queenrsquos Commendation for Bravery

During his career Brian was to gain 23 commendations the most prestigious of these being the Queenrsquos Commendation for Bravery in 1967 The citation in the London Gazette read lsquoFor services when apprehending a mentally deranged man armed with a shotgunrsquo ldquoHe was intent on murdering his philandering wiferdquo explained Brian quite calmly

Page 6

Sport

Brian excelled in running and rugby whilst in the police He won this 880-yards National Police Athletics Championship trophy 8 years out of ten so often in fact that in 1962 they said he could keep it Brian (circled) played on the wing for the Gloucestershire Police rugby team Hooker Cyril Thomas from Lydney also in this picture played 362 games for Gloucester RFC captained the British Police team and was an England trialist

Page 7

Working for Cunard Brian left the Police after 25 yearsrsquo service in 1977 taking up the post of Chief Security Officer on the Cunard flagship QE2 ldquoLike me Dick yoursquove probably got a degree in kidologyrdquo quipped Brian ldquoHere I was one day a copper working in London The following day I am in San Juan Puerto Rico in a smart uniform and putting on a brave face I am welcoming 800 US citizens the good and the great on board this luxury ship And I am supposed to know what I am doing But we handle it donrsquot we All those years in lsquothe Jobrsquo and nothing phases usrdquo

Brian even had his photo published in lsquoVoguersquo magazine in a feature on the QE2 (below)

Page 8

The Falklandrsquos Conflict a Queen at war Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands on my fiftieth birthday A day later Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced the despatch of a Task Force The QE2 was requisitioned as a Troop ship and I immediately volunteered to remain in post I could guarantee that I would be the only police pensioner toddling off to that warrdquo By 12th May the transformation of the ship for battle duty was complete and we set sail ldquoOur send off from Southampton is an occasion I shall always remember with pride We carried 3000 troops Ghurkhas and Guards regiments Between duties they had waiter service in the restaurants and were on the sun-decks enjoying the sun Once we disembarked our troops it

was something of an anti-climaxrdquo We were later to learn from intelligence sources that an Argentinian sub had been despatched from Buenos Aires with the sole mission of sinking the QE2 Thankfully it developed engine trouble and had to return to base

On the long journey back to port Brian wrote a report for lsquoThe Citizenrsquo newspaper which was printed on the front page He announced he was raising money for a fund set up for the dependants of the Merchant Seamen who were killed or wounded during the Falklands crisis He arranged a series 5-mile races (25 laps of the boat deck) and raised pound3000 ldquoThat got me into charity reallyrdquo he said ldquoI later led a QE2 team in the New York marathon this time in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blindrdquo Left Brianrsquos medals Falklands Medal and Police LSGC Medal with Queenrsquos Commendation spray of laurel leaves

Page 9

Retirement or Brianrsquos version of it I retired from Cunard in 1984 and took a position as an investigations officer with GCHQ ldquoI frankly found that rather boring and took final retirement just two years laterrdquo he said Brian first set eyes on Rosemary in 1970 ldquoShe was in the Information Room with Cheltenham Police and as a lsquoradio despatcherrsquo I realised she had been telling me lsquowhere to gorsquo Sometime later we were to marry and shersquod routinely have the right to tell me lsquowhere to gorsquordquo Rosemary later became an air hostess There are two sons and a daughter At the same time he has not refrained from energetically pursuing his love of running cycling and long-distance walking in the UK and many parts of the world ldquoThe result is that I am now on my second pair of replacement hipsrdquo he joked Following his first hip-replacements he cycled from John OrsquoGroats to Landrsquos End He has lsquowalked in Hannibalrsquos footstepsrsquo across the French Alps and trekked the lsquoSpanish Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostelarsquo Well into his seventies and accompanied his son Simon he cycled coast-to-coast across Mexico The pair then cycled across Rajasthan in India He accepted an invitation to return to South America joining local Freemasons in Brazil in a cycling tour to raise funds for their charities Being in the area he chose to go to Peru to climb the Machu Picchu At 78 he and Simon climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of MacMillan Cancer Relief as reported in lsquoThe Gazettersquo (right) At the age of 80 he took on and conquered Ben Nevis Brian has never forgotten that both his parents died from cancer when he was very young so he has made it his aim to raise funds for cancer

charities including Cheltenham Cobalt In addition he raises money for his village church (he also has a home in Nailsworth) He has been a regular on the lsquopublic speakerrsquo circuit talking about his adventures and experiences in life to many groups and societies

Page 10

50 years in masonry Brian was initiated into Glevum Lodge on 12th November 1968 On 8th January 2019 he was back in the same room being presented with his 50-year certificate by Assistant PGM James Bartlett James had just one or two interesting things to tell the brethren present about this adventurous mason Acting as chauffeur for Brianrsquos special evening was his nephew Simon Slade who was initiated into Thornbury Lodge last year ldquoI shall be watching young Simonrsquos masonic career with interestrdquo said Brian

Page 3

and dropping onto a removal van He went to Brussels and then Paris where he underwent plastic surgery in a bid to change his appearance He was joined by his wife and children and they made it to Australia where they remained for two years He did not go unnoticed and in October 1969 the press reported that the police were aware of his presence in Melbourne Ronnie deserted his family and jumped on a ship to Panama From there he made his way to Brazil arriving in 1970

The Sweeney Moving on to 1973 and Brian Marshall had befriended a Brazilian family visiting Gloucester in particular a young lady called Maria Now seconded to the Met he saved up six weeks of annual leave to holiday out in Rio and renew the friendship He had also been asked by a Danny Baldwin a barber in Gloucester to see if he could find his daughter Vanessa Shersquod made off with a Brazilian nightclub owner Then came the third and most secret part of his mission He was called in by Commander Dilley and entrusted with very confidential information There was a ldquowhisperrdquo that Biggs was in Rio ldquoBeing the man you are you might come across him Who knowsrdquo said the boss of The Sweeney There was an arrangement for me to have local police contact but to stay schtum regarding Biggs ldquoI arrived at San Dumas Airport in October 73rdquo said Brian ldquoI was met by Maria and her parents who I believe anticipated I might become a son-in-law and also a high-ranking Rio detective I was installed in an annexe at Mariarsquos parentsrsquo house but my time with her was strictly regulated and we were never left unchaperoned During the day wersquod go sight-seeing but at night Irsquod revert to my lsquoworking capacityrsquo and went on the town with my new police chief friend We covered every aspect of Rio nightlife and got the VIP treatment

Lodge visit ldquoIt was actually through my masonic contacts that I found Biggs Having established that the lodge was recognised by UGLE I got myself an invitation At the festive board after the meeting I got talking to a brother called Alan telling him I was looking for the singer Vanessa He suggested I try Corcovado which was popular amongst tourists and ex-pats Itrsquos that huge granite peak the home to Riorsquos Christ the Redeemer statue He also revealed that he had recently employed an odd-job man called Brian Like many Englishmen he enjoyed strong tea lsquoMichaelrsquo also spent his weekends in Corcovado amongst the touristsrdquo

ldquoI had to get proofrdquo

So the following weekend Alan Maria and Brian went to Corcovado Alan pointed out the man ldquoHe was simply an older version of the ten-year old photo Irsquod seen of Biggsrdquo said Brian ldquoI heard him order lsquoa pot of tea with two teabagsrsquo I knew I had him but I had to get proofrdquo As

Page 4

soon he had finished his tea Brian snaffled the cup and saucer carefully wrapping them in paper napkins and dropped them into his haversack He followed Biggs to the car-park then tailed him by cab to Copacabana Beach ldquoI waited in the street Brian continued ldquountil Biggs came out now accompanied by a very attractive womanrdquo The woman was Raimunda the future mother of Biggsrsquo child who would play such an important role in frustrating the attempts to deliver the crook back to Britain to face the music Brian dropped off the cup and saucer at the British Embassy where it was rushed back to London in the diplomatic bag A fingerprint examination proved it was Biggs Brian had not only spotted his man but had housed him too ldquoI phoned Dilley and he was delightedrdquo ldquoAll in all it was a fantastic six weeks I also found Vanessa whilst doing the rounds of nightclubs I watched Pele play at the Maricana Stadium and even witnessed a voodoo ceremony However I didnrsquot go home with Maria on my arm It was not meant to berdquo

Biggrsquos celebrity status We all know that the efforts to get Biggs back to London went on for years there being no extradition treaty with Brazil He survived a kidnap in 1981 by Brit ex-soldiers but the boat on which he was carried foundered off Barbados They were rescued and Biggs was sent back to Brazil He appeared on countless punk records and films were made about him Unsurprisingly some sections of the press appeared to

treat him heroically A treaty with Brazil was signed in 1997 but the courts there still rejected extradition It was not until 2001 that Biggs arrived back in Blighty voluntarily and on a Lear jet paid for by lsquoThe Sunrsquo which it is claimed had also paid his son Michael in Rio the sum of pound20000 Biggs spent only 8 more years in prison serving less than a third of his sentence being released on lsquocompassionate groundsrsquo He died at the age of 84 in 2013

Queenrsquos Commendation for Bravery

Brian was born in Park Street close to Gloucester Cathedral on 2nd April 1932 Orphaned before the age of ten he moved to Southgate and he retains only sad memories of his childhood He was educated at Hatherley School where he developed a life-long passion for sport not least football rugby cricket and athletics He fulfilled his ambition of joining the police becoming a cadet in 1948 He became a regular constable in 1952 breaking for national service in the RAF for two years

Page 5

Queenrsquos Commendation for Bravery

During his career Brian was to gain 23 commendations the most prestigious of these being the Queenrsquos Commendation for Bravery in 1967 The citation in the London Gazette read lsquoFor services when apprehending a mentally deranged man armed with a shotgunrsquo ldquoHe was intent on murdering his philandering wiferdquo explained Brian quite calmly

Page 6

Sport

Brian excelled in running and rugby whilst in the police He won this 880-yards National Police Athletics Championship trophy 8 years out of ten so often in fact that in 1962 they said he could keep it Brian (circled) played on the wing for the Gloucestershire Police rugby team Hooker Cyril Thomas from Lydney also in this picture played 362 games for Gloucester RFC captained the British Police team and was an England trialist

Page 7

Working for Cunard Brian left the Police after 25 yearsrsquo service in 1977 taking up the post of Chief Security Officer on the Cunard flagship QE2 ldquoLike me Dick yoursquove probably got a degree in kidologyrdquo quipped Brian ldquoHere I was one day a copper working in London The following day I am in San Juan Puerto Rico in a smart uniform and putting on a brave face I am welcoming 800 US citizens the good and the great on board this luxury ship And I am supposed to know what I am doing But we handle it donrsquot we All those years in lsquothe Jobrsquo and nothing phases usrdquo

Brian even had his photo published in lsquoVoguersquo magazine in a feature on the QE2 (below)

Page 8

The Falklandrsquos Conflict a Queen at war Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands on my fiftieth birthday A day later Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced the despatch of a Task Force The QE2 was requisitioned as a Troop ship and I immediately volunteered to remain in post I could guarantee that I would be the only police pensioner toddling off to that warrdquo By 12th May the transformation of the ship for battle duty was complete and we set sail ldquoOur send off from Southampton is an occasion I shall always remember with pride We carried 3000 troops Ghurkhas and Guards regiments Between duties they had waiter service in the restaurants and were on the sun-decks enjoying the sun Once we disembarked our troops it

was something of an anti-climaxrdquo We were later to learn from intelligence sources that an Argentinian sub had been despatched from Buenos Aires with the sole mission of sinking the QE2 Thankfully it developed engine trouble and had to return to base

On the long journey back to port Brian wrote a report for lsquoThe Citizenrsquo newspaper which was printed on the front page He announced he was raising money for a fund set up for the dependants of the Merchant Seamen who were killed or wounded during the Falklands crisis He arranged a series 5-mile races (25 laps of the boat deck) and raised pound3000 ldquoThat got me into charity reallyrdquo he said ldquoI later led a QE2 team in the New York marathon this time in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blindrdquo Left Brianrsquos medals Falklands Medal and Police LSGC Medal with Queenrsquos Commendation spray of laurel leaves

Page 9

Retirement or Brianrsquos version of it I retired from Cunard in 1984 and took a position as an investigations officer with GCHQ ldquoI frankly found that rather boring and took final retirement just two years laterrdquo he said Brian first set eyes on Rosemary in 1970 ldquoShe was in the Information Room with Cheltenham Police and as a lsquoradio despatcherrsquo I realised she had been telling me lsquowhere to gorsquo Sometime later we were to marry and shersquod routinely have the right to tell me lsquowhere to gorsquordquo Rosemary later became an air hostess There are two sons and a daughter At the same time he has not refrained from energetically pursuing his love of running cycling and long-distance walking in the UK and many parts of the world ldquoThe result is that I am now on my second pair of replacement hipsrdquo he joked Following his first hip-replacements he cycled from John OrsquoGroats to Landrsquos End He has lsquowalked in Hannibalrsquos footstepsrsquo across the French Alps and trekked the lsquoSpanish Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostelarsquo Well into his seventies and accompanied his son Simon he cycled coast-to-coast across Mexico The pair then cycled across Rajasthan in India He accepted an invitation to return to South America joining local Freemasons in Brazil in a cycling tour to raise funds for their charities Being in the area he chose to go to Peru to climb the Machu Picchu At 78 he and Simon climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of MacMillan Cancer Relief as reported in lsquoThe Gazettersquo (right) At the age of 80 he took on and conquered Ben Nevis Brian has never forgotten that both his parents died from cancer when he was very young so he has made it his aim to raise funds for cancer

charities including Cheltenham Cobalt In addition he raises money for his village church (he also has a home in Nailsworth) He has been a regular on the lsquopublic speakerrsquo circuit talking about his adventures and experiences in life to many groups and societies

Page 10

50 years in masonry Brian was initiated into Glevum Lodge on 12th November 1968 On 8th January 2019 he was back in the same room being presented with his 50-year certificate by Assistant PGM James Bartlett James had just one or two interesting things to tell the brethren present about this adventurous mason Acting as chauffeur for Brianrsquos special evening was his nephew Simon Slade who was initiated into Thornbury Lodge last year ldquoI shall be watching young Simonrsquos masonic career with interestrdquo said Brian

Page 4

soon he had finished his tea Brian snaffled the cup and saucer carefully wrapping them in paper napkins and dropped them into his haversack He followed Biggs to the car-park then tailed him by cab to Copacabana Beach ldquoI waited in the street Brian continued ldquountil Biggs came out now accompanied by a very attractive womanrdquo The woman was Raimunda the future mother of Biggsrsquo child who would play such an important role in frustrating the attempts to deliver the crook back to Britain to face the music Brian dropped off the cup and saucer at the British Embassy where it was rushed back to London in the diplomatic bag A fingerprint examination proved it was Biggs Brian had not only spotted his man but had housed him too ldquoI phoned Dilley and he was delightedrdquo ldquoAll in all it was a fantastic six weeks I also found Vanessa whilst doing the rounds of nightclubs I watched Pele play at the Maricana Stadium and even witnessed a voodoo ceremony However I didnrsquot go home with Maria on my arm It was not meant to berdquo

Biggrsquos celebrity status We all know that the efforts to get Biggs back to London went on for years there being no extradition treaty with Brazil He survived a kidnap in 1981 by Brit ex-soldiers but the boat on which he was carried foundered off Barbados They were rescued and Biggs was sent back to Brazil He appeared on countless punk records and films were made about him Unsurprisingly some sections of the press appeared to

treat him heroically A treaty with Brazil was signed in 1997 but the courts there still rejected extradition It was not until 2001 that Biggs arrived back in Blighty voluntarily and on a Lear jet paid for by lsquoThe Sunrsquo which it is claimed had also paid his son Michael in Rio the sum of pound20000 Biggs spent only 8 more years in prison serving less than a third of his sentence being released on lsquocompassionate groundsrsquo He died at the age of 84 in 2013

Queenrsquos Commendation for Bravery

Brian was born in Park Street close to Gloucester Cathedral on 2nd April 1932 Orphaned before the age of ten he moved to Southgate and he retains only sad memories of his childhood He was educated at Hatherley School where he developed a life-long passion for sport not least football rugby cricket and athletics He fulfilled his ambition of joining the police becoming a cadet in 1948 He became a regular constable in 1952 breaking for national service in the RAF for two years

Page 5

Queenrsquos Commendation for Bravery

During his career Brian was to gain 23 commendations the most prestigious of these being the Queenrsquos Commendation for Bravery in 1967 The citation in the London Gazette read lsquoFor services when apprehending a mentally deranged man armed with a shotgunrsquo ldquoHe was intent on murdering his philandering wiferdquo explained Brian quite calmly

Page 6

Sport

Brian excelled in running and rugby whilst in the police He won this 880-yards National Police Athletics Championship trophy 8 years out of ten so often in fact that in 1962 they said he could keep it Brian (circled) played on the wing for the Gloucestershire Police rugby team Hooker Cyril Thomas from Lydney also in this picture played 362 games for Gloucester RFC captained the British Police team and was an England trialist

Page 7

Working for Cunard Brian left the Police after 25 yearsrsquo service in 1977 taking up the post of Chief Security Officer on the Cunard flagship QE2 ldquoLike me Dick yoursquove probably got a degree in kidologyrdquo quipped Brian ldquoHere I was one day a copper working in London The following day I am in San Juan Puerto Rico in a smart uniform and putting on a brave face I am welcoming 800 US citizens the good and the great on board this luxury ship And I am supposed to know what I am doing But we handle it donrsquot we All those years in lsquothe Jobrsquo and nothing phases usrdquo

Brian even had his photo published in lsquoVoguersquo magazine in a feature on the QE2 (below)

Page 8

The Falklandrsquos Conflict a Queen at war Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands on my fiftieth birthday A day later Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced the despatch of a Task Force The QE2 was requisitioned as a Troop ship and I immediately volunteered to remain in post I could guarantee that I would be the only police pensioner toddling off to that warrdquo By 12th May the transformation of the ship for battle duty was complete and we set sail ldquoOur send off from Southampton is an occasion I shall always remember with pride We carried 3000 troops Ghurkhas and Guards regiments Between duties they had waiter service in the restaurants and were on the sun-decks enjoying the sun Once we disembarked our troops it

was something of an anti-climaxrdquo We were later to learn from intelligence sources that an Argentinian sub had been despatched from Buenos Aires with the sole mission of sinking the QE2 Thankfully it developed engine trouble and had to return to base

On the long journey back to port Brian wrote a report for lsquoThe Citizenrsquo newspaper which was printed on the front page He announced he was raising money for a fund set up for the dependants of the Merchant Seamen who were killed or wounded during the Falklands crisis He arranged a series 5-mile races (25 laps of the boat deck) and raised pound3000 ldquoThat got me into charity reallyrdquo he said ldquoI later led a QE2 team in the New York marathon this time in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blindrdquo Left Brianrsquos medals Falklands Medal and Police LSGC Medal with Queenrsquos Commendation spray of laurel leaves

Page 9

Retirement or Brianrsquos version of it I retired from Cunard in 1984 and took a position as an investigations officer with GCHQ ldquoI frankly found that rather boring and took final retirement just two years laterrdquo he said Brian first set eyes on Rosemary in 1970 ldquoShe was in the Information Room with Cheltenham Police and as a lsquoradio despatcherrsquo I realised she had been telling me lsquowhere to gorsquo Sometime later we were to marry and shersquod routinely have the right to tell me lsquowhere to gorsquordquo Rosemary later became an air hostess There are two sons and a daughter At the same time he has not refrained from energetically pursuing his love of running cycling and long-distance walking in the UK and many parts of the world ldquoThe result is that I am now on my second pair of replacement hipsrdquo he joked Following his first hip-replacements he cycled from John OrsquoGroats to Landrsquos End He has lsquowalked in Hannibalrsquos footstepsrsquo across the French Alps and trekked the lsquoSpanish Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostelarsquo Well into his seventies and accompanied his son Simon he cycled coast-to-coast across Mexico The pair then cycled across Rajasthan in India He accepted an invitation to return to South America joining local Freemasons in Brazil in a cycling tour to raise funds for their charities Being in the area he chose to go to Peru to climb the Machu Picchu At 78 he and Simon climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of MacMillan Cancer Relief as reported in lsquoThe Gazettersquo (right) At the age of 80 he took on and conquered Ben Nevis Brian has never forgotten that both his parents died from cancer when he was very young so he has made it his aim to raise funds for cancer

charities including Cheltenham Cobalt In addition he raises money for his village church (he also has a home in Nailsworth) He has been a regular on the lsquopublic speakerrsquo circuit talking about his adventures and experiences in life to many groups and societies

Page 10

50 years in masonry Brian was initiated into Glevum Lodge on 12th November 1968 On 8th January 2019 he was back in the same room being presented with his 50-year certificate by Assistant PGM James Bartlett James had just one or two interesting things to tell the brethren present about this adventurous mason Acting as chauffeur for Brianrsquos special evening was his nephew Simon Slade who was initiated into Thornbury Lodge last year ldquoI shall be watching young Simonrsquos masonic career with interestrdquo said Brian

Page 5

Queenrsquos Commendation for Bravery

During his career Brian was to gain 23 commendations the most prestigious of these being the Queenrsquos Commendation for Bravery in 1967 The citation in the London Gazette read lsquoFor services when apprehending a mentally deranged man armed with a shotgunrsquo ldquoHe was intent on murdering his philandering wiferdquo explained Brian quite calmly

Page 6

Sport

Brian excelled in running and rugby whilst in the police He won this 880-yards National Police Athletics Championship trophy 8 years out of ten so often in fact that in 1962 they said he could keep it Brian (circled) played on the wing for the Gloucestershire Police rugby team Hooker Cyril Thomas from Lydney also in this picture played 362 games for Gloucester RFC captained the British Police team and was an England trialist

Page 7

Working for Cunard Brian left the Police after 25 yearsrsquo service in 1977 taking up the post of Chief Security Officer on the Cunard flagship QE2 ldquoLike me Dick yoursquove probably got a degree in kidologyrdquo quipped Brian ldquoHere I was one day a copper working in London The following day I am in San Juan Puerto Rico in a smart uniform and putting on a brave face I am welcoming 800 US citizens the good and the great on board this luxury ship And I am supposed to know what I am doing But we handle it donrsquot we All those years in lsquothe Jobrsquo and nothing phases usrdquo

Brian even had his photo published in lsquoVoguersquo magazine in a feature on the QE2 (below)

Page 8

The Falklandrsquos Conflict a Queen at war Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands on my fiftieth birthday A day later Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced the despatch of a Task Force The QE2 was requisitioned as a Troop ship and I immediately volunteered to remain in post I could guarantee that I would be the only police pensioner toddling off to that warrdquo By 12th May the transformation of the ship for battle duty was complete and we set sail ldquoOur send off from Southampton is an occasion I shall always remember with pride We carried 3000 troops Ghurkhas and Guards regiments Between duties they had waiter service in the restaurants and were on the sun-decks enjoying the sun Once we disembarked our troops it

was something of an anti-climaxrdquo We were later to learn from intelligence sources that an Argentinian sub had been despatched from Buenos Aires with the sole mission of sinking the QE2 Thankfully it developed engine trouble and had to return to base

On the long journey back to port Brian wrote a report for lsquoThe Citizenrsquo newspaper which was printed on the front page He announced he was raising money for a fund set up for the dependants of the Merchant Seamen who were killed or wounded during the Falklands crisis He arranged a series 5-mile races (25 laps of the boat deck) and raised pound3000 ldquoThat got me into charity reallyrdquo he said ldquoI later led a QE2 team in the New York marathon this time in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blindrdquo Left Brianrsquos medals Falklands Medal and Police LSGC Medal with Queenrsquos Commendation spray of laurel leaves

Page 9

Retirement or Brianrsquos version of it I retired from Cunard in 1984 and took a position as an investigations officer with GCHQ ldquoI frankly found that rather boring and took final retirement just two years laterrdquo he said Brian first set eyes on Rosemary in 1970 ldquoShe was in the Information Room with Cheltenham Police and as a lsquoradio despatcherrsquo I realised she had been telling me lsquowhere to gorsquo Sometime later we were to marry and shersquod routinely have the right to tell me lsquowhere to gorsquordquo Rosemary later became an air hostess There are two sons and a daughter At the same time he has not refrained from energetically pursuing his love of running cycling and long-distance walking in the UK and many parts of the world ldquoThe result is that I am now on my second pair of replacement hipsrdquo he joked Following his first hip-replacements he cycled from John OrsquoGroats to Landrsquos End He has lsquowalked in Hannibalrsquos footstepsrsquo across the French Alps and trekked the lsquoSpanish Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostelarsquo Well into his seventies and accompanied his son Simon he cycled coast-to-coast across Mexico The pair then cycled across Rajasthan in India He accepted an invitation to return to South America joining local Freemasons in Brazil in a cycling tour to raise funds for their charities Being in the area he chose to go to Peru to climb the Machu Picchu At 78 he and Simon climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of MacMillan Cancer Relief as reported in lsquoThe Gazettersquo (right) At the age of 80 he took on and conquered Ben Nevis Brian has never forgotten that both his parents died from cancer when he was very young so he has made it his aim to raise funds for cancer

charities including Cheltenham Cobalt In addition he raises money for his village church (he also has a home in Nailsworth) He has been a regular on the lsquopublic speakerrsquo circuit talking about his adventures and experiences in life to many groups and societies

Page 10

50 years in masonry Brian was initiated into Glevum Lodge on 12th November 1968 On 8th January 2019 he was back in the same room being presented with his 50-year certificate by Assistant PGM James Bartlett James had just one or two interesting things to tell the brethren present about this adventurous mason Acting as chauffeur for Brianrsquos special evening was his nephew Simon Slade who was initiated into Thornbury Lodge last year ldquoI shall be watching young Simonrsquos masonic career with interestrdquo said Brian

Page 6

Sport

Brian excelled in running and rugby whilst in the police He won this 880-yards National Police Athletics Championship trophy 8 years out of ten so often in fact that in 1962 they said he could keep it Brian (circled) played on the wing for the Gloucestershire Police rugby team Hooker Cyril Thomas from Lydney also in this picture played 362 games for Gloucester RFC captained the British Police team and was an England trialist

Page 7

Working for Cunard Brian left the Police after 25 yearsrsquo service in 1977 taking up the post of Chief Security Officer on the Cunard flagship QE2 ldquoLike me Dick yoursquove probably got a degree in kidologyrdquo quipped Brian ldquoHere I was one day a copper working in London The following day I am in San Juan Puerto Rico in a smart uniform and putting on a brave face I am welcoming 800 US citizens the good and the great on board this luxury ship And I am supposed to know what I am doing But we handle it donrsquot we All those years in lsquothe Jobrsquo and nothing phases usrdquo

Brian even had his photo published in lsquoVoguersquo magazine in a feature on the QE2 (below)

Page 8

The Falklandrsquos Conflict a Queen at war Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands on my fiftieth birthday A day later Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced the despatch of a Task Force The QE2 was requisitioned as a Troop ship and I immediately volunteered to remain in post I could guarantee that I would be the only police pensioner toddling off to that warrdquo By 12th May the transformation of the ship for battle duty was complete and we set sail ldquoOur send off from Southampton is an occasion I shall always remember with pride We carried 3000 troops Ghurkhas and Guards regiments Between duties they had waiter service in the restaurants and were on the sun-decks enjoying the sun Once we disembarked our troops it

was something of an anti-climaxrdquo We were later to learn from intelligence sources that an Argentinian sub had been despatched from Buenos Aires with the sole mission of sinking the QE2 Thankfully it developed engine trouble and had to return to base

On the long journey back to port Brian wrote a report for lsquoThe Citizenrsquo newspaper which was printed on the front page He announced he was raising money for a fund set up for the dependants of the Merchant Seamen who were killed or wounded during the Falklands crisis He arranged a series 5-mile races (25 laps of the boat deck) and raised pound3000 ldquoThat got me into charity reallyrdquo he said ldquoI later led a QE2 team in the New York marathon this time in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blindrdquo Left Brianrsquos medals Falklands Medal and Police LSGC Medal with Queenrsquos Commendation spray of laurel leaves

Page 9

Retirement or Brianrsquos version of it I retired from Cunard in 1984 and took a position as an investigations officer with GCHQ ldquoI frankly found that rather boring and took final retirement just two years laterrdquo he said Brian first set eyes on Rosemary in 1970 ldquoShe was in the Information Room with Cheltenham Police and as a lsquoradio despatcherrsquo I realised she had been telling me lsquowhere to gorsquo Sometime later we were to marry and shersquod routinely have the right to tell me lsquowhere to gorsquordquo Rosemary later became an air hostess There are two sons and a daughter At the same time he has not refrained from energetically pursuing his love of running cycling and long-distance walking in the UK and many parts of the world ldquoThe result is that I am now on my second pair of replacement hipsrdquo he joked Following his first hip-replacements he cycled from John OrsquoGroats to Landrsquos End He has lsquowalked in Hannibalrsquos footstepsrsquo across the French Alps and trekked the lsquoSpanish Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostelarsquo Well into his seventies and accompanied his son Simon he cycled coast-to-coast across Mexico The pair then cycled across Rajasthan in India He accepted an invitation to return to South America joining local Freemasons in Brazil in a cycling tour to raise funds for their charities Being in the area he chose to go to Peru to climb the Machu Picchu At 78 he and Simon climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of MacMillan Cancer Relief as reported in lsquoThe Gazettersquo (right) At the age of 80 he took on and conquered Ben Nevis Brian has never forgotten that both his parents died from cancer when he was very young so he has made it his aim to raise funds for cancer

charities including Cheltenham Cobalt In addition he raises money for his village church (he also has a home in Nailsworth) He has been a regular on the lsquopublic speakerrsquo circuit talking about his adventures and experiences in life to many groups and societies

Page 10

50 years in masonry Brian was initiated into Glevum Lodge on 12th November 1968 On 8th January 2019 he was back in the same room being presented with his 50-year certificate by Assistant PGM James Bartlett James had just one or two interesting things to tell the brethren present about this adventurous mason Acting as chauffeur for Brianrsquos special evening was his nephew Simon Slade who was initiated into Thornbury Lodge last year ldquoI shall be watching young Simonrsquos masonic career with interestrdquo said Brian

Page 7

Working for Cunard Brian left the Police after 25 yearsrsquo service in 1977 taking up the post of Chief Security Officer on the Cunard flagship QE2 ldquoLike me Dick yoursquove probably got a degree in kidologyrdquo quipped Brian ldquoHere I was one day a copper working in London The following day I am in San Juan Puerto Rico in a smart uniform and putting on a brave face I am welcoming 800 US citizens the good and the great on board this luxury ship And I am supposed to know what I am doing But we handle it donrsquot we All those years in lsquothe Jobrsquo and nothing phases usrdquo

Brian even had his photo published in lsquoVoguersquo magazine in a feature on the QE2 (below)

Page 8

The Falklandrsquos Conflict a Queen at war Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands on my fiftieth birthday A day later Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced the despatch of a Task Force The QE2 was requisitioned as a Troop ship and I immediately volunteered to remain in post I could guarantee that I would be the only police pensioner toddling off to that warrdquo By 12th May the transformation of the ship for battle duty was complete and we set sail ldquoOur send off from Southampton is an occasion I shall always remember with pride We carried 3000 troops Ghurkhas and Guards regiments Between duties they had waiter service in the restaurants and were on the sun-decks enjoying the sun Once we disembarked our troops it

was something of an anti-climaxrdquo We were later to learn from intelligence sources that an Argentinian sub had been despatched from Buenos Aires with the sole mission of sinking the QE2 Thankfully it developed engine trouble and had to return to base

On the long journey back to port Brian wrote a report for lsquoThe Citizenrsquo newspaper which was printed on the front page He announced he was raising money for a fund set up for the dependants of the Merchant Seamen who were killed or wounded during the Falklands crisis He arranged a series 5-mile races (25 laps of the boat deck) and raised pound3000 ldquoThat got me into charity reallyrdquo he said ldquoI later led a QE2 team in the New York marathon this time in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blindrdquo Left Brianrsquos medals Falklands Medal and Police LSGC Medal with Queenrsquos Commendation spray of laurel leaves

Page 9

Retirement or Brianrsquos version of it I retired from Cunard in 1984 and took a position as an investigations officer with GCHQ ldquoI frankly found that rather boring and took final retirement just two years laterrdquo he said Brian first set eyes on Rosemary in 1970 ldquoShe was in the Information Room with Cheltenham Police and as a lsquoradio despatcherrsquo I realised she had been telling me lsquowhere to gorsquo Sometime later we were to marry and shersquod routinely have the right to tell me lsquowhere to gorsquordquo Rosemary later became an air hostess There are two sons and a daughter At the same time he has not refrained from energetically pursuing his love of running cycling and long-distance walking in the UK and many parts of the world ldquoThe result is that I am now on my second pair of replacement hipsrdquo he joked Following his first hip-replacements he cycled from John OrsquoGroats to Landrsquos End He has lsquowalked in Hannibalrsquos footstepsrsquo across the French Alps and trekked the lsquoSpanish Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostelarsquo Well into his seventies and accompanied his son Simon he cycled coast-to-coast across Mexico The pair then cycled across Rajasthan in India He accepted an invitation to return to South America joining local Freemasons in Brazil in a cycling tour to raise funds for their charities Being in the area he chose to go to Peru to climb the Machu Picchu At 78 he and Simon climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of MacMillan Cancer Relief as reported in lsquoThe Gazettersquo (right) At the age of 80 he took on and conquered Ben Nevis Brian has never forgotten that both his parents died from cancer when he was very young so he has made it his aim to raise funds for cancer

charities including Cheltenham Cobalt In addition he raises money for his village church (he also has a home in Nailsworth) He has been a regular on the lsquopublic speakerrsquo circuit talking about his adventures and experiences in life to many groups and societies

Page 10

50 years in masonry Brian was initiated into Glevum Lodge on 12th November 1968 On 8th January 2019 he was back in the same room being presented with his 50-year certificate by Assistant PGM James Bartlett James had just one or two interesting things to tell the brethren present about this adventurous mason Acting as chauffeur for Brianrsquos special evening was his nephew Simon Slade who was initiated into Thornbury Lodge last year ldquoI shall be watching young Simonrsquos masonic career with interestrdquo said Brian

Page 8

The Falklandrsquos Conflict a Queen at war Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands on my fiftieth birthday A day later Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced the despatch of a Task Force The QE2 was requisitioned as a Troop ship and I immediately volunteered to remain in post I could guarantee that I would be the only police pensioner toddling off to that warrdquo By 12th May the transformation of the ship for battle duty was complete and we set sail ldquoOur send off from Southampton is an occasion I shall always remember with pride We carried 3000 troops Ghurkhas and Guards regiments Between duties they had waiter service in the restaurants and were on the sun-decks enjoying the sun Once we disembarked our troops it

was something of an anti-climaxrdquo We were later to learn from intelligence sources that an Argentinian sub had been despatched from Buenos Aires with the sole mission of sinking the QE2 Thankfully it developed engine trouble and had to return to base

On the long journey back to port Brian wrote a report for lsquoThe Citizenrsquo newspaper which was printed on the front page He announced he was raising money for a fund set up for the dependants of the Merchant Seamen who were killed or wounded during the Falklands crisis He arranged a series 5-mile races (25 laps of the boat deck) and raised pound3000 ldquoThat got me into charity reallyrdquo he said ldquoI later led a QE2 team in the New York marathon this time in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blindrdquo Left Brianrsquos medals Falklands Medal and Police LSGC Medal with Queenrsquos Commendation spray of laurel leaves

Page 9

Retirement or Brianrsquos version of it I retired from Cunard in 1984 and took a position as an investigations officer with GCHQ ldquoI frankly found that rather boring and took final retirement just two years laterrdquo he said Brian first set eyes on Rosemary in 1970 ldquoShe was in the Information Room with Cheltenham Police and as a lsquoradio despatcherrsquo I realised she had been telling me lsquowhere to gorsquo Sometime later we were to marry and shersquod routinely have the right to tell me lsquowhere to gorsquordquo Rosemary later became an air hostess There are two sons and a daughter At the same time he has not refrained from energetically pursuing his love of running cycling and long-distance walking in the UK and many parts of the world ldquoThe result is that I am now on my second pair of replacement hipsrdquo he joked Following his first hip-replacements he cycled from John OrsquoGroats to Landrsquos End He has lsquowalked in Hannibalrsquos footstepsrsquo across the French Alps and trekked the lsquoSpanish Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostelarsquo Well into his seventies and accompanied his son Simon he cycled coast-to-coast across Mexico The pair then cycled across Rajasthan in India He accepted an invitation to return to South America joining local Freemasons in Brazil in a cycling tour to raise funds for their charities Being in the area he chose to go to Peru to climb the Machu Picchu At 78 he and Simon climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of MacMillan Cancer Relief as reported in lsquoThe Gazettersquo (right) At the age of 80 he took on and conquered Ben Nevis Brian has never forgotten that both his parents died from cancer when he was very young so he has made it his aim to raise funds for cancer

charities including Cheltenham Cobalt In addition he raises money for his village church (he also has a home in Nailsworth) He has been a regular on the lsquopublic speakerrsquo circuit talking about his adventures and experiences in life to many groups and societies

Page 10

50 years in masonry Brian was initiated into Glevum Lodge on 12th November 1968 On 8th January 2019 he was back in the same room being presented with his 50-year certificate by Assistant PGM James Bartlett James had just one or two interesting things to tell the brethren present about this adventurous mason Acting as chauffeur for Brianrsquos special evening was his nephew Simon Slade who was initiated into Thornbury Lodge last year ldquoI shall be watching young Simonrsquos masonic career with interestrdquo said Brian

Page 9

Retirement or Brianrsquos version of it I retired from Cunard in 1984 and took a position as an investigations officer with GCHQ ldquoI frankly found that rather boring and took final retirement just two years laterrdquo he said Brian first set eyes on Rosemary in 1970 ldquoShe was in the Information Room with Cheltenham Police and as a lsquoradio despatcherrsquo I realised she had been telling me lsquowhere to gorsquo Sometime later we were to marry and shersquod routinely have the right to tell me lsquowhere to gorsquordquo Rosemary later became an air hostess There are two sons and a daughter At the same time he has not refrained from energetically pursuing his love of running cycling and long-distance walking in the UK and many parts of the world ldquoThe result is that I am now on my second pair of replacement hipsrdquo he joked Following his first hip-replacements he cycled from John OrsquoGroats to Landrsquos End He has lsquowalked in Hannibalrsquos footstepsrsquo across the French Alps and trekked the lsquoSpanish Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostelarsquo Well into his seventies and accompanied his son Simon he cycled coast-to-coast across Mexico The pair then cycled across Rajasthan in India He accepted an invitation to return to South America joining local Freemasons in Brazil in a cycling tour to raise funds for their charities Being in the area he chose to go to Peru to climb the Machu Picchu At 78 he and Simon climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of MacMillan Cancer Relief as reported in lsquoThe Gazettersquo (right) At the age of 80 he took on and conquered Ben Nevis Brian has never forgotten that both his parents died from cancer when he was very young so he has made it his aim to raise funds for cancer

charities including Cheltenham Cobalt In addition he raises money for his village church (he also has a home in Nailsworth) He has been a regular on the lsquopublic speakerrsquo circuit talking about his adventures and experiences in life to many groups and societies

Page 10

50 years in masonry Brian was initiated into Glevum Lodge on 12th November 1968 On 8th January 2019 he was back in the same room being presented with his 50-year certificate by Assistant PGM James Bartlett James had just one or two interesting things to tell the brethren present about this adventurous mason Acting as chauffeur for Brianrsquos special evening was his nephew Simon Slade who was initiated into Thornbury Lodge last year ldquoI shall be watching young Simonrsquos masonic career with interestrdquo said Brian

Page 10

50 years in masonry Brian was initiated into Glevum Lodge on 12th November 1968 On 8th January 2019 he was back in the same room being presented with his 50-year certificate by Assistant PGM James Bartlett James had just one or two interesting things to tell the brethren present about this adventurous mason Acting as chauffeur for Brianrsquos special evening was his nephew Simon Slade who was initiated into Thornbury Lodge last year ldquoI shall be watching young Simonrsquos masonic career with interestrdquo said Brian