I was laying in bed last night trying to remember all the security work I’d done and couldn’t do dates or even in order but this is what I could remember after I left the Fire Brigade in ‘71:

Group 4 had just arrived in the U.K. and I went from ‘beat officer’ to staff sergeant in charge of all Cash In Transit at the time also getting my HGV to drive the big ‘dustcart’ type wagons and had some near misses as ‘blagging’ cash vans was very common at the time.

Woolworths doing plainclothes and undercover fraud work also in charge of store detectives. Probably encountered more violence there than in other places often between travellers and military and also drug addicts stealing and dealing. Luckily it was before cctv and mobile phones so it was a different world to modern store security.

AFA Minerva later EMI doing various roles but in the end high security at the Prudential 6 floor high security computer building (those 6 floors would probably fit in a laptop these days).

Sentinel Security rising to Operations Manager managing 500 staff doing a wide range of security work. Recruiting and training in arrest search, questioning and use of force. At the time the IRA were bombing targets in the U.K. and we were in charge of security for many high risk targets like power stations and the building of the M25, using bomb sniffer dogs and recruiting expert personnel from the military.

Ran the security for many events like golf tournaments, doorwork and concerts etc.

When Grain Power Station was built I set up the security and the first contract Fire/Rescue squad recruiting and training fireman to rescue workers from the high chimneys, scaffolding and dangerous situations.

Became a fully professional martial arts teacher in ‘83 but because of my history continued to teach bodyguards, European police, special forces, and self defence to a wide range people carrying money or drugs, like doctors, nurses, midwives, football pools collectors, milkmen, insurance agents and staff at various venues.

Theres a lot of stories in there that I can’t tell and I’m sure much more that I can’t remember, but thought I’d write the bones of it before it all escapes my memory.