Drunk Coppers

[jdaw1]

Admin note: moved from here to maintain integrity of port related discussion thread with agreement of at least 1 participant in what follows

… I was requested to assist some senior Diplomatic Officers looking after Lord Derby and some minor member of the Royal Family at his home, Knowsley hall. Around 1am in the morning the Butler appeared with a bottle of whisky and a crusty old bottle of vintage port. The Butler explained that both bottles were incredibly rare and expensive, and once in a lifetime drinks. Lord Derby had asked that the Protection Officers be allowed to finish the bottles, as a thank you for their 24 hour a day vigilance.

So what you’re saying is that, after midnight, the bodyguards are drunk. Well I never.

[Conky]

… I was requested to assist some senior Diplomatic Officers looking after Lord Derby and some minor member of the Royal Family at his home, Knowsley hall. Around 1am in the morning the Butler appeared with a bottle of whisky and a crusty old bottle of vintage port. The Butler explained that both bottles were incredibly rare and expensive, and once in a lifetime drinks. Lord Derby had asked that the Protection Officers be allowed to finish the bottles, as a thank you for their 24 hour a day vigilance.

So what you’re saying is that, after midnight, the bodyguards are drunk. Well I never.

Have you never watched the Sweeny or the like. Although exagerated, it was based on what was happening at the time. In the 70's and early 80's you were lucky after 10ish to find a Policeman sober doing anything!
In 1981 the average lifespan of a Policeman was 57. The national average was 68. They were not very healthy buggers. Different culture and different times. They are all like ADV now, and I'm sure thats a good thing.

Alan

[Andy Velebil]

Yes, when I first started everyone, and I mean everyone, drank like a fish everynight (or morning if you worked the graveyard shift), smoked, ate at the cheapest roadside grease pit, then slept a few hours and did it over. Those days are, for the most part, gone. There are almost no more smokers left, drinking has dropped a lot, and the divorces and suicides are not quite as high. There was an old stat., not sure how accurate it is now, but doctors and cops had the highest divorce and suicide rate of any profession in the US