Policing London was never a job for the remotely faint hearted

Certainly not in those swinging sixties days when yours truly started.

Posted to the docklands and the Limehouse of old Chinatown

Where staff would swarm like howling bees to bring a welshing diner down,

And known villains slid by in their favoured MarkTwo shiny Jags

Never visibly short of a bob or two but never generous with their fags..

Streets full of seamen ashore from their ships in search of a salt-free drink

Impressing local landlubbers with the amount of booze they would sink;

Fights breaking out like wildfire caused by an ill-judged remark

Hidden weapons appearing with demonic intent to make their merciless mark.

Calls to "Domestics" - a regular and tawdry fact of falled married life,

Hours spent listening - between separating violent husband and wife.

Peace-keeping advice a sticking plaster at best in a hopeless situation -

These were so frequent and regular there was no real expectation

That calling "Old Bill" was little else but a chance to visibly ensure

The involvement of tired coppers and the notebooks of The Law.

And as for the endless demos and marches that took us up West

On leave days cancelled without notice - repaid in cash at best.;

But the streets were our fiefdom in law and those challenging us took a risk

Throwing down that gauntlet would mean that business was brisk!

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