Gold from copper Derek!
Discussion
Hi, just to say I was at a loose end when I found this thread the other night and I am so glad I did. I have not put this down since I bought it and can honestly say that is very rare for me. Brilliant and enjoyable reading. Truly recommend the purchase and I take my hat off to you Derek you sound like a great copper! not a very good one 
Olly
Olly
Olly RM said:
Hi, just to say I was at a loose end when I found this thread the other night and I am so glad I did. I have not put this down since I bought it and can honestly say that is very rare for me. Brilliant and enjoyable reading. Truly recommend the purchase and I take my hat off to you Derek you sound like a great copper! not a very good one
Olly
Thanks Olly. However I was never a great copper and your last five words are very true. I was doing a graphics art course at college and in my class was a really nice chap who was an artistic genius. In the final year we had to do a project, something that I found very exciting. I worked really hard at it, certainly harder than most in my class. Three months before it had to go in I asked the brilliant chap if he could cast his eye over my work to give me some pointers to improve it. He used to carry a brush and ink around with him and after checking through our work he said: You've got one or two good ideas here.Olly
He then got out his brush and with a dozen strokes changed everything. I followed what is done and got a commodation. I'd spent weeks on it he nothing more than a few minutes. I don't think he ever realised how much he hurt me. Still at least I realised that my career lay elsewhere.
But it's the same when I joined the police. Some people are naturals and all I knew is enough to recognise them. All I ever did was to muddle through.
Thanks again, mate.
Pleasure was all mine for reading you work. I hope there will be a follow up book, 'The unbelieved events'
Yeah, I sadly have resonating experiences similar to your artist. Sometimes though, people can be just that little bit further away as to see the whole picture that is less clear when one is so deeply engrossed in something.
Anyway pleased you were a copper as I am not into reading about the arts!
Congrats mate well done.
Yeah, I sadly have resonating experiences similar to your artist. Sometimes though, people can be just that little bit further away as to see the whole picture that is less clear when one is so deeply engrossed in something.
Anyway pleased you were a copper as I am not into reading about the arts!
Congrats mate well done.
julianc said:
voicey said:
Derek Smith said:
If anyone hasn't got Kindle, PM me.
PM sent.My father publishes his own books these days (much to the dismay of my mother when another truck turns up with hundreds of books in boxes). It doesn't cost him that much - if you wanted to explore this route I'd happily put you in touch with him.
For those of you who have read the book perhaps you should write a review on Amazon? It'd be nice to help a fellow PH'r who is held in such high regard.
I also used a non-Kindle route, so please take advantage of a PM to Derek if you don't have a Kindle.
Really enjoying this. Will add a full review when I've finished it but half way through now and it's now taken over all the other books I was reading at the same time. I've lived in more or less the same area as most of the references in the book so can picture most of the roads and places pretty well which adds another dimension to it for me and you never really realise how much is and has gone on where you live when you're just bimbling around doing day to day stuff. Thanks for sharing OP.
Hi Derek,
My dad wrote his own book a few years ago, it was a fascinating insight to his life, most of it I was totally unaware of!!! Sadly due to the official secrets act he isn't allowed to publish it, although one day, when he no longer walks this earth I will.
I brought your book and 4 days later it was read. Brilliant.
I have always wanted to join the force myself but sadly my current role pays too much and I couldn't afford the hit in pay!
I loved the way in which you have written it, it flows very nicely and I found each chapter flying by.
I would have loved to have been there during your time in the firearms unit, sounds like fun!
You say you were never a great copper but the bloke who was stabbed and you subsequently saved probably disagrees with you, for that you should be proud.
Top read, if other PHers haven’t got it yet I strongly suggest you so.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Simon
My dad wrote his own book a few years ago, it was a fascinating insight to his life, most of it I was totally unaware of!!! Sadly due to the official secrets act he isn't allowed to publish it, although one day, when he no longer walks this earth I will.
I brought your book and 4 days later it was read. Brilliant.
I have always wanted to join the force myself but sadly my current role pays too much and I couldn't afford the hit in pay!
I loved the way in which you have written it, it flows very nicely and I found each chapter flying by.
I would have loved to have been there during your time in the firearms unit, sounds like fun!
You say you were never a great copper but the bloke who was stabbed and you subsequently saved probably disagrees with you, for that you should be proud.
Top read, if other PHers haven’t got it yet I strongly suggest you so.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Simon
Finished this recently and very enjoyable, I have read a few of the recent Inspector Gadget type e-books and it's really fascinating to see how things went on in the City, especially back in the 70s - some of the veiled (or not so veiled!) stuff about inside jobs etc amazed me.
My favourite was the bit about the print lorries and the gold Mercs
My favourite was the bit about the print lorries and the gold Mercs
essayer said:
Finished this recently and very enjoyable, I have read a few of the recent Inspector Gadget type e-books and it's really fascinating to see how things went on in the City, especially back in the 70s - some of the veiled (or not so veiled!) stuff about inside jobs etc amazed me.
My favourite was the bit about the print lorries and the gold Mercs
Thanks for that. I really appreciate it.My favourite was the bit about the print lorries and the gold Mercs
Any chance of putting something similar on Amazon reviews?
As you say, the Bouverie St 'incident' was quite remarkable.
paulrussell said:
sinizter said:
daz3210 said:
You gotten it yet?
Say Harvey Yates then think about two sides.
I haven't gotten it yet ....Say Harvey Yates then think about two sides.
I run, or rather ran as I've had to stop as I've got a back problem, a website: RV8R.co.uk.
It was about the RV8 engine. RV = Harvey which is the email address my accoutnant - my wife - for incoming mail. harvey[at]RV8R.co.uk: sounds sort of nice I thought.
Then people started called her Harvey, on emails anyway. So I gave here a surname: 8 = Yates.
She didn't like it so she reverted to Carol but a pun being a pun, I didn't want it to go to waste so I nicked it.
It looks as if I will have to give up the website as I'm limted to 80mins a day on the keyboard as it irritates my back problem. I've just had osteoarthritis diagnosed so its progressive and so I'll have to find a new hobby. Bit of an irritation - see the wordplay there?
daz3210 said:
mudster said:
julianc said:
The book is called ‘Both Sides of the Force’ by Harvey Yates (a pun – see if you can work it out!)
You're going to have to explain it to numb nuts here 'cos I don't get it.Say Harvey Yates then think about two sides.
). Having now read Derek's explanation above, there's no way I'd have got it in a month of Sundays!Perhaps I'm just thick, but I suspect I may be in good company!
mudster said:
daz3210 said:
mudster said:
julianc said:
The book is called ‘Both Sides of the Force’ by Harvey Yates (a pun – see if you can work it out!)
You're going to have to explain it to numb nuts here 'cos I don't get it.Say Harvey Yates then think about two sides.
). Having now read Derek's explanation above, there's no way I'd have got it in a month of Sundays!Perhaps I'm just thick, but I suspect I may be in good company!
I had seen the name and read if aloud as 'Half He Hates'.
As in 'Two Sides of the Force - Half He Hates' - implying that he only liked one side.
Edited by daz3210 on Wednesday 8th August 23:22
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