Friends of Coughton Court chuckled their way through a very amusing talk by former Police Inspector Rosemary Prosser. A farmer’s daughter, Rosemary left Worcester Girls’ Grammar School aged 16 and, ignoring her father’s advice to join the Police Force as she was “ a big strong girl”, she began to work on the family farm looking after the chickens. She did not enjoy it as she was given all the most foul/fowl jobs.

Rosemary decided to go to Studley Agricultural College: the only all-girls agricultural college in the country. Whilst there, she had a taste of show-biz, delivering one line in “The Archers”.

Leaving college, she took a secretarial job in an arable retail business which she found very boring. However, she joined that well-known marriage bureau, “The Young Farmers” and was married in 1966.

Still working in agricultural retail, Rosemary began to think that life must have more to offer and finally heeded her father’s advice and successfully sat the entrance exam for the West Mercia Police Force. She was the first married woman to be accepted onto the 14 week training course at Ryton-on-Dunsmore. WPCs were given an allowance for tights. She learned all about “bulling” boots, which she hated; so she ironed the men’s shirts whilst they bulled her boots.

Rosemary’s first posting was to Evesham. She said it was an eye-opener as she had never before met a dishonest person! Here, under the guidance of an experienced Constable, she began applying the theory she had been learning.

After Evesham, Rosemary moved to Malvern and CID, which she loved, and later to Worcester where she worked with children and young people and spent quite some time finding girls who had absconded from their probation hostel. The police would return girls who would promptly abscond again.

Then came the chance for promotion to Inspector, which meant two years’ training back at Ryton-on-Dunsmore. With the support of her husband she embarked on the course. She would set out on Monday, leaving enough meals to keep him going until she returned home on Friday.

Having finished her training, Rosemary was told that there was no place for a female Inspector in CID, so she returned to the uniformed branch where women were now wearing trousers and there was no longer a tights allowance.

Rosemary left the Police Force when her son was born: he has now followed her into the West Mercia Police Force.

Rosemary now spends much of her time as a guide at Cheltenham Race Course, which she loves, especially when the Irish come over for Gold Cup Week.

This was a very entertaining talk and we could have listened much longer to Rosemary’s amusing anecdotes.

The Friends of Coughton Court meet on the third Wednesday of the month from March to October at 7.30pm in the restaurant at the Court. The next talk is on “Elegant Georgian Worcester” by Sandy Cale. Guests are very welcome.

For further details go to friendsofcoughtoncourt.btck.co.uk or contact the secretary, Janet Thomas – 01386/833767, or jethomas@btinternet.com