BRENDAN LALLY FORMER POLICE CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT
Following a short period in Local Government, [retired] Chief Superintendent Brendan Lally started a 30 year police career in the steel City of Sheffield where he was later to become police commander. He served for two years on the twelve strong National Executive of the Police Superintendents’ Association for England and Wales serving on various National Committees including the Police Training Council and the Police Advisory Board.
Operationally he was involved in riotous situations as a ground commander during the year long National Miners Dispute and had personal dealings with the then National President of the NUM, Arthur Scargill .
Following the Brixton riots in London in the early 80’s,Brendan was responsible for the practical training in his region in the use of riot shields and crowd dispersal. [Quite a contrast to the time when as a beat bobbie in plain clothes, he “smuggled” the BEATLES into the Sheffield City Hall for their performance in order to avoid the rioting girl fans!]
The pinnacle of Brendan’s career was being appointed as Staff Officer within the office of HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary at Home Office, London. Dealing with sensitive issues of national importance, he travelled extensively at home and abroad including two trips to Columbia, South America where he led a team of police experts including ballistics to assist the Columbian Police in their mission to deal with the “King of Cocaine”, Pablo Escobar.
Following retirement, along with his wife, Brendan ran a small residential hotel [a bed and breakfast as our American friends would say] for six years. Known as Exmoor House Hotel and in the West Country, it was shortlisted for “The Best Small UK Hotel” in the Booker Awards. [Brendan was “Basil”! ]
Our speaker has undertaken other roles including work on the National Census, debt counselling and has organised many coach tours abroad. He now enjoys golf, dancing with his wife, jogging, poetry and his six grandchildren - and cruising!
TOPICS:
1. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PABLO ESCOBAR-DRUGS BARON [includes first hand experience of life in Bogota at the peak of his “reign”]
2. THE UK MINERS DISPUTE 1984 -PERSPECTIVE OF A GROUND COMMANDER [disputes continue to this day amongst families where striking and non-striking miners were involved]
3. EXPERIENCES OF A BEAT BOBBIE IN UK IN THE 60s [warts and all!]
4.FAWLTY TOWERS! RUNNING A SMALL HOTEL [Don’t!!]
5.ROBERT SERVICE,THE POET, HIS LIFE AND WORKS [including connection with the Klondike Gold Rush] Recitations eg “The shooting of Dan McGrew”, “The cremation of Sam McGee”
6. HOW TO BARGAIN - AND SAVE [experiences and tips]
7. CONFRONTATION & CONCILIATION - A CASE STUDY OF PUBLIC DISORDER IN SHEFFIELD
8. GROUP TOURS MANAGEMENT -THE PLEASURES AND PITFALLS
