For his dedicated service and good works, Shropshire rural bobby Bill Williams got a gentle pat on the back from officialdom. For Alan Scriven, a Wolverhampton lad from an impoverished background whose life Bill transformed, it was a meagre reward.
"He should have got a knighthood" - Alan's tribute to rural bobby who changed his life.
"I think he should have been knighted," said Alan.
Bill Williams was a police officer based at Wistanstow near Craven Arms when in the late 1950s he founded the Long Mynd Adventure Camp near Church Stretton. He was awarded the British Empire Medal in its silver jubilee year.
Its initial aim was to give holidays in the countryside for deprived boys aged 11 to 14 from the West Midlands, primarily Wolverhampton and Birmingham, although later its catchment area broadened.
Alan first went to the camp in 1965 as a 12-year-old from Low Hill who had never been on holiday before. He was to become associated with it for the next 33 years, ultimately becoming the person in charge, called the Skipper.
Bill's many activities for the community also included charitable works, involvement with youth clubs, and reforming the defunct Bridgnorth Rowing Club when he was based in that town in the 1950s.
"Bill received in 1983 the British Empire Medal, which was the lowest award he could have received," said Alan, who lives in Bushbury.
"When I received the MBE I was a little bit embarrassed because it’s a much higher award and I did not do half the stuff Bill did. I never mentioned it in Bill’s presence. I told him he should have received more than the BEM."
And now Alan is ensuring Bill Williams is at last given his due, with a biography published this month called "Old Bill - The Life and Times of a Rural Bobby," which is an affectionate tribute, and a record of what he did.
"He was the main male influence in my life. I thought the world of him. He taught me a lot. I loved the man, basically."
It’s available on Amazon - £10.99 for the book and £3.99 in Kindle format.
"To be perfectly honest I wrote it for Bill’s daughters and the family. Bill had written a few things down, and then he passed. The eldest daughter Ann said it was a shame her dad wrote what he wrote and nothing was going to be done.
"I said nothing at the time, and then I thought about it, and then thought I was sure I could write a biography.
"I asked Ann and her sister Debbie if they would like me to have a go at it. They said they would love it. I dedicated it to their mother Hetty who was a lovely lady."
Using his own memories, Bill's notes, and information from his daughters, Alan has compiled the biography.
"I just wanted to pay him a tribute. I want people to know about him and what he did."
Alan says Bill encouraged him to join the police, but his biggest regret is not having done so (he worked in public transport). Bill did however set him off on collecting police memorabilia.
In the millennium year of 2000, Alan wrote to the People's Award nomination committee putting forward Bill's name as "Man of the Century."
"Alas, no reply was ever received."
Bill died in 2013, but the camp he began is still going today as a registered charity, the Long Mynd Adventure Camp – in Alan's time it was spelt Longmynd, one word – offering camping and bunkhouse accommodation for young people, encouraging them to discover and enjoy the countryside.
Soon there will be more recognition of its founder, as a bust of Bill will be unveiled in the main hall.
