RIP Geoff Capes.

[Profpointy]

He was a legend as a copper. Used to dangle ne'er-do-wells off a footbridge until they apologised.

Mind you, it would likely be a lot more scary being dangled off a bridge by a weedy copper !

 

[Bonefish Blues]

James Hunt will be turning in his grave! :P

TBF Hunt had other things he was famous for ☺️

 

[stephec]

Nice little obituary in the I newspaper this morning.

 

[Beebo]

Nice little obituary in the I newspaper this morning.

View attachment 752116

Sad that he had to resign from the police to compete in the Moscow Olympics. And that was in the days when athletes were fully amateur.

 

[stephec]

Sad that he had to resign from the police to compete in the Moscow Olympics. And that was in the days when athletes were fully amateur.

I did want to mention that as well, but wondered if it would lead to a thread lock.

 

[Drago]

Sad that he had to resign from the police to compete in the Moscow Olympics. And that was in the days when athletes were fully amateur.

Indeed. BITD, much like the army, those on sports teams could get paid time off to compete. This died out in most forces in the 00's.

For politcal reasons no one from the armed forces or dibble were able to compete at the Moscow Olympics. They couldn't even go in their own time on leave or even take unpaid leave, such as the order.

As aforementioned, Capes quit to be able to go. A brave decision, as the dibble had just been given a 45% pay rise by the new PM (recommended by an independent pay review a year or so earlier but not enacted until the government changed) so he was finally earning decent money for the first time in his life, but he chose to follow his dream.

 

[sevenfourate]

Not the easiest thing to picture at night being glossy: and in a scrap-book. But the time I was lucky enough to be chosen to carry the torch through my Town for this event. And meet Geoff…..

 

[Dogtrousers]

You certainly got your money's worth with a Geoff Capes signature. No illegible scribble there.

 

[matticus]

You certainly got your money's worth with a Geoff Capes signature. No illegible scribble there.

I'd like him to see him do that on a tennis ball, after 5 sets, carrying a kit-bag over both shoulders.
________________
Turns out I narrowly missed being trained by the Great Man :P

He went into business doing Manual Handling Training (although it had a different name then - Safe LIfting?). Some of my current colleagues were on his course Back In The Day!

 

[Beebo]

I'd like him to see him do that on a tennis ball, after 5 sets, carrying a kit-bag over both shoulders.
________________
Turns out I narrowly missed being trained by the Great Man :P

He went into business doing Manual Handling Training (although it had a different name then - Safe LIfting?). Some of my current colleagues were on his course Back In The Day!

I would think he’s the worst person to teach manual handling.
I want some weedy chap who really needs to be careful. Not some man mountain who can lift a car.

 

[BrumJim]

I would think he’s the worst person to teach manual handling.
I want some weedy chap who really needs to be careful. Not some man mountain who can lift a car.

The philosophy is that if some weedy chap tells people how to lift heavy items, then the workers will look at them condascendingly, and ignore everything they say.

If some world champion strong man tells you to lift with your legs, not your back, then you have to accept that they know what they are talking about more than you do.

 

[Drago]

It's like the fat doctor lecturing me about my BMI. Yeah, right,

 

[matticus]

I guess you want a massive bloke WITH a back problem.
"So if I try it like this .... OOOOO, no THAT hurts ... let's try it how the book says ... "

 

[markemark]

I think it would simply have been good for your health to do what Geoff Capes told you to do....

Next week Giant Haystacks will be here to talk to you about trip hazards.

 

[Profpointy]

I'd like him to see him do that on a tennis ball, after 5 sets, carrying a kit-bag over both shoulders.
________________
Turns out I narrowly missed being trained by the Great Man :P

He went into business doing Manual Handling Training (although it had a different name then - Safe LIfting?). Some of my current colleagues were on his course Back In The Day!

On of my colleagues said that in an earlier job, before his time in computing/telecomms, he'd been given a similar course by weightlifter Precious McKenzie, like Capes a bit of a celebrity as well as being an Olympic athlete.

Strangely I remember him repeating one peice of Precious's advice. If someone is carrying two suitcases (or whatever) you are not helping by carrying one, as it's safer / easier with a balanced load.

As an aside from my own experience, the change from a somewhat heavy but perfectly manageable load and too heavy can seem quite sudden eg my standard scuba diving set up was 2x12litre tanks on my back, plus a side mounted 7litre (plus lead and stuff). I'm not a big bloke but it was OK, including climbing the ladder back into the boat after the dive. Add another 7 litre (maybe 10kg full) for a more advance course and I could hardly stand up without help never mind move about

Likewise I could lift (into a van, not out of the car) a 1300 Ford Kent engine, but when I tried with a 1600 I discovered it was an inch taller so the extra iron made it seem a huge thing to lift and I ended up stuck sitting on the back ledge of the van with the 1600 on my knees unable to move