If You Can’t Stand the Heat, Get Out of the Kitchen was the title of the talk given by Cas Bailey, a former Staffordshire Police Officer. Cas spoke to SI Cannock &District at their September speaker meeting about her life in the Police Force in the 1970s, when being a white male was really the only thing to be!
She told of her time as a Police Cadet in Walsall when she wasn’t allowed to do the College course as she was already over qualified for the job and when being the only female Cadet made PT sessions something of a trial! When she became a Police Officer in Walsall she was the only woman on the shift, the same was almost true when she became Sergeant and was moved to Wolverhampton. Her tales of life at this time were akin to the TV programme “Life on Mars” and had her audience roaring with laughter. 45 years ago, life was very different to now – remarks and actions we would now consider sexist, ageist, racist were the norm – Cas told her stories with a light hearted humour and a knowledge that mostly, no harm was ever meant by the things that were said or done.
In her vote of thanks, Pat Preece told Cas that Soroptimists enjoy all of their meetings but she had never known them laugh as much as they had all done on this occasion – and she was right!The Club’s next speaker meeting, held at The Barns, Huntington, will be on October 7th when Mac Joseph will be talking about the Back to Back Houses in Birmingham. Tickets are available by phoning 07971 494510, they cost £13 and a two course meal is included.
Photos attached: President Dr Janis Lomas with Cas Bailey