ANGLESEY cop Lisa Thomas has just defied the classic Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera song: ‘A Policeman’s Lot Is Not a Happy One’
For she has just returned to duty after a 48 hour whirlwind VIP visit to London and Buckingham Palace mingling with and talking to some of Britain’s most noted personalities and as a guest of The King.
‘It was probably the best day of my life’, said PC Thomas, who spent her first 20 years of police career as community beat officer in Bangor before transfer to Holyhead. ‘An unbelievable experience!’ she said.
Her day began by being given a private tour inside the premises of one of the world’s finest jewellers and collectors of Faberge items, Royal Warrant holders Wartski where she was allowed to wear the multi-thousand pound tiara of the assassinated Tsarina Alexander wife of Czar Nicholas II of Russia.
Then a VIP entry into the Regimental Headquarters of the Guards Regiment opposite Buckingham Palace and escorted right up to the immaculate conference room to be used as her private changing room. “I was gob-smacked,” said Lisa. “As soon as we walked into the Welsh Guards RHQ they sort of stood to attention and we were given a personal escort within. Everything was simply perfect.”
Inside Buckingham Palace as invited partner of Bangor Councillor Mark Roberts Lisa’s VIP treatment didn’t stop.
Lisa told the Herald; “I’d been given permission to wear my Police parade issue uniform but once within the Palace gardens I suddenly realised I was probably the lowest ranking of all the uniformed guests.
“There were military brigadiers and braided Royal Navy senior officers and I am just a police constable but I was amazed how many of the Palace guests wanted to know which Force I was from and many even wanted to be selfie-photographed with a North Wales copper!
“One of the Royal guests was the elderly Mayor of a large Lancashire town who thought I was on official duty as a Met police officer and asked me to escort him and his wife through the ranks and queues of people to get to the food tent.
“I did try and explain that I too was a guest but he just seemed focussed on the police uniform and not listening to the fact that I was from North Wales. So how could I say no? Even the Palace staff enjoyed the light-hearted fun of that.”
Lisa’s invitation to London came from Bangor City Councillor Mark Roberts who said: “She served Bangor brilliantly for more than 20 years and it was a massive loss to the City when she was moved to Holyhead despite umpteen pleas that she stay here. To be able to treat her to such a lovely experience in London was perhaps our way of saying Thanks Lisa.
“It was also fixed that she’d also attend the very private Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London with the Beefeaters but the day was so packed that that was sadly abandoned … perhaps next time.”
Among many others at the Palace to be welcomed by Prince William standing in for the King were RAF Valley Station Warrant Officer Max Wall and Beaumaris’s Richard Williams Bulkeley.
