AS I grow older, I tend to return to my past. Recently, I walked past the old "Nick" in Deansway, where I spent much of my adult life as a policeman.

I smiled when I saw that they had renamed the building "The Worcester Lifelong Learning Centre."

That's what the "Nick" was to me, for I never stopped learning all the time I was there. But I am still puzzled by some of my "customers" actions.

One man was a regular guest in our cells towards the middle of December following an annual brick-lobbing session at some poor unfortunate shopkeeper's expense. His intentions were, however, clear.

He wanted to spend Christmas with his mates down at Gloucester Prison! What a place to have a party.

I soon found a cigarette eased the tension when dealing with the old lags and, on my first trip to Gloucester Prison, it helped a great deal.

We were taking a harmless old guy down for his summer vocation and all went well in the "Maria" as we travelled down all having a quiet smoke.

The trouble started as we got near Gloucester when the driver asked me the way to the prison. "I haven't got a clue", I answered. "I have" said the prisoner "I've been there lots of times."

I perked up and said: "Well you had better show us the way or you won't get any supper!"

Our new-found friend soon did the trick and I often wonder whether this was the only time a prisoner ever directed coppers to jail!

So many memories, so many ghosts. Prisoners in my day seemed so civilised.

JOE WALTER,

St John's, Worcester.