Dr Wright played golf at the club, and a competition has been played out with one of the awards bearing his name in tribute, with prize money put up by his partner: Patricia.
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00:00So we're here at Staffordshire Golf Club and Patricia, how are you?
00:04All right, thank you, today. I'll be glad when it's all over.
00:08It's full on, isn't it, for you today, because this is a special golf tournament that's still in play actually
00:14and it's paying tribute to your husband.
00:16And other men. There's a lot of other competitions as well today. I'm offering £500.
00:22And it's the Alan Wright was your husband?
00:25Dr Alan Wright.
00:26Dr Alan Wright. So he was a member here, wasn't he?
00:29Yes, he was, yes. Loved it here. It was wonderful.
00:32You a golfer?
00:33No.
00:34You might get the bug after today.
00:37No. Too old now.
00:39Too old. You're never too old, Patricia, never too old.
00:42So what was Alan's... he was a bit of a character, wasn't he, from what I can gather?
00:48He's got a colourful history. Tell us a little bit about Alan.
00:51He was a Scotland Yard Superintendent, Chief Superintendent, when he left.
00:58And his friend was Lord Ian Blair, who I speak to now.
01:02He couldn't come today because they were on holiday.
01:05And he arrested the Krays, and so I knew Nipah Reed as well.
01:10No way.
01:11And we had a wonderful life together.
01:14Didn't have a marriage, we had an affair from the day we met.
01:17Yeah, a love affair.
01:19And he was playing golf here and then he collapsed. Is that what happened?
01:24No, it was the same thing that he was had.
01:27He was ticking them off as they teed off.
01:31He didn't play golf that day.
01:33And he rang me at ten past three.
01:36And by four-thirty, he'd died.
01:39It's that sudden.
01:41Was that a heart attack, I'm guessing?
01:43Yeah.
01:44So I can see a few paramedics and Westminster Ambulance staff.
01:48Yeah, so they're the ones that helped him.
01:50The air ambulance.
01:51Did they bring the air ambulance for him, did they?
01:53They did, and three ambulances too.
01:55And all of those down there, that's why I invited them.
01:58So it's nice to kind of, as a little thank you to them.
02:01Well, they work hard, don't they, you know.
02:03So I've given them a check as well.
02:04Ah, well done Patricia, well done.
02:06So he arrested the Krays?
02:08Yes.
02:09So what did he used to, did he have any tales to kind of say about that, you know, over the years?
02:14He just said, get in the van.
02:15Get in the what?
02:16Get in the van.
02:17Yeah.
02:18And they said nothing.
02:19Yeah.
02:20So, because a lot of people kind of respected them almost, didn't they?
02:25You know, they were criminals, but they had their own set of rules and stuff.
02:29So was there a bit of mutual respect, do you think, going on?
02:32Or was he just pleased to get the cuffs on them and get them off the street?
02:35Definitely.
02:36Yeah.
02:37No respect whatsoever.
02:38Yeah.
02:39Well, criminals in those days, sometimes they were different altogether than they are now.
02:43Yeah.
02:44But with them, he was glad to leave in the end.
02:50Yeah.
02:51No, it's full on, isn't it, really?
02:53So where did he grow up and yourself?
02:55In London.
02:56I'm Worcester.
02:57You're Worcester girl?
02:58Yeah.
02:59I came up here to go to college.
03:00So where did you meet, you and Alan?
03:02On the old Father Thames public house.
03:04Yeah.
03:05On the old embankment.
03:06Yeah.
03:07Right opposite Tintagel House.
03:08Oh, wow, yeah.
03:09I'm going there on Monday.
03:10Yeah.
03:11To see.
03:12I want to stand there and see.
03:13Yeah.
03:14Again.
03:15Yeah.
03:16And you live Castlecroft area now.
03:19How long have you lived driving this way?
03:21Well, I came up here in 1965, but I bought this house in 1980.
03:28Yeah.
03:29And settled here.
03:30Yeah.
03:31Yeah.
03:32Alan did come to live up here, but he said, I don't really know whether I'll be able to stay,
03:36because anything north of Watford is the back of beyond, isn't it?
03:38Yeah.
03:39He gets dizzy.
03:40He said, I'll give you a year.
03:42Yeah.
03:43He stayed longer.
03:44Yeah.
03:45Yeah.
03:46Yeah.
03:47Wow.
03:48Yeah.
03:49I'm buried here too.
03:50Yeah.
03:51Is he buried at Tetonal?
03:52Yes.
03:53Danes Court.
03:54Danes Court.
03:55Yes.
03:56Yes.
03:57So he can play golf in the night time.
03:58Yeah.
03:59So was that kind of a career highlight for him?
04:00The craze?
04:01Arresting the craze?
04:02No.
04:03Or was it just, to him, was it just another day, another arrest?
04:04Another job, yes.
04:05Yeah.
04:06But then he went on to all of the other areas.
04:07He was in the crime, stolen cheques.
04:08Yeah.
04:09He went on to drug squad.
04:10Yeah.
04:11So did he move his career up to the Midlands as a serving officer?
04:12That was all down London.
04:13Yeah.
04:14I have got police officers here.
04:15Yeah.
04:16From Wolverhampton.
04:17Yeah.
04:18Because all the ones he knew have all passed on now.
04:19Yeah.
04:20Of course, yeah.
04:21So how old was Alan then when he passed?
04:22Nearly 82.
04:2382.
04:24Yeah.
04:25Very, very fit.
04:26Yeah.
04:27He looked exactly like he did.
04:28Yeah.
04:29Yeah.
04:30Yeah.
04:31Yeah.
04:32Yeah.
04:33Yeah.
04:34Yeah.
04:35Yeah.
04:36Yeah.
04:37Yeah.
04:38Yeah.
04:39Yeah.
04:40Yeah.
04:41Yeah.
04:42Yeah.
04:43So was it nice to kind of, nice to be here and see his name, you know, keep that memory
04:48going of Alan really and all he'd achieved?
04:51I just wanted to thank all my neighbours who have been very good and kind to me.
04:53Yeah.
04:54Yeah.
04:55Because I was, I did, I was in business in Wolverhampton.
05:01What was your business then?
05:02I had hairdressers in St. Lawrence.
05:03Okay.
05:04Yeah.
05:05What were they called?
05:06I was Snips in Queen Street, then I was Tangles in Darlington Street, then I had another one, Reflections in Farmer's Barn.
05:14Oh wow!
05:15But you didn't use computers in those days, or iPads or anything, or mobiles.
05:21Yeah, very true.
05:22I had to learn to do that over again.
05:24Yeah.
05:26So it's not good for the back is it, hairdressing I should imagine?
05:29Lots of standing up.
05:30I just bought the shops.
05:32Yeah, yeah, cool, very wise.
05:33I never did hairdressing.
05:35Well, thank you for inviting the Expression Stardown and we'll catch up with you when you're presenting the award a bit later tonight.
05:41Thank you Patricia.
05:42And where's Mark today?
05:44Mr Baker, hello sir, how are you?
05:46Very well, yes.
05:47So you're a, what's it, Cotswold lad then Peter?
05:49Cotswold, yeah, Cotswold through and through.
05:51Pistons Hill Junior School, Cotswold Middle School and Cotswold High School.
05:54Cool.
05:55And how are you getting on with your golf these days?
05:57Yeah, it's good, yeah, it's all going well.
05:59So we're having a nice run for the last 18 months.
06:02And which, was this your club kind of as a young player was it?
06:05Yeah, I started off firstly at Lillieshall Hall and then because I lived nearby in Cotswold I joined here when I was 14, so a few years ago now.
06:13Yeah.
06:14And that's been my home club.
06:16So when you look back over your career, you know there's a few aspiring Peter Bakers out here today, particular highlights, achievements, what do you reflect back on?
06:26Been good to you at golf?
06:28Yeah, I think obviously my first win was always an exciting thing back in 88 at the Benson Hedges tournament and then obviously Ryder Cup, playing the Ryder Cup.
06:37And any of the wins really, they're all exciting and yeah, so it's nice to get a few wins and enjoy them.
06:44I've just said to Patricia, do you play golf? She said no, I'm too old now.
06:48But that's a bit timeless isn't it, golf, you can take it up at any age can't you?
06:52Yeah, absolutely, yeah, I think that's the great thing about it.
06:55It's a life sport really, you can start at a very, very early age and continue, you know, if you're fortunate enough with your health you can continue right up to the end.
07:04So it's a wonderful sport like that and it's good exercise and good camaraderie, so yeah, it's very good.
07:11Where did you get the bug from Peter, was it a family thing?
07:13Yeah, it's my father and my uncle played over at Lillyshore and I sort of, because my mum worked at the weekends, I sort of just walked along with them when I was sort of three or four years old
07:23and we had a club and hit a few balls and that's how I got into it.
07:27How old were you when you started beating your dad on the course?
07:29Oh, I was a teenager I'd say.
07:32And did he stop taking you at that point?
07:34No, not at all, no, I had nothing but encouragement, so you know, from a lot of people, family and friends, he encouraged me all the way which was fantastic.
07:42Great stuff, well you're here tonight to present the award so we'll catch up with you a bit later on Peter, thank you very much.
07:47Pleasure, thank you.
07:49Special occasion for us today, Patricia here, Dr Alan Wright who passed away a year ago now during this tournament, I remember he had four or five years and we had a lovely time all together as members and groups
08:08and he was very sad obviously when he passed away but we've very kindly donated a memorial prize of £500 which we're very grateful for in his memory.
08:17And the next four years.
08:23We really appreciate that and we won't forget it and he did a lot of lovely things for the club as well along the way, starting and everything.
08:29He enjoyed it.
08:30So he really enjoyed his time so we shall remember that, so thank you.
08:34The Varden Trophy was started since the 17th time it's been played and it came up really as an honour to Harry Varden who designed the course going way back when it first started
08:46and we sort of got our heads together and it wouldn't be a good idea to sort of celebrate the design of the course and put on a very special tournament that people could travel to and enjoy the course.
08:56And that is now like I say the 17th time that we've played it, it's got better and better every year.
09:02I think people are enjoying it, we've had a lovely day and it's really been a tournament that has grown and grown so we're very pleased to have done that.
09:25How you doing gents? You are the victorious two.
09:28It's a family affair, you're related aren't you?
09:32This kid I've started him when he was 15.
09:36So basically you're claiming you taught him all he knew, so you want your name on that cup as well.
09:41It's been a good ride.
09:45So he's worked very hard, wish him the best.
09:49So it's the Varden cup that you hold there isn't it?
09:52And you've got the Alan Wright.
09:55So she's a character Patricia isn't there we've just met her.
09:58She's funny, she's active.
10:00Good to have people like that involved in the club isn't it?
10:03She's ready for next year.
10:05It's good because everyone's very serious at the club and she brings that kind of light hearted atmosphere too.
10:11How was play today then? We nearly had a bit of rain now and again didn't we?
10:15Yeah we had a little bit towards the back nine.
10:17Play was very tough today.
10:19Pinned positions and everything. It was hard, not easy.
10:23So did you come into it today thinking I might have this?
10:27Has your form been good of late?
10:30Yeah I could have won it before so I kind of wanted to win it again.
10:36There's another family member trying to join in.
10:39Well there was a little prize there for you wasn't there?
10:43So you need to up your game didn't you to get your name on this cup?
10:47It's been a bit longer than I have.
10:49Is that how it works?
10:51He said he won it once before.
10:53Don't they ban you if you win it too many times before entering?
10:56I hope he does so I have a chance.
10:58Yeah exactly you've got to give other people a chance.
11:01Well thank you ever so much gents, lovely to meet you.
11:04All the best.