John's Early Years

by John's brother, Jim Bullimore

​

John was born on this day in 1954 to Kath and Ted, the 4th of 5 children, Maureen, Christine, Jim, John and Richard. It was the final year of post war rationing. Kath and Ted had a new house in Hatfield and John was in a hurry. So much so that he wouldn't wait for a doctor and his dad ended up delivering him!

​

The house was on a council estate with gardens and playing areas, an integral part of post was new town planning. There were few cars, the odd black and white TV and many young families. The strength of community was strong, and children played outside most of the time, football, cricket, exploring, wrestling, cowboys and Indians and the rest. It was a great place to bring children up and our family were happy.

​

We had many enjoyable holidays at the seaside, mainly camping but sometimes B&B. There was space to run around, beaches to build sandcastles, and holiday entertainment including shows and bingo. In particular, we children all enjoyed the amusement arcades, and John was always looking to beat the machines. Indeed, one year John found a way to bear a slot machine. By pulling the handle hard and fast, the rollers didn't move and a win would be repeated. A great way to increase our pocket money. It felt too good to be true - and the owner of course agreed. We were all banned from his arcade!

​

Moving on to secondary school, it would be fair to say John didn't have a great love for studying. He needed a more active life. He excelled at sports and was in the school rugby teams. He was a brave youth and tackled hard. To provide pocket money, John and I were happy to join the church choir at St Ethelredas in Hatfield where he later married his first wife Ann. We were paid sixpence for singing at services and half a crown for weddings and funerals. A lot in those days. 

​

John supported Chelsea football club and often attended the notorious shed-end with his friends. The fashion amongst the Chelsea football fans then was to have skinheads haircuts (nowadays this would be a number 1) and much to our surprise and his parents' annoyance he came home one day with that haircut. He was either very brave or rather foolish to go against his dad, as at that time we were all a little afraid of him. Luckily good humour returned fairly quickly as John's hair grew back.

​

John always had many friends and was always popular. All through his life he was very sociable and found it easy to build relationships. This was also helped, so he told me, by his good looks. He has strong opinions and didn't hold back sharing them, often loudly, a trait he took through to his later life. He always had a twinkle in his eye, and was generally seen as a loveable rogue. 

​

From an early age John was attracted to golf. Firstly it was a way of making money through caddying although John sometimes took this too far - skipping school to go to the golf course. One time he was caught making his way there by his mum on her way to work. John in the doghouse again, though it never lasted for long!

​

After leaving school John eventually got a job for a marketing company. This involved commuting to London. He enjoyed the job which utilised his people skills. He enjoyed the job which utilised his people skills. At the time he also started visiting his Grandad there who proved to be a good mentor. The only problem with his job was it did not pay well. and with travelling and the inevitable after work socialising there was never a lot of money left.

​

At about this time John met his first wife Ann who gave him two beautiful children - Tom and Gayle. John needed a change in direction and his Grandfather advised him to join the police force who were actively recruiting then. John applied and by making himself tall managed to just pass the minimum height requirement. John had always wanted to be taller. Joining the police force was a game changer for John and proved to be his passport to his happier later life.

​

John was a light in all our lives - a light that shone brightly for 66 years, now sadly that light has slightly dimmed, but for his brothers and sisters it will never go out.

​

Karen and John

by John's wife, Karen Bullimore

​

My first memory of John was early one morning, on parade at Ruislip Police Station - I was 23, John was 28. We were all waiting for the shift to start when John bowled in late, looking like he'd been up all night, wearing his long police mac for some reason as it wasn't cold. He had been transferred from Ealing Police Station, which was near to where he lived in Staines. John was quite obviously Mr Angry. He was tired from being up partying all night, was getting divorced, had no money, drove a clapped out old MG BGT, and was now stationed at the sleepy hollow of Ruislip. I looked at him and he looked at me, and it was love at first sight.

​

John had been the spokesman for a group who had claimed overtime for a cancelled day off, they had all been advised by their Inspector not to. As punishment, they were all transferred to make them an example. In life though things often happen for a reason.

​

John was very proud to be a Policeman. A man of principle and fairness and an old time 'copper' who got stuck in. He would drive the carrier full of policemen to a demonstration and be the first one out. On another occasion, I remember the Duty Sergeant coming in and asking for volunteers to go to Yorkshire for the Miners' Strike in 1984. He was the only one to put up his hand. He spent 13 solid weeks working up there and paid off all his debts.

 

Later that year, I remember meeting John's family for the first time. It was Christmas. They were all together at his Mum and Dad's. When we arrived, they were playing the board game Risk. He told them they weren't playing by the correct rules, and he took over the show. They were shouting and bantering, and I was stunned. My family were quiet and didn't argue. How were they all going to make up with each other? I was to learn that this to them was normal behaviour and that everything changed when John entered a room. John never made you feel stupid. He was the clever one with all the intelligent answers. He inherited his brains from his Dad. He remembered everything. 

​

We bought our first house in Canterbury Way in 1984. We looked at what seemed like hundreds of houses. He said I could have made it easier if he'd known we had to live near my Mum and Dad in Bushey! And of course I had the trump card...the deposit! John didn't really mind where we lived so long as there was a golf course nearby. He took himself up to West Herts, and the rest is history.

​

I remember the first time he asked me to go and walk around with him whilst he played golf, we had been on night duty. I asked how long it would take - he responded '4 hours'. What!! I slept in the car whilst he played a round at Ealing, waking up in a boiling hot car and then going to find him. Not for the last time would I be trying to find John, as many of you will know.

​

We planned our lives as well as anyone can. We were married in January 1988 and Ian arrived in October 1988, then exactly a year later, Alex. John's love and devotion never wavered. Everything he ever did was for his family. He worked as hard as anyone can and also had the ability to shut work out. He would leave his phone behind when he played golf. You could only guess where he was or what he was doing on many occasion.

​

A well known story amongst his friend at the golf club is when having snuck up to play Gary Hickey in the quarter finals of the Club Championships, having played for the previous three days he'd promised he wasn't playing that day. Ian, only being 5 at the time, told me where I might find his car as he wanted to see his Daddy as much as I did. I found his car hidden in the car park and then discovered John coming down the 17th. I was not impressed and released the children towards him. John was apparently one up at the time, but, much to the joy of Gary, he lost the next two holes as I left Ian and Alex playing in the bunkers and swiftly went home.

​

John also liked to tell the story of when I phoned the bar at the golf club in the early hours, knowing he was up there playing cards. I sometimes feared that he would lose our house to a turn of the cards. So I had rang, and told the bar man that a bomb was about to go off. John apparently didn't flinch and said, 'Oh that will be Karen.' How proud he was, when in 2009  he became Captain and more recently to serve as Chairman - his passion for West Herts, no one can deny.

​

We spent wonderful carefree holidays in Devon, camping his friends at Beacon Hill in Poole and driving over to La Tranche in France by which time we could afford to stay in caravans. John's motto which he took from his own Dad, was to only go on holiday if you could afford it and to be able to enjoy yourself when you did. So we ate ice creams, and always the best time we could.

​

We took the boys to Florida twice, and made amazing memories. His driving on the opposite side of the road always scared us. He would always appear to be too close to the edge on the wrong side! The boys would pull their jumpers over their eyes and I would dare to tell him how to drive. We loved Tenerife and going to far away places to the sun and to play golf.

​

During his time at Scotland Yard working on Serious Crime, he was to travel the world investigating money laundering and drug dealing. He would pick cases, he told me, where travel was the most likely outcome. I will never forget the 7 weeks he was away travelling across the world ending up in Australia. He would work along happily but many a senior officer would ask to join him and learn from him. He worked with senior officers from many countries and he was able to converse with them about worldly affairs whilst displaying his incredible knowledge of history. He played in many a golf tour in the United States and Ireland, with fellow FBI officers and remained in touch.

​

Whilst working on a murder enquiry in 1999, and at the time when John was starting to plan his next move after retiring from the Police, he was to meet Michael Sapraicone who was over from the NYPD. Mike had already formed a security company in the US and wanted to open a similar company in the UK and he asked John to join him. John had already received contract letters from the Nigerian Government to go over there to advise them on corruption but the prospect of setting up a new company from scratch was far more appealing. So we moved forward into what was to become the most rewarding and exciting times.

​

Squad Security is the reason we are able to enjoy the fruits of John's labours. We have made so many, many happy memories. We have a wonderful family, and wonderful friends. John lit up a room, no one who met him will ever forget him. We will all miss and cherish our time with him.

​

And now, when I pull only one cup out of the cupboard to make tea in the morning and look at the small pile of tea bags where once there were many and I look out into our garden, John, that you were so proud of, my memories of love will always be with you.

​

Dad

by John's sons, Ian and Alex Bullimore

​

Dad, we will always remember you.

We will always remember the first time you showed us how to hit a golf ball, kick a football, pass a rugby ball or ride a bike.

We will always remember the holidays, the fun times camping in Devon, the South of France and Tenerife and many more.

We will always remember the life lessons you taught us and how to be responsible. We always think what would Dad say when making important decisions.

We will always remember you always being right, even though sometimes you weren't.

We will always remember your strength.

We will always remember that you were there for us whenever we needed advice, or even just a hug.

We will always remember your laugh and your cheeky smile.

We will always remember walking into a room and knowing you were there.

We will always remember everything you've done for us.

Dad, you will always be there with us as a big part of you is in all of us.

We were so proud to call you our Dad.