Richmond Terrace Mews, Whitehall, Westminster, London, SW1. UK. Circa 1950.

            The archway marked by the blue arrow was the entrance to Richmond Terrace Mews, a narrow dark and dank 'street' located on the east footway of Whitehall/Parliament Street, virtually opposite Downing Street and the Cenotaph Memorial.

In 1902  the Metropolitan Police opened Cannon Row Police Station (Alpha Delta) and was the Headquarters of the 'A' or Whitehall' Division. The station was approximately 300 metres from Richmond Terrace Mews.

At 6am, 2pm and 10pm each day (365 days a year) all the patrol and protection post police constables attached to Cannon Row would report to the Section Sergeant waiting in Richmond Terrace Mews who would check any reports they may have after their eight hour tour of duty and that all officers had returned safely (no radios until the 1970's).

At the stroke of 'Big Ben' (not a second before) at 6am, 2pm and 10pm all officers would line up and march (yes, march!) back to the Station.

To my knowledge this 'ritual' lasted through the 1960's and into the early 1970's at Cannon Row Police Station (AD).

The Police Constables would be attached to Cannon Row Police Station (Alpha Delta) the Headquarters of the Metropolitan Police's 'A' or Whitehall Division that formed part of the world famous Scotland Yard designed by the acclaimed Scottish architect Norman Shaw in 1898.
 
Cannon Row Police Station handled all of the major ceremonial occasions in the Capital from 1902 plus the many large demonstrations that took place most weeks on Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Parliament Square and Downing Street.
 
As well as the above, the station was responsible for the protection of the Monarch and the Royal Family when resident at Buckingham Palace (London), Clarence House (London), Holyrood House (Scotland), Balmoral Castle, (Scotland), Castle of Mey (Scotland), Birkhall House (Scotland), Windsor Castle (Berkshire), Royal Lodge, (Berkshire).
 
The station also had huge policing responsibilities for the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament).
 
See picture below for the current building that replaced Richmond Terrace Mews.

Taken in: United Kingdom / England / London / Whitehall (show map)

Taken on: January 1, 1950

Tags:

Metropolitan Police

Cannon Row Police Station

Richmond Terrace Mews

Westminster

London

SW1

Whitehall

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Police

1950

1950's

50's

Scotland Yard

Refurbishment

Richmond House

Palace of Westminster

Department Of Healthe Building

79 Whitehall

Mews « less

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