В Карлайле с почестями прощались с 100-летним полицейским, который помогал семьям арестованных

NORMAN Robinson was not your ordinary post-war policeman. Yes, traditional notions of respect and order were important to him, but of greater weight were ideas of compassion and fairness. He would use his judgement to do what he felt was the right thing. Perhaps the anecdote that illustrates this best was his habit of helping the families of the men he had arrested. Mr Robinson’s children said: "If he found somebody who was destitute, whose husband he'd locked up, he'd take toys for the kids and stuff like that. "He was a good man." Mr Robinson died peacefully on August 3 after 100 years of life. He is survived by his partner Gill, his children Linda, Jim, and Sue, five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. His funeral service at Carlisle Crematorium was at capacity and involved a guard of honour from retired police officers as well as a police flag draped over the coffin. Born in Longtown in 1925, Mr Robinson moved to Carlisle at the age of four, where he spent the rest of his life – aside from his years serving in the Royal Navy. Before his direct involvement in the war, he had left school at 15 to work for Underwood Typewriters. It was then that his life took a particularly adventurous turn. He signed up to join the navy at the age of 17, lying about his age in order to do so. He ended up serving on the famed Gunboat 658 – a heavily armed boat that helped sink dozens of enemy vessels across the Mediterranean and Adriatic during World War Two. Mr Robinson’s son, Jim, expanded: “Dad says they were floating fuel tanks. He did not want anything hot to go through the hull." However, his family reported that he very rarely spoke of the war, stating that this was typical of men of his generation. Mr Robinson served in Carlisle City Police force from 1949 through to 1976, ultimately rising to the rank of Detective Sergeant in 1963. A story that showed his exactness was he insisted that not a drop of tea was spilled from a cup onto its saucer as it was carried up the steps to his office. It emerged many years later that the junior police officers would get around this by carrying the cup and saucer in two hands to escape his wrath. Aside from his integrity and diligence, Mr Robinson was particularly renowned for his skills interviewing offenders. His children said: “He could get them to tell him things that nobody else could." They reported that other policemen had told them: "He was the best interviewer I've ever sat in with." His children added that he was able to switch back and forth between good cop and bad cop to get information from them throughout their childhood. His family disclosed that he never really retired, even in later life - calling him ‘a typical action man’. He worked for local solicitors as an investigator, obtained HGV and PSV licences, and worked as a security officer at Carlisle and Hexham racecourses. His independence was of such importance to him that he disliked when people would offer to mow his lawns for him, and his house was full of unused walking sticks and Zimmer frames. He found his partner, Gill, in later life after his wife, Ann, had passed away at 66. Mr Robinson and Gill were together from 1999 and travelled the world together for many years. Mr Robinson and his late wife Ann had been close friends with another couple, who had three daughters. Very sadly, these children were orphaned as both their parents died of cancer. Mr Robinson took it upon himself to become these girls’ guardian, and he gave each of them away at their weddings. These women all refer to Mr Robinson as their hero. In terms of gaining a grasp of his overall character, it is fair to say he was a multifaceted man. His family stated: "He was a good man. He was fair. He was honest. Straight as a die." They also said: "He was one of those people who quietly made the world better." In terms of his quietness and desire to shy away from the limelight, they said he had consciously decided against further advancement within the police force because he didn’t want to be removed from the day-to-day operations alongside his men. A quote from his family that sums him up well would be: "He never took a backward step either. If there was anything to face, if it needed said, he said it. If it needed done, he did it." This was perhaps best exemplified when Jim, Mr Robinson’s son, had gone to a nightclub underage. He had thought his father was lying in bed at home, unwell with the flu. It was then that he was given a tap on the shoulder, turning around to see his dad in a dressing gown and pyjamas, insisting that he leave with immediate effect. After 100 years of life, the vast majority spent in Carlisle, and many in public service, his family can look back on ‘a genuinely good man’ who lived a full and honourable life.