This image is the cover for the book It's a Start

It's a Start

With relatively little worldly experience, this young lady yearned to be a detective, perhaps resulting, at a very young age, from listening to Dick Barton – Special Agent. In her imagination, she put together a scenario of how this would evolve and how her future could spread out before her.
In 1963, having reached the statutory age of 22 years, and passing her entrance examination, she was sent to Ryton-on-Dunsmore for three months’ training, then posted to a Home Counties Constabulary. However, she quickly learned that female officers were there to deal with women and children and ‘fill in’ when and where required. Meals and coffee breaks were to be taken in their office, so there would be no social fraternising with male officers.
Fearing the dream was beginning to slide by, she persevered, and attitudes gradually changed. Finally, she was able to become more involved in all aspects of police investigations.

Margaret Baldwin

Margaret Baldwin was born in Aldershot in 1939 and educated during and just after the war years. When the family moved to the Isle of Wight, her education continued to GCE level and a course in Shorthand and Typing. At 14, she went to London and worked for a film company. At 22, she joined the police force and after serving two years’ probation, she resigned but continued working in the CID office in a civilian capacity. After 21 years, she left and worked for an electronics company. She retired at 58 and moved to France, where she has lived for 21 years.

Austin Macauley Publishers