This year’s Annual Police New Year’s Eve Ball was graced with a surprise visitor in the person of Police Commissioner (on leave) Henry Greene. Eyes popped out of heads at the officers’ mess as the Commissioner’s car pulled up and he made his grand appearance. It would have been a disappointment for him that he lost his place at the top table to the Acting Commissioner but at least he got to make the point to all and sundry – or so he thought – that he was still large and in charge.
We are told that when Henry made his grand entrance some of the other guests were caught measuring the distances between their tables and the door and that the all-night chess game between him and his colleagues desperately trying to avoid him was a sight to behold.
We’re told that good odds were being offered on him not showing up to break the new year in Eve Leary though it seems that a few of his colleagues who know the Commissioner well enough won a penny or two on the bet.
Now Henry did not exactly do a Cinderella and disappear on the stroke of midnight but he did disappear after the ball was over and whether or not there will be another Old Year’s Night Ball for him is anybody’s guess.
