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Tyzzer trip spawns POC plaque
 Safer stairway: Ian Tyzzer opens the Tyzzer Leap |
Ian Tyzzer is on the last leg of his Force career, literally! Set for retirement in the next couple of years, the last 12 months have been brutal on the Wong Tai Sin District Commander's appendages. He was chased down and bitten on the left leg by a monstrous dog while jogging last March, and took a flying leap up the Police Officers' Club steps not long after, with bloody consequences to his right leg.
The latter incident culminated in the unveiling of The Tyzzer Leap plaque on January 17.
Ian explained: "When the POC opened in 1986 the area now occupied by the Verandah Bar was open. Club members who wished to visit the bowling green or play tennis were expected to use the purpose-built steps at the corner of the green. After the opening of the bar, a demand was created for people to go down to the bowling area by using the steep steps outside it. Two intermediate steps between the large ones were added to make it easier.
"However, despite this improvement, the gaps remained uneven. I slipped and badly scraped my shin. And although on my way to the bar, I was stone-cold sober!"
A communique to then Chief Superintendent (Personnel Services) Martin Samson soon saw carpeting, handrails and a warning sign installed. Further discussions between the pair, Police Lawn Bowls Club Chairman Nick Cuthbertson and POC Assistant Manager Robbie McRobbie resulted in The Tyzzer Leap. Nick said: "The plaque is just a tongue-in-cheek play on words to provoke people into thinking about what it all means. Make people ask 'What's that?'. Create an unlikely memory!
"The match at which the incident happened was for retired Identification Bureau Senior Superintendent Bruce Ferguson as he was back in town at the time. Ian went off to get the soft drinks in before the match and tripped up the steps. We all just said 'oh, you silly boy, just put a plaster on it'. He courageously carried on and managed to play. It was not until after the game that he realised he needed to go to hospital!"
May the memory, not the pain, live on!