A leap in the dark

Some progress now on the commission above. It has at least another day to go but at least it is taking shape.
Its not a good advert for safety at sea, no life jacket and standing near the entry rail with no hands on anything still it makes for a good picture.
I had occasions in my former years to go places where it may have been advisable to not go, but on the other hand that was what I was paid for.
I recall one winters night when I was a Sergeant in Welshpool I was walking around on patrol by myself. (Two things there that are probably quite rare these days!). It was a cold frosty night. As I approached the back of the Spar I heard the noise of breaking glass. Now the only way into the small backyard of the Spar was by climbing over a pair of 6 ft gates topped with barbed wire. I grabbed hold of the gate and hauled myself up to the top of the gate grappled withthe wire and jumped /fell into the darkness on the other side. I caught the shape of someone coming at me and within seconds I was struggling with some anonymous being. We grappled and struggled rolling on the floor in the dark and eventually I gained the upper hand and "restrained" him. I called on the radio for a car to come and take my prisoner to the Police Station in Newtown. about 20 minutes later a police car arrived and took my now handcuffed and compliant burglar from me. However the two officers were in stitches.
The good natured staff at the Spar were clearly animal lovers and put out substantial amounts of cat food at night. I had been rolling through saucers of the stuff in the dark with my companion who was in a similar condition. I had cat food on my coat trousers face hair and helmet. The fact that I had sustained more than a few cuts on the wire and ripped my coat were of no concern to them whatsoever.
For days I endured the good natured digs of the shift, "Would you like a Kit Kat Sarge?" and some such until I got fed up and they got the message.