FIRST PERSON: MoD policeman Rex Evans

“I WAS born in Pontnewydd on February 24, 1933, so I was 82 yesterday.

I had one sister, Rita, and two brothers, Ralph and Raymond. My father was a miner and was called Reginald as well, so my mother didn’t want two Reginalds around. Everyone knew me as Rex, even later in the police.

I went to Pontnewydd Church School and played for the Newport and District Church League in table tennis, I was the table tennis champion. But the chap that won it before me, he never returned the cup so I’ve never actually received it. The present vicar up there has said if I can get hold of it we will happily present it to me.

From 1951 to 1953 I did my national service for the RAF and then I joined the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as a technical officer. I did nearly 40 years with the MoD as a surveyor of materials to make sure any building or anything being used for any job for the government was up to a British standard. I was the engineer to see to that and, if I didn’t think it was up to standard, I would take samples back to the laboratory and they would do some tests to it. They would find out what’s gone wrong. You would go back to the factory and see what was wrong and if necessary end the contract.

I travelled around a lot for the job, I did a lot of travelling in South West Wales. I tested building materials in Devonport, on RAF bases and at Salisbury Plain. When the steel factory in Llanwern, Newport, was being built the women in that area were complaining there were burnt holes in their washing and their cars had little spots of acid on them and had to keep being resprayed. I was part of the team who went up there to do some testing and tested the area pollution. We found there was an awful lot of sulphur in the air whenever it rained or was damp, and it was sulphuric acid, that was their problem, acid rain. And that’s what was burning holes in the paintwork of cars and washing.

I also worked on the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, when it had problems. I had to go down and see what the problem was. I had to make paint which was water, oil and petrol resistant.

We had to contract firms who would be willing, at the right price, to make all those different types of paint. It was my job to then go to these factories and take samples to do some tests. We painted aluminium with the different paints to see how it would react to these different types of materials and to see how it would work outside. It was a very interesting job. I received an Imperial Service medal from the Queen for the first 25 years with the Ministry of Defence which was presented to me by the director of the Ministry.

Myself and my wife, Shirley, met in 1954 because she worked in the science laboratories as one of the people who would test the samples we collected. We were married in 1958 at Duckpool Road Baptist Church. We lived with my mother in law, in a big house in Morden Road which I then converted into a flat for us and our two sons. Our first son, Derek, was born in 1959 and our second son, Andrew, was born in 1963 but sadly later died in 2005 when he was 42. We will be married 57 years this year.

I was also with the Special Constabulary for 32 years from 1961 to 1993 – 16 years at Newport Civic Centre and 16 years overseeing Blackwood and Monmouth. I was made sergeant after two years in Newport and was transferred to inspector at Newport Civic Centre, and from there I was transferred to C division as the divisional commander, the superintendent rank. The silver on the peak of my cap denotes superintendent. I was awarded the long service medal of 25 years as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. When I retired from the police I had a big party and I sent my regards all over the force. I had lots and lots of friends in the police. I also joined the Gwent Police Choir and we sang in Germany, at the Royal Albert Hall and the Festival Hall. The Metropolitan Police Band were our backing group. They were a great bunch. I was also a guard of honour at a Remembrance Day parade, representing Gwent Police at the Cenotaph in London.

In 2009 I was diagnosed with a ventricular tachycardia – where your heart beats too fast – and doctors couldn’t work out what was wrong. They put a defibrillator down through my neck into my heart and then it seemed to do the trick. It’s a pacemaker and defibrillator all in one unit. Now I just have to go down to the hospital and check it’s working every so often, and also have some tablets. The defibrillator’s worked about eight times. If the double pacemaker stops working the defibrillator will shock it back. Once it happened while I was walking to my house and I was thrown across the driveway as the defibrillator shocked my heart back into working.

We can’t fault the NHS, they literally saved my life. In 2010 I went down to St Julian’s Medical Centre one morning, Shirley had just had her first hip operation so I had gone out to do the shopping. I didn’t feel very well so I popped into the surgery. The receptionist told the doctors and he took my arm to test my pulse and said, “My God, son, you have not got one.”

He said: “It’s so low it’s ridiculous.” He told one of the nurses to do an ECG, I had five ECGs and he sent me straight to the hospital. He phoned an ambulance and I had eight doctors around me at the hospital. One said to me: “Do you know that you left us once? You passed on once but then you came back. You’re a very strong fellow.” I had had a stroke. But doctors told me I must have a good stamina, as strong as a bull.

In February 2010 they told me I would never walk or talk again. I sat on my bed when I was in hospital thinking I’m not going to stay here doing nothing. I sat up on the edge of my bed doing press ups. I always had to have the nurses come with me when I walked anywhere, but one time I told them I was quite capable and to let me do this on my own. I said: “Please give me a chance.” I tried so hard and I did it. I walked down to the bath and all the way down to my bed. I stayed in hospital for 11 weeks. The doctors told me if I was that determined they we will give you some time with the physios. They were so pleased they asked me if they could write their reports on me.

The doctors always said I have a wonderful, wonderful sense of humour. They said whatever you do, do not lose your sense of humour because that’s the biggest part of your treatment and recovery. They told me I had given them wonderful hours of laughter. It’s the police force which gave me that. On my 80th birthday I requested no presents and instead donations to the Stroke Ward at St Woolos.

The strokes and the heart condition have hampered our travelling. We’ve been to America five times, Canada five times, as well as Australia. California, Labrador, Nova Scotia, the Rocky Mountains and Vancouver. We saw the Winter Olympics base which was outstanding. We also went to both islands of New Zealand.

We now have three grandchildren, Alexander, 24, Eleanor, 22, and Theo, 19 and live in Caerleon. We used to lead the Senior Citizens Forum and I helped with Caerleon allotments, but it’s more difficult because of my health. I do a weekly fitness class every Friday morning.”