RUC Top of the Form trophy

"This was part of the many cross-community efforts delivered by various agencies throughout the 1970s and 80s. These included Blue Lamp Discos, where the RUC (now PSNI) would put on dull social events in the hope that teenagers might avoid rioting. Top of the Form was a quiz for primary school children from across Belfast. Our South Belfast primary school joined forces with a Catholic girl’s primary from North Belfast to sweep all comers and won this prize accompanied by an encyclopaedia. There were some allegations of cheating as I remember, but they were scurrilous slurs What it brings back to me is the cross community efforts that existed in NI before the peace process. Yes this was the police force that parts of were carrying out extremely damaging acts as they were asking P6’s questions about Henry XIII, but their were also the efforts of people who raised money buy a bus to transport kids from both sides to Donegal so they could have some respite from the endless conflict on their streets. These efforts may not have had the spotlight that the political process has had but this shield reminds me that people were trying to hold things together long before the hand of history fell on any great men’s shoulders. "