A POLICE officer who has dedicated more than 40 years to Silver End has been honoured as part of the village's centenary celebrations.
Derek Hopkins, deputy chief officer of Essex Police Special Constabulary, was invited to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the village, where he has lived for more than 50 years.
He attended the event alongside Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Glen Pavelin, who grew up in Silver End and credits Derek for inspiring him to join the Specials.
Derek said: "After living in Silver End for 52 years, I feel I’m now a resident and I was honoured to be invited to attend the 100th anniversary celebration in my professional role."
He moved to the village from London’s East End in 1974, quickly becoming involved in village life by supporting the Scouts, Cubs, the primary school, and the village hall.
He began volunteering as a special constable in 1980.
Derek said: "I understand how much it means to people who might not normally come into contact with the police to see officers when they need them.
"They need to feel there is someone there, listening.
"Simply talking to people and showing understanding can diffuse a lot of situations.
"That personal contact is what I value, and it’s something special constables are well-placed to provide."
He described Silver End as having a "real community feel", rooted in the legacy of the Crittall family, whose factory workers and descendants still live in the village.
Derek said: "Even though the village has doubled in size over the past 10 years, new residents say they can still feel that sense of community – which they didn’t where they lived previously.
"That’s what keeps us here."
In his role as Deputy Chief Officer, Derek now trains officers, supports recruitment, and attends events across Essex but remains closely connected to Silver End.
He said: "It’s my community.
"I get asked a lot of questions and people appreciate having things explained."
Assistant Chief Constable Glen Pavelin, who grew up in Silver End, said: "Silver End has been a huge part of my life.
"Some of my best friends still live there.
"It’s such a close-knit, vibrant community and I have such positive memories of the village.
"It had everything we needed growing up."
Glen became a special constable at 18 and joined the regular police in 1998, after more than a year volunteering.
He said: "I’d made arrests, been out on proactive and reassurance patrols and policed events.
"Community is so important, as is being visible, approachable and engaging.
"It all builds trust."
Silver End was created in 1926 as a model village by industrialist Francis Henry Crittall, who wanted to offer high-quality housing and amenities for his factory workers.
The centenary celebrations were organised by the parish council and included speeches in Temple Lane and a procession to Silver End Memorial Gardens.
Councillor Andrew Bugg, chairman of Silver End Parish Council, said: "The weather was perfect, we had about 90 children from the school and Scouts and Guides were out in force from the very young to teenagers.
"All our guests engaged with community like they were old friends, which many of them are."
A traditional Japanese Torii gate was unveiled in the memorial gardens by James Burns, great-grandson of Francis Henry Crittall.
James was joined by his son and granddaughter, representing three generations of the family.
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The gate now stands in the Japanese Garden, created in memory of Walter Francis Crittall’s parents.
Later, guests gathered at the Congregational Church for the opening of a time capsule and the cutting of a specially made 100th anniversary cake.
The cake was cut using a knife made by the Crittall factory for a resident’s wedding many years ago.
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