IT is just a small piece of rock.
But it unites the bravery and sacrifice of police officers in Berkshire with their counterparts in New York.
When Caroline Seward, a member of British Airways cabin crew knew she was heading to the Big Apple, she decided to take a little piece of England with her.
Caroline, from Thatcham, who is also a member of the Reading Kindness Rocks group, asked founder, Debs Baldree, for a collection of painted rocks she could leave around the city.
One of them was a tribute to PC Andrew Harper, from Thames Valley Police who, in 2019, was killed while investigating the theft of a quad bike. As he questioned three men, one of them sped off in a car catching PC Harper’s leg in a tow rope and dragging him a mile to his death.
The crime shocked the nation not least because the brave police officer had only married his partner, Lissie, a few months earlier.
Caroline placed a number of painted rocks from the Reading group around New York’s Central Park but had a special plan for one dedicated to PC Harper.
“I was jogging through the park leaving rocks in different places but kept that one in my hand,” she said.
“On one side was a drawing of an angel and on the other the words ‘In memory of PC Harper and all Blue Lights crews.’ Suddenly, a police car went past and I ran after it. I started to speak to the officers inside who must have thought I was some mad English woman.
“I told them about PC Harper and showed them the rock. They were very moved to hear how he lost his life and told me how they had also lost colleagues in the line of duty. It was very moving to know that while they lived in a different country they too were brave just like PC Harper in Berkshire. It is officers like them who run towards danger while the rest of us run in the opposite direction.
“The two officers took the rock and promised to take it back to their station and tell the other officers about PC Harper.”
Before flying back to the UK, Caroline left other rocks at different places including Ground Zero and when she returned a few days later, she discovered they had gone.
“I’ve also handed other rocks to people when I was taking part in the London marathon this year and they carried them around the course. They then posted a picture of themselves with the rock saying how the words inspired them.
“Members of the Reading Kindness Rocks group leave them in different places so anyone who finds them can take them home or place them somewhere else for others.
“I now take rocks on my BA trips and holidays. It is such a simple way to connect with people who might be going through a difficult time or maybe just need a word or two to cheer them up.”
Reading Kindness Rocks has been nominated for a Pride of Reading award in the Putting Reading on the Map category, sponsored by The Purple Turtle and Jacobs The Jewellers.
