SCOTTISH SUMMER LUNCH
with
SIMON ROBERTS (guest speaker)
Friday 6 June 2025
The Sandy Watson Room
The Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society
32 Barnton Avenue
Edinburgh EH4 6JH
12.30 p.m.: reception with cash bar; 1.15 p.m.: lunch
We are delighted to be able to announce the details of this year's Scottish summer lunch which will take place in the fabulous setting of The Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society’s Clubhouse. The highlight of the afternoon will be a short after-lunch talk by guest speaker, Simon Roberts. His focus will be his recent publication, Hong Kong Beat (see description of content below). An informative, as well as entertaining, presentation is promised!
A lavish, three-course Carvery lunch, followed by tea and coffee, will be served:
Members: £39/ Guests: £44
Please let us know if you will be attending by 9 May; deadline for payment will be 26 May. Contact communications@hkas.org.uk to book.
Hong Kong Beat by Simon Roberts
True Stories from one of the last British Police Officers in Colonial Hong Kong
Hong Kong, on the edge of Empire, was a place teeming with triads, smugglers, Chinese immigrants and Vietnamese refugees. Simon’s memoir of his time in the Hong Kong Police Force – from the 1970s until after the 1997 handover – is a fast-paced tale of his exploits. From the murky back streets of Kowloon to the open seas in the Marine division, his shocking and hilarious tales offer an alternative look back at what life was really like on the Hong Kong Beat.
About the author
Simon Roberts joined the Royal Hong Kong Police in 1979 and continued to serve in the Hong Kong Police after the handover in 1997. During his 23 years of service, he worked in different departments all over the Territory. These included district crime and anti-triad squads, vice squads, Operational Command, Crime HQ, Crime Prevention, Marine, and even as a court prosecutor. During his time in Hong Kong, he kept a diary and was a prodigious letter writer. He still has many of the early letters which, together with accumulated official documents, form the backbone of this book.
Simon was promoted to Detective Superintendent 10 days before the handover. He resigned in 2002 to take up a role in the private sector, and was presented with a valedictory letter for meritorious service from the Commissioner. He is a lifetime member of the Royal Hong Kong Police Association. Simon continues to work in the security industry and now lives in England. The author's royalties from Hong Kong Beat are being donated to the Hong Kong Police Welfare Fund.