After a highly successful career in the City of London Police, Alan Francis moved seamlessly into the realm of security, working for Eric and Julia Morley's Mecca leisure empire. But much of his working life was a juggling act - hence the title - for, as a keen judoka, Alan also organised and hosted martial arts tournaments, and put karate firmly in the public eye via television coverage. As a police officer, he had run-ins with a huge variety of characters: the National Front, Dr Chad Varah, a 'gentleman' peeping Tom, a corpse hanging under Blackfriars Bridge. to name but a few. Which of these presented the greatest challenge is left to the reader to decide, but Francis survived the attentions of the Luftwaffe and IRA to tell us his 'Copper's Tale' - and what a tale it is too! After national service in the RAF Police and central-London experience in the Metropolitan Police, Alan Francis became a third-generation City of London policeman. Graded 2nd Dan at Judo, he received an OBE in 1974 and Honorary 7th Dan (Karate) from the Federation of All Japan Karate-do Organisations in 1977.