Sixteen eager, young men and women gripping pens and pencils, hunched over pieces of paper, and jotting down notes in a classroom -- the sight jars rather harshly with one's impression of a Police training course.

Somehow, images of cross-country runs, obstacle courses, and all manner of push-ups, press-ups, and sit-ups spring more readily to mind.

Not to mention that potentially daunting five letter word... d-r-i-l-l .

But there they were at their desks, with their name cards before them; all dressed up in smartly-pressed P.c. uniforms, and listening intently to their surprisingly cheerful instructor P.c. Eddie Lightbourne.

This particular day they were wising up on local geography and topography; learning how to find their way about the Island, in other words.

Pretty useful, one would imagine, if called out to an emergency. No doubt a fair few taxi drivers, postmen, and, yes, journalists, could benefit from such a learning experience too.

"Where is the border marker between Devonshire and Paget?'' inquires P.c.

Lightbourne.

About half a dozen hands immediately go up.

The atmosphere is relaxed, and the engaging P.c. Lightbourne is far from a paid-up member of the club of tyrant-teachers; after all, these are no schoolboy whippersnappers under his charge, rather 11 men and five women, spanning the ages of 18 and 35, aiming to beef up the thin blue line of law and order.

They also have the distinction of being on Bermuda's 50th basic training course.

Chief Inspector Jonathan Smith explains that the bulk of their time is spent inside the four walls of their classroom at Police headquarters in Prospect.

Glance at the course timetable, and you will get an idea of just how much ground they have to cover.

Some of the lessons in their first week were titled: "Organisation Of The Bermuda Police''; "Police Discipline Code''; "Role Of The Bermuda Police''; "Constitution Of Bermuda''; "Settlement And Development Of Bermuda''; "Introduction To Computer Training''; "Report Writing''; and "The Legislative And Electoral Process''.

Pretty heavy stuff here, and it is by no means certain everyone will have the stomach for it; this, after all, is only week number one of a 16-week course, which runs until July 28.

"It is undoubtedly intensive and gruelling, and is a very comprehensive course,'' Chief Insp. Smith stresses.

He points out course lecturers also come from outside the Force, such as the Employees Assistance Programme and St. Brendan's Hospital, to speak on such subjects as mental illness.

Not that the focus is simply on the academic; the rookies do get a chance to break free from the confines of the classroom, and sample the great outdoors.

It just doesn't happen as often as you would imagine.

On one of the days The Royal Gazette visited the recruits, they were nearing the end of a lung-bursting, one-and-a-half-hour work-out.

And it was obvious the routine of exercises -- press-ups, push-ups, jumps and 45-metre sprints -- had taken their toll.

For one budding W.P.c was stretched out on a grass verge near one of the entrances to Prospect, moaning in discomfort as she nursed an injured leg.

While she tended to herself, P.c. Lightbourne, armed with a stop-watch, signalled for the remaining 15, dressed in special training school running shorts and vests, to begin the 1.9-mile Orange Valley run -- the final exercise for that day.

He carefully recorded the times as the runners returned; everything, it seems, goes down as part of the recruits' evaluation.

Chief Insp. Smith explained 24 applicants had originally been interviewed for the 16 vacancies on the course.

A pre-requisite was two O'Levels, one in English, or successful completion of a Police entrance exam, he added.

"There used to be a height requirement, but now we just say candidates should be of proportionate build.

"We also take on people up to 40 years of age, and, I reckon, the average age of those on this course is somewhere in the mid-20s.

"The applicants are definitely getting more mature, which I think is a good thing because they have had some experience in life.'' Chief Insp. Smith said a change in immigration laws meant non-Bermudian spouses of Bermudians could now be considered for the course, and this year, for instance, a Canadian, American and Trinidadian were among the group.

Once the 16 weeks are up, can the recruits expect an end to the training? Not at bit of it, it seems.

"They will then go on a continuation course,'' Chief Insp. Smith explained.

A Policeman's lot, it seems, may not be an unhappy one, despite the words of the popular Gilbert and Sullivan standard.

But it is certainly a hectic one.