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Posted by John Stead on February 27, 2009 at 11:37 AM

Further to Ian Dransfield's bit about Waterton Hall.....in fact it was in Royston's station area until 1974, and Royston was on first call.

When I joined at Royston in 1962, my first job was to open the gates for the horses, as well as quietening the mares when they got frisky..

Seriously though, the appliance room was a garage in the council yard, and the accomodation (HA!) was about 50 yards away.

Turning out involved doing a 3 point turn with the appliance, and if it was between 1200 and 1300, the council dustbin wagon would be parked in front of the doors! The other problem was the mortuary next door. If there was a PM taking place, everything had to be done quietly!

The second (retained) pump was parked, fully kitted, on the green opposite the station, and one old Leyland had the old method of cooling (direct or indirect?) which meant that anti-freeze couldn't be added. In the case of a two- pump shout in winter, the cook started filling buckets of hot water which the watchroom man took across to start filling the radiator!

You can't make it up, can you? The nearest I've seen to it is the film with Will Hay!

This old Leyland had a siren on the front wing which could be started by just flicking the vanes. The locals soon found that out on their way home from the pubs late at night! That was the only bit of trouble we had. Nothing was ever nicked and no damage was done.

We had a residential StnO whose name I won't mention. His favourite trick was to ring the station and order a test turnout to his address - against the the watch!

That stopped when we went to the 56 hour week and had a StnO on each watch. I was on Red Watch with Harold Amos as StnO and Bob Hayhoe as SubO. Les Noble from Castleford was the LFm.

Thank god those days are gone!

Categories: General Fire News

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7 Comments

Reply Ian Dransfield
03:07 PM on February 28, 2009 
Yes, John, I have no doubt that it was Royston Station area in 1962, but when I joined in 1959 it was, as I stated, one appliance Featherstone, one appliance Pontefract for all calls in Crofton and Walton right up to the Wakefield County Borough area.
Reply Mark Elliott
05:39 PM on March 05, 2009 
Hi John, A good post, Have you got any photos of your 'Good Ol Days' that we can look at?

Owen Walford - Bill's brother who I know from the carboot, Was a 'Temp' StnO at Wakefield in the 90's, And SubO at his native Batley.

Apart from that I only know some of the 'old' Bfd lads.

Do you know if there is a book on Wakefield Brigade, There is said to be one on Bradford Brigade - Must be like Gold Dust - Myself and nobody else can find it as yet.

The Keighley book is good, As well as the Huddersfield, But they are more like 'Pamphlets' than books!!

I have a picture of a Dewsbury Brigade pump - CHD 66 Merryweather Marquis 1957, A localy owned machine, I will try and upload it to the visitors images.

At Dewsbury station, They have a glass display cabinet, And in it (Or was) a lovely black Dewsbury Brigade helmet - Try and find another one!!

It's hard enough finding the Yellow 80's Cromwells, So the chances of finding anything on Bfd, Lds, Wfd, Dby, Hfx are pretty slim!!

I have 5 WY Yellow Cromwells, And 2 black helmets from other brigades.

What year did you eventually 'Escape' from the service.Lol

Best Regards.
Mark Elliot
Reply Wayne Gilmore
12:15 PM on March 07, 2009 
Hi John
I am from Royston, do you have any pictures of the engines at Royston?
Wayne
Reply John Stead
12:36 PM on March 07, 2009 
[Wayne Gilmore]
Hi Wayne,
I've got a couple, buried deep in the box. bear with me and I'll try to dig them out and post them on this site. Are you a fireman at Royston? I left there just before the move to the new station.
Best regards,
John
Reply John Stead
12:37 PM on March 07, 2009 
Hi Mark,
I've got quite a few. The problem is finding them after two divorces and 4 house moves! i'll do me best!
John
Reply Wayne Gilmore
12:49 PM on March 07, 2009 
John Stead says...
[Wayne Gilmore]
Hi Wayne,
I've got a couple, buried deep in the box. bear with me and I'll try to dig them out and post them on this site. Are you a fireman at Royston? I left there just before the move to the new station.
Best regards,
John

Hi John
No i am not a fireman, but i have heard from my dad about the fire station at the top of the green but have never seen any pictures.
Regards
Wayne
Reply GrahamAD15P1
05:16 PM on May 25, 2009 
I have a friend who was an ex DO with West Yorks. The stories he has told me about the old Leeds city merging with West Yorks are funny and the wheeled escape losing it's ladders

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