​On Friday 21st November 2025, the 240FLM Preservation group was proud to have been requested to attend the funeral of retired LFB Station Officer Richard Todd.
Richard was carried on his final shout on our appliance from the Funeral Directors in Brentwood, Essex, via his house, and then on to Bentley Crematorium at Pilgrims Hatch, also in Essex
Richards 26-year career had seen him serve at Dagenham, Silvertown and Shoreditch fire stations before heading into the Training department.
His family very much appreciated our attendance, particularly as the request had been made at very short notice.


You are courteously reminded that no unauthorised copying or reproduction of the images is permitted. Copyright remains with the original photographer.
​S Houston.

tSunday 28th September 2025 and 240 FLM once again made its way down to SE Essex and the annual "Visit the Vulcan Day" at Southend Airport.
Leaving Romford just before 0800, the team had a clear run around the Gallows Corner Diversion which has been causing somewhat of a challenge to all drivers, particularly on weekdays!
On arrival the appliance was sited by the organisers next to the main hanger, and for a change, it was decided to have the ladders extended.
A frantic phone call quickly arrived at the organisers office from Air Traffic Control, saying the were not happy with the "crane", although it was below the height of the hanger roof.
The ladders were quickly brought down and housed and happiness and calm returned to the event.
A steady stream of people enjoyed the static displays, the Vulcan Bomber and the other preserved vehicles on show, and the weather remained dry !!
The organisers were extremely grateful and extended an immediate invitation to return again next year!.

Photos used here are subject to UK Copyright laws and we respectfully ask that there is no unauthorised copying or reproduction. 

240FLM and crew made their way West from Romford to A33/J25 Tottenham Fire Station to add support to their well organised “Open Day”. This year, the Red Watch had been selected to organise it – and they did a grand job, actually worrying if they would be able to get all the exhibits and stalls into the station yard.

Fear not, they had it in hand. After being one of the last to arrive, 240FLM was expertly inched into position using the rear gear and negotiating many obstacles along the way. A manoeuvre which involved reversing into the first bay and entering the yard from the middle bay.
Driver Steve was in no doubt it was all in a day’s work.!

Several vintage appliances which spent time at Tottenham over the years were in attendance.
Ex Middlesex Fire Brigade Turntable ladder,  22ML with current owner, Matt Holmes, definitely spent several shifts at Tottenham, CBY1, which after its transfer from Croydon Fire Brigade into London in 1965 would possibly have seen service at Tottenham as a spare and  our own, 240FLM, which we have photographic records of as being “ on the run” as a spare at Tottenham during the early 1980’s.
To complete the arial appliance line up was the current iteration of Turntable ladders, based at A33 Tottenham, the superb Magirus M32L-AS units mounted on Scania L360 chassis with a reach of 32 metres. Four TLs in one place is definitely an unusual line up!

Also on parade was a Dennis F106 pumping appliance, registration number SMH325F which may also have seen service there as a spare during the 1970’s and early 80’s and to complete the assembly of vintage appliances was the well known LCC LFB Emergency tender, OXT999, a regular and favourite on the preservation circuit.
The final “modern” appliances on show to the crowds was the A34 Edmonton Fire Station Mercedes Benz Atego Fire Rescue unit which had an awful lot of current rescue equipment to show to eager viewers.
The addition of exhibits and participation by The London Fire Brigade cadets, Brigade Control Room staff, Animal Welfare dog, and the Firefighters Charity ensured there was something of interest for all the many visitors.
The Mayor of Haringey, Councillor Ahmed Mahbub, spent time talking to the crew of 240FLM and had his photo taken beside the appliance. He genuinely seems fascinated by the appliance and its history.

The only concern during the day was the DJ which had been organised let the event down the day before and which left the station scrabbling around for a replacement.  An emergency call was made to Beckenham Firefighter/singer Jake Shortall who travelled over to Tottenham to perform one of his sets. He truly has an amazing voice. Remember that name!

​A thoroughly enjoyable day which the group were pleased to have supported.

Please note: You are respectfully reminded that all the images used here are subject to standard UK copyright laws and no copying or reproduction should take place without the express permission of the 240FLM TL preservation Group and individual photographers.
Paul Wing & Paul Wood.

On Sunday June 22nd 240FLM and crew made its way across North London to attend Stoke Newington fire stations annual open day, an event designed to embrace the 225th anniversary of a key  figure in the history of the London Fire Brigade.

James Braidwood had been instrumental in the development of the 19th Century London Fire Engine Establishment, the forerunner of today’s London Fire Brigade. In 1833, James left his home town of Edinburgh where he has been working as the Master of Fire Engines at the worlds first municipal fire brigade, a position he held aged 24, to become the Superintendant of the London Fire Engine Establishment.

The 22nd June is also synonymous as it was the day in 1861 that James was killed whilst leading his men during fire fighting operations in Tooley Street. London SE1. Braidwood died in the Tooley Street fire, located near London Bridge Station, when a collapsing wall crushed him several hours after the fire began, It took two days to recover his body.
His heroism led to a massive funeral on 29 June 1861 in which the funeral cortege stretched 1.5 miles (2.4 km) behind the hearse, a public spectacle almost equal to the fire itself. The fire, which continued to burn for a fortnight, caused damage valued at £2,000,000, equivalent to almost half a million pounds at today’s rate - and was considered the worst fire since the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Braidwood is buried in Abney Park cemetery, next door to Stoke Newington Fire Station. The grave lies on a path edge towards the south, rendering it relatively easy to see in this congested and overgrown cemetery. His wife, Mary Ann Jane Braidwood (1806–1871) was buried with him. He was buried near his stepson, also a fireman, who had died six years earlier.
The grave was long lost to public view, however, in 1981, and following much research by the then Stoke Newington Fire Station White Watch Station Officer, Liam Hackett, the precise location of the grave was found. Hackett then spent the rest of the summer clearing the site and restoring the lettering on the monument.
The 240FLM group were invited to provide a representative to join the memorial service beside Braidwood’s grave prior to the doors opening for the station open day.
Retired Stoke Newington Sub Officer and 240FLM treasurer Trevor Barnwell, joined the Brigades senior officers, relatives of James Braidwood and many friends and supporters at the graveside. Those present included Diana Hamilton-Jones who is Braidwood’s great, great, great, grand-daughter and ex Stoke Newington fire station Station Officer Liam Hackett.
A flame coloured rose was laid on behalf of the 240FLM group and following the short service, the assembled group of guests then made their way back the short distance to the fire station where the open day had already begun.
240FLM ladders were raised on the station forecourt, much to the glee of many hundreds of visitors.
The publics enjoyment (and fascination at how well preserved our appliance is) was clear to see, many people wishing to engage with the crew to learn more.
A wonderful day of commemoration, celebration and participation of which the group were proud to have been a part of.


Images used to illustrate this article are copyright protected to Paul Wood. No unauthrised reproduction or copying is permitted without prior approval. Thankyou

The group were delighted to be invited back to Southend Airport to support the preservation team at their latest " Visit the Vulcan" day. The event, one of several held during the year, is an opportunity to get up close to this historic aircraft and witness the sheer scale of the majestic flying machine which provided UK security and war fighting provision for many decades. 

Also supporting the event was a fine selection of vintage vehicles including fire appliances as well as current front line fire fighting appliances.  The crew of 240FLM were well looked after by the staff and towards the end of the day were given priveleged access to the cockpit area of the aircraft, a real eye opening experience.

Many thanks for a  fun and interesting day. 
​
Please note that images used here are subject to UK copyright laws and no unauthorised copying or reproduction is permitted. Images courtesy of A J Perks.

On the 17th April 2025, the group were proud to have been able to lead the funeral cortege for the late Station Officer Brian Sturt on his final journey from his old fire station in Southgate, North London to his funeral ceremony at the New Southgate Cemetery just a short distance away, and, a place that Brian would been familiar with.

Upon departure   from Southgate, a guard of honour of serving firefighters paraded outside the fire station in a sign of respect for this fine and courageous officer.
​
Brian had seen service in both the Middlesex Fire Brigade, where he had originally undertaken his basic training at Finchley TC in 1961 and then continued his service into the newly formed London Fire Brigade on April 1st 1965 following the amalgamation of several Brigades located around and in the Capital.  Brian subsequently went on to serve at J26 Hornsey, J28 Southgate, A25 Westminster and J22 Chingford rising to the rank of Station Officer before his retirement in 1985.
 

During his career Brian received two commendations for bravery.
​
On the 17th February 1978, Station Officer Brian Sturt of Southgate Fire Station attempted to rescue a student from a frozen lake in Trent Park Teachers Training College, Trent Park in Enfield.
He was subsequently awarded the Royal Humane Society`s Testimonial on Vellum for his actions at this special service call.
 
In June 1982, Station Officer Brian Sturt, based at Hornsey fire station, received a Chief Officer's Letter of Congratulation for his actions at the special service incidents at Cranbrook Park, Wood Green.
A woman with a history of mental illness was threatening to jump from the roof of a house. Having gained access to the roof, in the most appalling weather conditions, Station Officer Sturt spent some 30 minutes talking the woman in coming down with him to the safety of the ground. She was in a trance like state throughout the ordeal and was unable to help herself or her rescuers. When finally on the ground and handed over to the police she became extremely violent and was removed to hospital.
You are courteously reminded that all images used to illustrate this article are subject to UK Copyright laws. No unauthorised copying or reproduction is therefore permitted. Images courtesy of P Wood.

On Friday March 28th 2025  240FLM made the deeply sad journey around London to carry the late Firefighter, Steve Hartigan, on his final shout to his service at the Bluebell Crematorium, Halstead near Sevenoaks in Kent.

The group had been priveleged to attend Steve's Wedding to Louise in Whitstable last May so today was doubly sad remembering the happiness of that day last year. At that time, Steve was still serving in the London Fire Brigade but had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Rowland Brothers funeral directors in West Wickham Kent had been selected for the meeting point at which Steve would be carefully transferred onto 240FLM along with flowers and his fire helmet which carried his FRU (Fire Rescue Unit) qualification.
Steves wife Louise, along with his young son and daughter, rode on board 240FLM on the journey to the final destination and the waiting guard of honour.

The vehicle procession consisted of 240FLM (with the Undertaker acting as officer in charge), a Fire Rescue Unit along with two pumps (Lewisham and Chelsea) all with their blue lights on. The convoy was preceeded by two police motorcycle outriders acting as escorts who supported us at traffic lights and roundabouts.

On arrival at the crematorium, the courtege were met with a splendid and substantial guard of honour which lined both sides of the access road and stretched from the main road up the hill to the crematorium building, this wonderful parade was made up from all ranks of the LFB, a fitting tribute to a fine firefighter.

Steven was carried into the chapel by members of his family closely followed by his wife and children.
​
Steven, joining the the Brigade in 1995, had served at Chelsea, Millwall and Lewisham during his career.

Viewers are politely reminded that the images used here are subject to UK Copyright law and no unauthorised copying or reproduction is permitted. Images courtesy of T Barnwell and P Wood.

At the beginning of November 2024, and following another busy period of activities for the appliance and its crews, a number of mechanical, equipment and electrical issues began to appear and it soon became apparent that a deep investigation would be necessary to ensure that 240FLM remained safe, legal and reliable as we head towards another year of service, in fact, it will be its 61st year!
Odd noises had been heard coming from the engine compartment and the road horn had ceased to work, this triggered an initial inspection and the opportunity to carry out a thorough health check. As a result, 240FLM was, by necessity, taken “Off the run” whilst the inspections and repairs were instigated.
As part of the vehicle routine maintenance, the braking system is monitored closely and, although no obvious problems were apparent whist driving, once a visual inspection of the system was available with the road wheels off, it became apparent that the air brake chambers on either side were looking decidedly poor, they are probably the originals, and as such, replacement new, or fully serviced originals would need to be refitted. As is the norm with vintage vehicles, some parts just are not readily available “off the shelf”, this was the case for the air brake chambers. However, it will not come as a surprise that in the UK, there is a hidden world of small businesses specialising in such obscure, rare or replacement items and this was the case for these parts.
In deepest Essex, West Horndon to be precise, can be found such a company. No new parts are available now, but after a few days the call came in to say that our originals had been completely overhauled and returned to “as new” condition and able to be safely refitted to 240FLM where we anticipate many more years of service.
Whilst dealing with the brakes, a decision was made to have the front brake shoes relined. They were getting quite low on available friction material, therefore, as with the chambers, the hunt began for a company who could help. This time a trip to Arlesey near Letchworth in Hertfordshire was required and in the blink of an eye, new linings were skilfully fitted and prepared ready for the shoes to be refitted.
During the process of servicing the front brakes, the opportunity was taken to have a really good close look at all the other hidden areas, rarely seen, and difficult to access. The clutch slave cylinder was seen to have a slight fluid leak into its protective rubber “boot”. Remarkably a new one was found, sadly however, it was found to have just a slightly longer operating arm so several hours of work, and sweat, was required to merge the old and new units into a useable and functioning item which has now been refitted.
With all the brake and clutch parts refitted, one last inspection has found a slight leak on the exhaust pipe which will need to be rectified and the road horn problem addressed.
As the road horn had stopped working! It would be not be unreasonable to assume that this would be a relatively easy fix! Oh no, a vehicle of this age, and several previous owners, ensured that this seemingly simple job turned into a complete rewire of the horn circuit to get it working again, but at least we now know how its wired!
Sitting behind the rear cab and in its own enclosure is the on board “lightweight” fire pump, this pump is designed to pump water to the top (head) of the ladders when they are extended to allow water to be played onto a fire scene. The pump has its own starter motor with a button sited on the pump control panel. Over the years, this starter motor has been the source of a number of problems, often caused by water getting into it, and once again, it has failed. On removal it was found that the solenoid and surrounding coils were heavily corroded. So, once again, the hunt began for replacement parts, new or old! Astonishingly, although the starter for the fire pump is obsolete, once again, having the right “connections” proved invaluable and, thanks to a considerate and supportive official at the original equipment manufacturers digging deep into his stores, we have been able to source a brand-new solenoid/ contact assembly and a repair kit of all of the small parts. It goes without saying that these scarce parts are not cheap, however, without them we cannot maintain the fully operational status of the appliance, something we pledged right at the outset in November 2014
Finally, the vehicle is equipped with 2 original wheel “chocks” designed to sit either side of the rear wheels when the appliance is at work. Our 60 years old original pair, kindly donated to the group, were pretty much beyond repair and likely to fall apart without warning.
Once again, we turned to our list of contacts and revisited a fine professional joiner who has turned out 2 beautiful new hardwood replacements which are just in the process of being rebuilt with all the original metal fittings and painted black as per the originals.
All this work has required the dedication and commitment of just 2 people over 2 months and between them they have put in an incredible amount of time and effort to maintain 240FLM to the highest standard and to ensure we can continue to fulfil our commitment to providing a professional, respectful, traditional and trusted service when called upon.
 
Wishing all our followers and supporters a very happy, safe and peaceful new year and we look forward to meeting many of you on our travels in 2025.

Please note, all the images are copyright to Peter Weight and Trevor Barnwell, no unauthrised reproduction is permitted.
 

Today, December 20th 2024, we said farewell to one of our founder members, Michael (Mick) Gilbey. Mick, like many of the original members, was drawn to our embryonic group in late 2014 when he, along with 68 others, first saw the post about 240FLM being for sale and the desire to form a collective to purchase it, and subsequently restore it. Mick had been a “TL” operator in the LFB and would always refer to the control panel at the operators seat at the rear as “His Office”! Mick had spent the vast majority of his Fire Service career in the London Fire Brigade, both LCC and LFB after Initially joining the old West Ham Fire Brigade in 1964 following a stint as a Post Office motorcycle messenger. Mick served at both Stratford and Plaistow during which time  he had become very familiar with the Merryweather brand of appliances so his decision to become a founder member was absolutely no surprise.
Not content with serving his full term on station, after retirement, Mick re enrolled into the Brigades “Card Index” department where he remained until finally hanging up his boots and pens having served a total of 42 years.
Post retirement, Mick and his family moved to the South West of England, near to Yeovil in Somerset, which unfortunately prevented his from being a “hands on “ member, however, this did not stop him from providing valuable historical information about the “FLM” fleet and various appliance stowage variations. He was also keen to offer his services when a similar appliance was discovered not far from his home. A couple of messages to provide the details and what we needed and he was on his way to pester the owner about the possibility of purchasing some of the items we were missing. Although unsuccessful, he continued to hunt in the general area for anything we could use.
 
So we say goodbye to an old friend and colleague and offer our most sincere condolences to Micks family, friends and former colleagues.
 
Thank you Mick.
Stand down sir.


Please note images used in this article are subject to the usual group copyright policy. we politely ask that no reproduction takes place. 

​On Friday 8th November, the group were proud to be able to support the family at the funeral of former Middlesex, Buckinghamshire and finally London Fireman Dave Bradbury at the service which took place in the Isleworth area of West London.
240fLM had made its way around the M25 to meet another fine old restored and preserved appliance, 1 AMX, a former Middlesex Dennis F12 appliance which had spent many years at the old Staines Fire Station and which Dave had ridden many times.
240FLM, accompanied by 1 AMX, carried Dave to the South West Middlesex Crematorium at Hanworth, where, on arrival, a guard of honour of serving firefighters from Heston Fire Station, The London Fire Brigade and Retired Members Association Flag bearers, (a role which Dave had undertaken for many years), was on parade and accompanied by a large gathering of friends, family and former colleagues.
Dave started his Firefighting career during his National Service in the Army Fire Service. On leaving, he joined Middlesex Fire Brigade serving at Heston. On formation of the London Fire Brigade in 1965, he transferred briefly to Buckinghamshire Fire Brigade, before re joining the LFB back at Heston.

Please note that all images used to illustrate this article are copyright protected to P Wood and S Houston. UK Copyright laws are applicable. Thankyou.

By the time the engine had warmed up, the 240 team had arrived at their most recent destination to support members of Romford  and Hornchurch fire stations at a community event in support of the local 'Rom' skateboard park in Hornchurch.

The park, a Grade II listed skatepark and BMX ride facility, was built in 1978 and was originally designed by Adrian Rolt of G-Force, it is the most completely preserved purpose-built skatepark in England and is a well used, and enjoyed, local community facility.  In 2014 it became the first skatepark in Europe to achieve listed status.
The event was well supported and a sizable number of those showed a keen interest in the preserved vehicles on show.


Please note that images used here are copyright protected under UK law. No unauthrised reproduction is permitted.

On the 23rd September 2024, 240FLM made the journey down to Swanscombe in Kent to carry the late Divisional officer (LFB retired) Peter Harman, on his final shout.
Peter had risen through the ranks in the LFB to reach Divisional Officer and, during the 1980’s, spent a period at Southwark TC as a training Station Officer preparing new recruits for their careers. Testament to his popularity and the high regard in which he was held, a guard of honour consisting of many of those very recruits from over 40 years ago paraded in vintage uniform to bid farewell at the service at Thames View crematorium near Gravesend in Kent.
Peter had also been well known during his LFB service as the man to go to for all things Wimbledon related as he headed up the Brigades long and traditional involvement at that most prestigious tournament, and, at which the LFB has annually provided stewards.
On his final shout, and en route to the service, the cortège passed Swanscombe community fire station in Kent, a station well known to Peter as, even after retirement from the London Fire Brigade, he continued to serve as a retained firefighter there as well as dedicating all his resources to supporting his local community. Another significant part of Peter’s life had been serving as a local councillor for his community and, to add the final string to his bow, had been elected Mayor of Swanscombe no less than 5 times. Paying tribute to Peter, many of the staff at the Council offices stood and paid their respects as the cortege passed their offices.
Peter truly had been a “man of the people” in every sense and will be greatly missed.

Viewers and readers are politely reminded that all images used to illustrate this report are subject to strict UK Copyright laws applicable 2024. No unauthorised copying or reproduction is permitted without prior approval of the photographers: P Wood and N Gunn.

On Friday 6th September, 240FLM was proud to be able to carry the late, Brian " Ernie" Taylor (LFB retired) on his final shout at a service in Essex.
Prior to his retirement, Bryan Taylor jnr, had served at Leytonstone, Dagenham and finally Hornchurch fire stations from where he retired following a career which spanned the years 1992-2018
Bryan had followed his father into the London Fire Brigade and he to had been tagged with the nickname, Ernie!.

Following his retirement, Brian worked as a RSPCA inspector, however,ill health prevented him from continuing with this role.

Duty crews, and appliances, from Dagenham and Hornchurch Fire Stations were in attendance to greet 240FLM at the crematorium where they were met by a guard of honour comprised of London Fire Brigade and RSPCA staff.

Please note that images used are courtesy and copyright of S Houston and N Gunn. No unauthorised reproduction is permitted.

Travelling east this time around London, 240FLM was in attendance to support the personnel at the former L23 now F37 Hainault Fire Station for their 2024 Open Day.  On display were the station appliances, Pump Ladder, High Volume Pump on its Prime Mover chassis, Staff Cars, the Arial appliance from F41 Dagenham and static displays of uniforms and equipment from past eras of the LFB.

​The day was well supported by the local community under beautiful sunny skies.


Images used here are copyright to D Porter and P Wing, no unauthorised reproduction is permitted.

240FLM was in attendance at the former, D27 and now G38 Heston Fire station in far West London in support of the LFB Retired Members Association (D & G Divs) for their recent "swinging the lamp" meeting.
These regular meetings take place at various stations or venues throughout the former G and D Division boundaries and provide an avenue for retired or former members of the Brigade to get together and reminice.
​When the opportunity arises to meet on a station, the current staff are usually fascinated by our tales of daring do and former service which is for the most part significantly different from todays profession. Progress and learning has transformed the role of firefighters from our days so its always  fascinating to get reactions, both ways!.

On display alongside 240FLM, was the beautifully restored and preserved Dennis F106 Pump Escape, formally based at Stratford and now owned by Adam Stevens. The on duty staff took the opportunity to go " Hands on" with much of the equipment and their efforts were to be applauded given the zero amount of training they have had on museum based equipment.

A wonderful day of old friends meeting and new friends being made.


Please be advised that all images used here are copyright to D Porter & P Wing and no unauthorised reproduction is permitted.

On July 25th 2024, 240FLM and its crew undertook the sad task of carrying the late, Peter “ Paddy” Johnson on his final shout.

Peter, born in Walthamstow North East London in 1958, was well known throughout the old J Division of the LFB and had served the majority of his service at J25 Tottenham {Red watch} Fire station in North London having arrived there in 1984.

Peter left the Brigade in 1992 following an injury but kept in touch with some of his closest colleagues, he went on to become the local councillor for Waltham Abbey.
​
A truly likeable character, Peter was always the life of any party and he was saluted by his former comrades at the funeral service which took place in Hoddesden, Hertfordshire.

Images appering here are copyright to Paul Wood and Johnson family members. No unauthorised use or reproduction is permitted.

On Monday 15th July, we were privileged to be able to carry a well known and respected Fire Service enthusiast and dedicated LFB supporter, Ken Raven on his final journey through South London
 
Ken had never been a member of the London Fire Brigade formally but dedicated his life to supporting the staff at many stations, particularly his beloved, local station at Deptford in South London.
A true character, known throughout the Fire Service preservation and memorabilia circles, he was always keen to support as many charitable events as he could in support of UK Firefighters both locally and more widely.
As the cortege passed E36 Deptford Fire Station, the duty personnel, complete with appliance, paraded on the forecourt as a sign of respect.  Ken had spent many years in the station and had become “adopted” by the staff and would sometimes be found in attendance at incidents locally! We wonder how he got there!!
On passing over Blackheath Common en route to the service at Eltham, an appliance was spotted coming towards the cortege, the Pump from Brixton Fire Station was heading to an emergency call and it was a fitting moment for Ken to have an appliance pass him on a “shout” !
Making its way along Eltham High Street, the public bore witness to the size and scale of the cortege which by now contained both 240FLM and the Pump from Deptford which had joined us.

This was a fitting and deserved tribute to a much loved member of the Fire Service Preservation fraternity and supporter of the London Fire Brigade to which he had dedicated most of his life.


Please note that all the images used here are copyright to Paul Wood - no unauthorised reproduction is permitted without express permission.

On Friday 12th July 2024. The group were proud to have been asked to escort former London Fire Brigade member, Chris Randell on his final shout in Billericay, Essex.
Chris had joined the London Fire Brigade in 1968 and his firefighting career started at Shoreditch Fire Station.

He worked his way through the junior ranks serving at Barking at Ilford.

​Chris finally departed the LFB after 10 years to work within the Fire Safety teams in the Oil Industry specialising in the high risk procedures of fighting fires involving Oils and associated liquids.




You are courteously reminded that any images used to illustrate this article are subject to UK Copyright laws and no unauthorised reproduction is permitted.

In support of our fire service colleagues in the Essex Fire & Rescue Service, on the 19th June 2024, 240FLM was proud to have been asked to step in and carry the late, Divisional Officer John Gaynor (Rtd) from Essex Fire and Rescue Service, on his last shout.
 
We attended Leigh on Sea fire station to collect John and then made our way to the family home.
​With the full cortege assembled, the procession made its way gently around the town passing Johns sailing club before arriving for the final service at Basildon Crematorium.
 
 
NB: In normal circumstances, the preserved AEC Merryweather based at the Essex Fire & Rescue Museum would have undertaken transporting John on this sad day, however, mechanical repairs that are currently underway prevented them from being able to fulfil the duty, hence 240FLM was proud to be able to step up at short notice.
 
Please note: the images used here are copyright to Dave Porter and no unauthorised copying or reproduction is permitted.

On the 28th May 2024, the group were proud to have been approached to form a key part of the attendance to carry London Firefighter Albert Folivi on his final shout.

In attendance for this incredibly sad and moving service for Firefighter Folivi were  a number of London Fire Brigade Senior Officers, including the Brigade Deputy Commissioner, Charlie Pugsley, his colleagues from A31 Holloway Red Watch, a full parade of Brigade operational personnel, family and friends.

Following the service which was conducted at St Marks Church, St Mark's Rise, Dalston, E8, Firefighter Folivi was carried in the traditional way on the deck of a Turntable ladder to the City Of London Crematorium at Wanstead. East London.

Please note that the images used are copyright to the London Fire Brigade, Paul Wood and Dave Porter, No unauthorised copying or reproduction is permitted.


​

On Saturday 25th May, we were delighted to be able to take 240FLM down to the seaside at Whitstable in Kent to participate at the marriage of London Firefighter, Steve Hartingen to his beautiful bride Lou .

The appliance, fully dressed for the day, shone as bright as the bride in the lovely sunny weather.
With the appliance being parked on the green outside the Marine Hotel on Marine Parade overlooking the sea, it was joined by the appliance from the local fire station in Whitstable whose crew turned out smartly and really complemented what was a wonderful day for the bride and groom.

Following the ceremony and photos, the bride and groom were driven around the town in the TL on a mini sightseeing trip.

The images used to illustrate this artice are copyright protected to Dave Porter and Peter Cowland and no unauthorised reproduction is permitted.

​On Friday 26th April 2024, the 240FLM team were sad, but honoured to carry the late, retired, Station Officer Tony Thornes LFB, on his last shout.

On a beautiful sunny day, a huge turnout of family, friends, former colleagues and serving firefighters, complete with appliances from G27 North Kensington, Tony's last station, made their way with a host of senior officers to Amersham, Buckinghamshire for the service and cremation. Tony had passed away on 14th March 2024, a tremendously sad moment as he had been regarded by his peers as being one of the finest operational officers to work with and a truly nice man.

It is rare to go through an entire service career and retire with a legacy such as his. It takes a particular character and personality to be respected and admired by all and Tony was one such person. Many of us in the group knew Tony personally as he had served in both the old D & G divisions in the LFB, and, those of us that did, now mourn the passing of an outstanding firefighter, father, husband and gentleman.
​
Our thanks go to Ivan Barefield, Malcolm Burden, Pete Weight, Dave Porter & Tim Hoy for the use of their images and you are courteously reminded that no unauthorised reproduction or use is permitted.