We were delighted to be able to support our " Base" station, F38 Romford at their 2022 open day on Bank Holiday monday, 29th August. With lovely weather prevailing, the crowds were in abundance and 240FLM was displayed in her " semi staircase" pitch position. The whole crowd were wowed by the equipment, demonstartions and inevitable ice cream that were available and it was another memorable day for all the right reasons.
A wonderful turnout of former colleages, family and friends were in attendance at Enfield Crematorium on the 26th August where we said goodbye to Fireman Ken "Soggy" Rogers, formally of J21 Edmonton blue watch. 240FLM carried Ken on his last shout in glorious sunshine which was befitting a much loved character.
The preceeding week had seen one of the final stages in the restoration of 240FLM. During that week, the final graphics had been applied to the exterior of the vehicle and these included the London Fire Brigade scripts, LCC crests, vehicle weight and tyre pressures so by the time the appliance set off for Enfield after a polish, she looked absolutely beautiful.
On arrival at Enfield, we were allowed the prime spot on the front forecourt and were soon joined by one of the new LFB Metz, 32metre Turntable ladders which provided a wonderful "then and now" comparison during the day. Each ladder put on a demonstration for the crowds who flocked all over the appliances as well as taking in the other, many attractions available. Next week, the 29th August 2022 at 1300 until 1600, 240FLM will be making another public appearance, this time at its "home" at Romford Fire Station where the station open day will be taking place. Why not pop along and say hello? We respectfully remind you that all the images we use toillustrate our announcemebnts are copyright to the individual photographers. In this case, Pete Weight, Dave Porter, Graham Pearce and Steve Houston. The group were proud to have been able to take 240FLM down to Roehampton in West London to support the charity event being staged by the Firefighters Charity. The golf and information event was set up to allow visitors to come and get a first hand account of life as a firefighter today, and in years gone by and our applinace complimented a brand new LFB Pump. That crew put on a really interesting demonstration of their skills for the visitors to enjoy.
240FLM was in attendance to complement the day at the Sidcup Fire Station open day. A good crowd of adults and children had a brilliant day squirting water and comparing the old and the new.
Please note that all images are copyright of photographers Dave Porter and Gary Quinnell. No unauthorised reproduction is permitted. We were proud to have been able to support the family of the late Michael Redmond at his funeral in Willesden NW London on the 27th May 2022. Michael had been the senior fire officer at a local company in Harlesden for many years.
The courtege was accompanied all the way from his house to a waiting guard of honour outside Willesden Fire Staion in Pound lane en route to the servcie nearby. Please note that all images are copyright to photographers Dave Porter , Pete Cowland and Paul Wing. No unauthorised reproduction is permited 240FLM was in attendance to accompany the late, Neil Townsend, retired Divisonal Offer LFB on his final journey near Gravesend in Kent. Another sad day but a duty that we take pride in doing for our former colleagues.
During the latter part of 2021, it became apparent that a revised means of accessing the rear cab for potential users was needed. We had been using a sturdy hand made set of, single tread, non platform steps and which had served us well. However, we recognised that a wedding dress user might just struggle with those, so, committee member Dave Porter set about manufacturing a set of steps which could be set up quickly, be stable and wide, have enough steps at a shallow angle to ensure safe transit but all this whilst being collapsible to allow for easy transport in the cab. The result is below and is a fine example of what can be achieved with a bit of ingenuity. Photo copyright Dave Porter. A crew of 2 delivered 240FLM to Eastry, near Sandwich in Kent for the wedding of one of the 4 watch Commanders based at F38 Romford where 240FLM is kept. We were delighted to be able to provide the appliance as a backdrop to the group photos.
The journey to the venue was slow and challenging due to the access road leading to the venue being rather narrow, but, as the appliance is being resprayed in a short while, a few minor scratches were not worth worrying about. Photos copyright and courtesy of Steve Houston. On the 25th November 2021, 240FLM set off on a long but worthwhile and honourable journey to Gloucester crematorium in Gloucestershire where we were able to provide an escort for the final journey of "Jim" Geogehan.
Jim was one of our founder members and had often appeared when 240FLM was in his area and always showed a keen interest in the progress of the restoration. Joining the LFB in 1969, Jim served in the old A and C Divisions before arriving as Sub Officer at K22 Wandsworth where he encountered 240FLM after her move from B29 New Cross. A good turnout of old colleagues was present to say farewell to a lovely gentle giant and very respected officer and fireman. We also wish to express our gratitude to Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service for allowing us the privilege of overnight parking for the appliance at Gloucester North Community Fire Station. Photos courtesy and copyright, Dave Porter, Steve Houston and Pete Weight. Our services were provided to escort the last journey of the late Fireman Roger Cunningham who had served at Poplar & east Ham Fire Stations during his career in the London Fire Brigade.
Roger was carried with dignity and poise into the venue in Eltham, SE London, by several of his former colleagues, all suitably dressed in the uniforms of the day. Although still somewhat limited by the pandemic and various other restrictions. A regular team from the mechanical side of the group have been busy carrying out routine maintenance and fitting replacement parts where needed. One particular issue with 240FLM has always been the tendency for the appliance to " wander" whilst in motion. This problem is not unique to this vehicle as this fleet of appliances, and probably other vehicles as well, always did have a somewhat loose feel. Last year, we were able to obtain quite a number of original parts from another vehicle that was being broken up, one of those parts was a new steering box. over a number of visits, the team managed to extract, with great difficulty, the old one and insert the replacement, which although still old, subsequently proved to be much " tighter making for a more comfortable and precise drive. Earlier on in the late summer, attention was drawn yet again to one of the 4 hydraulic jacks that are put down to support the body of the vehicle when the ladder is to be got to work. This time, the nearside rear jack was showing signs of an oil leak. The team are now well used to this and replacement seals are still available so without to much fuss, the jack was opened up and the job completed. Another area which received attention was the foot locker catches. They had begun to get a little difficult to open cleanly so a little time with a chisel and screwdriver and they once again work easily. The steering box replacement process The rear jack seal replacement. Work on the locker catches.
240FLM were requested to attend the Funeral of retired Fm, John Viner, formally of C30 Holloway, in Kings Lynn. Norfolk to serve as an escort to the funeral of the funeral cortege.
A crew of 3 for the day consisted of Trevor Barnwell, Colin Farrington and Steve Houston who managed to capture the pictures below. It was fitting for Trevor to be the driver on the day as it was he who had served with John and took him out on his first shout, so today, he took him on his last shout. It was along day but as ever, the group are proud and honoured to be asked to support these sad events whenever we can. Our attendance was a complete surprise for the family as it had been organised by his ex colleagues and it went down well. 2 Crews from Kings Lynn Fire Station also attended to form a Guard of Honour, thanks to them. On Tuesday 23rd February 2021, the group were privileged to be able to carry 100-year-old retired LCC LFB Sub O Ernie Cock on his last journey.
Ernie had served in the LFB from 1946-1976 mainly at Poplar and the now long closed Brunswick Road fire stations and latterly as F Division Staff Sub O. He was visited by the 240FLM team along with members of the watches from Harold Hill Fire Station just last year to celebrate his centenary birthday. Following that visit, Ernie had asked if we could take on this journey when the time came, and we were so proud to have done so and fittingly, a guard of honour from the LFB formed for the arrival at the South Essex crematorium in Upminster to add a really lovely formal touch to this sad day. Photos copyright Paul Wood. No unautorised copying or reproduction is permitted Today, a small crew travelled the short distance to F41 Dagenham Fire Station to introduce 240FLM to the latest addition to the London Fire Brigades fleet of arial appliances. The latest incarnation of high reach Turntable Ladders. produced for the Brigade by Scania/Magirus with final prep by Emergency 1 in the UK, the 32 metre reach TL is currently on the run until the station receives the extra height, 64 metre reach version.
This appliance has come about as a direct result of the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2016. Whilst 240FLM is now an antique in terms of the technology, she carried herself with distinction on the day with a half height extension of about 18 metres at 65 degrees alongside the new variant which barely touched its full capability. This event was only made possible with the wonderful co-operation of the officers and crews at Dagenham and followed strict social distancing guidelines and temperature checks before arrival by our team. Please note the photographs are strictly copyright of 240FLM/Paul Wood and must not be copied or reproduced with direct permission from the group. Once again, the group were delighted to be invited back to Southend Airport in support of a similarly minded group of individuals who are putting their efforts into saving and restoring the last surviving running Vulcan Bomber, XL426. Each year the Vulcan Bomber Trust have open days where members of the public can come along and get up very close to the huge aircraft and be entertained and educated about its history and many stories of its operational service. Our appliance is of course dwarfed by the huge body of the aircraft, but along with a small selection of other emergency vehicles and WW2 re-enactors, the event is gaining momentum and were were pleased to be able to lend our support.
After 5 years, our Chairman Peter Russell has decided its time to stow his firegear away and take a well earned rest from his " Chairman's" role in our group. Peter, and his lovely wife, Julia, were instrumental in getting our group off the ground right from the very first suggestion of 240FLM being purchased and restored.
Between them, they established contact with the seller of the appliance, organised the coming together of the early founder members, provided a venue for our first meeting, formulated the committee and its early steps to being the organisation that it is today, and ,notwithstanding that effort, they then generously provided the appliance with its first home in their back garden in Cambridgeshire!. Without this home, we would not have been able to even contemplate purchasing the vehicle let alone undertaking any form of restoration. From late 2014 right up to the day the vehicle let Cambridgeshire and made its way " Home" to the LFB at Romford on November 22nd 2017, Peter & Julia always had their door open to us to undertake the work needed to get the appliance restored and whoever visited was always handed a fine sandwich or hot soup and always plenty of tea. Peter continued with his duties by making invaluable contacts within the current hierarchy of the LFB, and in doing so enabled our President, Dany Cotton to become aware of who we were and what we were trying to achieve. It is not unreasonable to state that without Peter & Julia, our group would not exist. Thankyou from all your friends and fellow members. Our group were absolutely delighted to have been invited to support the celebration of 100 year old former F22 Poplar fireman, Ernie Cock as he celebrated his centenary. The crews at F57 Harold Hill Fire Station laid on a special surprise for him at his home, which is on their ground, and even presented him with his own LFB shirt. Ernie had served from 1946 to 1976. A fine innings we think. Pghotos copyright Paul Wood. No unautorised copying or reproduction is permitted The group were proud to have been asked to accompany the late Doug Hayward, aged 74, on his last journey today. Doug had served his last duty at C24 Whitechapel following his career in the LFB both as an operational fireman and officer then at Southwark Training School as an Instructor.
On the 18th March, the group were privileged to have been invited to carry the late, Fireman George Bish, on the final part of his life journey.
George, who had served at the old B29 New Cross fire station in SW London at the time that 240FLM was delivered from new, would have ridden the appliance so it was fitting that he should be carried on it one last time. 240FLM and her crew were in attendance to serve as the lead vehicle in the funeral procession of the late, well liked and highly respected Firefighter Steven Bird. Steven was laid to rest in Chingford, North East London following a ceremony which was attended by many of his former colleagues from a number of fire stations in the North and East London areas.
As well as a fine turnout of retired colleagues, Steven was also shown respect from serving staff at Chingford fire station when they paraded outside the station for a 2 minute tribute as the procession halted before continuing to the church. Steven was carried into the church by a combination of former colleagues, 240FLM crew and funeral staff. Recently, and at extremely short notice, the group needed some magnetic GLC door crests for an event that we were invited to. We had been lucky enough to obtain 2 original GLC self adhesive crests from the various memorabilia circles but we didn't want to mess around with those so new ones were required.
240FLM was brought into service under the auspices of the former London County Council (LCC) and after only a year, this authority was reconstituted to become the Greater London Council, however, our appliance continued to be in service for a further 16 years under this authority. Currently we have the old LCC crests permanently on the cab doors and will in time replace these following a full respray. As we stared our hunt for a competent supplier, we were directed towards a chap called Andy Hills who is based in West London and is well known to those preservationists in the South east of England. Contact was made, the situation explained and without any fuss or drama, the magnetic crests were made, dispatched and in use within 5 working days despite a couple of technical issues. We are delighted with the product and service, especially as Andy keeps his prices well within the industry norm and goes out of his way to be helpful. The colour reproduced in the images below should be disregarded as the pictures were taken on a camera phone and in flourescent lighting. The weekend of August 3rd and 4th 2019 saw 240FLM arriving at Odiham in Hampshire for the last ever “Fire Show” to be staged by the staff and friends of Odiham Fire Station.
This event has been running for over 20 years and with the very sad passing of its founder and perpetual organiser, Mick Paull, the decision was made to make this the final show. Our appliance arrived on Thursday and made its way to its designated spot in amongst an array of beautifully restored former London Fire Brigade, and other appliances. The group of LFB appliances made up by far the largest contingent of vehicles and between them they covered the service period from the 1920’s right through to the 2000’s. With fine weather expected, the scene was set for a wonderful weekend of static displays, arena demonstrations Turntable Ladder demonstrations, live fire shows, children's water squirts, steamer displays and the familiar smells and sounds of all those side shows one would expect at this type of event. During the weekend, 240FLM was again a huge draw as she was one of the only two only appliances allowing visitors to actually get on board, a feature of our project that whenever possible, we encourage the public to get up close to our vehicle so that they can fully experience what it was like in its heyday. The 2nd appliance,. a beautiful vintage pump owned by the Paull family provided exhilarating rides for children, and many parents, around the show site all weekend. Unfortunately, during the Turntable Ladder demonstrations our appliance started to suffer a mechanical/electrical issue which prevented it form carrying out its full range of manoeuvres but nevertheless, she still did the group proud. Several group members made the journey down to the show to support Colin Farrington who had piloted the appliance all the way from Norfolk and established it at the show and subsequently operated the appliance over the weekend. A wonderful, very well supported show and a fitting tribute to a lovely man who dedicated his life to vintage and preserved fire appliances and which concluded with a mass demonstration of firefighting jets. Please note that all images are copyright protected and must not be copied or reproduced without the prior permission of the appropriate photographers and they can be contacted via this group website. Our grateful thanks go to the following photographers for allowing us to reproduce their work: Ivan Barefield, Paul Wood, Bryan Jones, Nigel Saunders. Steve Houston and Steve Lomas. Travelling the 24 miles across Norfolk, 240FLM arrived on Friday the 26th July at Bressingham in East Norfolk in advance of this years event. The traditional " Fish and Chip" run to the Fair Green Fish and Chip Shop for the evening meal!.
With the Friday evening gathering and final organisation completed, the 2 day event opened on Saturday morning with leaden skies but the sun popped out and the day was dry and hugely successful. Bressingham has a vast array of steam attractions and a wonderful museum so there was plenty to see and do. Firefighting displays were put on and all ages were able to participate. The aerial ap[appliances demonstrated their abilities and the crowds keep coming all weekend. Make a note for next year as this is an event not to be missed for a family day out. Please note that all images are copyright the following authors and are not for copying or reproduction without prior permission: Colin Farrington, " Heritage Snapper", and Norfolk Fire Museum. 240FLM was safely moved from its London base up to the rural pastures of Norfolk for this years Weeting Steam Engine Rally and Country Show. This is the 2nd year we have attended and once again the appliance proved to be a key attraction even though its not steam powered!
A fabulous country event and growing in popularity year on year, this year it was was blessed with wonderful weather and huge crowds who were entertained by the steam giants, animals, crafts and other specialist vehicles,attractions and displays. This year, we were pleasantly surprised to win the "runner up" place in the judging for best preserved vehicle and 240FLM was used in various displays over the event with many a young person getting drenched from high above! A wonderful event as ever. Please note that all images are copyright the following authors and are not for copying or reproduction without prior permission: Colin Farrington, " Heritage Snapper", Nigel Saunders and Norfolk Fire Museum. |