Scope and Content
Includes material as follows:
- £5,000 necessary to repair structural faults at Dunstable Fire Station;
- destruction by fire of three thatched cottages owned by Charles Frossell, at Wick End, Stagsden, possibly arson by juveniles*;
- fire at Leighton Buzzard Youth Centre, Vandyke Road, possibly arson by vandals*;
- use of 2,000 gallon water tanker (ex petrol tanker), invented by Bedford Brigade*;
- FS request that special financial assistance be given by the government to meet the cost of road accident rescue work;
- fire in a barn, r/o Royal Oak Hotel, Shortmead Street, Biggleswade*;
- fire at a thatched cottage in Silver Street, Stevington*;
- appeal by Fire & Emergency Services Committee for smaller men to become full-time firemen;
- article on new Harrold fire crew and need for more men*;
- introduction of new BA equipment, photograph shows SubO John Thorpe, SubO Reginald Farley and Fm Gordon Tulley*;
- tribute to Beds FS in Bedford Record, photographs include Fm Graham Stingo on a fully extended 100ft TL, demonstration of resuscitator and oxy-acetylene cutting gear, PE (Reg.No. JMJ 782), Fm Tom Alexanda and LFm Alwyn Rann changing into operational clothing, Fm Ben Benson answering a telephone in FSHQ control room, a fireman testing new Minox BA*;
- fire at Barleycroft, Park Lane, Sharnbrook*;
- FS precautions to prevent spread of foot-and-mouth disease;
- testing of new Simon Snorkel by Beds FS at Kempston Manor*;
- crash of Hawker Siddeley jet, flown by Captain Henry Dryhurst and First Officer D W Bootham of Silsoe, both killed, into E Block, Vauxhall Motors, Kimpton Road, Luton [see also FSD/PC 11]*;
- wish of Cllr Marion Shepherd to prevent building of a Fire Station at Toddington, countered by Cllr J Kinchella;
- photograph of Geoffrey Quaife, Charles Mattin, John Patrick, Douglas May and Derek Hancock of Bedford Fire Station on their progression to a regional heat of FS national quiz*. Quiz master was CFO Norman Richards, adjudicator: DO J J Broder, recorder: ADO C Newman and timekeeper SubO D G Nicholls;
- death of Jeanne Florence from inhalation of toxic fumes, 55 Coppice Mead, Stotfold [see FSD/RR 1/49];
- group photograph of Potton Fire Station personnel: C Richardson, H J Hagen, F Munkman, N Bond, E Payne, W Emery, K Small, D Burchell, Baker, N Larkins, R White, C Munns and K Hutchinson. Guests at the event included: W J Martin, N F Richards, R S Drought, J J Broder, I R Danes, C Pressland, D Single, R Hughes, G T Hutchinson and R G Baker*;
- fire at Brown’s Industrial Equipment Ltd., Mentmore Road, Linslade, reported by PC David Renshaw*;
- fire at Pearcey Road Junior School, Bedford, begun by vandals. Article references headmaster Geoffrey Gann and caretaker Ronald Edwards*;
- disbandment of Auxiliary Fire Service. Article references: LFm Rex Goddard, Linda Davie, Jock White and Una Barnes*;
- receipt by Biggleswade Fire Station of new crash tender*;
- wood and heathland fire at King’s Wood, Heath & Reach;
- fire at thatched cottage, 10 Park Road, Sandy from which Susan and Karen Little escaped*;
- Beds FS involvement in trials of prototype radar to allow appliances to travel in thick fog;
- fire at Ranwal plastics factory, Skimpot Industrial Estate, Luton*;
- fire in the monkey house in pet’s corner, Woburn Park, in which keeper Jimmy Watts tried to save the animals;
- fire at The Wainholm, Park Road, Toddington*;
- lightning strike at a bungalow in Bedford Road, Wilstead*;
- ammonia leak in Campton.