Fire Station Archive Sawbridgeworth Fire Brigade 1897 - to the early 1970's and beyond.
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Page last updated: 15/03/2023   Go to Page 2
These Fire Station Archive Documents & Photographs are related to those held by the Current Fire Station in Station Road
(The photographs have been extracted and copied for the web site with the kind cooperation of Simon Lincoln - Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue)
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  HELMET HISTORY  
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  ROLL OF HONOUR  
The Pictures on this page will enlarge when clicked with your mouse
   
  Ralph Riches - in 1897
Sawbridgeworth's first Chief Officer
 
The Official Opening of the then new Fire Station - taken outside Great Hyde Hall
Taken on the occasion of the opening of the Sawbridgeworth Fire Station 4th April 1906 - persons count shows an attendance of 49.
The Place, Date and Event unknown
Probably with the presence of young 'Billy' Collins this will be around 1913-1915. From the fairly large number of onlookers this could be a local drilling competition perhaps.
Fireman A. J. Archer c.1905
He was a shop keeper in Hoestock Road which his son John retained and eventually ran as a radio, television and electrical business in the late 1940's and in the 1950's
Great Hyde Hall 1923
Left to Right back row: Walter Tarling, Harry Taylor, ? ,Jack Baker, William (Bill) White.Centre: ? , 'Billy' Collins. Front Row: Unknown.
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The original Shand Mason Steamer
Bryan Nockolds leads his crew in drilling with picking up water from a canvas dam on The Fair Green about 1905.
The Shand Mason Steamer & Crew at Great Hyde Hall
Sometime during the period 1908 - 1911. (Dates established via the Minute Book - the President in his issued uniform on the right.)
Hand written on the Original (see copy) confirms the year as 1913 but at Hatfield Heath.
The date identifies the Steamer as the Merryweather purchased in 1912.
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Left - Second Officer Walter Stacey and Right - Chief Officer Bryan Nockolds. Second Officer Walter Stacey
By the appearance the appliance in the background is the Dennis Motor Fire Engine RN LH 8642
High Jets - Great Hyde Hall
Presumably jets from a Steamer but the date or occasion is not known.
More High Jets - Great Hyde Hall
Presumably more jets from a Steamer but again no date.
Photo taken on the occasion of Walter Stacey's retirement 1932.
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More pre WWII history & NFS history captured from the Fire Stations' Archive HERE
 
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Considerably Later Years
Photo taken at Acton's Farm
- Between High Wych and Widford in the late 1970's. Unfortunately the quality is not up to the standard that would be expected for the period but has been digitally adjusted to try to improve it!
Burton's Mill Fire 1975
The mill stood immediately adjacent to the River Stort at Sawbridgeworth accessed via a short road off of Station Road, the mill buildings themselves being constructed almost entirely of wood and clad in wood too!

More information about the mill and photos in Photo Gallery 2

The Crew in 1986
 Left to Right: Rear Row - Geoff Burrell, Peter Roberts, Andy Ballisat, Dave Dellow, Gordon Clarke. Front Row - John Williams, Paul Burrell, Tony Kitchener.
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photos_added_24022021
The Crew in 2003
Rear
: Laurence Bradbrook, David Devoil, Colin Letch, Richard Oakley,
Ian Walker, Alan Brett.

Front
: John Forsyth, Barry Cutmore, Tony Kitchener, Jason Brown, David Clarke.
The Crew in 2008
Rear
: Simon Lincoln, Alan Brett, Laurence Bradbrook, Adam Waugh, Colin Letch.
Front: John Forsyth, David Clarke, Barry Cutmore, Richard Oakley.

 
Heart Award Winners
Retained
Station Of The Year 2013 Sawbridgeworth gained a beacon status earlier in the year, for a top score in the annual station audit. This coupled with the volume of community fire safety  completed during the year won them retained station of the year at the services annual Heart awards.
The Crew in 2017
Rear
: Barry Cutmore, David Clarke, Laurence Bradbrook, John Lawrence, Alan Brett, Simon Lincoln, John Forsyth, Chris Beattie.
Front
: David Devoil, Robert Smith, Vince Norton, Tom Edwards, James Bilson, Matt Gill.
MRR655T . . .
Appliance Changed - Fire station 1988
Dennis Fire Appliance E808 BMJ replacing HCB Angus MMA 655T.
(Photo with appreciation to Andy Ballisat 01/01/2021)

More information on E808 BMJ

1989 RHS Richard Oakley and Andy Ballisat 1989 LHS Tony Kitchener Exercise in Fire Station Station yard 1989
Crew front to back: Richard Oakley, Barry Cutmore, Andy Ballisat, Ian Walker. Crew using Lukas hydraulic spreaders to lift car, whilst simultaneously packing under car with timber. (Wheeled escape in the background)
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Road Traffic Accident training 1989
Barry Cutmore with the hose reel. Looks like a British Leyland badge on the car, would appear the car has either been smoked up, or a small fire set inside. It is again at  the fire station drill yard.
Newspaper Article 16th June 1989
Concern by the then Sub Officer that the Station may not be able to provide fire cover during working hours due to local employees being unable to leave their place of employment.
Another article in 1972 Enlerged Photo  & Names  
"On Call" the firemen of Sawbridgeworth all have their own jobs to do but, whist they are going about their daily tasks, they carry a small 'bleeper' in their pockets.... L/R Andy Ballisat; Gordon Clark; John Williams; Dave Dellow; Paul Burrell; David Burrell; Jeof Burrell, Eddie French; Brian Rochester; Peter Roberts.
         
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