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| Haslingden Fire Brigade passing Sion Methodist Helmshore during a procession - Click over to enlarge |
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| Fire Brigade Rally held on Marsden Square (Click over to enlarge) |
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| Fire Brigade down at Sunnybank Mill (Click over to enlarge) |
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| Inspection of Haslingden Fire Brigade at the Public Hall, Regent Street - June 1935 (Click over to enlarge) |
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| Two more modern Fire Engines at Haslingden Station (Click over to enlarge) |
Here we have some fabulous photos of our Haslingden Fire Brigade over the years.. 1) Here we have the current fire tenders (Haslingden's and Rawtenstall's outside the new fire station (I say new! it was built in the 1960's). When the Station had been completed it had been built too small and the fire engine they had at the time would not fit in and subsequently they got a new engine which did fit the new Station. The area where the Fire and Police Stations are used to be called the "sandpits". 2) A group photo from 1962 which is kept at the Station and was kindly loaned to me by fireman Raymond Halstead. If you click over the photo to enlarge you will see the named firemen on the photo...3) Is pure vintage and shows a massive Fire Brigade Rally which was held on Marsden Square in 1898...4) The fourth photo shows the original horse drawn tender whilst on a walking day parade on Holcolmbe Road, going past the Old Sion Methodist Church (demolished long ago).. 5) In the fifth photo we have again the horse drawn tender and a full compliment of fire fighters. They are within the mill yard of Porritts, Sunnybank Mill, Helmshore (another one long since demolished and today has new houses built on it). 6) The Sixth photo shows when the Brigade was undergoing a full inspection and was taken outside their station which at that time was on the ground floor attached to the Haslingden Public Hall in Regent Street..Photo of Inspection of Haslingden Fire Brigade at the Fire Station, Public Hall – June 1935 here is the list of people within the photo:Mayor and Mayoress – Councillor and Mrs Fred Brandwood, Mayor’s Attendant – Mr James Souter, Fire Chief – Oates Maden, Back row: 3rd from Left – Arthur Hoyle – Gas Fitter, 4th from Left – John Nuttall – Council Worker, 5th from Left – William Barlow – Council Worker, Middle row: Left (on wheelarch) Ernest Taylor – Council Worker, 3rd on Left – Thomas Holt – Water Board Employee, Standing at back on Engine – Richard Heap – Council Worker, Driver: Herbert Bright, Front Row – Left: Capt. Christopher Maden (Foreman) ..
And below 7) is a Commendation Letter from the Manchester City Police, thanking the Haslingden Crew for covering within Manchester during two nights during the blitz (dated 4th January 1941)... (photo: kindly offered by Raymond Halstead)
8) Is a photo from 1961 when they had just taken over the new fire station.... (Click over photos to enlarge)
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| The first Haslingden Fire Engine to use the new Fire Station on Ryefield Avenue |
Photo taken around 1907
Information kindly supplied by Jim Haworth on 4th Feb 2015 -
The horse pulling the little coach was driven by Jim's Grandfather and sat besides him were his twin daughters, one of which is Alice (Jim Haworth's Mum) and her twin was Elizabeth and they were born about 1905 ish. The Grandfather was a chief fireman, he also may have used the twins in an old picture we have seen where they were being carried down from a building by ladder on rehearsal.
Email from Michael Mullaney 13th June 2014:
"It was also funny to see a call out flashed onto the screen at the local empire pictures (cinema) for any part time firemen who were in the cinmema to go as the siren was sounding to request their attendance at the Fire Station, because they needed at least 4 men to turn out. On that score, whatever happened to the magnificent open fire engine Haslingden Had, it was called Merryweather or was the make called a Merryweather".
Email from John R. Edwards 16th June 2014:
"The fire engine was a Braidwood design open top fitted on a Leyland chassis, carrying a wheeled escape (hence the big red wheels), made by Merryweather of London. There was a name plate in front of the windscreen inscribed WATSON (at that time Alderman Watson was the Mayor). I don't know where the fire engine went. I did have the pleasure of having a short ride on it from Regent Street to the Bus depot at the bottom of John Street and back after filling up with fuel. Courtesy of fireman Robert Wade.
Email with photo from John McGuire (ex pat Australia) 18th June 2014.
"I think that this photo could be the one in question. It shows it being held back by me somewhere around c1946.
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| "Fire engine being held back by John McGuire" |
Email from Marie Ives dated 24th June 2014.
Do you know when Haslingden Fire Brigade came into being? I have a
notebook that belonged to my Gt grandfather, Wm Henry Heys born 1857 died 1904.
It lists about 12 fires in the 1880's in Haslingden. I know Rawtenstall started
in 1887 as I have the centenary handbook, but the1st one on his list is 1885 at
Barnes, Helmshore april l4th - 5 oclock a.m. On May 5th a gas explosion at
Haslingden Railway Station. When William Richarson's joiners shop caught fire on
the 4th of June again 1885 there was no water supply. I think he must have been
a member of some fire service that existed at the time. In the book there is
also a list of towns, in Lancs, that they went to to demonstrations between 1876
and 1897. can you help----- Marie Ives
Reply from Bryan Yorke dated 24th June 2014.
I believe Haslingden got its first official town fire engine in 1877 and it was put into action in September of 1877. It was reported in the Bury Times September 8th 1877 that Haslingden had a crew of 16 members and the Fire Engine attended a trial at the Clough End Mill, Haslingden. Although I am led to believe there were private Fire Engines before this date which may have been used by the local factories.
Haslingden Fire Brigade
L to R: Stan Emmett, Keith Warburton, Gordon Horrocks, Mr. White in drivers seat and Arthur Higgins
Photo: Kindly shared to us by Peter Fisher
The following photos are of the fire which was at J.H. Birtwistles on Grane Road, Haslingden. The photos were kindly shared to us by Ian Belshaw who holds the copyright on these photos.
A.F.S. c1941
Photo: Courtesy of the Belshaw Family
Back Row. J Chaplow, P Lynsky, F Wardle, H Bradshaw, A Whittaker,T Whittaker, J McIntyre.
Middle Row. J Ford, S Mason,A Hoyle, J W Bispham H Haworth, T Holt, H Greenwood, H Saul, H Ireson.
Front Row. V Taylor, M Walsh,J Parker, N Taylor, C Maden, J Marshall, T Birtwell, F Eastwood.Seated G Johnson, Bill Holden, A Hanson.
Photo: thanks to Ian Bartle
Road Traffic Accident Certificate - photo thanks to Ian Bartle
Below is a list of the HASLINGDEN Fire Plugs (1911)
