Firestyle Magazine: Issue 6 - Winter 2016

Hanging on the opposite wall is a row of neatly rolledup
canvas hoses, along with a single gas mask and
also among the items is a certificate awarded to one
of the men the name is hard to read but could be
Jones when the Dudley brigade entered competitions
with other Co-op forces from around the country.
There are even a few programmes from such events
dating from the 1950s.
These names have sparked delight in some local
families as they’ve excitedly called in to tell all about
the Brigade. Astonishingly, one of the Firefighters got in
touch and relayed some of his fantastic memories of
competing against other fire crews at competitions!
Including pictures of a particular success in 1963,
when the team won both group and individual
competitions. They’d have been taking part in such
contests, racing each other to perform drills such
as assembling equipment and rolling out lengths of
hose. Some of the original competition booklets and
magazines remain in the room.
The question now is what to do with such a find.
“We’re having such a fantastic response to the story.
It’s delightful to reunite families with the history of their
recent ancestors and astounding to see the amount
of people who are keen to hear what happens with
the find. As the Black Country Museum is such a close
neighbour, we have invited their curators to review
the pieces and that has proved so useful in dating
and giving the story. We’re continuing to work with
them, along with some archivists, to make sure that we
preserve this jewel of Black Country and UK history,”
concluded Anna.
We know that some of you, many of whom have
years of memories in the Black Country, might be
able to help fill in the blanks of the story – so please do
mention it and see if your memories can help us. If you
think you could help, you can contact Anna Bamford,
Marketing Manager on 01384 245100, or by email at:
anna.bamford@nuttalls.co.uk. You can follow the story
on twitter using the hashtag #NuttallFireStation.
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