Stockton Fire Brigade during drills and breathing apparatus training at West Row and Maddoxs basement. c1960
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton Fire Brigade during drills and breathing apparatus training at West Row and Maddoxs basement. c1960
Can one of our knowledgeable posters identify the building on the right of the picture please.
I too remember Dicke Moore and have very happy memories of the old days. I feel my age when I read the names Ron Bell mentioned as I know them all. I accessed this site looking for photos of the old Stockton Fire Station as I intend to do a painting of it. I’m currently painting a picture of the three appliances together that bore the reg number DDC1, a Dennis pump, a Dennis HP and a Scania HP.
Four DDC1’s now!
The picture of the Fire Engine with the turn table ladder is the first photograph that I have seen of the right hand side of West Row, my earliest recollection of this area is when ASDA had a store there. What was the building shown, and when was it replaced?
Having just read the comments about the wages for fireman in the good old days, its hard to beleive that my father and his colleauges on a daily basis risks there lives to save life and property for less than 2 pounds a day, how times have changed. I know for a fact that my father loved what he did and thought highly of his fellow firemen. I would love to know what he would say about the new appliances they have today, but I dont think he would be happy about whats happening with the service today. Can I say its good to hear from John Finlay and his memories about the days at Norton station. I see Raymond Stevenson quite a lot in Stockton, he never changes. It would nice if anyone could put some more pics on here. Does anyone know where my old school friend Freddie Warrick is stationed? Lst time I saw him he was at Norton Station.
(Big) Jim Bolland was my late father and I have boxes of old photo’s he took at West Row and Norton stations. Hopefully I’ll get some of them on here …
Please post as many pics of Stockton fire station and machines as you can thanks Ian mc
Hi, My late Dad was Ted Boddy and I am not sure if he is one of the firemen on the photos in West Row? He worked at this station and Norton in the 1960s/70s until he retired. Please can you let me know if you have any photos with him in? thanks, Jane.
Jane, I have photos of Stockton Brigade, even building the Norton Station but names of firemen have not been written on the photos, so I don’t know who’s who.
A few local firemen were Ian Crowle, Ted Strike & Brian Fitzgerald all football referees.
Big Jim, always heard my dad talking about big Jim, and what they used to get up to, it would be lovely to see some pics you may have, brilliant memories,
I remember Grahame (Dickie) Moore very well, as will anyone who ever worked with him. He was a character. Something the job has sadly lacked in recent years. He once made a mistake on drills & the Sub Officer, Brian Trees (sadly no longer with us), was giving him a roasting. The smile never left Dickie’s face as when Treesy stopped for breath, Grahame came out with, “Well Brian,you can throw brickbats & I can throw brickbats”. Nothing fazed him. He was a nice man, a real gent. His verbal sparring bouts with Ray Stivvie(the hanging judge) were legendary. God Bless him. 1974 – 2002.
I remember Dickie Moore very well, he was the best self employed window cleaner on shift, everyone had a part time job to supplement income. I remember a firemans wage at that time was 14 pounds 10 shilling a week for 2 days, 2 nights, 2 off ie 56 hours a week. Thats why the mateship was so high – you were not in for the money.
Looking at those photos of the old fire station in West Row brings lots of memories flooding back. Reading the comments under each photo, all the names mentioned – Jim Boland, Ronnie Dickson who was sadly killed. I can remember the day when my Father Dickie Moore came home from nights and broke the news to me and my sisters, he was devastated. Can anyone who remembers Dickie Moore or has any photos please get in touch.
The photo of the Turntable Ladder brings back memories. Big Jim nearly dropped me from West Row drill tower whilst I was in the canvas basket. In the photo it looks like Sub Ernie Gibson and maybe Kenny Jarvis. I had the best fun of my working life at West Row with Ronnie Dickson (killed in a laundry fire at Middlesborough) Kenny Jarvis, G V Patterson, Aich, Harry Hill etc I have lived in Western Australia since 1967.
I passed my firemans badge along with other members of the 4th stockton boys brigade at this fire station in the 50s. Still got my badge along with others I received.
I was at Norton Firestation the day Billingham and Stockton amalgamated,infact drove in the first appliance. Also I was trained by Jim Bolland to operate the Dennis/Metz turntable ladder(pictured)at the old Stockton Stn. Familiar names:-Barry Steventon,Peter Wilkie,Alan Henderson,Cyril Spears,Basil,Mossy,Biggsy,etc. Started Durham County 1963,until Teesside 1968. Have lived in New Zealand since 1972 My e-mail address is, twobells@paradise.net.nz
The turntable ladder is a Dennis F27 (reg 250AUP)with a Metz Turntable Ladder. it was new to Durham Fire Brigade in 1958, West Row being its first station. It moved to South Road Norton in 1965, when that station opened, replacing West Row and Belasis Lane. the machine was withdrawn in 1976, when it was loaned to Kent fire brigade, it was sold to Humberside fire brigade after that, around 1980.
Around the time I took my Firefighting Badge with the scouts (4th Norton). We attended classes in the evenings over six weeks – the best badge I ever did! We even had a chance to use the slippery pole!