Fire Station cleaner retires in blaze of glory

HATS OFF TO PAT: Cleaner Pat Collier gets ready to put up her feet as fire fighters (left to right) Dave Noddle, Steve Horrocks, Chris Howarth and Neil Fuller salute her. Now Pat’s off to Canada for her 45th wedding anniversary Fire station cleaner retires in blaze of glory

10:47am Monday 30th July 2007 in News By Telegraph newsdesk

HATS OFF TO PAT: Cleaner Pat Collier gets ready to put up her feet as fire fighters (left to right) Dave Noddle, Steve Horrocks, Chris Howarth and Neil Fuller salute her. Now Pat’s off to Canada for her 45th wedding anniversary A FIRE station cleaner, who has a bucket older than some recruits, is hanging up her mop for good after 23 years.

Pat Collier, 65, of Beechwood Drive, Blackburn, has worked at Blackburn Fire Station, Canterbury Street, since August 1984.

In her time she has seen the changing face of the fire service – and the station’s resident ghost!

She said: ”I’m having problems with arthritis and bad legs, and I can’t bend and pick things up properly.”

She is the only member of staff to have seen the station’s ghost, something she puts down to being in at 6am every morning.

Pat said: ”It’s a ghost of a fireman from the 1800s who hanged himself in the yard.

”He was about to be made redundant because they didn’t need horses anymore.

”He’s turned lights out on me when no one else was around, and I’ve felt his presence behind my back.

”He didn’t want to leave, and in a way I don’t.”

Former colleague Marie Fairbrother, who worked with Pat at the station from 1986 to 1990 and from 1995 to 2006, said that she would be sorely missed.

She added: ”Every day with Pat was a laugh. She’s jolly, outgoing and loves her family.”

Pat herself said: ”I am going to miss this place. They are a grand bunch.”

Gary Monk, station manager, said: ”We are all going to miss Pat massively. She will be very difficult to replace because her honesty and cleaning have been exemplary.”

Pat plans to enjoy taking a rest in her retirement, and is going on holiday to Canada in September with her husband to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary.