The last day at the old Fire Station

The view of the new Fire Station from the top of the old Fire Station Tower.

Fighfighter Steve Marsh just before they moved out.

Sad day HCB 500 the last fire appliance to leave the old station

Firefighter Simon Hatt

Pictures of the last day and the mothballing of the old station and the subsequent sale of the premises a sad day I feel for many serving and retired firefighters.

Progress must go on and as you can see from the pictures from the old tower the new station is ultra modern environmentally friendly building that I am sure will serve the service well.

Creator

Bob France

Date of creation

23 April 2014

Date of coverage

2013

Place

Blackburn

Reference number

BP/BP5/2/0011/0007/0012/0002/0010

Comments about this page

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Bob Ockie was my great great grandad
By Wendy (17/08/2017)
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My dad’s martial arts academy now run’s in the top rooms and my beauty salon will soon be in the old drying rooms. Our guys have spent a lot of time bringing the old place back to use and treating the building with the respect it deserves. We love the place! Oh and Bob Ockie is still up to mischief he seems happy enough sticking around.
By Melanie O'Connor (10/02/2016)
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Hi Melanie.
Thanks for your comment, I attended a retired firefighters meeting at the new Staion last night and noticed the lights on in the old Concert Room as it was then called. It was very pleasing to see the old place brought back to life, it has been looking in a bit of a sorry state over the last few years.
When we used the Recreation Room / Concert Room it was named Ockies Haunt on a number of occasions in the middle of the night the telephone line for the room was No 7 and it used to operate on the switchboard in the downstairs Watchroom when answered no one was there.
Bob Ockie was the man who looked after the horses way back when I am sure he is a nice ghost.
All the best to you and your dad in your new venture.
Regards Bob France (Retired Firefighter)
Be
By Bob France (10/02/2016)
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Nick Isherwood Who owns it guys and what are their plans? Also Charlene – council have statutory powers in relation to securing the premises and can serve a notice on the owners or do the work if they default. All depends on the size of the councils dangly things, or more accurately these days BUDGET!
By Nick Isherwood (22/01/2015)
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Andy Steele Went and had a look round last night – Poor state of repair, floorboards up, wiring & plumbing ripped out, windows smashed. Needs some major TLC ……..
10 hrs · Like
By Andy Steele (22/01/2015)
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Steve Marshall It will be one of your jobs soon
10 hrs · Like
By Steve Marshall (22/01/2015)
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Charlene Winchester It has now been listed and will be in an area regeneration scheme. This will place some pressure on the proprietors but how culpable they will be for its maintenance I don’t know. The police have maintained pressure on them to secure the property but they’ve not done so.
11 hrs · Like
By Charlene Winchester (22/01/2015)
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Stephen Brown Cannot agree more last sentiment
11 hrs · Like
By stephen brown (22/01/2015)
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Nick Isherwood I never thought I would say this but it needs flattening now, put it and us out of our misery!
12 hrs · Like
By Nick Isherwood (22/01/2015)
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Mandy Fletcher John Davis were you on this pic dad? X
By Mandy Fletcher (22/01/2015)
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Owen Mcmahon Wow …this pic brings back some not so pleasant memories of that very same year……..four or five of these brave gents put out a very serious fire which nearly killed me in a flat I lived in at the time on Devonport Road……..the fire was shock enough but I was similarly surprised when I knew two of the crew who attended…..one was called Pete Johnson and the other was called Eddie……..never knew his second name ……he was just known as Fireman Eddie when he used to drink in the Royal pub on Victoria Street . I lost everything I owned in the fire which was just before Christmas & no insurance… I remember celebrating New Years Eve that year wearing a black brewery duffle coat donated by Landlord Dave Connell instead of my pride & joy full length leather coat which perished in the blaze …….at least i’m still here to tell the tale ha ha
By Owen Mcmahon (22/01/2015)
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Blackburn FireHistory strange to remember the ghostly goings on eh Chris Jones
By stephen brown (22/01/2015)
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Chris Jones Fond memories of the old place .
23 hours ago · Like · 2
By Chris Jones (22/01/2015)
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Andrew Klavins Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be lol
1 December 2014 at 00:35 · Like · 2
By Andrew Klavins (22/01/2015)
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Alex Wilson Proper fire station, i remember about nov 4th 88 or 89 72 calls in about 8 hours six fire engines from the area covering b/burn,, and the stop msg would say something like,,,, from stn officer Tricket stop 4 jets 2 hose reels ,,, available,,, happy times lol
30 November 2014 at 23:42 · Like · 4
By Alex Wilson (22/01/2015)
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Paul Parry It was a great station for ‘hide and seek’ lol ! The women of the night would knock on the windows ! Great times thou!
30 November 2014 at 20:15 · Like · 3
By Paul Parry (22/01/2015)
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John Riley Agreed Dave
30 November 2014 at 19:13 · Like · 1
By John Riley (22/01/2015)
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Dave Harrison Happy days with good colleagues/friends. Bring back the old times
30 November 2014 at 19:10 · Like · 2
By Dave Harrison (22/01/2015)
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Andrew Klavins It’s all to politically correct now, not like the 70,s
30 November 2014 at 16:08 · Like · 1
By Andrew Klavins (22/01/2015)
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Siddugdale what the new one
30 November 2014 at 13:36 · Like · 3
By Siddugdale (22/01/2015)
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John Riley Full of squatters now
30 November 2014 at 12:58 · Like
By John Riley (22/01/2015)
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Dave Hodgkinson Yeah, & the taxpayers will be paying for another 25 years for it too!!
30 November 2014 at 11:20 · Like
By Dave Hodgkinson (22/01/2015)
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Austin Foy New station is soulless, boxy, is dropping to bits already and is a complete waste of tax payers money! Ooooh controversial there Foy!!
30 November 2014 at 11:16 · Like · 1
By Austin Foy (22/01/2015)
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Dave Hodgkinson I bet me grandad (Bob Occy) is pretty lonely in there now though!
30 November 2014 at 11:13 · Like · 1
By Dave Hodgkinson (22/01/2015)
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Austin Foy Happy days
30 November 2014 at 11:11 · Like · 1
By Austin Foy (22/01/2015)
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Steve Grundy I agree, great place to work spent many happy days there from late 70’s
30 November 2014 at 10:32 · Like · 2
By Steve Grundy (22/01/2015)
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Marie Fairbrother The new one has no character like the old one, for what they pay for the new one they should have used the money on the upkeep of the old one
30 November 2014 at 10:29 · Like · 2
By Marie Fairbrother (22/01/2015)
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Dave Hodgkinson Aye! They had some pumps then, and plenty turnouts. We were always there from bedrock too. I had my coldest job there, Xmas 1984-5 Navigation mill, we had to break the ice on the canal to set the LPP in, me & Huey Mcluskey were on the HP, the water froze in the monitor!
30 November 2014 at 09:36 · Like · 3
By Dave Hodgkinson (22/01/2015)
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Mark Carpenter It was a great place to work in the early 80s! Very busy and great colleagues!
30 November 2014 at 09:30 · Like · 3
By Mark Carpenter (22/01/2015)
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Stephen Brown And that just the new station
30 November 2014 at 09:19 · Like · 2
By stephen brown (22/01/2015)
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Dave Hodgkinson Hmm, it was cold, damp, musty, dark, creepy!
30 November 2014 at 09:18 · Like
By Dave Hodgkinson (22/01/2015)
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Steve Marshall
Was detached other night, sad looking at old station across road
30 November 2014 at 08:57 · Like
By steve marshall (22/01/2015)
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Stephen Brown
You’re right has stood for near enough a hundred years 28 with me in it
30 November 2014 at 08:52 · Like · 2
By stephen brown (22/01/2015)
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John Frank Hulme
so many happy memories.
30 November 2014 at 08:35 · Like
By John Frank Hulme (22/01/2015)