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Birmingham Fire Stations

Only just found this site, but was trying to to find something to do with family History but got caught up with various threads but thank you so much for these I lived in the house on side of of Harbone fire station the factory next to it shown was Chad valley. Now going to see photos of Central also lived in the flats there ealry 70's. Blast from the past seeing this.
 
I had a fire service flat at Moseley Road Fire Station from 1968 until it moved to the new station at Highgate.
 
hi guys
just been reading the thread on our great fire services we hve in brum alot of them have been mentionoind
but one springs to my mind which as not been mentioned and that is albion street at the top end of camden street
it was there for decades and eventual it closed down around the sixtys i beleive and it later became a day nurery for kids
do any body else recall it and just along from there was bobs cafe ; thous where the days my friend we thought they never end ;
yes they certainly have indeed ; best wishes my merry friends ; alan ; Astonian;;
 
My dad was stationed at Albion Street in the early fifties he had great memories of his days there.205 mal
 
I have just noticed the photo of Harborne Fire station,I used to do relief shifts on the ambulance in the sixties and seventies.The ambulance was garaged at the rear of the station just in front of the flats. Inside the station were the stalls where the horses were kept many years ago.
 
Birmingham Fire Brigade - Birmingham Fire Station Pictures 1955 - Part 2

Aston Fire Station - Ettington Road - Circa 1955
Aston - Ettington Road -abt 1955.jpg

Kings Heath Fire Station 1955
Kings Heath 1955.jpg

Kings Norton Fire Station 1955
Kings Norton 1955.jpg

Perry Barr Fire Station 1955
Perry Barr 1955.jpg

Lingard Street Fire Station 1955
Lingard St 1955.jpg
 
I note that there is a Humber Pullman ambulance in the photo of Aston Fire Station.There is only one of these ambulancessurviving in this country
 
205mal said:
My dad was stationed at Albion Street in the early fifties he had great memories of his days there.205 mal
Click to expand...
My Dad was at Albion St from 1948 to 1962. He then went to Harborne where he retired in 1972
 
Astonian

You are right, it is a nursery now. When we lived in Hingeston Street as kids, we would go up Carver Street to get to it and see if an Engine was called out on an emergency while we waited outside.
 
Hi captain
Nice to hear from you again yes do you know all the years we lived down the red and every Sunday as kids of the neibourhood we was bored and every Sunday we would roam almost every where around brum as I said we lived up the red by bulpitts and the turf pub we would roam around the jewelry quarter and through to the science museum to play with all there gadgets and look at the old blue bird racing car that was there if you ever remember
But getting back to what you said we're always seen the e times in and we have always seen them standing in there but like you we never ever seen them coming out on a call may be there was. Of so many fire bugs around in those days nor paraffin heaterrs like certain people use today
But yes I recall them closing it down and. Changing it to a huge nursery I can recall working on a job at billesly fire station in 1975 and we had to go there to do a job
And we had to go up to the quarters where they sleep on the night duty and there if you like to call it. There naffie canteen whilst waiting for a call out
And we went into a room where they kept other gear such as there fire suits and helmets so being cheeky I picked up the chiefs helmet of the fire
And I put iron my head and no sooner I done that and turned to my mate whom I was working with the chiefs fire officer for that shift walked in the room
And spotted me and he shouted you can get that off right now. I did not know where to put myself
But prior to that we was speaking to a fire man theatre said he come from another part of the country and he as been there for three months and never went out on
On a shout but it was marvelous to see these guys so swift in walking to the down pole to get to there fire engines within in a split second if that and down and
Out on the engine pulling out it was amazeing I always thought they would run to the pole but no they do not
When I came out of the forces I thought I would join the brigade until one night I seen a documentary on about the fire services where at accident scenes they would have to pick up limbs that put me off so I never joined but it was a boys dream of mine to mine they do a great job I think
Best wishes astonian
 
My Grandfather Alfred Morgan served in a few of the stations you have displayed , he took me to a few of the open days , I remember I couldn't carry his brass helmet so I was probably very young . I now live in Australia and was very disappointed when I contacted the authorities to find out the records relative to my grandfather were destroyed during the war . But thanks for the photos , nice memories - Philip
 
Re: Birmingham Fire Brigade - Birmingham Fire Station Pictures 1955 - Part 2

hi novice brummie my father was in the fire brigade in 1944 we lived in barwell road ,Aston at that time where do you think he might have been stationed any info? acer
 
Hi Acer

I don't know about back then, but now I don't think where you live bears little relation to what station you are located at. We live in Solihull but my son finished up serving in Wolverhapton. Local Stations to Barwell Rd Small Heath would have been Central, Bordesley Green and Lingard Street Bloomsbury.
 
Re: Birmingham Fire Brigade - Birmingham Fire Station Pictures 1955 - Part 2

An older thread with two posts today which drew my attention.

The Aston fire station has some interesting vehicles. Being monochrome I am unable to tell whether this vehicle, first on the lseft, is green or red. It is a wartime vehicle and if green would have been one of the AFS Green Goddesses, but it may well be a CofB red as many wartime vehicles were most likely in the fleet for many years after WW2. An ambulance (Humber?) is next followed by a pump (ing) vehicle with some form of ladder, most likely a wheeled escape. The fourth vehicle is a turntable ladder = possible a 100ft. type given the tall buildings of the city.
 
Re: Birmingham Fire Brigade - Birmingham Fire Station Pictures 1955 - Part 2

The Kings Heath pic seems to have a pump escape (wheeled) - note PE 60 on the cab side - then another ex-wartime vehicle with a timber extendible ladder.

Kings Norton is a newer (late 1930's?) structure. Of note is the ambulance, large clock above a shop and I wonder what the ornate building to the left of the fire station was. Almost like a cinema or theatre. Little to note (for me) at Perry Barr except the petrol pump!

Lingard Street is quite interesting. It has, on the right a Commer pump (possible a wheeled escape (much favoured in cities with wide pavements and good access - less so in hilly, narrow places); the other vehicle seems to be an Austin ATV. This was a type of vehicle hurriedly made for the blitz. It was basically a crew and tool vehicle which towed a trailer pump. (I went to Paignton in one in the early 1960's at high speed, the trailer pumps wheels kept leaving the road, the driver paid no heed to our calls). To the far right of the pic is a tall, metal framework. I believe this to be the hose drying tower.

The building is also most ornate, especially the small tower, resembling a lighthouse and those tall, elaborate chimney stacks. I wonder if it still stands, or has it fallen victim to developers etc. By the way I don't know this district where Lingard Street is (or was) situated.
 
Cookie

The fire station you are thinking of was and is in Ettington Rd Aston which is just off Bevington Rd, but that is miles further away than the ones I suggested as Barwell Road is just off Garrison Lane in the Small Heath/Bordesley area of Birmingham. Which at one time was part of Aston, but I didn't think as late as 1944.
 
Phil, My mistake, I thought Barwell Rd was the Witton side of Aston, I was born in Queens Rd in 1930 and remember Ettington Rd (not Bevington Rd) Fire Station. Eric
 
Hi my name is colin king I have a collection of fire service cap badges from 1948 to the present day I am collating information on each brigade I know in 1952 Birmingham Fire and Ambulance had 19 stations above are 10 plus the HQ does anyone know the other 8 also if they were they numbered thanks in advance
Colin
 
colin king said:
Hi my name is colin king I have a collection of fire service cap badges from 1948 to the present day I am collating information on each brigade I know in 1952 Birmingham Fire and Ambulance had 19 stations above are 10 plus the HQ does anyone know the other 8 also if they were they numbered thanks in advance
Colin
Click to expand...
Birmingham Fire Stations - Last Century.

Acocks Green

Albion St

Aldridge Rd

Aston (Ettington Rd)

Aston Manor (Chester St, Aston)

Balsall Heath (Lime Grove)

Bartley Green

Billesley

Bordesley Green

Bournbrook

Central (Lancaster Circus/Aston St)

Erdington

Handsworth

Harborne

Hay Mills

Highgate

Kings Heath

Kings Norton

Ladywood

Lingard St

Little Cannon St (now Fore St)

Moseley Rd

Northfield

Perry Barr (College Rd)

Selly Oak

Sheldon

Sparkhill

Union St/Corporation St (1879-82)

Upper Priory

Ward End

Ward End Park

Wash Lane

Woodgate Valley

Sub Stations Listed in the 1920 Fire Protection of Birmingham Handbook

Great Colmore St

Bartley Green

Cotteridge

Kings Norton

Stirchley

Quinton

Perry Barr

Stechford

Ward End

Erasmus Rd

Hay Mills

Moseley
 
Here is a picture from the 1929-30 City of Birmingham Handbook of the Fire Brigade Band.

Birmingham fire Brigade Band.jpg
 
As a member of Birmingham Fire(Facebook) dedicated to the history of Birmingham Fire Brigade pre and post war together with the Birmingham Fire and Ambulance Service and it's Control Rooms. Indeed anything connected with above ie Fire Fighting, Firemen, Drills, Stations and Social Events not already posted on the forum would be very much appreciated. So, could I ask members of Birmingham History Forum to search their archives for any pictures and stories etc. Thanking you in anticipation.
 
Found this on Auction Net, a steam fire engine (still horse-drawn). The image must have been taken at some sort of maitenance depot as the handwriting suggests all 'steamers' were tested monthly at this place. Sorry no date. Viv.

image.jpeg
 
Cheers Vivienne for the pic which we believe was taken at the upper priory Station in the city centre. If You find anymore please pass them on.
 
Vivienne, I hate to rain on the party but that pic of the steamer (Post 28) looks more like the uniforms of Birmingham , Alabama or Michigan, than Birmingham, England. I can be corrected but hose uniforms do not look quite right to me. Here is my evidence - an about 1899 picture of firemen in Birmingham, Alabama.
We shall see, that is if any supporting evidence comes to light. ;)
* Mindful that this Forum is the history of Birmingham, England (the olde original) I also bear in mind that Birmingham, Alabama and Birmingham, Michigan were named after the English city.

e6a1b4c62ef7ee5fff6d177f28e116d2--birmingham-alabama-horse-drawn.jpg
 
Vivienne14 said:
Found this on Auction Net, a steam fire engine (still horse-drawn). The image must have been taken at some sort of maitenance depot as the handwriting suggests all 'steamers' were tested monthly at this place. Sorry no date. Viv.

View attachment 119467
Click to expand...

Re Picture in post 28.
I am 100% sure the Station is Lingard St, Birmingham, England. c1905. (The balcony railings match up to other pictures of Lingard St Fire Station.)
I think the Fireman on the left is Walter Hayes and the one on the right is Lewis Allen.
 
Hard to tell Alan, afraid I can't add anything on that. All I can say is that it was with many other Birmingham England images (not fire service ones) - although I realise that's no guarantee of course.

Thanks Two. I did wonder about the architecture (windows and window dressings) which struck me as typically English. But I'm no expert. Viv.
 
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