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1940 big fire

A

Astonian

gone but not forgotten
hi any-body does any-body recall the big fire of marshall -snellgroves
in new street october 1940 this fire started in the early hours of a october morning this was on my younger sisters birthday mom and her mother
birtha hinton was going to take her to new street to buy her a birth day present this was on october the 26th 1940 it was a raging fire
it the fire bridgade had,nt been in plentyful turn out and got it under controlthe whole of new street could have gone just likethe great fire
of london any way they took her to joe lyons for a cream cake and then they went to marks and spencers for a pretty dress and matching shoes
and she got a ten bob note she put that in the provinsional bank at aston x for a rainy day todays fire man deserve the pay they ever get and truly deserve respect fromthe younger generation rather attacking the fire fighters and there engines
have a nice day every body astonian ;;;
 
I dont remember the 1940 fire but there was a big one in,I think Christmas time 1953 of 54, I was on nights at Head Post Office in Hill Street, I know we all went up on
roof to watch the flames, it lit up the whole sky, someone said afterwards it was Halfords storeroom at the bottom of Corporation Street Just across the road from the Ceneral Fire Station,does anyone remember that one.
 
Yes I remember the fire that gutted Halfords,if I remember correctly,it occurred on a Saturday evening.I don't know if anybody was hurt,hopefully not,but it must have caused great embarrassment to the fire service,because,as you say,it was virtually next door to the main fire station in Lancaster Place,........Mal.
 
Bernard67Arnold said:
I dont remember the 1940 fire but there was a big one in,I think Christmas time 1953 of 54, I was on nights at Head Post Office in Hill Street, I know we all went up on
roof to watch the flames, it lit up the whole sky, someone said afterwards it was Halfords storeroom at the bottom of Corporation Street Just across the road from the Ceneral Fire Station,does anyone remember that one.
Click to expand...

Yes I know of the Halfords fire - as I have mentioned before my Aunt worked at Central and it was a story often told!

Did you work at Hill st, later in the fifties/sixties? My Dad worked the late shift, on sorting for years till retiring at 60. His name - Trevor Dearn or maybe you know of Bill the Barber?

Jan
 
Hello Jan, Yes I did work at the HPO WE used the side door in Pinfold St;I was there from 1953 until 57 when I
moved to Burton under the overspill scheme,when you
think that the indoor workers had their own branch of the union which numbered 2000, unless you actually worked in the same area you would even see them let alone know them,so sorry I didnt meet your Dad. Im sure he was a nice fella, most of the postmen at that time were exservice men and would help if you were
on a new job, I found it very different when I got to
Burton but thats another story!thanks for the reply,
Take care Bernard
 
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