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Henrietta Street Ambulance Station
- Thread starter Two
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Hi... New to the site. I worked at Henrietta Street Station from '74 - '86. The service had just changed from Fire and Ambulance to Birmingham Ambulance Service. None of the vehicles in this pic were in service then but their were a couple still hanging around as I recall. used to admire the lines of the front mudguards. Apart from the bollards (which are still there, just a modern version) and the street signs, that block looks pretty much the same today, shame the road manners have changed so much haha.
Not great photo quality but staff from the station may recognise these ladies and gents. Viv.
Hi Viv,
I know everyone in the picture. I used to know a female member of staff at Henrietta Street named Viv. Is that you by any chance?
S
Stitcher
Guest
No, not me Stan. Good to know you recognise the faces in the press photo. Viv.
Pretty sure that vehicle was in service at Henrietta Street when i started there. The crazy thing about the two tone horns on the roof was that in the winter they would fill with snow or get iced up. In an effort to prevent this happening, we would steal some tube/gauze dressing from the A&E and cover them up. This allowed the tone out but no snow in....... crazy days haha
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Yup, i remember them and thanks for that.
Hi Louie,
Their were a few Smith's at Henrietta when I worked there (not surprisingly perhaps), and I am sure I knew a Ron Smith. If he's the guy I'm thinking of he was a young looking chap with fair hair, the noticeable thing about him was his height as he was fairly tall. Does this sound like him? In fairness I could have his Christian Name wrong, but Ron Smith does ring a bell.
Stan
Their were a few Smith's at Henrietta when I worked there (not surprisingly perhaps), and I am sure I knew a Ron Smith. If he's the guy I'm thinking of he was a young looking chap with fair hair, the noticeable thing about him was his height as he was fairly tall. Does this sound like him? In fairness I could have his Christian Name wrong, but Ron Smith does ring a bell.
Stan
Hi Stan,
Thanks for the reply, yes it does sound like Ron, he was also good at drawing funny Characatures, I'm not sure if he did these in his Henrietta street days , he had a nickname of Smudge Smith, and after the Ambulance service worked as a security van guard at
Security Express Ltd which is where I got to know him
Rob.
Thanks for the reply, yes it does sound like Ron, he was also good at drawing funny Characatures, I'm not sure if he did these in his Henrietta street days , he had a nickname of Smudge Smith, and after the Ambulance service worked as a security van guard at
Security Express Ltd which is where I got to know him
Rob.
Hi Louie and thanks for getting back. So how weird is that....... when i was around 16, so that would be 1970/71 I had a part-time job with Security Express (at least i think it was Security Express). At that time they were located at the back of some buildings on Hollyhead Road, Handsworth. Green and yellow vans/trucks and the full timers had a green uniform. I was always locked in the back so never had a uniform as a part-timer. I don't know when you were there mate, but I was there when one of the wagons from down South got robbed. The attackers picked the only spot that was weak on the vehicle... where the guy in the back sat..... opened it like a tin of beans with a chain saw haha. It was one of the larger vehicles and all the walls had shelves inside except that one spot, inside job? I wasn't there for too long and went onto work with Rank Xerox and eventually I joined the west Mids Ambulance Service in 74.
How crazy is that?? So you and I must have worked there at the same time! Unfortunately I don't remember anyone there. I do remember that one of the guys had a brother or brother in law (maybe even another close relative ) that was in the jewellry trade. I had a puzzle ring that he was able to get gold plated for me. I didn't work there too long to be fair, but it is strange that I went from Security Expeess to the Ambulance Service and Ron went the other way.... You knew him and we might have met at some point. I don't remember the company employing any other part timers, I don't remember seeing any at least. Strange and small world we live in fella.
Hi Rob, we are going way off topic here lol. No mate, I only did mobile work in the cash in transit vehicles. I worked two differnt types as I remember. One was more or less a van but obviously armoured, the other was more like a 7.5 ton type vehicle, but on both I was the guy locked in the back lol. The van type had a seat and radio in the rear on the right hand side (drivers side) but the seat near the back doors. The larger vehicle had twin locking doors at the rear that locked against each other and the seat was towards the front of the cash area but on the left. I had control of the sliding trap door to the outside and the big metal box that I put the money in then slid a bolt when it was shut, this allowed me to open the outer slide door. These are the only vehicles I worked on as I remember. We did cash collections from shops a lot, and I spent a lot of time going to Cherry Street in the city with some sort of cash transfers, all I remember is that it was always vast quantities of cash going there lol. This is how I remember it anyway..... Am I close? Lol. I didn't work there for a huge amount of time as I remember. I know I was always falling asleep in the back :-(. Some of the guys used a cafe by Middlemore Industrial Estate if that means anything. It's a shame I can't remember any of the guys who worked there at the time. One of the guys I worked with used to catch a bus outside the depot, the vast majority had cars, but we caught the bus together, but I can't remember where he was going. You have my history of Security Express right there fella, sorry I can't think of anything else and I'm not sure how accurately I have been with the above.
Stan
Thanks Stan, time and memories are fading for both of us arnt they lol, perhaps someone else from the Express might see our postings and get in touch with us , nice to have chatted though Stan , I'll let you know if I hear from anyone, will you do the same ?
Cheers, Rob
Cheers, Rob
Twinmama78
Brummie babby
jumping on this thread a little late but my grandfather worked at henrietta street from the late 60s ish to retirement in the 80s Bill Tolley, i still have all his butons and badges and some other mementos of his time there, i know he was one of the first on scene at the pub bombings but never spoke about it
My brother served there in the early sixties. He moved to Ettington Road Fire Station later..
Dionysius//88
master brummie
I’ve just come across these great pic’s , the firm I used to work for where the pub stands was their car park. I worked there during the 70’shi dave i should have realised it could have been one of the pubs on the lane and yes you are quite right it was the woolpack which looked a lovely building...ive just learnt something...
cheers
lyn
The Woolpack was a proper old pub, I went in there a couple of times when my brother was at Henrietta St. I remember that there was a huge fight there once and it spilled over the road into the station. There were some ambulances at the General and control got them to go to Steelhouse Lane and they loaded up with police who sorted the fracas out. There were people trying to leg it but some well aimed truncheons stopped them.
An addition to my recollection, a couple of names came to mind, firstly Johnnie Marshall a Second World War fighter pilot, he was badly burned when his plane was hit, this didn't deter him from his duty. He was a real character, wonderful sense of humour which he displayed when round and about. He once was in attendance at a shout that was already being attended to when they arrived, it was in town and having nothing to do for a bit of fun he wrapped a triangular bandage round his head and lay under the front wheel of the ambulance, the passers by reaction was something to witness apparently . The other was Ian Van Craveld, excuse the spelling if I have it wrong. He rose to be a senior figure in the service.
Twinmama78
Brummie babby
I have this in my wardrobe, from my grandfather.
Twinmama78
Brummie babby
Also have this
