Author Topic: birmingham fire and ambulance service  (Read 25263 times)

brumas

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birmingham fire and ambulance service
« on: May 07, 2009, 10:52:30 PM »
i started my career on ambulance service at bristol road dept, worked also mosley rd fire station . so many memories of old brum, now 60 and retired,  anyone recall pub bombings have not been back to brum for 10years, do not think would know the city now,,,,,,,  remember my first schhol, stratford road infant school.lived in sparkbrooke,  loved the old city centre,  anyone remember the pork scratchings could buy by the pound in market,,,,,,,,,,,,,,my family  worked on the old market, they came from hurst street, anyone want to post some old 60s memory of brum,  still feel old brum my home,

denise

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Re: birmingham fire and ambulance service
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2009, 11:11:38 PM »
Hi Brumas,

Welcome to the forum.As you trawl through the old posts you will find a lot of memories of Brum as it was.

I remember the pork scratchings.Lovely. :)

Once a brummie always a brummie and always home in your heart. :)

sheldonboy

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Re: birmingham fire and ambulance service
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2009, 05:38:16 AM »
Yes Denise, once a Brummie always a Brummie.
The true test of a real Brummie is that He/She is always Proud to be a Brummie, despite what the coucil and planners try to make of the place.
Birminghams history and Heritage has made it's mark all over the world and some of our people have been some of it's best exports.
Strangers are just friends you havn't met yet

Phil

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Re: birmingham fire and ambulance service
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2009, 10:08:56 AM »
Hi Brumas

Welcome to the forum, I'm roughly the same age as you and spent a lot of my childhood in Sparkbrook. Where did you live? You say you went to Stratford Rd Infants. Do you mean what is now called Ladypool School next to the church or Christ Church with the entrance in Long St?

Many of us remember the pub bombings and there are some mentions of it on some of the old threads, but it was decided not to discuss it too much on the forum out of respect for relatives of the dead and injured.

If you want to spend a few hours reading through the Birmingham History threads you will find many memories and photos of Sparkbrook and the City centre.

Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Ex-Pat John

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Re: birmingham fire and ambulance service
« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2009, 12:34:17 PM »
Hi Brumas (how I remember that name for control, red 4/6).
I joined the service just after the bombings, but was fortunate to be stationed on a proper station, Hobmoor Rd.  :D
I'm a similar age to you, and no doubt we would have met at some point in the past, and like you, I no longer live in dear old Brum. I also came from around the same area as you, although further across into the 'posh' part of Sparkhill.  ;)
It ain't 'alf 'ot mom!

brumas

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Re: birmingham fire and ambulance service
« Reply #5 on: May 08, 2009, 09:07:28 PM »
thanks all for welcome, will never again remark on bombings,fully understand reasons not again to mention this subject,,,,,,,born gladstone rd, think maybe right about my school name, moved when 8 to tile cross,when chelmsley wood, was a real wood full of trees. used to walk up to bacons end with mates. fishing on river cole,great memories and pride in being brummie, still have strong brummie accent and very happy to have it,will trawl through past posts,,,,,,,,,,best of luck to all and hope to get involved more with forums,,,

Phil

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Re: birmingham fire and ambulance service
« Reply #6 on: May 08, 2009, 09:21:03 PM »
Hi again brumas,

You are right about a couple of things, you wouldn't recognise the area around Gladstone Rd now, nor would you recognise the city and thats only after 10 years. I still live quite close to Birmingham just on the outskirts and trips around my old stomping grounds are like mystery tours to me.

Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Phil

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Re: birmingham fire and ambulance service
« Reply #7 on: May 08, 2009, 09:40:42 PM »
brumas

In my last post I forgot to tell you of the greatest respect I have for the Fire and Ambulance Service. My son is a Station officer in the Fire Service and has told me many harrowing tales about carrying dead children out of fires and cutting mangled bodies out of car wrecks and handing them over to you chaps.

It just amazes me how you can do it, I know it affected my son deeply for a while, and we thought he might even leave the service. But he is still there today and he now enjoys the job itself, well parts of it.

Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

tramp

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Re: birmingham fire and ambulance service
« Reply #8 on: May 09, 2009, 12:40:10 AM »
brumas,

Welcome to the best forum in town. You'll settle in happily and quickly as you enjoy a bit of banter about the past.   Don't worry about not having been in brum for 10 years - I left (walked out) in '59 and've never been back.  Like some others, I also live abroad, so for me, some aspects of this forum and its members, especially Phil's photos, are 'pure gold'.   

As a child I used to think the 'streamlined' Daimler ambulance with its distinctive bell was the most ''elegantly practical'' vehicle on the road - did you ever work them, and were they in reality nightmares?

Welcome again, come and enjoy yourself  O0

tramp

brumas

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Re: birmingham fire and ambulance service
« Reply #9 on: May 09, 2009, 03:57:11 PM »
when i joined service main fleet were bedfords, had blue bottle on roof,most with two tone horns, appearently,was one of last people to respond to call still using old bell,  that was around moseley road in rush hour,,,then moved on to hanlon fitted  ambulance, never has good as old bedford,  there was for a time old merc but never got my hands on it,,,,,over the years new types ambulance design and shapes,but never beat the bedford,,,,,,i do miss my city,but think i miss something that no longer exists in the form that i still love,  my family came from hurst street and worked on the old market, stories of soaking oranges in aniseed to make blood oranges, i am in lovely rural dorset but my sole is very much with old brum and more important the people who had hard lives but great people... remember sunday afternoon out was sitting in observation lounge at elmdon airport ,,  thanks again for  good old brummie welcome,,will get myself back for visit to city, must be some landmarks left to remember,,,,,good luck all

brumas

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Re: birmingham fire and ambulance service
« Reply #10 on: May 09, 2009, 04:03:48 PM »
just thought share another quick thought,  visited lulworth castle,dorset few weeks ago, there on display old bike with carry basket on front and birmingham fire ambulance service logo,they donot know where it came from or how it finished up in rural dorset,,,,little like me really quite comforting to know this bike here in dorset like me,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


 

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