John McEwan

Today, Wednesday 23rd February, I received a phone call from Marion McEwan, a friend of many years standing, informing me that her Dad had passed away peacefully at St. Margaret’s Hospice Clydebank.

John McEwan joined the Glasgow Fire Service and was for many years in charge of the workshops in the North West Fire Station and then at Cowcaddens when the GFS was absorbed into Strathclyde Fire Brigade. John was later based at Brigade Headquarters in Hamilton. He attained the rank of Station Officer and worked on many innovative projects including the famous Glasgow ‘Scooshers’, the multi purpose Hydraulic Platform Pumps and the Fireboat St.Mungo to name but a few.

John also attended the Cheapside Street Whisky Bond Fire on 28th March 1960, having initially seen the flames from his fire service fllat in Castlemilk and on contacting Area Control was informed of the events unfolding at Cheapside Street. For the next four days he and his team were involved in extricating the two turntable ladders that had been wrecked as a result of the explosion that caused the walls to collapse simultaneously in Cheapside Street and Warroch Street. He recalled that during this operation, he was only allowed home for meals and a change of clothing.

Growing up in the North West Fire Station John was someone who was always there, a face as familiar as one of my own family. When he moved from Castlemilk to a flat in the North West, his daughter Marion and I became friends which brought me closer to John. I even went out with Marion for a while (she later dumped me in favour of one my friends!!).

When John retired from Strathclyde Fire Brigade in 1983 he worked for the Greater Glasgow Health Board’s transport section and when retired on age he became involved in the voluntary sector working with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

John was always interested in my work with the preservation movement and would sometimes come along to our events with his wife Anne. I met up regularly with John and Anne (usually in Morrison’s cafe) and it was always a joy to be in their company. They were a foil for each other with Anne joking that she was still searching for John’s millions that he had kept hidden from her and John saying she had absolutely no chance of ever finding it! They always brought an air of happiness with them.

Both John and Anne became increasingly unwell with John being admitted to St Margarets Hospice. I last visited him on Sunday 13th February 2011 and it was obvious that he was very ill indeed. He did however manage a walk around the hospice (which he did on a daily basis), stopping only to introduce me to members of staff. It was with a heavy heart that I shook John’s hand and said my farewells for I knew that it would probably be our last meeting.
When Marion called to say that her Dad had passed away I must confess to shedding a few tears.

John McEwan was one of life’s thorough gentlemen. He was someone for whom I had the utmost respect and someone I was proud to have known and called my friend.

On behalf of myself and all the other members of the Scottish Fire Heritage Group, may I offer our sincere condolences to John’s wife Anne, his daughter Marion and sons Ian and Gordon, our thoughts are with them at this sad time.

Bob Wright.

Aye Ready – Aye Remembered – Never Forgotten

Hardly a fair situation.

To all fellow preservationists. Please find below an e-mail I sent to members of Strathclyde Fire & Rescue Preservation Group prior to their Annual General Meeting in November 2010 to try and resolve the situation regarding the return of items of my equipment they have in their storage facility at Linwood.

To the members of Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Preservation Group.

It is now two years since I resigned from Strathclyde Fire Brigade Preservation Group. During that time I have been trying to reclaim my equipment from your storage facility at Linwood, but without success.

Most recently three of your members collected a Duluge Set from my property and I informed them that I wish to re-establish contact with SFRPG with the aim of having my equipment returned. I have heard nothing since.

As I explained to Eddie Gray, Kenny Couborough and Davie MacAusland, this is a situation that can be resolved easily and quickly and without both parties incurring hefty legal fees. I have returned items that I had in my possesion to SFRPG – the list ran into pages, and yet to date I have received nothing in return, hardly a fair, honourable or morally just situation.

I have been collecting fire brigade memorabilia for most of my adult life and long before a preservation group was formed. I wish to stress that at no time was my collection loaned or gifted to another group. I would now like to reclaim that property and draw a line under this whole episode. Perhaps someone will raise this matter at your forthcoming Annual General Meeting and hopefully a satisfactory resolution may yet be possible.

It is my belief that members were told to ignore my e-mail.

According to one of their committee members it would appear that I have little or no chance of ever getting what is legally my property returned to me. Wrong, I will never give up the fight to reclaim my equipment as SFRPG have no right whatsoever to retain my property.

For a preservation group to behave in such a manner is appaling but this is unfortunately part of a campaign of orchestrated vileness directed towards me. I have also had equipment removed from my appliance (NHS 196) by members of SFRPG when it was in storage (with approval of Inverclyde Council), in the old fire station in Greenock within the Municipal Buildings. They (SFRPG) decided I had no claim to the Coventry Climax Light Portable Pump on my F8 and decided to remove it from the vehicle, an act that involved moving my vehicle to gain access to the pump. The pump was then taken to Johnstone Fire Station and stored there, this being despite having their own storage facility at Linwood, was this done to conceal the act from the rest of their membership? I contacted Strathclyde Police and reported the pump as missing. The officer I spoke to said the the act of moving my vehicle was technically ‘Taking without Consent’. I also contacted Strathclyde Fire & Rescue to inform them of the removal of my property. After several days the pump was located. Strathclyde Fire & Rescue then stepped in and had the pump taken to Cowcaddens Workshops where I inspected it for damage which apart from some paintwork damage, was intact. SF&R then returned to pump to Greenock.

I must emphasize that at no point was I contacted beforehand to discuss ownership of the pump, had I been given the opportunity and the courtesy, then ownership could have been established and this pityfull and shameful excercise avoided.

I found this whole episode pathetic and rather sad in that someone who had devoted a large part of his life establishing Strathclyde Fire Brigade Preservation Group could be treated in such a disgraceful manner. I was offered no apology from the Preservation Group or indeed from Strathclyde Fire & Rescue for the conduct of the Preservation Group that uses their title. The people involved in sanctioning and taking part in this dispicable act should have done, and still should do the honourable thing and resign from the Preservation Group, or have been made to resign for bringing the preservation movement and Strathclyde Fire & Rescue into disrepute . In my opinion those involved in this act should hang their heads in shame, they have done themselves, Strathclyde Fire & Rescue and fire service preservationists everywhere, a great disservice.
As if to add insult to injury, later that year members of SFRPG tried to have me removed from the Committee of the Fire Heritage Network UK for no other reason than to vent their personal hatred of me. Their attempts were unanimously defeated.

The fire service has been my life. My father and two uncles were also members of the fire service. I was born in the old Central Fire Station in Glasgow and later served in the Glasgow Fire Service and then Strathclyde Fire Brigade. It will take more than the efforts of a few vindictive individuals to have any impact on my enthusiasm and love for the history of the fire service.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tonight I posted a notice on SFRPG’s guest book but I realise it has odds of a snowballs chance in hell of being published, the message read…………………

Remember and let the general public know that not one item of equipment belonging to Bob Wright and being held in the Linwood storage facility, has been returned to him despite the fact that he has returned numerous items to SFRPG. Hardly a fair situation.

Southampton Fire Tragedy

On behalf of the Scottish Fire Heritage Group I would like to convey our sincere and profound condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of Firefighter James Shears and Firefighter Alan Bannon of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, who died while engaged in firefighting duties at Shirley Court, Southampton. Our thoughts are with them at this sad time.

Bob Wright,
Chairman.

Dennis F8 NHS 196 – It’s tribute to the QE2′s 40th Anniversary

Click on the link on the 1st comment page and at 2min 58sec into the video you will hear the unmistakeable sound of the Dennis F8′s siren paying tribute to the QE2 on the 40th Anniversary of her launch during her visit to Greenock on 20th September 2007.

Hugh Mateer

I have just learned the news that Hugh Mateer has sadly passed away on Saturday 21st November.

Hughie, who was in his 90th year, was a fireman at the North-West Fire Station in Glasgow and was fondly remembered by all who knew him.

Growing up in the North-West Fire Station, I along with countless other children of fireman always knew him as Uncle Hughie, the organiser of the Christmas parties and dances held in the station’s drill hall.

Hugh was an exceptional character and one of the most well liked individuals ever to have worn a Glasgow Fire Service uniform. He was also a wonderful ambassador for the Fire Service and always had a kind word to say to everyone. Hugh Mateer will be long remembered and sadly missed.

Bob Wright.

Ring any bells!!

Coventry Climax Light Portable Pump

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