Coventry Fire Brigade (inc. Hales Street Fire Station)

Oddsock Yes, the fire service ran a small ambulance service but should have reverted to fire service when the alert sounded.

As a child on Lady Day, 1943? my dad took me to see a fire engine from the fire station pulled on ropes by a group of firemen. Then I was taken upstairs and a firemen held me close to him and slid down the pole with me, my dad waiting for me on the ground floor! I also remember a procession of some sort coming down Trinity St, there were women/girls in white dresses but I don't think a representation of Godiva!

OddSock It may be worth looking up, there was a fire officer killed outside Cov & War Hospital, night of the Blitz, 14th, not sure if he was driving ambulance or not.

I seem to remember that the yellow colour made some people nauseous and dizzy, which contributed to it being withdrawn.

On 1 April 1974 Coventry found itself part of the newly formed metropolitan county called 'West Midlands' so the fire brigade, police, ambulance, and buses all came under new management. This management structure was mostly dominated by people from Birmingham. No way were they going to have their fire engines painted in a colour called 'Coventry Fire Brigade Yellow'. In the same way our police cars started to look like those from Birmingham, and our buses also adopted the Birmingham livery.

I don't think so Helen. My memory is that in front of the fire engine were two young ladies in white long dresses with a sash with writing on it that both had, possibly holding a white or cold ribbon attached to the fire engine. I said 1943 as an estimate of my age at the time but it may have been 44 or even '45 as I would still be no more than six, my birthday coming in August. I wonder whether Anne could help with newspapers of the time? '45 could be more possible as war ended?

Sorry Prof I can't find anything, looked all through the CET for the 1940's for anything to do with the fire station. The only thing I could find was August 1943 for the 2nd anniversary of the National Fire Service. There were demonstrations give on Poole Meadow and a procession of appliances and equipment and the fire station was open in the evening, which could have been what Kaga mentioned. Nothing about ladies in white dresses.

Annewiggy, Prof, I doubt you will, I was led to believe that all marches, meetings, etc., apart from military fire brigade, ambulances were banned for the duration of the war. I think strikes were also banned.

Kaga. An article from 1902 with a bit more detail of the fire station tower:

20A-Manor House. Thank you. What a cracking building. When Coventry needed a fire station it built that one in Hales Street, right close up to the river, on waste land I believe. Here the firemen trained, but around the mid-1930's Coventry now needed a bus station, so they built Pool Meadow and things were getting more advanced and the fire brigade needed a training ground close by. Come the blitz, and the main water collapsed, so the firemen went to the new training area, took the only available water from the river which was just behind the Wine Lodge on the Burges, and I posted this months ago. Now over the last few months NeilsYard has posted two photos I answered with the right info, I also asked if he would re-post one other of his photos. To all three he didn't have the decency to acknowledge anything. So when he posted that one on #120 on the West Orchard topic, I didn't answer. I knew exactly where it was. I had trained there, and had told you all, so it wasn't rocket science.

I agree with you there Kaga, it certainly is a cracking building and one I've always admired. If I was to gather together all the history, statistics, information & photos, I have, I could write a book on that building!

The earliest photograph I have of the building. (Hope you don't mind me going XL on the upload)

I'm impressed that they managed to match the extension to the left so well. The fire station was built on the land where the first baths were located.

Helen Were there baths in hales Street then before Priory st?