Reunited

After some months and many e-mails I got permission to take my Dad to the Science Museum's Large Item Storage Units near Swindon.

The reason I took him there was to reunite him with a fire appliance he used to crew a year after he joined the Middlesex Fire Brigade in 1957.

The appliance in question is the classic Dennis Pump Escape and was stationed at Southall Fire Station, Middlesex Fire Brigade in 1958 until 1965 when the Middlesex Fire Brigade was amalgamated with the London Fire Brigade.

The best thing was that I had kept the reason and location a secret from him and it was great to see his face when he turned the corner in the hanger to come face-2-face with his old 'friend'.

The pose he has taken up here is very much like the pose he took up in 1958 whilst standing next to this appliance; in that photo he is in full firefighting kit.