Round the back #2

The former Port Sunlight fire station, now an office block, is at the back of our block of houses. The original fire engine was a magnificent horse-drawn machine and even when they changed to motorised vehicles the fire brigade were always very smartly turned out and drilled with military precision. They were the first line of defence if anything happened at the soap factory. My next-door neighbour told me that the fire-fighters were all factory employees and many of them lived in our houses, closest to the fire station - there are still remains of the alarm mechanism in their kitchen next door. When I've got time, it would be interesting to find out more about the families who lived here originally - I wonder if they came out from the cities to the lovely open spaces here.