London Fire Brigade Museum

After the tour of the Southwark Recycling Facility, I caught a bus up the Old Kent Road, and went to visit the London Fire Brigade Museum, which is based in Southwark Bridge Road and was also taking part in the Open House weekend.

At first I walked past it, as what appeared to be a fire station was very firmly shut.   However, when I started checking the street numbers, I realised that the museum was behind the fire station   Built in 1820, it was formerly two houses, but was converted into one in 1878, to provide a home for the Chief Offficer of the London Fire Brigade, who demanded that he have a residence suitable for his status - he obviously had quite a high opinion of his status!

The Museum is based over three floors, and is open to the public, but today additional rooms  on the ground floorcould be viewed, such as the dining room, the Chief Officer's room, and the living room - all quite grand and definitely designed to impress.   

The Museum itself was very interesting, with stories of various major fires that the London Fire Brigade had been involved in, including the one in Tooley Street, which had highlighted the need to have boats on the river capable of delivering water to fires along the river bank.

There was a talk about the river boats, and how following the Tooley Street fire, where the Chief officer died and a very young Irishmanwith little experience but bags of enthusiasm and indeas, came to replace him, they became an important part of the service.

There was also an unusual display of hats hanging on a corridor wall - firemen's hats from all over the world, not only in a variety of colours, but of shapes as well.

As I was leaving, just before 4 o.clock when it was due to close, a whole party arrived - I don't know if they kept it open for a little while longer to enable them to see at last a bit of all the museum has to offer.