FIRE engines hold a fascination for people of all ages. From the young child in the pram staring wide-eyed at a passing vehicle, siren wailing, through to adulthood, when the brightly coloured vehicles still turn heads as they race to emergencies.
For Raymond, or ‘Ray’ Banyard, an interest that began in childhood developed and became part of his life when, in 1973, he began working as a as a control room operator for West Yorkshire Fire Service, now West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
He held the position for more than 30 years, working at Nelson Street fire station, which closed in 2007, and the service’s Birkenshaw headquarters.
Throughout the bulk of that time Ray combined his interest in fire service vehicles with his love of photography, taking his Praktica 35mm camera around fire stations to capture images of a wide range of appliances and ancillary vehicles from pumps to aerial appliances, emergency rescue tenders, hose laying lorries and - vehicles which we will no doubt be seeing more of in the coming years - wildfire units.
Becoming known as the service’s unofficial photographer, he also attended the scenes of many fires, taking dramatic pictures of fire crews at work.
Over almost five decades Ray amassed a fascinating collection of photographs, which have now been put together in a book Fighting Fire in West Yorkshire, an illustrated history of vehicles and incidents from 1974 to 2021.
Pictures of incidents across West Yorkshire include a fire in November 1983 at a tannery in Park Road, Bingley. Ray comments on the proximity of the public as ‘something not allowed today.’
A blaze at Harr and Rhodes in Bowling Back Lane in October, 1986, is documented, along with others including Richmond Mills in Richmond Road, Listerhills in July 1983, a fire at the derelict Salem Church, Manningham, in January 1988 and a blaze in Bradford’s Textile Hall on Westgate in August 1981.
Fire stations past and present will rekindle memories for many readers. Bingley, Brighouse, Haworth, Nelson Street, Bradford, and the former Ilkley station - later used as a funeral parlour – are among those pictured in the book.
Many of the appliances pictured in the A4-size book are unique, and some , including Nelson Street’s Bedford TKM, registration number KKY 999G, featuring Orbitor 70ft hydraulic booms, are the first of their type in the UK. That fire engine is named Henry Sissling, after a member of Bradford’s Fire Brigade Committee. Many appliances are named after local people with brigade connections. In 2011 Ray himself was proud to have an engine named after him.
The colour photographs are accompanied by text giving details of the vehicles, explaining the various terms associated with them. The wide variety of vehicles deal with different types of emergencies ranging from fires, rescues, car accidents, floods and salvage.
Alongside the familiar engines are publicity vehicles carrying fire safety messages, recovery vehicles, incident response units and driver training vehicles. One vehicle has been fitted with a snow plough.
Ray’s meticulous research provides the background to each vehicle - no small undertaking. The book is the culmination of around four years work.
Two interesting maps show the location of fire stations across West Yorkshire, in 1974 and 2021.
Some engines going out of service have been given a second life. One was donated by West Yorkshire Fire Service to a group of Lokota American Indians living in South Dakota, while four 13 year-old pumping appliances were shipped out to resume fire fighting duties in Zambia.
The book’s foreword, by John Roberts, chief fire officer and chief executive of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, comments that the book ‘provides an important historic reference’ and that sections of it ‘illustrate the advancements in firefighting and equipment technology and serves to remind us of the arduous and difficult role of firefighters in their operational duties.
Ray has dedicated his book to the men and women who served in the City of Bradford Fire Service, the West Riding County Fire Service and other constituent fire authorities which combined in 1974 to form West Yorkshire Fire Service.
He has thanked the many officers and service personnel who helped towards the publication of this illustrated history, in particular the advice of fleet controller Richard Chapman and retired transport and logistics manager Peter Coughlan. He also thanks publisher Eddie Baker and Mike Bunn ‘who spent many hours putting the book together.’
*Firefighting in West Yorkshire by Raymond Banyard is published by EB Books and costs £18. Post is free. To order a copy please send a cheque or postal order to Ray Banyard at 67 West Park Road, Four Lane Ends, Bradford BD8 9SG or by pay using Paypal to m.bunn1@ntlworld.com. Include your name and address.
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