After its postponement due to snow last November, our new fire station had its official opening yesterday.
The great and the good of Suffolk Fire and Rescue, past and present, plus many guests piled into the Appliance Bay for the ceremony at 3pm.
Councillor Colin Spence, the portfolio holder for Public Protection, performed the opening ceremony alluding in his speech to how important the station was as a central part of our community.
But before he could finish, the bells went and we hot-footed it through to the turn out printer only to find it was for the Watch with an RTC on the Barnby Bends…
So we sheepishly crept back into the Appliance Bay and listened intently to the Dep as he gave a very good account of himself in saying how wonderful us on call firefighters really are. Joking aside, and I know he was preaching to the converted and those in the know, but it didn't hurt him explaining, possibly for the benefit of the attending councillors, the role that on call firefighters play in Suffolk Fire and Rescue.
Time now for group photos… Everyone, retired firefighters, brides family – you know the score.
We were just posing for a crew piccy in front of the commemoration plaque when a now familiar sound assailed my ears. It's the bloody turnout alarm again – and this time it must be for us!