Firefighters at Bourne End

Not long after we'd moored here on Friday we were sitting on the deck in the warm sunshine (flaps down to keep the 50mph wind out) when the fire brigade arrived

... and we watched with interest

... while they took out metal pipes and a generator

By this time it was raining a little

I think I heard one of the men call the man with the hose, Tim

Testing that the generator was taking up the river water

... and ready for action

Now it's Paul's turn

I remember the 1977 firefighters strike. 

We were based at RAF Sealand (Chester) living in married quarters out at Hawarden (about 50 families).  The airforce needed volunteers from families who were at home during the day (so mainly women) to learn to use a fire hose in an emergency and subsequently brought a Green Goddess to the patch for us to practice with.   I can tell you that even those old machines packed a punch and we were glad to have someone at our back whilst the pressure of water threw us backwards!

20 minutes later the practice/training session was over

... and they started to pack the equipment away

A bit like living in a boat, a place for everything and everything in its place

The Environment Agency came by to see what was going on, someone must have informed them that there was a fire engine at Bourne End

All aboard

... and away they go.

A few minutes later we hear another big vehicle arrive ... great they've come to empty the overflowing bins ... but no, they just use the area to turn round and away they went again.

And then the hail and rain and thunder came and boy did it come down!

Still some hardy souls about although they may not have had much choice being caught out so suddenly.

The downpour took a lot of walkers by surprise too and we offered some shelter to one lady and the 'office' dog that she was walking during her lunch break which she said she greatly appreciated.