Comments on: So Long, Clerkenwell Fire Station

By: Alexander McBride

Alexander McBride — Mon, 24 Jul 2017 21:08:14 +0000

I came from Scotland at the age of eighteen and after training at Southwark was posted to Clerkenwell on the White Watch in 1964.
What a great station and a great bunch of guys.
Alex.

By: Alan Strachan

Alan Strachan — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 00:02:01 +0000

So sad to hear this wonderful station has closed as a child many an hour was spent watching and sneaking into the station in the 1950s. Even my kids enjoyed the open day and playing on the fire engines in the early 1970s. Always enjoyed watching the crews training at the back of the building from the Farringdon Rd entrance

By: Brian (Taffy) Evans

Brian (Taffy) Evans — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 20:23:36 +0000

I served at Clerkenwell from 1974 to 1980 Red Watch. this was the highlight of my working career, PE,P, ET. a wonderful bunch of guys. So very sad to see the end of a wonderful Fire station, will be sadly missed by all.

By: s88

s88 — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 20:44:52 +0000

A lovely old building, destined to be flats no doubt?

Did anyone live above?

Just don’t turn it into a fish and chip shop like they did in Doncaster.

By: Caroline Bottomley

Caroline Bottomley — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 07:34:10 +0000

I understand fire deaths in London are on an upward trend.
And beautiful buildings which burn become lost to us too.

By: William Sovie

William Sovie — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 23:26:10 +0000

So very sad.

By: Stephen Barker

Stephen Barker — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 22:57:07 +0000

Judging by the size of the building I get the impression that it housed more crew in the past than it did at the time of it’s closure. The comment that your access to the roof to see the wartime graffiti took you through disused rooms for senior officers suggests that this is the case. How many fires and other incidents did the crews attend in recent years compared to the past? By and large the impression one gets is that the number of fires is not as high as it once was for which we should all be thankful.

I do hope that the building will be sympathetically treated in the future.

By: Ms Mischief

Ms Mischief — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 22:06:44 +0000

The closure of ten London fire stations seems to me to lack forethought entirely. The closures only save £45 million over two years – a pathetic amount of money. But isn’t it obvious that in two years time, there will need to be even further savings. Why not close all the fire stations now and save the entire budget for good?? Who needs a fire service? Fear of fire is so yesterday – much too much nannying is going on. Everyone has smoke alarms, and people should be prepared to put out their own fires. Insurance will protect those that think ahead. Selling off the fire stations will raise millions, and lower taxes. Why on earth should we all pay for blokes with hoses?? Eh?

By: Miss Marie

Miss Marie — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 21:14:02 +0000

Thank you so much for this and your other articles on Clerkenwell Fire Station. I feel a strong attachment to the place and fondness for the firefighters there, as I have lived across the road for four years. I was never brave enough to go and say hello to them, but it always pleased me when I looked out the window to see them doing their drills or coming back from a call-out. I will miss them greatly and am deeply enraged that they have been closed down in this manner.

I wish the men and women of Clerkenwell Fire Station all the best and thank them for their presence in my neighbourhood these past years. May God bless them.

By: Gary Arber

Gary Arber — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 20:41:57 +0000

When the first person dies due to the delay in getting to the fire from a longer distance away I wonder if mad Boris will pause from supping his Champagne – I doubt it !
Gary