Did you know that the oldest fire station in the West Midlands is based in Birmingham? Aston to be precise, and they’re currently getting ready to open up their museum to the public permanently. Before they do that, they opened for a sneak peek today as part of Birmingham Heritage Week for tours that you could book on to.
Being the eager beavers that we are, we booked the first slot of the day at 10am and were greeted at the door by a number of friendly, knowledgeable staff members who could inspire anyone to be a fire person.
The history of Aston Community Fire Station
Constructed in 1924 and becoming a Grade II listed building in June 2010, Aston Fire Station has had a complete renovation in more recent years, including an extension on the side and modernisation inside.
What is on display?
The museum has a number of really interesting items on display from equipment, photographs, paintings, plaques, medals and so much more. Some to highlight include;
John Bristow: 2/4 Man Pump 1790
Prototype Breathing Apparatus Set: The very first breathing apparatus system, used until around 1970 when it was superseded by compressed air sets. It provided breathable air to firemen/women in areas where natural air supply was compromised or contaminated.
WW2 Fire Float Photographs: Showcasing the large portable pumps that were fitted inside the canal boats. You can see places such as St Chad’s Church in the background and potentially Digbeth tow paths.
Deluge Monitor: A piece of equipment used often by female AFS in the Second World War to project large quantities of water onto fires, to dampen down operations. It’s great to see a photograph on the wall too, of the aunt of a member of staff, using the equipment.
The pole: Ever wondered what the firefighters pole is like? You get to stand by it, touch it, have your photograph taken with it and see exactly how thick the pole is AND, how small the gap in the floor is to jump onto the pole. They have two poles to see, the one in this photograph has a vertical distance of 7.8 metres (25.6 feet).
Lego creation of Aston Fire Station: The master builder of Legoland Discovery Centre has built the most phenomenal version of the fire station. Be sure to have a peep inside for so much detail. It’s incredibly impressive.
Detailed pictures and art of times gone by. The Great Fire in Jamaica Row (the Hyndman Brothers Fire) from 1906 was incredibly interesting. I’d never heard of that area before and have since come home and researched how this fire was known as the £1000 a minute fire and where it was located – by St Martins Church in Birmingham.
Also, a postcard sized print showing ‘A Front View of the Theatre in Birmingham on Fire’ in 1792. Which was a theatre on New Street, called The New Theatre, built only in 1774 at the cost of £4000, designed by architect Saul. Incredibly interesting.
There are a number of more recent photographs, too.
Fire Extinguishers from years gone by: Have you ever wondered what they used to look like? There’s plenty on display here.
Horse-drawn Steam Engine Fire Brigades and lots more within the museum. I didn’t want to share it all and take away your own surprise reads/objects.
There’s so much history to be seen here, and we enjoyed the tour thoroughly. Children were kept entertained with opportunities to sit in a pretend fire engine and have their photo taken, wear the helmets and ring bells. The staff were an absolute delight and made the whole experience really enjoyable.
Keep your eyes peeled, and as soon as we know when they are opening again to the public, we will share it on our social media accounts.
Hi.
Previously, I tried to contact you via Aston Fire Station. I’m trying to find out more information. I’m given to understand that my elder stepfather served with yourselves in WWII, as an auxiliary fire officer. I’d like to know more.
Please let me know what further information I’d need to provide.
Thank you for your time.