43 MELROSE
1 Pump, Retained
CLOSED
Stations
| Pre 1900 |
Water Manager's House |
| Circa1899 |
Waverley Hotel Coach House |
| 1900 |
Fire Store at Mr Soutar's house |
| 1948 |
Gibson Park, MELROSE.
Photo |
| 17/9/1981 to 31/8/2007 |
High Street, MELROSE.
Photo |
Firemasters
| Pre 1900 |
Mr Scott |
| 1900 |
Firemaster Soutar |
| ? to 1984 |
Sub Officer A Smith |
| 2002 |
Sub Officer Preston |
| 2004 to 31/8/2007 |
Sub Officer Gordon Blaine |
Appliances
| Pre 1900 |
|
Firefighting Equipment |
|
| 1901 |
|
Shand Mason Engine |
|
| 1936 |
|
1910 Halley Fire Engine ex Edinburgh |
P |
| 1940 |
|
Dennis Light 4 |
P |
| 1990 |
LSF402T |
Dodge G1313/HCB Angus |
WrL |
| 1998 |
K962DSC |
Scania 93M-250/Emergency One |
WrL/ET |
| 2004 |
Y691BSX |
Scania 94D-260/Emergency One |
WrL/ET |
Brigades
| 1941 to 1948 |
National Fire Service |
| 1948 to 1975 |
South Eastern Area Fire Brigade |
| 1975 to 2005 |
Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade |
| 2005 to 2007 |
Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service |
Notes
In the Integrated Risk
Management Plan 2005/2010 Melrose Fire Station is to close as it is very close
to the wholetime station at Galashiels. (May 2006).
Melrose station to close 31
August 2007.
Today St John Scotland officially handed over the old fire station in Melrose ,in the Scottish Borders, to be the new Mountain Rescue Base of Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team.
St John Scotland originally bought the empty building when it came on the market with this intention as part of supplying all of Scottish Mountain Rescue Teams with vehicles and bases.
The Prior of St John Scotland Major General Mark, and his wife Susan, Strudwick attended the ceremony this afternoon . 5/5/2018 Liam Hackett Face Book Page.
The South Eastern Fire Area Administration Scheme Order, 1948
| |
Equipment |
Retained |
| |
1 Self-propelled Pump |
1 Leading Firemen |
| |
|
9 Firemen |
Establishment
2000
|
|
Equipment |
Retained |
|
|
1 Water Tender Ladder |
1 Sub Officer |
|
|
|
1 Leading Firefighter |
|
|
|
8 Firefighters |
Lothian and Borders Fire Board
NEW FIRE STATION, MELROSE
*******************************
OFFICIAL OPENING
BY
SIMON TURNEY, CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC SERVICES
AND FIRE BRIGADE COMMITTEE OF THE GREATER LONDON COUNCIL
ON
THURSDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER, 1981, AT 10.45 A.M.
ORDER OF PROCEEDINGS
RECEPTION AND TOUR OF STATION
FIREMASTER W M G KERR WILL WELCOME
MR TURNEY
AND INVITE HIM TO OPEN THE STATION
MR TURNEY OPENS STATION
DEDICATION BY THE REVEREND R J
HENDERSON
PRESENTATION TO MR TURNEY BY
COUNCILLOR J COOK
CHAIRMAN, THE LOTHIAN AND BORDERS FIRE BOARD
DEMONSTRATION OF DRILLS BY MEMBERS
OF THE MELROSE UNIT
REFRESHMENT
THE LOTHIAN AND BORDERS FIRE BOARD
CHAIRMAN
Councillor James S Cook
Lothian Regional Council
CHIEF EXECUTIVE R G E Peggie,
A.C.C.A., F.B.C.S.
CLERK TO THE BOARD
A L McNicoll, M.A., LL.B.,
S.S.C.,
Director of Administration
Lothian Regional Council
TREASURER TO THE BOARD B Grosset, C.A.
Director of Finance
Lothian Regional Council
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
LOTHIAN REGIONAL COUNCIL
Councillor Peter Boyes
Councillor James Cook
Councillor Charles D Cowan
Councillor Michael Docherty
Councillor William Drummond
Councillor William Hardie
Councillor Mrs Phyllis Herriot
Councillor George F McNeill
Councillor John P Mulvey
Councillor James Nisbet
Councillor Mrs Marjorie Noble
Councillor Paul W Nolan
Councillor Mrs Jess Rogan
Councillor George Theurer
BORDERS REGIONAL COUNCIL
Councillor Joseph P Boyle
Councillor George Craig
Councillor William Douglas
Councillor William Wilson
PARTICULARS OF MELROSE FIREMEN
Sub Officer C H Brown
Age 53 Engineering Craftsman Borders Health Board
Leading Fireman G A Little
Age 48
Joiner Thomas Brown & Sons
Fireman J D Aitken Age 42 Bodyshop
Foreman W & J P Hardie
Fireman J M Bell Age 28 Planner Estimator
Borders Health Board
Fireman G C Blain
Age 23
Joiner J S Crawford (Contract Borders) Ltd
Fireman W K Brydon Age 39 Photomec
Operator Exacta Circuits Ltd
Fireman J B Downie Age 34 Storeman
W & J P Hardie
Fireman F Preston Age 33
Plumber (Self Employed)
Fireman A Burrell
Age 35 Superintendent
Borders Regional Council
HISTORY OF MELROSE FIRE BRIGADE
From the Melrose Town Council
records, prior to the turn of the century, fire fighting equipment was stored at
Mr Scott, the Water Manager’s house. It is recorded that from the time he was
alerted, Mr Scott could have “water playing on a fire in 7 minutes, if the fire
was in Melrose Market Square”.
About 1899, the equipment was resited at the Waverley Hotel Coach House (at a
cost of £4 per annum). However, consideration was being given to purchasing a
“fire engine” as enquiry had been made when Hawick had an engine for sale in
1897. This had not been followed through, but in January 1900 it was proposed to
form a Brigade of 10 men equipped as follows:—
10 Helmets (£8.15.0)
Waist Belts and Axes (£6.14.0)
Barrow (£8.13.0)
Ladders (£5. 4.0)
and that Mr Soutar (Firemaster)
provide accommodation at his house for a fire store at a rent of £3 per annum.
This proposal was carried out and on
13 February 1900 the following men were selected: —
Charles Jardine J Ramsey
William Cochrane
J H Lawrie
R Murray J Gillie
George Brown Tom Shiels
Alexander Brown J McGregor
So a Brigade was formed. Later in
the year, Mr Soutar visited Edinburgh to confer with the Edinburgh Firemaster,
and in August 1901 the Melrose Fire Brigade Rules were printed.
Before the end of’ 1901, the Firemaster had started a fund with the object of
collecting £100 for the purchase of a fire engine. By March 1902, subscriptions
had reached £74. 9. 0 and the Town Council agreed to make this sum up to £120
which was the cost of a new Shand Mason Engine.
Following this, various sites for an Engine House were considered and, by
October, agreement was reached to allow the Fire Brigade House to be built in
Gibson Park.
The fire engine must have been a heavy model, as at various times difficulty was
experienced in obtaining reliable means for pulling it. Horses were used, but in
1914 a contract was made with a Mrs Hamilton that the engine would be drawn by
her “large motor car instead of by horses, owing to the heavy strain on the
horses”.
A review of the Brigade arrangements was prompted by a fire in November 1919,
which almost totally destroyed the Abbey School for Girls, Gardonlee, Ormiston
Terrace, due to the water supply being “most inadequate”. All the equipment was
tested by Edinburgh Fire Brigade, at a cost of £l6. l5. 0 and the method of
calling out the Brigade considered. The result was that new equipment and a
“Hooter”, to summon the Brigade, were bought.
Over the years, additional equipment was obtained, rules revised and one
particular point of interest was a Mutual Assistance Agreement made with
Galashiels in 1928. The next change of importance was in 1936 when a 1910 Halley
Fire Engine was bought from Edinburgh for £100. The imminence of War in 1939
brought an Auxiliary Pump onto the scene, it being housed in the Stables at
Buccleuch House. Then in 1940 a Dennis Light 4 engine was bought. Thereafter the
creation of the National Fire Service brought Melrose into the South East Area
and the prefab next to the Station was erected in 1942.
After the War, the Fire Services Act 1947 was introduced by Parliament to
transfer the fire fighting functions from the National Fire Service to Fire
Brigades maintained by Local Authorities.
Under this Act, Scotland was divided into eleven Fire Areas and Melrose became
part of the South Eastern Fire Brigade in accordance with the Fourth Schedule of
the Act. The whole of this area came under the command of Firemaster A B Craig
until he retired in 1962; it then passed to Firemaster F Rushbrook who
subsequently retired in 1970, and then onto Firemaster J Anderson who retired
early in 1980. Since then, the Brigade has been under the command of Firemaster
W M G Kerr.
After regionalisation in 1975, the Brigade changed its name to The Lothian and
Borders Fire Brigade, responsible for approximately the same area, and is under
the administration of the present Fire Board.
MELROSE FIRE STATION
Melrose Fire Station is sited on
High Street, next door to the Police Station and opposite the Greenyards. The
site is long and narrow and the drill yard is situated behind the building,
retaining as its boundary the lower part of the stone walls of the industrial
building which formerly occupied the site.
The Station, because of the restricted site width, is designed on two floors,
and has accommodation for one appliance and up to 10 personnel on a Part Time
Retained basis.
The building has been kept domestic in scale and is finished in traditional
materials: slate, lead and rendering.
The Station contains the following
accommodation:—
On the Ground Floor: Appliance Bay
Muster/Locker
Bay
Workshop
Dirty Area
Drying Room
Male and Female
Washrooms and Toilets
Watchroom
Switchroom
On the Upper Floor: Lecture Room
Kitchen
Heating is by electric convectors
and water heating is instantaneous. Particular attention has been paid to
designing a heating control system to ensure that heating is only provided at
the times it is actually needed.
ARCHITECT
Lothian Regional Council Department of
Architectural Services
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Lothian Regional Council
Department of Architectural Services
QUANTITY SURVEYOR Lothian Regional Council Department of
Architectural Services
SERVICES ENGINEER Lothian Regional
Council Department of Architectural Services
MAIN CONTRACTOR R & J Grieve Limited
(Maxton)
SUB CONTRACTORS
STRUCTURAL STEEL Readman
Engineering Earlston
SLATE ROOFING W F Hollands
Earlston
CARPENTRY & JOINERY
Thos Brown & Sons
Melrose
PLUMBING J W G Miller &
Company Earlston
ELECTRICAL Lawrie
Contracts Limited St Boswells
INTERNAL PLASTERWORK Halliday
Brothers Earlston
EXTERNAL RENDERING
Halliday
Brothers Earlston
CERAMIC TILING Halliday
Brothers Earlston
COATED MACADAM SURFACING Kings & Company
Contracting Earlston
GLAZING J W
Hay ` Hawick
PAINTING & DECORATING B.C.S.
Limited Galashiels
The next page has elevations and
plans of the station and the last page shows Melrose Station’s Area.
Station Shutdown
<Photo> Watch Manager Gordon Blain, right, closes the door for the final time
with fellow-firefighters, Steve Callow and Sandy Fairbairn.
There
were tears and a lump in the throat as Melrose Fire Station was consigned to the
history books recently. Gordon Blain, Watch Manager, pulled down the door for
the last time. And, after more than 28 years as a retained firefighter, he
admitted that he was gutted. Lothian & Borders Fire Board agreed in March of
last year to close the station as part of a cost-cutting exercise. Two of the
remaining six crew, David Brown and Neil Redhead, are transferring to Galashiels
while the others handed back their fire suits and bleepers to the Brigade. “I
will miss it,” said Gordon. “It has been a huge part of my life for many years.
You give up so much, but my family will be able to see more of me now. “It is
very sad. I will miss the training nights, the exercises and so on. I took my
bleeper with me everywhere, even to Benidorm on holiday. “It was just one thing
you did and put it in your pocket.” Gordon, a self-employed joiner, thanked the
Border Telegraph for supporting the campaign to save the station. “You gave us
great support,” said firefighter Sandy Fairbairn, who will now go back to
full-time to running the Spar shop in Melrose. And, pointing to the ‘Save Our
Fire Station’ banner added: “We will need to change it to ‘closed’.” Local
councillor Nicholas Watson, said: “It is tragic that the enormous work made by
the volunteers is not recognised. “I just wonder if the Fire Brigade properly
considered the expansion of housing that the Borders is expecting in the next
few years. “The roads are also getting busier and it is becoming more difficult
for the fire service to get to incidents quickly.” Councillor Watson is writing
to the Brigade to ask members not to dispose of the building yet to see how
‘things pan out in the future.’ There has been a fire station in Melrose for
over 150 years and the current station opened in 1981. A campaign to save the
station was orchestrated in the town, and the Telegraph ran it own campaign –
but to no avail. “Now we have only the memories,” added Gordon.
(Border Telegraph Newsroom, Wednesday, August 29, 2007.)
If you know of any mistakes in this or have any additional information please let me
know.
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