For my sins I have fallen in love with an "Old Gipsy" she is wonderful
so sweet and easy to get along with ----- also being an
Ex Cornwall Austin Gipsy LWB Fire Appliance very easy to keep clean
and garage, after running and cleaning steam engines for years……..
"Pip" as she is affectionately known is the forth member of our team
she joins three Austin champs, all ten years older than her, a A35 Van
- our love is "Austin vehicles"
Her static's:-
1st registered in June 1963 as 995 SAF(this has been sold), to
Cornwall County Fire Service and was given the fleet number 504, first
based at Bodmin (B1) Fire station, she then went onto Helston(A7) The
county being two divisions A and B at that time.
How it all came about? - "Drinking," not drunk mind you, just mellow
ha the sins of drink, We were sitting one evening talking about a
newish rally near home "Newby Hall" 2007 near Ripon where we had been
asked if we would take our Austin Champs, someone said we needed
something else as three vehicles did not balance, so a quick look on
"eBay" for another champ in green or a MP model for a change, when
this vision of loveliness appeared on the screen, further talks and
emails went around and I was soon on my way to North Devon – How come
I was on my way????? Ahh well it was a lovely day, to see if this
Austin was as nice as she looked "she was" and was quickly loading it
up and a drive back to North Yorkshire - not home note, we were
booked into Newby Hall rally that same night.
Many very nice comments were made, someone said "boy it looks nice how
long you had it"twenty four hours' just did not seem right some how!
After the weekend a planned maintenance/work schedule was done
including someone to start working on the history, I am still trying
to piece together details of her life. At sometime she was fitted
with a towing jaw to pull a trailer pump? I was told this by a former
crew member.
We, my daughter, Kerrie, son in law Colin, two good friends Bob and
Becky and myself are hoping to get her back to "as was" condition,
when she first went into service, we've had a lot of help from the
Cornish Fire Museum, and the Fire Service Preservation Group's
members, to get details and equipment list correct, to all we are
extremely grateful.
We found this strange shape cut out and fitted onto the rear bulkhead
into which we could not fathom out what was fitted, even the fire
service people we spoke to did not know? when a builder friend came
over and said "Bolt croppers" now I have looked on the auto-jumble
and junk stalls, oops sorry valuable tool deposits, if you listen to
the stall holders, . Modern bolt cutters are not shaped like the old
models so these would not look right. I have now found an old Record
18" set and they look right..
During our searches we have found that all the Cornish Fire stations
used to have a small appliance based on them so that they could get
down the narrow streets, backed up by a large pump(s) or trailer pump
as necessary,
We have also turned up information on a Cornish Austin Champ fire
appliance now this has got our interests, having got three champs a
fire model would look nice in the collection, there are, it seems a
few different models of the "Austin Champ Firefly/Fire Armour"
appliances out there some being aircraft fire/rescue models, some
being built for the railways others for small factories. I must admit
to having a lot of enjoyment and fun trying to piece the bits together
and following up leads.
"Pip" is progressing well most of the work has been done; it's just
the getting of equipment and permission to use logos etc.
I didn't know how difficult it would be to get permission to put "Pip"
back into her old working clothes, We wanted to put the old brigade
badges back, ok using modern methods (vinyl) I wrote to the brigade to
get the ok and was refused on the grounds it might be miss used -
i.e. used as a fire appliance to gain access to properties for illegal
acts. (We might use it to rob buildings etc). This is the advice
from the police – what a sad world we live in now.
Our aim was as a mark of respect to those who served with her to save lives.
Further nights spend researching on the computer has had me driving
around the country looking at trailer pumps, and even buying a old AFS
Brockhouse trailer as I was advised this was the type! "our" gipsy
would have had?
Until I came across a Godiva Iso-speed trailer pump photo, and just
knew this was right,well over year has gone by and at The Preston Park
event 2008, a chance mention of wanting this pump type was made and a
few day's later I received a phone call from Kenny, to say he had a
pump for sale, he's only ten miles from home, a quick trip to look, it
was the correct type, so a deal was made, now we have a complete
Austin Gipsy Fire Appliance. It seems that the trailer was used by the
Army at Catterick, only 2 miles from home, so all my travels around
the country, could have been saved if I had looked on my doorstep, but
I did meet some very good, interesting and helpful people.
I have been out a few times now and what a head turner the unit is,
So, a very heart felt thanks to all of you in the FSPG, without your
support and great assistance, I would have been stuck.
I am planning to take a week's holiday in Cornwall, to look through
the archives and see if there are any photos of "pip" caught at work.
Alan Dunderdale
Footnote,
Further to this I have been informed of a wrecked swb Gipsy , I have
been to view it, "wow" its in a right state they say that it is
intended to get it back to working order! It has not been moved for
years and is almost rotten – such a shame, but good luck to them.
Whilst I was being guided around I found five more fire pump trailers
and two of these were of the type I have been after, just rotting
away. I was told that as it's a National Museum they can't sell them,
Its such a shame many people would love to look after these items
rather then see them rot.
