Nottscops and the Fire-fighters' Strike

If there is one thing that Nottscops are really good at, then it's doing other people's jobs for them!...especially if those other people down tools and go on strike leaving the public in dire straits. This certainly happened in 1977 when the National Union of Firefighters declared a national strike, withdrawing their services throughout the country.

Nottscops were mainly involved in "pathfinding" for the armed services who manned the ancient Bedford "Green Goddess" fire engines but on a number of occasions the police were tasked with fighting fires themselves. All the Traffic Wing Crash Tenders were fitted out with water fire-extinguishers and Traffic Wing Support Group Officers received emergency breathing apparatus training from fire officers who were not on strike. Additionally, limited resources of breathing apparatus owned by Notts Police Underwater Search Unit was carried on one of the Crash Tenders.

The Army, RAF and Navy were billeted at various Territorial Army Bases throughout the county and one traffic officer, (usually a motocyclist) was on permanent duty with them to escort them to the fires as none of the military knew their way around Nottinghamshire.

I recall one day when I was tasked to provide pathfinder duties to some RAF lads who were at the TA Centre on Cavendish Road, Carlton. We had a shout to a reported fire at Arnold. "Scramble!! scramble! - Fire, Fire!...don't panic, Mr Mannering - Tally Ho, chaps! " (The RAF talked like that, you know - not like the Army who were much rougher!)

I shouted to the Green Goddess driver, "Follow me, Arnold's not far away" and watched as all these RAF firefighters climbed into their museum piece of a fire engine and crank it into life. ("Chocks away!) I booted up my Granada Patrol car and with blue lights and two-tones on, I sped out of the TA centre towards Arnold preparing the busy way ahead for our gallant heroes. After a minute I looked in my mirror to see how they were doing and saw nothing!....."Sh*t, where the hell have they gone? Surely if the RAF can find German dams to bomb they should be able to follow a police car!"
I pulled into the side of the road and waited...and waited. With no radio, I couldn't check up on them so I decided to turn round and go back to try and find them. I drove practically all the way back to the TA centre to see the Green Goddess crawling at about 10mph up Cavendish Road. Nobody told me that they could only do about 20mph flat out! I think the house we were travelling to either burnt down or the residents had killed the fire with buckets but I seem to recall that we never made it to the fire- ground.

Another Nottscop involved in the strike campaign was Chris Akers:

" I remember doing quite few escorts during the strike. I manned the Emergency Tender which was despatched to a fire on the initial call, assess it, put it out or called for more help – the Green Goddess. Being a member of the Force Swimming Team and Life Saving Team I was considered a suitable or even gullible (more apt) volunteer for breathing apparatus training by Pc Bob Collington of the Underwater section. I remember volunteering quite clearly – I had my arm twisted up the middle of my back by a Sergeant!!!!    

I remember doing escorts mainly from Triumph Road TA Centre, Chilwell Depot and Carlton TA Centre but these were taken on by motorcyclists after a short while. 

My first call was on 15^th October 1977 which was the first night of the strike. Smoke was seen coming from the basement of the old Ice Rink in the Nottingham. I was despatched with a Green Goddess appliance from Carlton TA Centre over Carlton Hill into the City. That bit took an age as they were not the quickest vehicle on the road at the time but on the downhill side into the City things got very hairy. The crew of the Green Goddess (Army I think) began hanging out of the cab waving to me as if to go faster. We travelled over Carlton Road/Porchester Road traffic lights at breakneck speed (AT RED!!!!) On arrival at the Ice Rink a very nervous crew emerged from the appliance and the reason for the waving became apparent……… 

On travelling down Carlton Road the brakes faded to a point that they were not working and with all the water on board and no baffles in the water tanks made the appliance go faster. They were in fact telling me not to stop as they could not!!! The only thing that stopped the Goddess was the slope of Barker Gate outside the Ice Stadium!! We had gone through a number of traffic lights at red with an appliance totally out of control.

 One other incident I remember was around Christmas 1977 where I was sent to a large house on fire in the Canning Circus area. It was a very windy night and on being first there went into the house (with breathing apparatus) and escorted what seemed to be 50 adults and kids from the house. After the evacuation I remember standing on the road covered in soot, smoke coming off my tunic and coughing my lungs up. A uniform Inspector from the local station was standing in front of me holding onto his hat in a gale force wind ranting and raving about me not wearing my uniform hat in public !!!  I was quite speechless, which, for people who know me is unusual!! A reply did not seem appropriate as that would have got me into more trouble. Quite something as it is not often you see officers wearing hats at all these days!!! 

Seriously I went to many incidents especially road accidents which were fatal and it was a miracle that there were no large scale fatalities from fires or otherwise. The Green Goddess appliance was a death trap constructed from aluminium sheeting on a wooden frame fitted to a chassis. The water tanks had no baffles so the water just slopped about. The two tone horns and blue lights were fitted later replacing a flashing orange light. I managed to drive one and they were a pig – no fancy power steering. The crews were magnificent in their professionalism and just got on with the job – no moaning etc. 

I get quite nostalgic whenever I see one and now they are being sold off as surplus – I wonder…………………………………………?

The only really big fire in Nottingham I remember was the Nottingham City Transport Bus Garage on Southwell Road, Nottingham going up. There is a photograph of then Pc Mick Strong complete with hose pipe putting out the flames. This appeared in the force newspaper . The fire did a lot of damage.

I seem to remember a breakaway Fire Brigade crew at West Bridgford broke ranks and ‘nicked’ an appliance taking it to Ruddington. They were subjected to a lot of abuse when the strike ended and I think they were all forced out eventually. Quite sad nowadays.

Sadly I have no photographs of this time which I do regret. All I have is memories but it was a happy time even though very dangerous at times. I seem to remember the No.1 record around that time was 2 4 6 8 Motorway. "