Past and present firefighters and their families bid a farewell to a fire station that has been at the heart of a local community for nearly a century.




Aintree Community Fire Station on Longmoor Lane first opened in 1926 and has been in continuous use as a fire station ever since. A new £40m 'super' fire station serving north Liverpool will open today on Long Lane.

The station's closure was a bittersweet moment for many of those present at the gathering yesterday evening, April 30. While they were happy to see a new station opening up, many said they felt a deep sense of attachment to the old building on Longmoor Lane.

For husband and wife Ian and Betty Marshall, the station was a "real family affair". Ian worked at the station as a firefighter from 1967 to 1977, while Betty's dad, George Cunningham was the leading fireman at the station during the war.

Betty told the ECHO: "The station's got a lot of memories for me. They used to have fantastic kids' parties there at Christmas. When I went there in 1950 with my dad, I got a teddy bear as a present, which I've still got at home."


The couple have 10 grandkids and 12 great grandkids, and Betty said "most of them have been to the station at some point. We've got so many lovely memories of the place."



Ian and Betty Marshall on the closing day of Aintree Community Fire Station.


Ian Cowan used to be the Deputy Mess Manager at the station and retired in 2006 after decades of service. He said: "I spent a third of my life here. I don't half miss it. For me, it's a sad day today. It was such a good station to work in, really buzzing. Being near the prison and the hospital, we were always busy."


At 8.30pm last night, the final watch was observed by a crowd of dozens, with a crew of firefighters clapped out as they finished their final shift.


Three generations of one family with close links to the station looked on as the crew left the building for the final time. Lisa Ambridge, whose grandfather George and uncle Peter served at the station, said she was "devastated" to see it close.

She added: " My grandad used to be the station master here and got a bravery award for saving a baby's life. I feel quite emotional about it closing."


Andy Jackson, who served at the station from 2001 to 2017, is also sad to see it go. He said: "It was a brilliant station to work at. I would have happily stayed longer if I could have. The firefighters I worked with were great. I'm really sad to see it close. It's the end of an era."

The new four-bay fire station will provide 24-hour cover and improved response times for the local community.


The Training & Development Academy and National Resilience Centre of Excellence at the same site will be opened in June.