A crowd of upset residents gathered in Bow this morning to express their anger at the closure of the fire station after months of protest, petitioning and representations to keep it open. See our previous blogs on the campaign in Campaigns.
The demonstration was a reaction to Boris Johnson’s cuts which have seen the station in Parnell Road close at 9am today.
Labour Councillors, activists and London Assembly Member and Labour Candidate for Mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs was among the swell of dissenters keen to make their opposition known.
Across London 10 fire stations, 14 fire engines and 552 firefighters will be axed, including Bow and Whitechapel.
I bet the next step is to close St Stevens Health Centre.
With my friend John Bevan I attended a leaving party for the Fireman from Parnell Rd Fire Station last night in the Cardigan Pub.
It was pack to the rafters with Fireman old & new who had served in that particular Station. The tales & stories were flowing all night. I manage to meet again one of the Fireman who served there between the early 1960’s till 2000, he is now coming up to his 70th birthday. He also played in a football team I run at the time in the next door Hand & Flower Pub. We had a great chat about them days. What wonderful people our Fireman are. We will deeply miss them in Bow. Ray Gipson.