Express & Star

Former firefighter takes step back in time on special tour of 'hidden' station in Dudley

A former firefighter has travelled back in time to a perfectly preserved, hidden fire station discovered in a Dudley factory.

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Michael Jewkes, now 80, said it was an 'emotional' tour around his old workplace, which has remained untouched for 60 years, and only recently been uncovered inside the Alan Nuttall Partnership factory on Hall Street.

His name was one of those on jackets still hanging at the secret station, set up by his old employer the Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS) to tackle any fires that might arise in the course of manufacturing items for the local Co-Op stores.

It was after his granddaughter spotted the story on the Express & Star website that Michael's journey back to his past began, all the way from his current home in Lowestoft.

Michael explained: "All the family are originally from the area. My granddaughter lives in Yeovil, but she still reads the Express & Star online. She saw the story about it being discovered and told me.

"I called the number and spoke to Anna at the Alan Nuttall Partnership Trust, and they arranged for me to come and visit."

He added: "When I heard about it I became excited. I must admit, I was like a two-year-old child with a stick of rock. I couldn't believe it after all this time."

However nothing could have prepared Michael for just how much remained intact, almost as if it had been frozen in time, down to the neatly rolled-up canvas hoses still on the walls.

Particularly evocative for him was seeing all the names of his own comrades scrawled in chalk above the jackets.

"Going back I could hear all of the voices, and all of the banter. I could remember the nicknames. I was very tall so they used to call me Little Mike, like Little John in Robin Hood," he said.

"I hadn't been back for 54 years. It was very emotional. I was remembering all of my comrades. We used to look out for each other, like a big family."

Michael explained how between 1960 and 1964 he worked at the factory making safes for the supermarkets, but twice a week he would go for training as a firefighter in the company's small brigade of about 25.

This included learning life-saving skills such as resuscitation, but Michael was relieved that he never had to put this into practice. "The biggest job we had was probably when the paint shop caught fire, and the van was set alight. But fortunately everyone was out safely," he said.

Nevertheless he and his comrades proved their mettle in a competition with other Co-op forces, with Michael himself named overall champion. A certificate in recognition of this remained on display in the room. "I was very proud to be part of the brigade," added Michael.

Before joining CWS, Michael had worked in local hospitals, and after his stint as a firefighter he returned to the medical sector and continued as an operating theatre technician until his retirement. He now lives in Suffolk with his wife Patricia.

Delighted that he had made the trip back to Dudley, he said: "It was a trip back into my past. I want to say a big thank you to Anna and the Alan Nuttall Partnership for organising it all. I believe they are going to be looking into the New Year about making it part of the Black Country Living Museum. I hope they do."

Confirming they were in talks with the museum about the possibility, Anna Bamford of the Alan Nuttall Partnership factory who organised the trip, said: "We have been delighted to welcome Michael back, someone that remembers the fire brigade and the factory. When he walked through the door he really brought it to life. He was sitting on the benches talking about his old friends, and it has been really special to be able to give him that opportunity."

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