MEMORIES were rekindled when 20 former and serving firefighters from Ringwood gathered for a special reunion.

The reunion was held at the Fish Inn.

One of the firefighters in attendance was Harold Brockway who joined the Hampshire Fire Service in the early 1960s.

Three former Ringwood fire chiefs, Reg Witherington, Frank Hutchins and Ian McAdam, were also present as well as several leading firemen.

The combined service of everyone at the reunion exceeded 600 years as the majority were in the fire service for more than 30 years.

The event was jointly organised by Dawn Taylor, wife of Dave Taylor a leading fireman, who joined in 1967 and retired in 1999.

Dave said: “It was wonderful to see so many old faces and we reminisced over many incidents that we attended together.”

Incidents Ringwood firefighters have attended over the years have included the fire at the Old Mill House Hotel on the Bickerley in 1972, huge forest fires in the New Forest and Dorset in 1976 and at Bratley Arch in 1989, large blazes at the Esso Refinery at Fawley in the 1970s and 80s, the Mercantile Credit fire at Basingstoke in 1991 plus special service calls including rescues from flooding and road accidents.

It is hoped the get-togethers will become a regular occurrence and expand the events to bring in colleagues from neighbouring fire stations.

Pictured from left to right are Ian McAdam, Adrian Johnson, Noddy Smith, Mark Christopher, Micky Briggs, Pete Allum, Frank Hayles, Andy Fox, Steve Smith, Dave Taylor, Ron Grigg, Dick Lindsay, Frank Hutchins, George Faulkner, Reg Witherington, Norman White, Harold Brockway, Steve Lockyer, Dick Miles and Barry Hose.