In April 2004 we officially moved into our fantastic Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ premises, kindly provided by GMAS, as was, now NWAS and complimenting our garage facilities still maintained to this day at Bolton Central Fire Station, courtesy of GMFRS.

Our ’LBH’ premises were thoroughly given the make over treatment, largely by team members prior to our moving in, and in the four years since some minor decorating and touch up paint repairs have become more and more apparent, including in our seperate toilet and washroom/shower facilities building.

Today a small group of team members started on this task to keep our Base / HQ up to its usual pristine high standard.

Now four years down the line since we last touched the paint and emulsion, what was left in our stores was found to have dried out, so team members Elaine Gilliland and Peter Heeley journeyed to Leyland Decorating Centre in Bridgeman Street, Bolton, in one of our Team Landrover Ambulances to collect new decorating materials.

Arriving at Leyland Decorating Centre the two were helped by a kind sales assistant, who asked whether our two team members recognised her ?
Both said yes but could not place where from.

The assistant ’revealed’ herself as Jackie Mather, sister of Andrew Smith who sadly drowned in Anglezarke Reservoir on 14th May this year in an incident that involved our team and the other emergency services, it was then that our team members recognised her from her visit to the team on June 18th this year.

Elaine and Peter asked of Jackie how she and her family were coping since Andrews very tragic death. (see our Incident 57 / 2008)

Upon taking the materials they needed to the payment desk, Peter Hughes, Leyland Decorating Centre Manager proceeded to put the materials straight through the till and charged us nothing, stating that aware of our involvement in the tragic accident that befell Jackies brother, Andrew Smith, his Decorating Centre was very happy to donate all the materials we required completely free of charge as a donation to the work we do.

The entire team membership would like to thank Sales Assistant Jackie Mather and Centre Manager Peter Hughes for their kindness and ready willingness to help the team, and through our website we would like to officially register our thanks to PPG Architectural Coatings UK Limited, Johnstone’s Leyland Decorating Centre, Unit 2, Bridgeman Street, Bolton, BL3 6BS for their very valued and very generous kind support of the team.