A retired firefighter who dedicated 30 years to the job said the service is “unrecognisable” to when he first joined.
Neil Sinclair, 51, completed his last day as watch manager at Kingston fire station last Tuesday, and spent some time reflecting on his accomplishments.
Since joining Hammersmith as a sprightly 21-year-old, he has worked in New Malden, north Kent and various south-west London fire stations, including Sanderstead, where he spent three months before it closed down.
The Croydon resident first signed up in 1979, after a friend at his rugby club encouraged him to give it a go, but he never expected to serve until his retirement.
He said: “I shall be very sad to leave all my children, my comrades, on the green watch. I think it’s the best watch in the London fire brigade.”
Colleague Shaun Bishop said: “He’s the best guvnor we’ve had.”
Some of Mr Sinclair’s toughest jobs have been recorded in a book called City Ablaze.
They include a call-out to Alexandra Palace in July 1980, which resulted in £31m worth of damage as 200 firefighters battled to save the historic venue.
He was also involved in fighting a gangland arson attack in Chinatown, back in August 1982, and in 2006 he was on scene to fight a fire so fierce the smoke forced the Wimbledon Tennis Championships tennis to close.
As exciting as all that sounds, he said the best part of his job was the people and the thanks he got for the small things.
He said: “I was a child when I joined and it was great. It was so different because we kept a very low profile back then.
“The biggest change is the community fire safety that we go out and do now. There was none of that then.
“There were more fires too. London was a different place, there were lots of derelict buildings - even old bomb sites. Can you imagine seeing that now?”
Looking to the future, Mr Sinclair plans to travel and has already booked a two-week solo trip to India. Ever the adventurer, he will also embark on a mountaineering leader’s course.
His 30 years climbing ladders and buildings has obviously given him a taste for heights.
Simon Brownings, Kingston station manager, described him as a close friend and said: “He was a valuable member of the team who will be sorely missed.”
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