Peterborough Volunteer Brigade to celebrate 140 years of history with special evening

Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade will mark its glorious 140-year history with a special anniversary celebration this month.

The event at the Buckingham Suite at the Holiday Inn will celebrate the history of the unique service which offers such a vital service to the city and its residents.

Formed by a group of Peterborough businessmen – who believed the efforts of the existing fire brigade, the Corporation Brigade, were ineffective in putting out a fire at Peterborough Infirmary in 1884 – the Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade is the only volunteer fire service in the country.

It has operated as an independent, private fire brigade throughout its 140-year history, despite events such as in 1941 when over 1,600 separate fire brigades merged into the National Fire Service, and when the fire service returned to local authority control in 1948.

The Volunteer Fire Brigade has been responsible for putting out some of the biggest fires in the city - including Peterborough Cathedral in 2001 and the inferno at the Greyhound Stadium in 1999.

The service is based on Bourges Boulevard after moving from its former King Street Station in 1984.

The current Station Commander is Anthony Gould, who commands a force of nine firefighters.

Tickets to the event can black tie event on June 22 are priced at £40 and can be booked online here.

To give people a look behind the curtain at what the fire service does, the station is hosted an open day complete with fire engines, demonstrations, a 999 simulator, merchandise, food and drink and more on Sunday July 28 between 10am and 3pm.