Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service Past Members Association

12/09/2026

VISITING AN OLD FRIEND AND WORK COLLEAGUE - IN GERMANY
By Claire Hayden

From an account of their current travels through Europe, spending a few days with Gunther - “Niall and I spent the afternoon swinging the lamp, so they say. Niall & Gunther used to work together at Copnor Fire Station in the 1990’s, before Gunther went to work at Cerne in Switzerland. So much has happened in those years, it’s hard to catch up. Maybe some of our Fire Service friends out there will remember him.

He had me in stitches recalling the first time he put a Stop Message back on the radio. Bearing in mind ‘R’ & ‘W’ are the most difficult sounds for a German to pronounce, so saying ‘HRFS righted a vehicle’ came out as ‘HWFS wighted a wehicle’, and Control phoned Copnor Fire Station to tell them to stop mucking around and putting on a false accent. He took a hell of a lot of stick in those days, and survived to tell the tale”.

11/09/2026

10/09/2026

03/09/2026

Hythe Fire Station September Breakfast Catch Up 😋🚒

31/08/2026

“I’ve got so much to be grateful for, including three amazing grandchildren, but every now and again I’d get those down days where I’d think about what could have been,” Steve says.

It’s a phrase he now lives by, after years spent rebuilding his life following a devastating accident that ended both his role as an on‑call firefighter with Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service and his career as a lorry driver.

During one of those difficult periods, Steve discovered our online wellbeing courses.

“It really appealed to me because I could do it from home, in my own time,” he says. “It almost felt like it reset my brain.”

Sound interesting? Explore the Online Wellbeing Hub: https://ow.ly/9u9c50ZGyF5

31/08/2026

CALLING ALL WITH A CONNECTION TO WI******ER FIRE STATION

After last year’s very well supported Wi******er Fire Station 1947 Club reunion at Wi******er Rugby Club, we have been offered the corresponding date - Friday 20th November - to do it all again!

Open to anyone with a connection Brigade wide including Workshops ( partners very welcome)

Please thumbs up or down to gauge interest (Steve Barrow)

27/08/2026

We are pleased to invite firefighters and their families for a free day out this August Bank Holiday! ☀️

As a special thank you for their efforts tackling the recent New Forest wildfire, Beaulieu is inviting members of the Fire and Rescue Service and their families to enjoy a free together day out over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

From Saturday 29 to Monday 31 August, members can present their staff ID card on arrival at Beaulieu to receive free admission for themselves and their family*, after what has been an extremely busy and challenging summer for them. 🌿👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Find out more about this special offer – www.beaulieu.co.uk/news/beaulieu-invites-firefighters-and-their-families-for-a-free-day-out-this-august-bank-holiday/

We look forward to seeing you this bank-holiday weekend! ☀️🚗🏰

(*A family consists of 2 adults and up to 3 children or 1 adult and up to 4 children.)

27/08/2026

🚒 Around 35 firefighters from across the Isle of Wight were called to a derelict building blaze in Ryde overnight.

Smoke was issuing when crews arrived on the scene before the fire spread into the roof of the building.

Read more 👉 https://bit.ly/RydeFireAug26

27/08/2026

⚠️ Crews on the Isle of Wight are currently tackling a fire within a derelict building on Lind Street in Ryde.

We ask that you stay away from the scene and for local residents to close doors and windows due to the smoke in the area.