A new shed, still waiting to move in

In June 1977 the brigade asked for a wider doorway: the tanker had only five inches of clearance on either side of its mirrors. Council’s November reply offered a larger answer, announcing approval for a two-bay station, subject to permission to build on the existing site.

Tenders were considered in May 1978 with an eight-week completion period. A July builder’s account described the building as practically completed. But the dated letters and the finished building were not the whole operational story.

Norm Bent’s letter of 3 October 1978, preserved as a scan, explains that there was still no concrete access pad from the fence line to the shed. Even once laid, it would need time to cure. The brigade’s two vehicles and ancillary equipment were stored at separate locations some distance away, making a prompt turnout harder.

The same letter says shelves and window screens could not yet be installed because the brigade did not know whether the builder had formally handed over the shed. By December, a more cheerful letter reported improved attendance at meetings and working bees. The official opening was arranged for 9 March 1979.