Firemen get on bikes to restore an old engine
THREE firefighters got on their bikes to help restore an old fire engine in 1981.
The 1936 Leyland Tiger Cub appliance – a cherished possession for the Witney crew – was in need of new tyres and a new exhaust as part of a restoration project.
So the three firefighters – left to right, sub officer Gordon Skeats, leading fireman George Houghton and Fireman Mervyn Jewell – decided to stage a sponsored bike ride with the aim of raising £800.
Their planned route on June 7, 1981, was from Witney to Banbury and back, a total of 50 miles.
They were not regular cyclists but were prepared to try anything for the sake of the old machine, which was on the road for 30 years before being replaced by modern appliances in 1967.
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