Dear Supporter
It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to you as Chair of the Friends for the last time. After many years the time has now come to conclude our support of the Museum.
For those of you who are not aware of the history of the Friends organisation, it was set up by a group of ex firefighters and enthusiasts when the LFB Museum at Southwark came under threat of closure by the Fire Authority. Following a long campaign of lobbying and canvassing by the Friends, many other individuals and fire related groups, the Fire Authority decided to keep the Museum open. Unfortunately, celebrations were short-lived, as a change in the Fire Authority resulted in the museum and fire station at Southwark being sold off. Once again, the Friends were called into action to protect the Fire Brigades history. Discussions took place with the senior management and museum staff which resulted in the artefacts being taken into a storage facility until the new Museum was built at the former HQ building at 8 Albert Embankment.
The Museum has now been closed for 12 years, during which time the Friends have been in regular conversation with the LFB Museum Team and the Commissioner about the role of the Friends in supporting the Museum. Unfortunately, it took many years and changes within the senior management of the LFB for a Memorandum of Understanding to be agreed and signed by both parties.
The MOU produced a complete sea change in how the Friends were perceived and resulted in both organisations working together to take part in the London Design Week event hosted at Shoreditch Fire Station in September 2022. The Friends were asked to provide fire appliances and equipment from the last 150 years to showcase how design changes had benefited the modern firefighter. The Friends were able to meet this challenge and produced one of the best displays of firefighting apparatus seen in the City of London for many years and received many plaudits from the public, the media and members of the design community.
Unfortunately, instead of using this event to be a springboard for both organisations to move forward, it resulted in the complete opposite. Within a short space of time, further changes in LFB management resulted in the Friends being sidelined and relationships became strained. The Friends found the terms of the MOU became untenable, which resulted in the withdrawal of our support.
In conclusion, I would like to pay tribute to all my colleagues who have supported the Friends over the years by the giving of their time, energy and monies. I thank them all and hope that at some time in the future, once the Museum has been built, an opportunity will be found for the Friends to be reconstituted and carry out their role in promoting the Brigades unique history to current and future generations.
David Rogers
Chair
Friends of the London Fire Brigade Museum
We are a team of volunteers dedicated in supporting the London Fire Brigade Museum and the history of the London Fire Brigade
David Rogers, Chairman
The History
The Museum was previously located in Winchester House, Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1. It was the former home of Captain Sir Eyre Massey Shaw and the former headquarters of the London Fire Brigade until this was moved to Lambeth in 1937. This complex also housed Southwark Training Centre and Southwark Fire Station within its grounds. The Museum covered the history of firefighting in London since the Great Fire of London in 1666 and its collection contained many thousands of artifacts, uniforms, paintings, equipment and appliances spanning many hundreds of years.
Due to the sale and potential redevelopment of the site, the Fire Station closed in January 2014, the Training Centre in May 2015 and the Museum sadly closed its doors in September 2015.
The Future
The London Fire Brigade are looking to relocate the Museum within the former London Fire Brigade Headquarters at 8 Albert Embankment, Lambeth, London SE1.
We will keep you updated on the plans for the new Museum as they unfold.
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