Fireman Charlie is back at station

10:10pm Wednesday 27th August 2008

A FORMER firefighter celebrated his 90th birthday — by returning to his old stomping ground.

Charlie Savage was a fireman for nearly 30 years before he retired in 1974.

He joined the brigade when he left the Army after World War Two.

He worked at the station in Marsden Road, Bolton, and then at Bolton Central, in Moor Lane, when it opened in 1971.

On his birthday last Friday, he went back to see how things had changed at Bolton Central fire station, with his wife Betty, daughter Pauline, son-in-law Bob, granddaughter Kirstin, and three great-grandchildren: Rebecca, aged 12, Olivia, aged eight, and Jake, aged three.

His daughter, Pauline Smith, said: “He hadn’t been back to the fire station since he retired and he had a brilliant time.

“The firefighters took him on a tour of the station, showed him the new equipment and even gave him a cake and a present.

“They were lovely with him and seemed as interested in his stories as he was in theirs and they got out some old photos for everyone to have a look at.”

Mr Savage, who lived in Hall Lane, Farnworth, now lives in Ingleton, Yorkshire.

He was a sergeant in the Royal Artillery during the war and was awarded the British Empire medal for his bravery for his part in the D-Day landing.

When he joined the fire service, he was one of the first firefighters in Bolton to use the “Simon Snorkel”, a new extending ladder which could reach higher buildings.

He went on to train other firefighters in how to use it.

lucy.ewing@theboltonnews.co.uk