22 December 2005

Firefighters from Waddesdon Fire Station staged their 27th annual Christmas party for the village’s children on Saturday.

More than 100 boys and girls aged between five and 10 attended the party at Waddesdon Village Hall. They were treated to a Christmas tea, entertainment and a present from Father Christmas, whose attendance was arranged by one of Waddesdon’s retired firefighters.

Sub Officer Mark Richards from Waddesdon Fire Station - who remembers attending one of the parties when he was a child - said: “We raised money all year so that we could put on this party. We also had tremendous support for this year’s event from The Lion public house, who we would like to thank.

“It’s wonderful to see the community come together at times like this. The children clearly enjoyed themselves and it was a really special day for the firefighters too.”

Waddesdon’s firefighters are members of Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service’s retained establishment. This means they live locally and serve their community by being called into the fire station by pager so that they can attend emergencies.

If you would like to find out more about being a retained firefighter at Waddesdon, please ring Mark on 07879 435070, send an email to wad@bucksfire.gov.uk or turn up at one of the station’s drill nights, which take place on Tuesdays from 7pm to 9pm.