Fire company donates special hoses to local steam enthusiasts

CHINNOR & Princes Risborough Railway have benefited from a donation of specialised new water hoses, following a chance remark from a Thame firefighter’s wife.

On Saturday, July 10, Charles Boon, who manages Thame makers of fire fighting equipment, Kidde’s Hose and Foam department, presented three new red hoses to CPRR, after his company specially re-jigged a disused loom for the job.

Thame firefighter Andy Ford’s wife Nicki had earlier joined Kidde employers and their families for a steam train ride on the old GWR engine 1369. She explained how the donation came about:

“I happen to be Charles Boon’s PA at Kidde,” she explained, “and one day I just happened to be discussing an exercise Andy and the other Thame fire officers had been involved in, on the line near Chinnor station. I related how Andy had noticed that the Railway’s water hoses were looking a bit threadbare and leaky and obviously Charles had picked up on this and was soon organising for Kidde to make some replacements.”

So now CPRR had three spanking new, red hoses that should last as least as long as the ones, which were themselves second hand in the 1960s.

The CPRR line and station has been used as a film location on many occassions including an episode of Midsomer Murders, called Death by chocoalate box, an episode of Miss Marples, and recently a film involving actor, Brian Blessed. Filming is a useful income for the CPRR.