20/02/2026
Slater’s Lorries to Toward View
🚒 THE STORY OF SKELMORLIE’S FIREFIGHTERS🚒
Ever wondered about the history behind our local fire station? It’s a story of local grit, evolving from a "taxi-and-ladder" operation run by tradesmen into the high-tech modern response unit we see today.
1. The "Slater’s Brigade" (1936)
Before Skelmorlie had a dedicated red engine, we had something much more "village-style." In 1936, the fire service was essentially a DIY operation run by a local contractor and slater (the Lamb family).
There was no purpose-built station; instead, when a fire broke out, the slater’s business lorries were pressed into service. These flatbeds—usually loaded with stone and timber—would be cleared, and the "fire kit" (heavy canvas hoses and manual pumps) would be thrown on the back. The "firemen" were often the same men who had been up on a roof laying slates an hour earlier! They’d jump on the back, clinging to the rails as the lorry roared up the steep Skelmorlie hills.
2. The War Years & The Lorne Garage
During WWII (1941–1948), Skelmorlie became part of the National Fire Service. The village was on high alert during the Greenock Blitz, with our local Auxiliary Firemen standing ready as families fled the city into the safety of our hills.
For decades, the brigade was based in rented, cramped premises at the Lorne Garage on Golf Course Road. It was a legendary squeeze—not exactly the state-of-the-art facility the crew deserved, but it served the village faithfully through the South Western and Strathclyde Fire Brigade eras.
3. The Modern Era: Toward View (1980)
The station we know today on Innes Park Road (now Toward View) was a major investment for the village. It wasn’t an easy build; in 1978, engineers had to remove massive amounts of peat and install complex drainage before the first brick could be laid.
• Opened: 3rd November 1980 by Councillor James McGuire.
• The Cost: The site prep alone was £20,000, with the building costing another £113,500—a huge sum at the time!
• The Design: It was built as a "one-level" prototype station, meant to be a model for small coastal villages across Scotland.
4. The "Pulse of the Village": The Siren
Before the days of modern pagers, the Skelmorlie Fire Siren was the heartbeat of the community. Mounted on the station, its electrical wail could be heard across the water and deep into the back hills. It was the signal for our "Retained" crew—neighbours with day jobs—to drop everything and race to the station. While pagers took over in the 90s, many of us still remember those test blasts that would stop the village in its tracks.
5. Famous Faces & Big Blazes
Over the years, the station has been led by local legends like Sub-Officer James Lamb, William McConnell, and John Walker.
The crew has tackled some of our area’s biggest moments:
• The devastating 1977 Wemyss Bay Station & Pier fire.
• The recurring "Back Hill" gorse fires (like the major blaze in April 2025).
From the Austin K2 heavy pumps of the 40s to today’s Scania P280 rescue pump, our firefighters have seen it all. A huge thank you to the men and women who have carried those pagers (and those slater's ladders!) over the last 90 years.
Does anyone have old photos of the "Slater lorries" or memories of the station at the Lorne Garage? We’d love to see them in the comments! 👇
Hear the Siren: Facebook.com/reel/537368892133640
Photos courtesy of Lloyd Baillie, David Carnduff & Mark McKlinoch. Slater truck photo is a realistic AI Construct using correct model of lorry.
Thanks to Robert Cathcart for originally posting this in the Facebook group - Old pictures of Skelmorlie and Wemyss Bay.
