on the button Issue 47 | Page 12

three counties column

Each month Richard Knight will feature an item from Three Counties Hospital from his collection of history and memorabilia. This month is Part 1 of a
feature on the Three Counties Asylum Fire Brigade
Fire was a constant threat at the Three Counties Asylum, There was such an abundance of naked flames from open fires, chimneys, gas lights, gas cookers and personal smoking that the outbreak of fire was imminent. The asylum was built in such a rural location it had to be prepared to fight its own fires at a moment’ s notice. There were no fully skilled professional firemen employed at the asylum, the fire brigade was made up from non-uniformed attendants who worked there, these men had minimal training and fought many fires to the best of their abilities with the minimum amount of equipment at their disposal.
Above: a colourised black and white photo of the Three Counties Fire Brigade
Original adverts for the“ Corridor” Fire Engine( left) and the“ Tozer” Engine( below)
To combat any outbreak of fire the asylum had many internal and external underground fire hydrants, the idea being a hose could be quickly attached outside and the natural water pressure would produce a jet of water adequate enough to kill the flames, this worked sufficiently well outside if there was a roof or chimney fire.
To fight any outbreak of fire in the wards the asylum had internal hydrants, sand and water buckets along with two corridor engines and eleven Tozer engines supplied by Messrs Merryweather at a cost of £ 66.4.0 the asylum turned the internal water tower supply off between the hours of 7.00pm and 6.00am. This meant the inside hydrants would be rendered useless as these were only connected to the internal water tower supply, this situation put the asylum in a very precarious and dangerous situation.
The Tozer and Corridor appliances did not actually have an engine, they were a portable pump system which held its own water supply( approximately ten gallons per fill) These could be operated by a single person but worked better with two as one man or woman could operate the pump while the other pointed the hose at the flames.
In 1897 it was reported that these appliances had worked very satisfactory in the hands of the fire brigade
One big problem was the hydrant fittings inside the asylum, these were a different size to the external hydrants, this meant the hoses internally and externally could not be connected together if they were needed to make a very long hose extension.
Next month part 2 of the story on Three Counties Fire Brigade.

Arlesey Town Football Club

Arlesey Town Football Club is a members owned, volunteer run football club based in Arlesey, Bedfordshire. Founded in 1891, its senior team plays in the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One Central which is at Steps 4 of the National League System.
Upcoming Fixtures
Pre-Season Friendlies Saturday, 9th July 2016, 3:00pm, Arlesey Town v Stevenage Borough Thursday, 14th July 2016, 7:45pm, Arlesey Town v Hemel Hempstead Tuesday, 19th July 2016, 7:45pm, Arlesey Town v Leighton Town Saturday, 23rd July 2016, 3:00pm, Arlesey Town v Dunstable Town The Club plays its football at the aRMadillo Stadium, Hitchin Road, Arlesey, Bedfordshire, SG15 6RS
Treasurer Needed The Club is actively seeking a Treasurer to take control of the financial aspects of the club and be an active member of the committee. The role would be on a volunteer basis only but would provide a unique insight into how a football club works and allow you to take pride
in it’ s success! If you are interested in football and would like to be involved in the running of a small club in this capacity, please contact Rory McLerie on 077-6969-4358.
Rock Against Cancer Arlesey Town Football Club are proud to support and host this unique all day family event on Saturday, 30th July 2016. The event will include:
• 10 live bands • Fairground rides • Magic Man, raffle
• Stalls, food wagon and Ice Cream van • 3 licensed bars Tickets are £ 6 in advance or £ 8 on the day( under 16’ s – FREE entry when accompanied by an adult). Tickets will be Issued as Wrist Bands and are available from: A Bite To Eat, 2 Hitchin Road, Arlesey Frontline Auto Centre, Unit 1b, Portland Industrial Estate, Arlesey Members Bar, Arlesey Town Football Club, Hitchin Road, Arlesey Pitstop Burger Van, A507( Between Stotfold & Baldock, Westbound)
Function Suite for Hire In addition to its Members Bar, Arlesey Town Football Club has a Function Suite available for hire suitable for all types of events. Catering for groups up to 150 and with a fully stocked bar, the venue is perfect for private parties. Please call 01462-734-504 for more information or to make bookings.
12 on the button issue 47 July 2016 | 01462 834265 | steve @ onthebuttonarlesey. co. uk | www. on-the-button. co. uk