Crich newspaper snippets from WW2

Crich Fire Service received plaudits and complaints.

The Derby Evening Telegraph on 4 June 1940 reported that Crich was the only service with a full complement of 14 volunteers in the Belper district.

newspaper report on fire volunteers 1942

newspaper report on fire volunteers 1942

newspaper report on fire volunteers 1942

However, in August 1942, there was criticism of their misuse of the Crich Parish Rooms .

Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald 14 August 1942
Charge against N.F.S. of improper use
Complaints of improper use of the Parish Room by the N.F.S. who use it as headquarters, were made to Crich Parish Council meeting on Monday.
Mr E.A. Ashman said that the caretaker had reported to him that when he came to the room at 6 o’clock that evening he found it full of lads playing darts, and the room, which had previously arranged for that meeting was disarranged. It was not only the Fire Service, said Mr Ashman, but youths from 14 upwards. The room was becoming a darts and card gaming room and it was no place for that.
Mr Ashman also complained of the large number of electric light bulbs which were burnt out by the N.F.S., and said the caretaker had changed four that night. The N.F.S. had made a practice of taking bulbs from lighting points in an adjoining room when the bulbs in their own room burnt out. This had inconvenienced others who hire the adjoining room and it must be stopped.
The Clerk (Mr A. Haslam) observed that the Council had treated the N.F.S. with every consideration which had not been reciprocated.
Mr Ashman pointed out that the N.F.S. had to go into the adjoining room to switch on their own lights, but if they had an independent switch they would have no cause to use any other room than their own headquarters.
The motion of Mr G.E. Taylor, seconded by Mr Ashman, it was agreed to provide an independent switch for the N.F.S. room and to ask the N.F.S. to provide their own bulbs.