History

On Sunday, Yvonne Ruddock should have celebrated her 56th birthday. Tragically, she never saw another one beyond her 16th. 40 years ago, Yvonne and her friend Angela Jackson hosted a birthday party at her home at 439 New Cross Road - a well-attended event packed with their friends who had gathered...

Ella Jane Pollard, a firefighter’s daughter, wrote her university degree dissertation on women’s involvement in the British fire service and the Fire Brigades Union between 1939 and 1945. This is an edited extract. The Fireman’s Blitz is a term some across the service might be familiar with...

October is Black History Month, a time in which people come together to celebrate the incredible contribution of people from the black community and to reflect on our shared history. These extracts from FBU history record the life of one notable black firefighter, George Arthur Roberts, a pioneering...

In 1980, a fire at a London hostel laid bare the brutality of Margaret Thatcher's Britain and the government's failed housing and fire safety policies. Dr Shane Ewen looks back at the fire and remembers the victims. In the early hours of 18 March 1980, residents in Kilburn, North London were woken...

The Fire Brigades Union has, for the first time, made the acclaimed documentary film, ‘The Firefighters’ Story: 100 years of the Fire Brigades Union’ available online, premiering on YouTube this week. The hour-long film, narrated by actress Sue Johnston of Royle Family fame, traces the history of...

This year marks the 200 th anniversary of a key event for democracy and the trade union movement in Britain – one that was brushed under history’s carpet for many years. David Wibberley tells the story…. It was a peaceful rally to call for political reform. It ended in a bloodbath in which 18 people...

Dr Shane Ewen tells Jeff’s story as a reminder of the sacrifices firefighters make to protect their local communities and his significance in the union’s campaign for improved firefighter safety across the service. On 10 July 1003, 36 years ago, firefighter Jeff Naylor died as a result of burns...