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Source: Skegness Standard 9th August 1933
Photos: Mrs Wrate Lumley Road Post Office Skegness and C O Shepherd Skegness

Reported as ‘The most spectacular blaze in the history of the resort”.
The row of houses described in the following newspaper article is called Rainford Terrace which is on Drummond Road in Skegness.
The report says ‘ “A fiery furnace” was one description applied to the blazing premises…and those who witnessed… mentally decided that nothing could save the whole block of premises from destruction’.
The article tell us that the block was indeed saved by the Fire Services.
Rainford Terrace was owned by George F Ball, the well known auctioneer and house agent. ‘The frontage, which had a wide pavement covered with a veranda, comprises of four shops with living accommodation over. The central shop is in the occupation of Mr Leonard Swain, house furnisher, and from the shop ran a covered passageway connecting the shop with spacious furniture show rooms, warehouses, workshops etc., the latter occupying the whole of the rear area of the block’.
The article tells us about the other premises in the row: the shop on the town side of the blaze was a lock-up, known as the seacroft Pharmacy. ( Why a ‘lock-up? Did the other premises not ‘lock up‘?). This was rented by Coun Hudson..On the Seacroft side was a ladies hairdressing salon called ‘Maison Edena’, and the last house in the row was the Seacroft Dairy. We are also told that the Seacroft Garage is nearby.
This article is linked with a rare postcard of Harry Storr’s Shop in the postcard gallery. The postcard shows one of the premises in 1920s, which was occupied by Harry Storr. By the date of this article, 1933, Harry had vacated.
We need to find out now exactly which of the four shops he occupied, and if there is any evidence today of the ‘most spectacular blaze in the history of Skegness’.
Update!
I revisited the site to look for any remaining evidence of the fire.
The following photo is of all four premises which constitutes Rainford Terrace. The fire was at the third premises along the row, the far end of the building was Harry Storr’s shop (the premises on the right in the old newspaper picture).

Sorce: Skegness Standard 8th October 1952
Photo: Mrs Wrate, Skegness

Skegness Fire Station Does Not Sleep

Standing on Roman Bank, Skegness, between the Town Hall and a cinema, only a stone’s throw away from the Post Office, is that fourth vital necessity to the community - the local fire station.
The building is spotlessly clean and glistens under a new coat of the familiar red paint.
Officer in charge is Station Officer, A Moncrief, and under him are nine whole-time firemen.
For purposes of combating fire and operating the ambulance service, the two forces are today permanently linked.
Skegness is the headquarters of “E” division and under its command are units at Spilsby, Wainfleet, Alford, Horncastle and Woodhall Spa.
In addition to nine full-time firemen, there are also twelve part-time firemen and six auxiliary fire service women in Skegness. The remaining sub-stations are served by part-time personnel only.
Day and Night
Nerve-centre of the Sub-divisional Headquarters, where all calls are received and records kept, is the Skegness watch room. On the walls of this room are large-scale maps of the county and boards of perspex on which are written all pieces of information known about the call-out, be it ambulance service or fire brigade.
While the watch room is naturally manned by day and by night, the Skegness station itself is only day manned - whole-time personnel are on duty from 8am to 7pm.
After 7pm the firemen go off duty. They then become “retained” firemen, liable to be called back if need be. They are summond by either a call-bell in their own home or by a siren, both of which are operated from the station watch room.
On three evenings a week, from six to ten o’clock, the watch room is taken over by the AFS ladies, who do their spells of duty in pairs.

Modern Appliances
To fight the fires “E” division has a wide range of modern, powerful appliances, including two pump escapes, four water-tenders, five major pumps, and one light pump.
The Skegness HQ also has under its supervision four ambulances, which travel countless thousands of miles during the course of a year. They are operated by three whole-time men, with a supplement of ten retained or part-time ambulance men. The latter are telephoned in the case of an emergency.
Station-Officer Moncrief, who has been in charge since November 1950, told us: “Some people are under the impression that they have to pay if the brigade is called out. That is not so and the fire service is entirely free, Oh, and another thing, our telephone number for fire and ambulance is Skegness 981. Not everyone seems to know it, unfortunately.”

Pictured below on one of the powerful appliances are (left to right) Firemen Wilkinson, Payne and Cowham, Station Officer Moncrief and Firemen Sellars and Walker.

Source: Skegness News 1st December 1954
Photo: Paul Smith 15 Talbot Road Skegness

Skegness division of the St John Ambulance Brigade now possess this nery completely fitted Rolls Royce ambulance, formerly operated at Sheffield, which was secured a short time ago by Superintendent Sydney Sellars and other officers and members of the local Divisions. Its aquisition gives much enhanced mobility to the Divisions in their coverage of the area, and will enable the Brigade to attend urgent cases with the minimum of delay. Those who recall the emergency which arose in connection with the Lincolnshire Coast Floods twenty-two months ago will realise all that this means.

The ambulance is, of course, intended to supplement - and in no way to compete with - the work of the County Ambulance Service. At the moment the Skegness Division are in need of a sum of approximately £70 to complete the purchase and to cover essential insurance, in order to put the ambulance on the road, and it is to be hoped that this sum may shortly be forthcoming.

The ambulanve is most extensively and completely equipped, and particularly suitable for the work which it will be called upon to do.

More St John Ambulance news stories coming soon!

Source: Skegness Standard 1995/6
News story: Barbara Copperthwaite

Photo: Michael Cooper

A family’s first ever holiday turned into a nightmare after a quick dip in the sea at Chapel St Leonards [near Skegness].
They claimed a barrel containing a toxic chemical spilled into the sea burning the children as they played in the water.
Following a day on the beach playing with a ball and paddling in the sea, the Jackson family packed their belongings and intended heading for Walsh’s caravan site in Winthorpe, where they were staying.
But six-year-old Thomas tripped, grazing his knee, and was given first aid by a nearby lifeguard who told them to be careful of the sea as a barrel had just been pulled from it.
The Jacksons say they did not see anyone else warned and thought no more about it until the children started getting blisters.
Mr Nigel Jackson told the Standard: “It started on their feet.
“We thought the children’s sandals were rubbing, but it blistered everywhere else too.”
The first thing Monday morning the family went to Skegness hospital.
“The doctors weren’t sure what was wrong with the kids,” said Nigel.
“The blisters began to burst, forming painful, itchy scabs.”
On Wednesday the family again visited the hospital, where they were told to see a skin specialist when they got back to their home in Derby.
But the Jacksons were not satisfied.
“We went straight to a GP, Dr Jordan, who referred us straight to the Pilgrim Hospital, where the children were treated for chemical burns at first,” said Mrs Stephanie Jackson.
“Then tests were done and photographs taken. The kids were given antibiotics and cream.
“The kids are crying at night and can’t sleep. We won’t be coming here again - what’s the point of coming to a seaside resort when you can’t let your kids play safely on the beach? [there is no closing of the speach marks in the printed article]
When the Standard told director Mr John Yeardon of the family’s plight, he generously offered to let them in free.
East Lindsey District Council’s community and housing department was not notified until Wednesday, August 4, that a barrel with a scull and crossbones on it had been washed ashore the previous Sunday.
The drum, owned by Nalco, was removed by Messers Leigh En…
…The company was contacted by a volunteer lifeguard via the emergency telephone number printed on the side of the drum.
East Lindsey District Council stated: “Enquiries are continuing in order to determine how the drum arrived on this leisure beach on a busy summer weekend.”
Local Greenpeace spokeswoman, Mrs Val Wrate said: “The Skegness group feels that some sort of procedure should be adopted, as the North Sea has been used as a dumping ground for years.”
She added that she felt that such incidents were bound to get more common.
East Lindsey’s head of leisure and tourism, Mr Bob Suich, said the lifeguards, who are part of the Chapel St Leonards parish council staff, which owns the beach, had acted responsibly by calling in a contractor to clear the container and a part of the beach around it.
He also countered criticism by Greenpeace that the sea had been used as a dumping ground by taking a televised dip off the Chapel beach.
“There really is no danger in swimming off the coast. It has passed all the tests. The only way to prove it is to swim in it, which is what I have done.”

Photo: Two year old Dale Jackson with mother Stephanie, shows the painful blisters he has suffered.