In the days of standby working all 999 calls from the public or GPs were sent straight to the station or if it was after hours to the house of the crew member on call. If the ambulance driver was out on a call it was then left to his wife to organise what was going to happen .For every standby my mother covered she received the huge sum of 5/- (25p) and for this she was often left arranging vehicles to deal with accidents and all types of illness.

 RJR 251 And RJR 247, An Old Alnwick Morris.

 My father always knew that I would love to be in the ambulance service at Alnwick, but with him being the Station officer, he thought it better not being there whilst he was at the helm, or try to get on to another station where I would not be told that I was getting favours (which I can tell you without any doubt would, not happen ) In May 1974 my father had to retire due to ill health and died in July 1975.

 Virtually 20 years to the day after my father started on the ambulances I started my basic training and was based at Alnwick from October 1978 as a moveable day worker, which in short meant I was a relief worker, covering holidays and sickness on the full rota. This carried on until April 1982 when at that time a new ambulance station was opened, standby was finished  and a 24 hour rota was devised  and  much to my pleasure I became part of it. I worked on Accident and Emergency until 1990 before completing my paramedic training.

We now have 10 a/e staff and 5 patient transport staff on the station working 12 hour shifts 0700-1900 and 1900-0700. PTS work days only.

Station Officer/Paramedics

R.Baston G.Hull R.Black T.McDonald.

Paramedics

T.Nisbet L.Collis B.Jewers

Technicians

G.Pentleton G.Ford  P.Liscombe

Patient Transport (fulltime)

C.Ryder C.Black J.Fenwick

Part time

In March 2000 my son Christopher followed in the family tradition by starting on patient transport service at Alnwick and hopes to move progress in time.

As I said over the years I have always been interested in the old vehicles and in September 2000 bought a Bedford J1 from West Midlands 205 Group.