We went to Rauceby over the Bank Holiday Weekend, 27th-29th August, and took the K2 and Dennis pump, and the K4. We were a bit thin on numbers, with David, John and Michael, Dan and James being the mainstay. We were assisted by Frances, Rosie, Karina, Catriona, and Hannah. On the Sunday, we were joined by Dan and Heather, (ARP and Fire Warden respectively).
The K2 and Dennis performed perfectly. but the K4 boiled over on the way there, and the way back (using 5 gallons of water to cover 32 miles), and now the radiator is in for a new core. It worked well on the weekend, with us doing a number of turntable ladder drills in the arena, followed by a pumping demonstration next to the dam that was being continuously topped up by a garden hose. Each time, we pumped water to the top of the turntable ladder, and it was a hit with the (few) people around.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2eEV1V92s4&w=420&h=345]
Sadly, I think the public, and a number of other re-enactor groups, were put off by the weather forecast, but when it came to it, there were only a couple of showers, (although one was very heavy, including 10 minutes of hail!) We are very glad that we experimented with a new ’emergency fire station’ (as the real one was destroyed by enemy action), built using two scraps of wood, an old wooden ladder, and a tarpaulin salvage sheet. The paraffin primus worked, and the tea flowed well.
We got very good feedback from the organisers, and asked to come back next year. The firefighting display was one of the few things on site that moved and did something, and was very popular with the public.
See www.raucebywarweekend.co.uk
