100 Strangers : Round 4 : No. 389 : Rich (Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue)
Meet Rich, whose been in the Fire Brigade for over 20 years, a Tom Cruise look alike according to his colleagues when I asked for a volunteer for my project.
How I met Rich makes a good back story. Last week we took our grandchildren to the beach in Nottingham. There’s no beach in Nottingham I hear you say. It’s a summer event, the market square is converted to the seaside! As we returned from the beach, Karen our next door neighbour was on the street, “Phil Jane open your side gate, the fire brigade are on their way, the Leylandii trees between our houses are on fire”. Dave her husband had been killing weeds with a flame thrower and the trees set fire!
The fire brigade arrived within seconds of us getting into the house, and accessed the fire from Dave and Karens garden and our garden.
As the brigade had entered our property we were offered a “safety visit”. They were meant to arrive at 3 p.m. today but were delayed because they had a call and were further delayed because of a false alarm at the city hospital. The hot sun shining through a window had cracked the glass on a “break glass fire alarm”
Anyway the fire service and the fire engine arrived on our street and we had our safety chat. We passed the fire safety checks and tips and had two new fire detectors alarms installed free of charge. The fire service also turned up with a social media team (we had agreed to be filmed), the team had been shadowing the crew throughout the day. Elsie our whippet was very popular and will no doubt have a star part in the visit !
As the crew left, I asked “Can I take a photo of the fire engine?” … I must have sounded like a little boy ! I used the opportunity for a “stranger portrait”. The team volunteered “Rich Tom Cruise” for the photo !
That’s some back story, isn’t it? A great photo of Rich too, alongside his fire engine.
Ooh my world ! so glad the leylandii were doused and didn't cause a further fire hazard - as for your stranger - such a handsome young man with that winning smile!
What a story. You are lucky the fire didn’t spread farther (or is it further?) Your stranger definitely has a Tom Cruise smile, and if he has been a fire fighter for 20 years, he must also have Tom Cruise’s great DNA!
How interesting fir you all but that aside it must have been quite a worry……your neighbour would have been mortified I expect. Sounds dangerous & perhaps on one of the hottest driest days of the year he perhaps got a talking to! Great smile Tom……
@boxplayer Box' Dave and Karen next door had their safety talk a couple of days after the fire . I'm sure the flame thrower played a part in the conversation !!
@phil_sandford cheers Phil , I think most of the general pubic appreciate all the work done by our emergency services , public services , armed forces ...it's a pity our government don't think the same ... thanks for your visit
And yes, handsome dude AND a firefighter ❤️ Very cool indeed.
And Elsie has a paw in the door to stardom! as well
A beautiful portrait of this handsome firefighter!
I can't imagine killing weeds with a flame thrower!! Here there is so much fire awareness and a very strict fire ban all summer long.
(And great narrative)
@phil_sandford cheers Phil , I think most of the general pubic appreciate all the work done by our emergency services , public services , armed forces ...it's a pity our government don't think the same ... thanks for your visit