Fireman hangs up his hose

On Friday, however, Alan Simpson faced one of the most emotional events a fireman can - saying goodbye to his colleagues and friends he had made during his career with the Fire and Rescue Service.

Affectionately known as 'Bean' to the Crescent Link crews, Alan for many years also served as the station's Santa, saving two weeks' leave around Christmas every year so he could be driven to around 130 functions meeting children and listening to their wishes in the run up to Christmas Eve.

His many friends and colleagues in the Fire Service say Alan will be extremely missed and on Friday evening chose to give the popular fireman a send off that he will remember for years to come.

It was back when Alan was 22 that he joined the Fire Service, and he made the decision to become one of the 'boys in blue' because he said he wanted to help people.

"I just wanted to be a fireman and nothing else. I wasn't interested in promotions or anything else, I just wasn't driven like that. I just enjoyed the job," he said, neatly sidestepping that he also played football for the Fire Brigade, and was on the GB side that became European Champions in 1983 in London.

He was the only Northern Ireland player on the team.

"I'm actually from Irish Street, and I had a few friends who were in the Fire Brigade. I served my time as a printer compositor for Newprint, and when I joined in 1980 I went into the Fire Service full-time. There was no retained staff here at all and I remember I went into Red Watch and was in the Northland Road up until 2003 when I was transferred across to Crescent Link and that's where I remained until Wednesday, when I retired," he said.

Asked how his first few days of 'freedom' had gone, Alan confessed to having indulged in his first love - golf.

"I'm loving it. I play a lot of golf and every day that I am off during the week, I play golf. I don't golf at the weekends, but I have the chance to play golf every day during the week now," he said, beaming with pleasure."

As for his 'Santa' role, how did it come about?

"I have done Santa for the Brigade for quite a few years. I would average about 130 calls a year and it is all done voluntary. I started about 20 years ago. The Fire Brigade had a Santa, who was Barry McBride, and he retired so I carried on from him and it snowballed," he said.

"The Fire Brigade did the lights at the City Hall for the Council, and we go to the children's creches, pensioners' parties, the Clarendon Shelter, the whole spectrum. I saved my last period of leave every year for my busy time around Christmas, so they didn't have to worry about enough men being on for me to get out and about. It was brilliant," he said, adding: "I have been very fortunate because I have come into contact with people who were very wealthy, and I've come into contact with people who have nothing, and I've seen everything in between. It has been a great education, and it is only when you get out into the community and you see the work that is being done in the community with people who don't get half the recognition they should for doing it, that you realise what is going on. It gives you a real insight into what other people are doing."

Asked what the funniest incident he was called out to, he laughs before saying: "I had a cat up a tree, this was about six or seven years ago. It was out on the Prehen Road and it was up the tree and I climbed up, and it wasn't until I was up there that I realised those trees are high up. When I was up that tree it looked a lot higher because I was looking down over the dip down to the Prehen Road.

"If the cat had have been left alone it would have come down itself, but as I went up the cat went further up. So I asked the woman had she got a can of salmon and she had, so I dipped my hands in the can of salmon, and went 'Here kitty, , kitty' and when it got close enough I grabbed it by the scruff and stuffed it down inside my tunic. It did happen, I swear."

Admitting that the boys in the Fire Service have a 'weird sense of humour' he said their ability to laugh together was very much part of their coping mechanism when things got tough.

"I have a grandson who is going to miss it more than me, because he loves the Fire Station. I have enjoyed my 30 years in the job but I am looking forward to my retirement."

Thanking the boys in the Red and Green Watches, with whom he served, Alan went on to thank his Watch Commander, Brian Martin, in Crescent Link, the Group Commander Billy Orr, everyone in Operations, and Gavin Doherty who drove him about in his Santa days.

"Gavin put as much work into doing the Santa thing as what I did and he was responsible for driving me about and I could not have done it without him, and I also want to thank everyone in Crescent Link and in Northland Road Stations. I'm really going to miss the boys," he added.