Blaze of glory

They were honoured with the Fire Brigade Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, which is awarded by the Queen to those who complete 20 years 'Exemplary Fire Service'.

Temporary Leading Fireman Glyn Alan Hodgkinson, from Over Hulton, was among the recipients.

He joined the fire service in June 1978 and was posted to Farnworth Fire Station, where he remained until May 1988. He was then transferred to Fire Service Headquarters to work on the Computer Projects Team.

In February 1989 he was transferred to Bolton Fire Station, where he served until November of the same year before returning to the Communications Department at Headquarters.

In September 1991 Alan was temporarily promoted to Leading Fireman while still at Headquarters, and has remained there in this rank, serving in various departments including Command and Control, and most recently Response Planning.

Other local recipients of the Medal were: Station Officer Jeffrey Green, of Bury, who works at Heywood Fire Station; Temporary Senior Fire Control Operator Patricia Sharples, from Swinton, based at Brigade Control; Station Officer Malcolm Stocks, of Tyldesley, based at the Training Centre; Leading Fireman John Ruddell, of Edenfield, based at Rochdale Fire Statio, and retired Fire Control Officer Barbara Tinsley, of Boothstown, who is based at Brigade Control.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.