Andy Buchanan
Andy started as a firefighter in 1965 and retired with ill health in 1983. He had been a drill Sergeant in the military police, stationed in Singapore and Malaya and served in Borneo with active service.

Andys met his wife to be Pat met in military hospital. Andy fell of a horse in Fleet Road Aldershot, the horse went back to barracks and Andy went straight to the hospital. The first time he met was when he got out of bed to nip to the loo and heard a voice saying “And where are you going?” “Just to the toilet” “Back to bed please, the toilet comes to you” Andy was caught by Nurse Blake five times in the fortnight he was in hospital. Back at barracks his colleagues asked how was it? Andy told them about the lovely bossy nurse and they decided he should ask her out, even setting up a book with everyone betting whether or not he dare. He dared and they had a Military wedding in Wembley 18 months later.

He came out of the army and came into Park St Station Leeds with the offer of a home, because he was married and had a child. Andy served in most of the West Yorkshire Stations with 6 years at Gipton near the beginning at of his fire fighting career.
‘If you were on watchroom duty, with the telephones you had to plug in… the weather forecast station used to ring and ask what the weather was doing outside… the answer was always cloudy, nil, good and dry… they were asking visibility, humidity and conditions. It became a running joke!

Pat used to wear the cape and if any soldiers came in she would say “Excuse me could you give me a spare badge please” Her collections grew and grew to this magnificent example of badges from soldiers from all over the world.

After retirement from the fire service Pat and Andy worked together with children with special needs for 19yrs.