This is the story of the life and times of a fireman in Torridge City in the 1960's. Torridge City, a factional place, closely resembles a major city in the North of England. This is a story of men on the front line. Men getting their hands dirty saving live and property. Michael Edward Fairn describes the training he had to undertake before acceptance. Firemen in those days were poorly paid and considered an embarrassment unless required to deal with incidents.Michael describes fires and other emergencies in which he took part. They include his first Christmas Day on duty and the culinary delights created in the kitchen only to be rudely interrupted by turn outs. Also how he was dropped in at the deep end to perform watch room duties and organise the fire calls for the City. Attending a major City Centre fire. Experiencing first hand death and destruction in these first two years of service. 78,880 words