Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) celebrated 50 years of Margate fire station with a special reunion of its crews.

Current and retired firefighters met at the Grosvenor Gardens site to mark its golden anniversary and reflect on all the people they have helped along the way.

Mark Bathurst served at the fire station between 1980 and 1998 and enjoyed the nostalgia of revisiting his old stomping ground, as well as swapping stories with past and present colleagues.

“I have such fond memories,” he said. “And even though I retired in 1998 I still feel part of the fire family 28 years on. It holds a special place in my heart.”

Mark’s career inspired his son Joe to join KFRS and, after also serving in Margate, he is now a Group Manager at KFRS.

Joe said: “It was really special to see Dad back at his old station with his former colleagues, even more so because they’re still such good friends.

“Everyone who works at KFRS is proud to be part of a service that has a long and rich history and an ongoing commitment to keeping people safe, so it’s nice to acknowledge everyone who has been part of Margate fire station’s legacy.”

Another former colleague at the reunion was Tony Hodges, who joined the service in 1972 when it was known as Kent Fire Brigade, and worked his way up through the ranks to become station commander, before retiring in 2002.

He was one of the first crew members to move to the new fire station in Grosvenor Gardens after it relocated from King Street in 1976.

Tony said: “I hadn’t been back since the day I retired, so the reunion was a real memory jogger. It was great to have a walk around and see what’s changed, see some old faces and meet new ones, too.

“Working for the fire service was without a doubt the best job I’ve ever had and even now, when I see a fire engine go past, I wonder where they’re off to. I think it’s a feeling that never leaves you. Memories to last a lifetime.”