Executive Committee
Terry Prince (Chair)
I joined the FSPG in 1992 after purchasing my first Ex London Fire Brigade Shelvoke Fire Engine which I still have today (one of four, plus a Dodge). I was co-opted onto the Executive Committee in February following invitation.
At the 2023 AGM, I was elected as Chair of the Executive Committee. We all share a passion for our hobby and I believe the EC need to be better, through working on an open, honest and transparent basis, managing well and supporting our Members. I believe that is our first objective and if we can deliver that successfully we will firstly maintain our membership, secondly we can then grow the FSPG through bringing previous Members back to the membership and attracting new Members strengthening our Group. Hopefully we can all play a part in that journey to support our Members and bring back the “family feeling” that makes the FSPG so unique.
Colin Farrington (Committee Member)
I came onto the EC in May 2021 to take on the Drills and Training officer role, my background with Norfolk Fire Service in Training School gave me the ideal background to take this forward. The lack of events over the last few years has meant that I have been unable to make any real progress on assisting groups and members improve their skills or displays.
I am also heavily involved with the Norfolk Fire Museum, and as many of you will have seen, we have lost our “home” and are trying to sort out where to keep all our appliances and equipment, not an easy task. Also many of you know of TL 240FLM, we have just had that completely resprayed and are busy refitting all the trim to get it ready for this year’s rallies. I am also standard bearer for LFB RMA, and as the other 2 standard bearers have stood down I am now “on call” to cover any funerals that require the standard countrywide.
I took on the role of Temporary Chairman of the FSPG to lead up to and run the 2022 AGM amd was elected at that AGM. At the 2023 AGM I stood down as Chairman, due to pressrures of other commitments and took on the role of Vice Chair.
Chrissy Prince (Treasurer)
I joined the committee in February 2022. I am a qualified chartered certified accountant, with my own firm in North London, and also Treasurer of a local Scout Group (a registered charity). I own and drive (with the right licence!) a London Shelvoke Fire Engine, which is loved and looked after by my talented hubby. I am a proud mother & stepmother of six boys (now ranging from 17 – 26) and a Nanny Nee-Naw to our new grandson. As a family, we have created many wonderful memories as a result of being members of the FSPG, although some of the memories are a little fuzzy when the event has included a particularly well stocked bar! I’m looking forward to making more memories with you all in the future.
Pete Edwards (Insurance Officer)
My father was a founder member of the Enfield & District Veteran Vehicle Society, and I spent a number of my early years cleaning Brass and travelling to Brighton and many other shows on the 1912 John Morris Belsize fire engine that was purchased by 10 members of the EDVVS and each held a £5.00 share. The EDVVS later purchased EMX 122, a 1936 Leyland TLP which I was fortunate enough to travel on a 1932 Leyland PE, ‘Vivien’ to collect it. I think the bug had been planted!
I joined the Auxiliary & National Fire Service Preservation Group, latterly FSPG in 1969 after meeting early members of the group and travelling with them to shows and events. I purchased my first preservation project, a Coventry Climax FSM 3 trailer pump around 1971/2 and fully restored it in grey. Early member Ray Maslen was kind enough to tow it to shows for me behind ‘Vivien’. I have since had a number of appliances for preservation including an ex-States of Jersey Bedford Magirus 81ft TL. I now own and have fully restored, what I believe to be the only complete surviving example of the five Series 2a Land Rover/Sun Engineering airfield RiVs built for the MoD.
I started my engineering apprenticeship with Belling & Co in 1971 ending my career with them as a Senior Production Engineer. I then trained as a fireman, working in the fire safety industry, including becoming a Lo Category airport fire officer and instructor. I have now semi-retired giving me more time to spend on my passions.
I am a member of British Standards FSH/2 Committee for the design, manufacture and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers and have just been appointed as Technical Officer for the UK Fire Association.
I have been on the Group EC for some years being privileged to serve as President for a number of them. In the early days the Groups members were a very friendly and helpful bunch of likeminded people. Over the years this has become less so. I firmly believe the new EC will be open and fair with the membership and listen to the way the membership wants the Group to be run. We must of course move with the times, comply with new regulations/laws and adapt our displays to fall in-line with them. My aim now is to encourage the FSPG to become more like it was in the beginning and promote the preservation of fire memorabilia and appliances and demonstrate them operating
Rik Whines (Committee Member)
I have been a member of the FSPG since 1987 after my dad very kindly took me to a meeting at York fire station.
Initially a member of the North Midlands branch until I moved over to Lancashire in the mid 1990’s.
I have owned a fire appliance; a 1973 ERF/HCB-Angus, (ex Huntingdon & Peterborough & then Cambridgeshire). This I had to let go as I lost my storage in the late 1990’s. It has since unfortunately vanished into thin air.
I now content myself with making Lego models of fire appliances and with collecting uniforms and memorabilia. Both of which can be seen on display at events around the country.
I also worked in the industry; first as Procurement/AfterSales Manager for TVAC, and later in the same role for Plastisol UK.
I look forward to getting stuck in to my new role on the EC and look forward to meeting members at events.
Linda L'Enfant (Membership Secretary)
I have been membership secretary for just over a year. I joined the EC as I wanted to help make the FSPG the group that the members want it to be. I am happy to stand for this role again on the EC this year.
My role mainly involves membership renewals and dealing with membership enquiries but I would like to focus on branches this year, either by ensuring we are supporting existing branches or looking for ways to expand our network of branches across the country.
Graham Hart (Vice Chair)
My working career began by obtaining and completing a motor vehicle technician apprenticeship leading to a spell working for a main car dealer. I joined the AA as a Patrolman serving both in London Central and Devon with occasionally acting as a Patrol Force Inspector. A serious road accident forced a change in career direction and I left the AA just short of 30 years’ service and returned to the Garage Sector as a Service Advisor. I quickly worked my way up and became an Aftersales Manager for two garage franchises and of SEAT and SsangYong cars and then retired 2021.
As a young boy I accompanied founder Group members to rallies and shows on their fire appliances, I soon got bitten by the ‘bug’ and joined the Auxiliary and National Fire Service Preservation Group (later to be renamed FSPG) almost right at its beginning. I continued to ‘ride’ other people’s appliances until I reached the age of 18 and I then purchased my own appliance. Progressing on I have restored, owned and run many appliances from pre-war Leylands to examples of more modern Dennis’s, Austin’s and an ERF over the last 53 years +. I currently own a 1953 Dennis F8, wartime Dennis no 2 Trailer Pump and two 1980’s Range Rover TACR2A RIV’s. I have served on the Group Executive Committee for many years in the past and at one point serving as Vice President, I then decided to take a back seat and concentrate on my appliances and career at the time.
More recently I became concerned in the direction that the FSPG was heading and accepted the invitation to rejoin the EC, as a co-opted member February 2022. My intention is (as with others currently serving on the EC) if re elected at the AGM to ensure the survival and progression of the FSPG heading into the future and to help restore the friendly, social fun element of our hobby. This unfortunately seems to have dwindled recently to an animosity/apathy atmosphere within the membership ranks, some of the reasons for this have been identified and have been dealt with whereas others will be visited in due course.
With you the members’ assistance and backing we will achieve !!!!!
Mo Trawin (Secretary)
My career includes both social care and health care, with experience in working with people of all ages and abilities, plus voluntary work and fundraising for various charities over the years too. In my younger days I was told stories of my Grandad’s experiences as Leading Fireman in some of the many stations covering the outskirts of East London during the war, including when it got very busy during the Blitz. Never did I think that years later a hobby of mine, doing jigsaws, would include helping a fire service preservationist piecing together parts of fire engines that have been the biggest jigsaws to put together that I could ever imagine! Also, I never would have thought that one day I would receive a call stating “I’ve bought a Coventry Climax Lightweight Pump from someone who lives near you. He’ll deliver it to your house if you can store it indoors for me until I can bring a trailer up to collect it.” The pump stayed with me for a while, but was eventually moved to a proper home on the back of a fire engine, where I then spent many a happy hour still looking at it, as it was washed and polished along with the rest of the vehicle, before taking it into yet another mudbath of a rally field! I have a history of supporting good causes, even those which prove to be a bit of a challenge, and it seems the FSPG is in need of a bit of a helping hand at present, so I’m happy to help if I can.
Eddie Houghton (Committee Member)
I have been involved with the FSPG for almost my entire life, and started assisting the Executive Committee with the technical aspects of their roles in 2022. This led to me joining the Executive Committee in April 2024. My role within the Executive Committee mainly involves advising the Committee about technological questions they may have, maintaining and updating the website, and producing graphics for use in advertisements and for other needs.
Outside of the FSPG, I am currently studying for a BSc in Software Engineering at Brighton University.
Mark Rhodes (Committee Member)
I joined the FSPG in 1991 and soon after I purchased my first appliance a Land Rover 88 ex British Steel, a few years later I acquired a further appliance. I now own 3 appliances and 2 ambulances; consisting of a 1966 Land Rover 109 ET, 1981 Dodge G13 WrL, 1985 Land Rover 90 Support Unit ex St John, and a 07 Ford Focus Ambulance response car which is undergoing restoration.
I was invited to join the EC in April 2024 by the Vice Chairman.
I am employed full time in Training and Development, working for a national charity. I have also worked in the NHS Ambulance Service.
My aim is to bring members back to the group and try and restore the family atmosphere which was present when I joined the Group.
