Plympton Ambulance Station
A Memory of Plympton.
I was resident in Plymouth up until 1963 when I moved to Exeter. However, between 1959 and 1963 I was a Red Cross volunteer at the Plympton Ambulance Station and did duties at weekends. The old Devon County Ambulance service was provided by St John Ambulance and British Red Cross and the latter ran the Plympton station.
The original station was in the stables of a large house next to where a modern station was built in the 1950s and where the Co-op Supermarket now stands. I have many happy memories of my time there.
For the past 48 years I have lived in Harrogate, North Yorkshire and have not be back to my native city for many years. Names such as Sid Pollard, Ted Crabtree and Ken Broome who were full time staff, as well as Jim Rowe the station officer and Ken Evens his deputy come to mind, are they still alive ?
I always regret not taking a photo of the station, does one exist ? And does South Western Ambulance have a station or stanby point in Plympton ? Ambulance services are very different nowadays with the vehicles mobile most of the time. So "Make ready" hubs are now in situ with standby points, often at fire/police stations or health centres.
John Wickens
Harrogate
North Yorkshire
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Good afternoon
I lived in Plympton from 1963 until 1977 and was a Red Cross cadet from 1973 onwards and we had our meetings in the clinic in Plympton by the ambulance station. The Red Cross then built a new building down Glen road. Do you remember Mr Knapman who lived in Priory drive who drove the ambulance?. I met my wife in Harrogate when we worked at the Royal Bath hospital in the 80’s. I now live in New Zealand and would like to be able to obtain one of the old cap badges from the Devon/Plymouth ambulance service as I collect them. My email is - mcgivernmike@slingshot.co.nz. Would be good to hear from you. Michael.
My Dad worked at Plympton ambulance station until 1974 - does anyone have any photos as he’d love one