| The mural is a masterpiece which was painted by a group of 13 people belonging to different age groups |
A unique fire themed mural portraying the history of London Fire Brigade has been unveiled at Dowgate fire station last week.
The mural, which was painted by 13 local people, was unveiled at a special event at Dowgate fire station, at which London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson presented certificates to the talented painters.
The mural, which is approximately 24ft long and 4ft high, took more than seven weeks to complete. The amateur painters from a local youth group and older people from the City Young at Heart scheme spent many hours creating the artwork for the station. The finishing touches were added by a local professional artist Eddie Dodwell, who supported the group by volunteering his time to give artistic advice and teach various painting techniques.
The original mural idea came from Steve Riley, a Crew Manager at Dowgate fire station, who wanted to celebrate the history of London Fire Brigade with an opportunity to bring together cross sections of the community. The painters spent at least one day a week creating the unique piece of art, in addition to learning about fire safety first hand from professional firefighters, who supervised the group during their sessions at the station.
The mural has a unique fire theme meant to remind the history of London Fire Brigade |
The mural and a ceremonial plaque were unveiled by London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson, Councillor Brian Coleman, AM, FRSA, Chairman and Leader of LFEPA* and the City Lady Mayoress Mrs Claire Anstee. A number of other VIPs, including the City Sheriffs' Ladies and members of LFEPA were also present.
London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson said: "This project gave our firefighters a great opportunity to engage with their local community in the City and promote fire safety to both young and old. I'm very impressed with the extraordinary talent shown by the painters in this unique mural and am pleased that Dowgate fire station can play host to such a fantastic piece of art."
During the event, various demonstrations were performed by the Brigade's fire investigation team with a professionally trained dog, in addition to demonstrations by the London Ambulance Service and the City's Safer Cycling teams.