Long serving Hillingdon ambulance transfered to museum
1:50pm Wednesday 4th January 2012 in Where I Live
Margaret Griffiths (St John Ambulance South Hillingdon Division), Keith Saunders (St John Ambulance South Hillingdon Division), Jo Hird (Museum Curator), Ralph Coggs (St John Ambulance South Hillingdon Division), Pankaj Nakarja (St John Ambulance South Hi
A St John Ambulance which has served the South Hillingdon Division for more than a decade has been transferred to live out its non-operational life in a museum.
The ambulance, known as LD141, has been taken out of emergency service use because of its age and the need to meet stringent new health and safety requirements.
Fortunately a member of South Hillingdon Division suggested that a museum may be interested in the vehicle and it has recently been transferred to the Stondon Transport Museum in Bedfordshire.
The ambulance had been in service since 1997 and while it was still in working order mechanically health and safety regulations meant that it would not be worth altering it to meet new guidelines which would allow it to remain in use by St John Ambulance London.
Keith Saunders, Superintendent of South Hillingdon Division, said: "It was a shame that the ambulance was going to be decommissioned. Our members had looked after it very well – its V8 engine had been kept in perfect order by our Divisional Officer Ralph Coggs, who looks after all of our transport matters.
"Another of our members – Jackie McCann - suggested that a museum might be interested and St John Ambulance agreed that it could be sent to a museum as long as it would be used as a static exhibit and never be on the road again."
The ambulance was driven to the museum in December and was received by museum curator Jo Hird.
It will be on display to the public from mid-January.
The five members of South Hillingdon Division who attended the presentation have all been granted free life admission to the museum.
Mr Saunders added: "It is a lovely museum and we’re very pleased that our ambulance will be on display there, forever promoting St John Ambulance and South Hillingdon Division."
Mrs Hird said: "We’re very pleased to have the ambulance here. It will be on display next to the fire engines and police cars which we already have and we’ll be putting lots of information with it so that people know where it has come from.
"We’re very thankful to St John Ambulance for donating her to us, we’ll make sure she is well looked after."
The South Hillingdon Division now has another ambulance to use at local events.
