Barrow's old Fire Station on Abbey Road is now home to a dental centre and discount furniture warehouse, amongst other things, but residents old enough to remember its old guise will never forget it.
Part of the building dated back to the early 1890s and coming up to a century on, it was sadly on its last legs as the base for the town's fire brigade.
Getting battered by gales in 1990 hadn't helped its condition and Cumbria County Council wanted to move to a bigger station with 'vastly improved' training facilities, as the old site only had a small yard to use.
Divisional commander Bernard Dolan said of the plans, which were set to cost in excess of £1 million, said: " If everything progresses, we hope to be on the site in 18 months."
That wasn't the case, however, with the cost proving prohibitive to the move.
In 1992, a report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Fire Services recommended the station, along with the one in Bootle, needed replacing urgently, as soon as the money became available.
One year on, that had yet to happen and locals were still able to make the most of the site while they still could during an open day that saw hundreds of youngsters take a good look around.
Six-year-old Hayley Albury from Barrow got the chance to dress up as a junior firefighter, while other kids splattered fireman with wet sponges and enjoyed the bouncy castles.
The day raised money for The Mail and the NSPCC's appeal for the Fire Service Benevolent Fund and Cystic Fibrosis, with over £1,000 donated.
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