Fire Training and Safety consultancy for all levels of Fire Training and Safety.

 

If there are three words that sum up every aspect of AB Fire Training Limited they are:-

PROFESSIONALISM = QUALITY = COMMITMENT

Wherever you are based in Lancashire like Manchester or Manchester area or even somewhere near Manchester the we can probably help you with your fire training. The M62 corridor is where we operate mostly in the following towns and cities

Accrington  Bacup  Blackburn   Blackpool  Bolton  Bootle  Burnley Bury  Carnforth Chorley Clitheroe   Colne Darwen Fleetwood  Formby   Garstang

Great Harwood  Haslingden  Heysham Hornby  Kirkham Lancaster Leigh Liverpool Lytham St Annes Morecambe Newton-le-Willows Oldham Ormskirk Pendle Poulton-le-Fylde Prescot Preston Rawtenstall Rochdale Salford Skelmersdale Southport St Helens Warton Widnes Wigan Winsford

 

 

Note: Some of the towns listed are now in the Greater Manchester Metropolitan County and others in Merseyside and therefore (technically) no longer in Lancashire. Alphabetical order: Accrington Fire Training as with many other Lancashire towns, Accrington grew up during the Industrial Revolution, when it was transformed from a predominantly rural agricultural setting into an industrial town where spinning and weaving dominated the local development and economy. 1792 saw the establishment of its first mill and thereafter a consistent expansion took place throughout the 19th century. By 1911, Accrington boasted 14000 looms, 166000 spindles and more than 18000 people employed in some capacity in the textiles industry. The town also manufactured its own spinning and weaving machinery. Its rapid expansion meant that by 1878 Accrington had been created as a Borough. As the textile industry declined in the mid 20th century in the face of cheaper foreign textile imports, as with many other surrounding townships, mills gradually closed. Coal Mining survived in the borough until 1968. In 1929 the borough boundaries were extended to include Huncoat and since 1974 Accrington has been the administrative centre of the Borough of Hyndburn. Bacup Fire Training The township of Bacup is located 835 feet above sea level to the east of the Borough of Rossendale and has a population of approximately 15,000. On its eastern edge it forms the Rossendale boundary and the County of Lancashire boundary with Yorkshire. It was the first town in Rossendale to have achieved Borough status which it did in 1882. Bacup is close to the site where Saxons are said to have fought with Danish invaders in the 10th century. More recently its main industries have included textiles, coal mining, quarrying and footwear manufacture. The town centre is designated as a Conservation Area of special Architectural and Historic interest. Blackburn Fire Training The name of Blackburn dates from the Dark Ages, and is named after a local stream known for centuries as Blakewater. It lies on the main south-north Roman road which linked Manchester with Ribchester. The township has a very long and distinguished history. Situated as it was in a key position on this road, during Saxon and Viking times, it became an important stopover town of North East Lancashire.During Norman times it appears in the Domesday Survey of 1086 as the Blackburn Hundred with St. Mary's Church having stood there since 596 AD. In 1926 St Mary's became Blackburn Cathedral when the Diocese of Blackburn was created. The town also has the old Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School which was founded in 1509. It's first Members of Parliament were elected when the town received its Charter of Incorporation in 1851. At this time, Blackburn had undergone extensive industrialisation, like many other Lancashire townships and was a major centre for textile manufacture. However, the 20th century saw the textile industry in serious terminal decline and other industries like engineering and electronics have gradually replaced them. In 1974, Local Government reorganisation brought Darwen and surrounding villages into The Borough of Blackburn and in April 1998 the new Unitary Authority of Blackburn with Darwen achieved independence from Lancashire County Council. Blackpool Fire Training Bolton Fire Training Bootle Fire Training The name of the town of Bootle comes from the Old English word "botl" (meaning "dwelling house") which was, until the beginning of the 19th century, a quiet little country village of 537 inhabitants. From 1799 its clear spring water supplied the needs of the City of Liverpool. Bootle was a fashionable coastal resort, much favoured by the well-to-do. But, by the middle of the 19th Century the dockhands of Liverpool had spread northwards and virtually enveloped the town and it soon became intensely industrialised. Even today it is one of the most important of Merseyside's working docks. Bootle town centre has undergone an extensive programme of urban redevelopment and renewal over recent years and now includes a traffic-free shopping precinct with multi-storey parking for 1,000 vehicles. Nearby, the Stanley Precinct Office Quarter with its numerous office developments provide employment for over 8,000 people. Burnley Fire Training Burnley probably existed as a small hamlet as early as 800 AD, but not until 1122 is it first officially mentioned, in a charter by which one Hugh de la Val granted the church of St Peters to the monks at Pontefract Priory. Sometime around 1200 Geoffrey married the daughter of Roger de Lacy and was granted land to maintain a dwelling in the area. Thereafter the name of Towneley has closely connected with the Burnley district. (See Towneley Hall). Burnley was one of the possessions of the Lacys, a powerful family who were Lords of Blackburnshire for several generations up to the end of the 13th century. In 1294, Henry de Lacy obtained a charter from King Edward I granting the right to hold a weekly market at his house in the manor of 'Bruneley' and to have a three day fair once every year, on the "...eve and morrow of the feast of the Apostle Peter and Paul". In 1559 Burnley Grammar School was founded by Gilbert Fairbank. The town was once known as the greatest cotton-manufacturing place in Britain and during its heyday at the end of the 19th century boasted over 100,000 looms operating within the borough. With 20th century decline in the textile industry, saw the town fall on hard times, but now it seems to have fully recovered and to have replaced its old industries with light engineering and other commercial ventures. Bury Fire Training Carnforth Fire Training Carnforth, a small township lying just North of Lancaster, was originally settled by invading Danes and as a result many of the place names in the district suggest Scandinavian origin. Carnforth was once a main crossing over the River Keer, which probably gave the town its name. The now famous Carnforth Railway Station was immortalised the classic 1945 Noel Coward film "Brief Encounter" which starred Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard. The first stage of its refurbishment was completed in February 2002 and opened is open to the public - a great tourist attraction. Carnforth the ideal base for a tour of the area and is regarded as a gateway to the Lake District. Chorley Fire Training Chorley, located on the very edge of the West Pennine Moors, is famed for its market, which has been held in the town since 1498 (albeit then without a Charter), and this was the source of its early growth and prosperity. It still is a thriving market town. Close by are many tourist attractions including Camelot Theme Park, Hoghton Tower (where William Shakespeare is reputed to have worked as a teacher), Astley Hall, and the beautiful countryside at Rivington Pike and Country Park, which served as host to the Manchester XVII Commonwealth Games Outdoor Cycling events. . The town boasts a clean and thriving urban environment with many pretty surrounding villages like Heskin, Croston and Mawdesley well worth the visit. Clitheroe Fire Training Clitheroe is a small ancient market town and borough in the parish of Whalley and part of the old Norman Blackburn Hundred which has been represented in Parliament since Elizabethan times. It is located about 30 miles north west of Manchester and 20 miles north east of Preston. Its most distinctive feature is Clitheroe Castle, a Norman edifice dating from the reign of William the Conqueror, or his son William Rufus. Otherwise, Clitheroe was of little importance until it developed in the late 18th and early 19th century as a major centre cotton spinning and textile power loom manufacturing. Its early mills were water powered by the River Ribble and later a steam engine added. The banks of the Ribble were were also a convenient source of natural limestone, and its ten kilns, supplied quicklime and plaster for mortars and building use throughout much of the county. Colne Fire Training Colne is a small old market town, second largest in the Borough of Pendle with which it has been combined since Local Government reorganisation in 1974. It has around 19,000 inhabitants. From 1895 Colne had been granted Borough status in 1895. Its long history dates to pre-Roman times. After Roman withdrawal from the British Isles, there were various continental invasions of the region, including the Angles, and this is reflected in local place names like Trawden and Marsden. Later Scandinavian invasions (Vikings, Norsemen or Danes), are betrayed by words in placenames like 'gill' and 'slack'. Viking occupation of the region came to an end when Athelstan, grandson of King Alfred the Great of Wessex, defeated a combined army of Picts, Scots, Welsh and Danes to become the first King of all England. During the Norman period, after 1066, Colne included Great Marsden and Foulridge, and the Forests of Trawden and of Pendle were created, so as to afford deer hunting for Norman noblemen. The actual town of Colne grew up at the top of the hill around the church, built before 1122 AD. It was in the churchyard that the weekly market was held unofficially, without a Royal Charter, having already grown through tradition and custom. Textiles production began here in very early times too, with a town fulling mill in existence in 1296. Even in Tudor times Colne's workforce were chiefly occupied in the woollen manufacturing cottage industry. Darwen Fire Training Darwen dates its history back to Anglo-Saxon times though evidence is scarce, depending mainly on an ancient burial ground uncovered in the Whitehall area. It takes its name from the river which runs through the narrow valley from the south through the town. From the 19th century passing trade giving rise to regular markets in Over Darwen and during the Industrial Revolution the town grew into a booming cotton mill town and by 1911 its population reached around 40,400. The Borough of Darwen was created in 1877 and remained intact until Local Government reorganisation of 1974 when it became part of the Borough of Blackburn. Currently around 33,000 live in the town. Overlooking the town stands the dominant Jubilee Tower, (locally known as Darwen Tower), built in 1897 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. In 1998 Darwen became part of the new Blackburn with Darwen Unitary Authority which made it completely independent of Lancashire County Council. Fleetwood Fire Training Formby Fire Training Formby is located on the coast of south-west Lancashire, 13 miles north of Liverpool and 7 miles south of Southport beside the River Alt. The village was founded by Scandinavian settlers in the early 9th century in a remote and inaccessible part of the county, isolated by forests, lakes and marshland. In the nineteenth century the arrival of the railways connected the village directly with Liverpool and Southport, which sentenced Formby to eventually become a major dormitory area for the Metropolitan Borough of Merseyside to the south. Garstang Fire Training Garstang is a small market town, located in Lancashire where a main north-south road crosses the Wyre. The name of the town probably comes from the Saxon word "Gaerstung" (meaning common or meadow land). In the Doomsday Survey of 1086 it is described as "Cherestanc". In 1314 King Edward II granted a Charter for a market to be held in the town. Two annual horse and cattle fairs were also held up until quite recent times. The Market Place still exists as a focal point for the township, with food produce market days on Thursdays, and is nowadays marked by a Market Cross which was first erected in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee. Also in the Market Place stand the old village stocks; there were also several large stones (the Fish Stones) which were used to display fishmonger's wares. On the outskirts are the ruins of Greenhalgh Castle, built by Thomas Stanley, the Earl of Derby in 1490. In the end it fell to Cromwellian forces during the English Civil Wars Great Harwood Fire Training Great Harwood, in the Parish of Blackburn, has evidence of Bronze Age activity and may have existed for many centuries. Hoards of ancient gold and bronze implements have also been uncovered nearby. The origin of the town's name has at least two possible explanations, with the "har" indicating "grey" (hence "grey wood"). Another possibility is that "hara" comes from the Old English for "hare" (hence a wood where hares are found). "Great" distinguishes it from Little Harwood, 5 miles west. At the time of The Norman Conquest of 1066 Great Harwood was predominantly moor and marsh land with sporadic clearings of cultivated land. It had many springs and small streams on its hillsides where the first settlements and farmsteads were built. The whole area was in the possession of the de Lacy family until 1177, when it was bequeathed to Richard de Fitton. In 1338 King Edward III granted a Royal Charter to Adam Nowell, Lord of the Manor of Netherton, for a weekly market and annual fair to be held at Great Harwood. The market still survives today, but the last fair was held in 1931 until revived by the Great Harwood Civic Society in 1973. In the 19th century Great Harwood saw weaving as its main form of employment, carried out as a cottage industry on hand looms at weaver's cottages. By the 1870s, increasing industrialisation and mass produced textile manufacture in larger surrounding towns saw the death knell of hand weaving and by the 20th century the craft had completely died out. Haslingden Fire Training Haslingden is a small town in the Rossendale Valley with a population of around 16,000. Its name means 'valley of the hazel trees'. Haslingden has the oldest recorded history of any of the borough towns of Rossendale and was granted Borough status in 1891. Its parish church, St James is built on the site dating from 1284. Haslingden is celebrated for its fine stone quarries, and many famous locations boast paving slabs from Haslingden, (including Trafalgar Square in London). Much of the town's industrial and historical past is now housed in the local museums, including Helmshore Textile Museum, Higher Hill Museum and Museum of Lancashire Textile Industry. Haslingden is also birthplace of the famous Hollands Pies. Heysham Fire Training Heysham is a small village on the edge of Morecambe Bay, which began as a small fishing village which grew up to become a major port in the 19th century. Today, it has a busy cargo terminal and its ferries still operate out of the port to the Isle of Man and to Ireland. The village is also somewhat dominated by Heysham nuclear power station, which produces most of Lancashire's electricity. Its parish church, St Peters, dates back to 976 AD, but an even older chapel once stood on the site. By the time of Viking incursions into Heysham in the 10th century, the chapel was already around 300 years old. Located on the Fylde coast, the unmistakable silhouettes of nuclear reactors Heysham 1 and Heysham 2 at Half Moon Bay can be seen for miles in all directions. Hornby Fire Training Hornby is a small, picturesque stone built village in the Lune Valley between Kirby Lonsdale and Lancaster, located on an old traditional pack horse route through the county. It sits astride the River Wenning, and was originally part of the parish of Melling, but its history really dates back to the construction of Hornby Castle in the 13th century, though there were probably small settlements there well before this time. Hornby Castle was founded in the reign of King Stephen by Roger de Montebegone, who held several lordships in the county of Lincolnshire. The castle is well known as the subject of one of William Turner's paintings. The church of St Margaret holds several pre-Norman decorated crosses. Kirkham Fire Training Originally the Parish of Kirkham was one of the largest in the county of Lancashire and contained 17 townships. In pre-Roman times it was probably the main settlement of Setantu. Later, it was occupied by the Romans as temporary site on the Roman military road that ran through the district on its way from the fort at Ribchester. Hence, virtually the whole of its main street lies on the Roman road. The name Kirkham comes from times when Danes occupied the land and settled in this area. Kirkham's name is a combination of the Danish "kirk" (meaning "church") and the Saxon word "ham" (meaning "township" or "settlement"). After the Norman Conquest of 1066 it was in the estate of Amounderness Hundred. By the Domesday Survey of 1086 the Hundred was recorded as having three churches, at Kirkham, Preston and Poulton and it here that settlements grew up in an otherwise sparsely populated landscape. Kirkham was granted a Royal Charter by King Henry III in 1296, making it a Free Borough and thereby entitled to hold a market and and a five day fair twice a year on certain feast days. By the 14th century a parish committee known as "Thirty Sworn Men" handled parish affairs. The poor of Kirkham were entitled to a free education in the grammar school which adjoined the parish church. In medieval Kirkham the growing of flax and hemp to produce linen, rope and coarse cloth was a common occupation. By the 17th century employment prospects in Lancashire were so poor that outside workers came to the more prosperous Kirkham to seek employment. The town still boasts a cobbled market place and so-called Fish Stones which date back to 1683 - here fish were laid out by traders on market days. Lancaster Fire Training Leigh Fire Training Leigh is Anglo-Saxon in origin, and it's name means a "pasture" or "meadow". Leigh did not exist as a named entity before early mediaeval times, but the district contained a few scattered cottages among a rather poor quality landscape. Leigh was formed as a parish in the 12th century and comprised six townships - Bedford, Pennington, Westleigh, Astley, Atherton and Tyldesley-with-Shakerley. A church existed, oddly, standing across the boundaries of Westleigh and of Pennington. The market place, near the church, was on the Pennington side of the boundary. In 1875 the three old townships were joined together and in 1894 part of Atherton was added and the Urban District of Leigh came into being as a result. In August 1899 by Charter it became the Borough of Leigh, and remained so until Local Government reorganisation of 1974, when it became part of the Wigan Metropolitan Borough. Newton-le-Willows Fire Training Newton is located near the intersection of an old road between Haydock and Lowton, and a Roman road from Warrington to Wigan, and probably got it's name during Saxon times when it emerged, simply as a "new town". However, excavations at Castle Hill in Newton have revealed ancient British artefacts dating back to 55 BC and suggest that it was constructed by the Celts as a burial mound. During Norman times Newton became the chief town in the Hundred of Newton. The Domesday Book of 1086 shows that much of the lands in Newton had been taken over by Robert de Banastre. The Banastres probably built a castle or baronial mansion in Newton, but the site of it is uncertain. In 1258 Robert de Banastre was granted a Charter to hold markets and fairs in the town, to be held near the site of the present St. Peter*s Church. These markets were held on Saturdays and Mondays, and the fairs in May and July. In 1286 Alice, sole heir to the Banastre family , married John Langton, and the land passed into ownership of the Langton family. Newton elected its first MPs to Parliament in 1559, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Later the area fell under the ownership of the Fleetwoods and then in 1660 Richard Legh of Lyme in Cheshire bought Newton from the Fleetwood family and became lord of the manor. Ormskirk Fire Training Ormskirk Ormskirk's first permanent inhabitants were probably Scandinavian settlers (Danes, Vikings or Norsemen) from Ireland and the Isle of Man who invaded and settled in the north-west of England in the 9th century. Among their number was one Orme, a leader who settled on the coast just south of the River Ribble in 840 AD. Orme was a Christian, or at least was an early convert as it was he who built a 'kirk' (church) on the hill where the settlement was situated. Hence, the settlement in time came to be known as 'Orme's Kirk'. In 1286 the monks of Burscough Priory were granted a Royal Charter by King Edward I to hold a market in the town every week on Thursdays. Soon the town became a major commercial and trading centre for the surrounding farmlands. Later, in 1461, King Edward IV granted a charter for the holding of annual fairs. In 1876 the Saturday market day was added to the original Thursday market day and regular horse and cattle fairs were held in the town until they died out in the early part of the twentieth century. The market still exists today. Pendle Fire Training The Borough of Pendle consists of the townships of Colne, Nelson, Barnoldswick and Brierfield, though there are several smaller villages scattered around the borough including Earby, Foulridge, Trawden, Reedley, Kelbrook, Winewall, Wycollar and Barrowford. The earliest settlements in Pendle date back to the Mesolithic Period (as far back as 12,000 BC) where flint tools and stone axe heads have been found at Boulsworth Moor, Monkroyd, Wycoller and Catlow. Later a major settlement existed at the hill fort at Castercliffe dated at 6 BC and was populated by the Brigantes - an early Celtic tribe. After the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century AD, the land was frequently attacked by continental invaders from North Germany - the Angles. They colonised much of Marsden (Nelson) and Trawden. By the 11th century, Pendle became border territory and suffered further incursions from Scandinavia - the Vikings. Pendle was given over to Viking rule by Alfred of Wessex as part of "Danelaw". It was at this time that the town probably got its name from "pen" (meaning hill). 1612 saw the infamous trials of the so-called Lancashire Witches, when twelve people from Pendle were tried and seven hanged for witchcraft. Poulton-le-Fylde Fire Training Poulton - (perhaps originally "Poolton") means, simply, "the town by the pool" Its name is derived from the River Wyre, situated at the bottom of the Breck at Skippool. In the 1086 Domesday Survey, Poulton was counted in the in the 60 villages in the Amounderness Hundred. Poulton never had a Charter to hold a market, but one had existed there unofficially over many centuries, and was first mentioned in a document of 1628, by which time it was already well established. Thus the town became an important market and commercial centre for local farmsteads with blacksmiths, farriers, nail makers, carpenters and joiners, shoemakers, dressmakers and tailors in trade as well as all manner of food and victual suppliers. The market cross still stands in the square though regular markets have not been held there for some time. In 1842 "le-Fylde" was added to the town name to distinguish it from nearby Poulton-le-Sands near Morecambe. PrescotFire Training The name Prescot probably comes from the Anglo-Saxon "prescota-cot" meaning a 'priest cottage' and it was the centre of large medieval parish in the West Derby Hundred. Originally it included fourteen other townships including St Helens. In 1333 the Lord of the Manor, William D'Acre, was granted the right to hold a weekly market. In 1391 the manor was sold to John of Gaunt and on his death passed to his son, who subsequently became King Henry IV. A Royal Charter exempted the people of Prescot from paying taxes. A number of potteries in the area provided an important source of revenue and by 1592 there were seven pottery kilns known to exist in the town. Thus the town producing fine pottery, examples of which can be seen in Prescot Museum. Coal was also mined near the town in the early 16th century. The local mine prospered until the opening of the Sankey Canal in 1767 which broke the town's monopoly of supply to the City of Liverpool. Watchmaking was also introduced into Prescot by Huguenot refugees from France. Watchmaking skills were further developed by local blacksmiths, and by 1795 Prescot was said to produce the best watches and clocks in the world. Preston Fire Training Preston is the administrative centre of the County of Lancashire and the seat of Lancashire County Council. It has a long and celebrated history with Preston Parish Church dating back to the 8th century AD. It was in 1179 that Preston's first Charter is granted by King Henry II. It is located at the centre of Lancashire's business and transport network - within easy access of major motorways - the M6 for Birmingham and the Lake District, the M61 to Bolton and Manchester, the M55 to Blackpool and Lytham and the M65 into east Lancashire. Preston', as a university town, currently has around 25,000 students, with the University of Central Lancashire in Preston as the sixth largest and one of the fastest growing Universities in the UK. The economy of Preston is largely based on traditional manufacturing industries such as textiles and engineering. Major employers include: Alstom train manufactures and BAe Systems who produce military and commercial aircraft. Preston has a population of around 129,000, and was awarded city status in April 2002 by Her Majesty the Queen in celebration of her Golden Jubilee. Rawtenstall Fire Training Rawtenstall is the largest town in Rossendale with a population of about 23,000, and as far back as 1323 was a part of the Royal Forest of Rossendale. Following its rapid industrial expansion throughout the 18th and 19th centuries with the growth of the textile and footwear industries, in 1891 the town was granted Borough status, along with Haslingden. Nowadays Rawtenstall is somewhat of a dormitory area for neighbouring Bury (now in Greater Manchester), lying as it does at the end of the M66 Motorway, as well as being connected to Bury by the regular steam and diesel train service run by the East Lancashire Light Railway (ELR). The town's original British Railways station had previously closed in 1972 and the line remained derelict for many years until it was reopened in 1991 by the ELR. Rawtenstall also has one of the best dry Ski Slopes in England at Ski Rossendale, as well being home to the last Temperance Bar in England. Rochdale Fire Training Salford Fire Training Skelmersdale Fire Training Skelmersdale is an old coal mining village, a township to the east of Ormskirk, which lies beneath of Ashurst Beacon, where the District Council have created Beacon Country Park. It became a so-called 'New Town' in the 1960s. Its name possibly derives from Old Scandinavian meaning "the valley of a man named Skjalmar or Skjaldmarr" , although some have it that the meaning lies in three words - "skel" meaning "hills", "mers" from "mere" (water as in Martin Mere) and "dale" meaning "valley". In 55 BC the town was a restover stop for Roman soldiers travelling from Wigan to Crosby on the River Mersey. Recently, a quantity of Roman coins were unearthed by children in 1949 at nearby Ottershead Farm. Skelmersdale is mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086 as being under the rule of Uctred, and part of the West Derby Hundred. During the 19th century Industrial Revolution the area was significantly developed as Coal Mines sprang up around the area and Skelmersdale had its own railway line to Ormskirk, Rainford and St Helens. The modern township boasts a recent Shopping Concourse development. There is also the Tawd Valley park which leads to the Ribble Estuary and joins the River Douglas - it offers around two miles of beautiful landscape that is rich in native wildlife. Beacon Country Park also lies within the district, with its beautiful scenery, an 18 hole golf course and golf driving range, a Visitor Centre and first class swimming pool. Southport Fire Training Fire Training St Helens The town of St Helens derives its name from the early chapel dedicated to that saint which was situated at the crossroads to Warrington, Widnes, Prescot and Wigan. The first known reference to the chapel was found in a document of 1552, though the original structure probably dated back to the 14th century The modern church of St Helen was only completed in 1926, on or near the site of the early chapel. St Helens was only a small village until the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. Coal had been mined in the region since the 16th century, and had been traditionally transported by packhorse into neighbouring Cheshire and to Liverpool. With the construction of the Sankey Canal Navigation in 1762, the town became an ideally placed to transport coal nationwide. Many new industries emerged, not least of which, Pilkington Brothers, became famous nationwide for the manufacture of glass, a trade which is still closely associated with the town today. By 1868 the town became large enough to be granted the status of Municipal Borough, and in 1884 it sent its first Member to Parliament. During the 20th century all of the towns coal mines disappeared, with the loss of most of its traditional skills. In 1974, with Local Government reorganisation, boundaries were changed and St Helens became a Metropolitan Borough including parts of Newton-le-Willows, Haydock, Rainhill (site of the famous Railway Trials) and Billinge. Today all these communities comprise the modern borough of St. Helens which has a population of about 178,500 people. Warton Fire Training Warton is a small village near Carnforth which is dominated by Warton Crag. The village is distinguished by having had George Washington's ancestors living in North Warton and they are said to have assisted in building the tower of the Parish Church. Thus, every Independence Day on 4th July, the American flag is raised on the church tower in commemoration. The Washington family coat of arms can inside the wall of the tower and is believed to have influenced the design of the Stars and Stripes. In 1835 the parish of Warton contained the townships of Warton, Silverdale, Yealand Conyers, Yealand Redmayne, Priest Hutton, Borwick, and Carnforth. British Aerospace in the neighbouring parish of Warton employing many local residents. The village has become much sought after as a place to live. Widnes Fire Training in Early times, Widnes was described as 'half marsh and half moor', lying as it does on the northern banks of the River Mersey. The scene changed very little for many centuries. Earliest records show that in around 1180 AD, a church was built at Farnworth, dominating the village high street. For many years the ferry across the Mersey at a place that became known as the Runcorn Gap, was an important crossing place for travellers, where, at low tide, it is sometimes possible to ford, or wade across the river at this point. Soon, a riverside inn, known as the Boathouse was established, although nowadays it is better known as the 'Snig Pie House', due to the local eel pies, which are considered a local delicacy. By the 18th Century, a few dwellings grew up on the rocky promontory, known as Woodend, and the area began attracting day trippers from Liverpool in search of a quiet day out in the picturesque countryside. Small cottage industries emerged, especially at Appleton, where fine wires were manufactured for the local watchmakers. In 1845 Widnes Dock was completed, (now known as Spike Island). Arriving here by rail, salt from neighbouring Cheshire salt would be offloaded for the glass-makers of St Helens in exchange for Lancashire Coal for Northwich. Winsford Fire Training Winsford is located in the heart of rural Cheshire, 17 miles from Chester, 28 miles from Manchester, and 30 miles from Liverpool. The M6 motorway is six miles to the east. Winsford station is on the West Coast Main Line, 162 miles from London. The township was created a civil parish in 1936, formed from parts of Clive, Darnhall, Marton, Over, Stanthorne and Wharton civil parishes. Winsford Urban District, along with Northwich and Runcorn is now part of the Borough of Vale Royal. Its origins are uncertain but two possible explanations exist: first, it could be a derivative of "Wainsford", a local ford used by farmers in transporting hay carts (or wains) across the River Weaver; second, and more likely, perhaps someone called Wynn lived by the ford on the river, and it became known as "Wynn's Ford", and later Winsford. The River Weaver had long been an important ford crossing of a Roman road linking Over with Middlewich. The discovery of brine in 1700 and the proximity of the River Weaver, which was made navigable, brought new industrial prosperity to the town as it became a major salt mining town. The Weaver was canalised in 1798 from Frodsham to Winsford Town Bridge to allow for salt transhipment to Northwich and thence on to Liverpool for worldwide export. The Mine at Winsford has existed since 1844 although mining stopped periodically due to over-production. Contemporary Winsford has a population or approximately 33,000 and is located in the heart of Cheshire in the borough of Vale Royal, which forms part of the Mersey Forest. Salt production had seriously declined by the early 20th century and the district saw a steady contraction of its industry. The town's more recent redevelopment leaves little evidence of its former industrial past, and in many ways has rebuilt itself as a virtual new town, though the Salt Union manages the only working salt mine still in operation in Great Britain today. Wigan Fire Training Our investment in high calibre training, gives you our customers direct access to an individual with relevant experience to your particular requirements. This personal and specialist approach will be a vital part of our future as the company concentrates on providing individual bespoke training packages to all our customers. At the core of the change is the high standard of training that is the envy of our competition. HOW MANY OF YOUR EMPLOYEES COULD EXTINGUISH A FIRE OR EVACUATE YOUR PREMISES CONFIDENTLY AND SAFELY ?? HOW MANY CAN ANSWER YES TO ALL THE FOLLOWING 10 QUESTIONS:- HOW DO FIRES START ? HOW ARE FIRES CLASSIFIED ? HOW SAFETY SIGNS ARE CLASSIFIED AND WHAT THEY MEAN ? HOW TO PREVENT FIRES ? WHEN NOT TO FIGHT A FIRE ? HOW TO IDENTIFY THE CORRECT FIRE EXTINGUISHER ? HOW TO OPERATE A PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER ? HOW TO EVACUATE A BURNING BUILDING ? WHAT TO DO IF TRAPPED WITHIN A BURNING BUILDING ? WHAT TO DO IF A COLLEAGUES CLOTHING CATCHES FIRE ? IF NOT THEN:- We hope very much that we may have the opportunity of serving you and being partners in your Fire Safety Training Progress.