Mr Harbour, who lives opposite, gave the alarm, and Mrs H O Miller ’phoned the Rushden Fire Brigade, who were on the scene with the hose cart within five minutes. Meantime Mr Reg Norman, clerk to the Wearwell Leather Co., whose premises are immediately below, and Mr Arthur Perkins carried extinguishers up to the fire.

Capt. R F Knight, Second Officer W Packwood, Firemen Green, Sparrow, Timpson, Britchford, Jaques, and Bayes, using a good supply of water from buckets soon extinguished the flames, and removed documents to safety. The fire had started near Mr Watts’s desk in the corner just inside the building near where the “burning off” is done. Thanks to the prompt action of the helpers and the Brigade very serious damage was averted.