LIFE was a lot sweeter for firefighter Paul Rowland yesterday than a previous occasion when he was up to his neck in slurry.

Paul, 55, retired yesterday from Drove Road Fire Station after 30 years' service with Red Watch and colleagues saluted him with a parade as well as a lift home from his last night shift on a vintage fire engine.

Paul, of Shipton Grove, Walcot, said: "It was a far cry from one of the most bizarre moments I had, when Red Watch was called to rescue some cows stuck in a slurry pit the other side of Cricklade.

"We were walking on a crust of slurry, like ice.

"We soon find ourselves breaking through and up to our necks in manure. We had to be rescued, our uniforms had to be thrown away and no one would come near us for weeks."

The vintage fire appliance is a Dennis Pump-Escape first bought in 1951. It went out of service in the late 1970s.

Assistant divisional officer in the fire safety department at Swindon, Chris Harris, restored the vehicle about five years ago.

He said: "It's always been in the Wiltshire Fire Brigade and was one of the first appliance purchases after the war.

"It actually spent most of its working life at Salisbury but since it was restored it has been kept at Westlea for ceremonial occasions and charity events.''

Father-of-three Paul followed his father Raymond into the brigade, who completed 26 years service.

Paul said: "I served an apprenticeship in British Railways as a fitter and turner but was on the red- undancy list at 24.

"My dad said the fire brigade had a few vacancies and I would not have put in for the job if it had not been for him."

Over the years Paul has enjoyed the camaraderie and friendship of his fellow firefighters. One, in particular, feels like actual family as he went to school with fireman Danny Gray, was apprenticed at BR with him and retired with him yesterday too.

He said: "They are the second family. The fire service is like no other job and you can't appreciate it until you have been in a fire station.

"You can go to any station in the world and within ten minutes you will feel part of the same family group which was proved by the spirit displayed over the tragedy in the United States. I will really miss the kinship."

The low point of the job, for Paul, was the firemen's strike of 1977 which, though followed by better money and shorter hours, divided colleagues and caused animosity.

Next on his agenda following a few beers with the lads at the weekend is to do the DIY job which he has promised to do for several years but hasn't, and spend more time with his family, including two grandchildren.

"I think I'll take six months to think about my next move," he added.