TOGETHER they have clocked up 83 years working for Hampshire Fire and Rescue, but last Saturday marked the end of an era for Paul Allen and Ian Tressler.

Having both spent the best part of four decades serving at Overton fire station, in Station Road, the pair were toasted by colleagues past and present.

A special celebratory evening was held at the Overton United Social Club, to honour the two men as well as reminisce about call-outs gone by.

Paul, 62, who held every role possible at the station during his 40 years of service said it was great to have all crews from across the area to come along to send the pair off.

He said: “It was a bit overwhelming and I cannot thank everyone enough for all their kind words they shared.

“I feel very privileged to have worked with such a wonderful crew over the years.”

Even though the pair have stepped away from active service, Ian, 59, is staying on as a fire safety operations equipment technician so will still get the buzz of adrenaline every now and then.

Ian said it was the changes to the service which made him decided to call it a day.

“The service is constantly changing and evolving and as you get older it is some times difficult to keep up with things,” added Ian.

“That being said my time at Overton has been really great and I would not change a single thing.”

The duo’s careers have very much mirrored one another, as they both rised up through the ranks at Overton, before stepping down to spend their final years as active firefighters.

When ask by The Gazette what the most memorable part of their service was, both said the Mercantile Credit building fire in Basingstoke, in 1991, which took hold of the 17-storey building and took crews more than four hours to get under control.