June 1, 1979

WHEN an oncoming vehicle flashed at Mr Denis Larvin as he drove into Studley he pulled in and found his car was on fire.

Then he found he had pulled up in front of the fire station.

"I was banging on the door," said Mr Larvin, "when along came the fire brigade."

The fire started soon after Mr Larvin, with his wife, two children and relatives, had driven his Simca car over some carpet underlay.

"The stuff was strewn all over the road," he said.

"Some of it caught on the exhaust pipe and caught fire."

"My son Russell thought it was a great adventure," continued Mr Larvin, of Beoley Road East, Redditch.

"He loves fire engines."

Meanwhile the six part-time firemen were having a drink at a nearby pub.

They rushed to the scene and doused the flames before the car was burnt out.

Said Mr Larvin: "I was lucky it happened when it did - a few miles down the road and the car would have been a write-off."