64/215

Fire hose strainer from Saint Ives, Cambs. Placed on the end of the hose to strain the water taken from open water.
This basketwork fire hose strainer, also known as a ‘balloon’, comes from Saint Ives, Cambridgeshire. It is a tall, narrow, round basket which widens sharply at the top and is made of kubu cane. Fire strainers were placed on the end of the hose of a fire engine to strain the water, which was often taken from a nearby pond and therefore contained debris.

1 strainer basket: cane; good condition

MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: STRAINER (Fire hose, basketwork) J. Harrison // Acc. No.: 64/215 // Group: SOCIETY – Protection – fire // Neg. no.: 60/5936 // Place of origin: Huntingdonshire // Period in use: Present // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Cane. // Shape and construction: see 64/211 // Dimensions: 38 x 28 x 21 cm (height x diam. at top x diam. at bottom) // Use: // Dialect names: Balloon // Distribution: // Additional notes:', MERL miscellaneous note – A member of the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers visiting in May 2019 noted that such strainers are also called 'stroms'.

Strainer, fire hose, Basketwork

Wright, Dorothy (Recorder)
Lambeth, R. C. (Agent)
Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire and Isle of Ely Community Council (Agent)