Fire at Old Fishmongers

 

On the evening of Wednesday 21st April it was noticed by a passer-by that smoke and flames were coming from the roof of one of Needham’s most historic houses – the Old Fishmongers. The owner, Sue Simmonds and her dog Rupert were inside the house, but were quickly evacuated by neighbours and the Fire Service was contacted, who began to arrive around 6.30pm. As can be seen from the photographs opposite, the fire was located initially along the ridge of the thatched roof, but during the evening spread to the rest of the timber roof. Thirteen fire crews battled with the fire at one point, and it took the whole night until it was brought fully under control. By the morning the sight of the blackened building was a shock for villagers. It was agreed that the fire crews arrived really quickly on the scene and worked extremely hard to control the fire. Many of Sue’s personal belongings, including precious photographs were rescued, but items on the top floor were lost to the fire, including her clothes. Sue and her late husband David moved to the 17th century, timber-framed house in 1976; they raised their family there and made many improvements to their home. It is a landmark in the village and is an example of an historic public house, which was its previous use. Through the drama of what happened that night there is also a sense of relief that no-one was injured and that Sue has been supported by her family and friends – she is now living locally with one of her daughters. Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family. She asked if we could include a message from her to the people of Needham. Alan Jeffery

The Old Fishmongers Arms, Needham Sue Simmonds and family would like to thank neighbours and villagers for the support and kindness shown to them following the dreadful house fire.