While walking down Free School Street, I came across something that, quite predictably, made me stop in my tracks.
The Fire Brigade Headquarters was right there, and I couldn't resist pulling out the camera and taking a picture.
What caught my attention this time was one of the smaller fire trucks, which was parked halfway out of the building. Somehow, that little glimpse of the truck against the old architecture made for a rather interesting frame.
Of course, the building itself was reason enough to stop.
I've always found the architecture of some of Kolkata's older institutional buildings fascinating, and the Fire Brigade Headquarters has that unmistakable old-Calcutta character that makes you want to stop and look a little closer rather than simply walk past.
But there is another reason I find myself looking in the direction of the Fire Brigade whenever I'm around here.
The trucks!
I'm always on the lookout for some of the bigger, more specialised and, dare I say, fancier fire trucks in the fleet of the West Bengal Fire & Emergency Services. There is something about fire engines that has always fascinated me—the size, the equipment, the engineering and, of course, the sheer presence of some of the larger vehicles.
So while most people might simply walk past the headquarters, I inevitably find myself wondering what is parked inside.
You never quite know when one of the big ones might be sitting outside, ready to head off on a call.
And if that happens, well... there's another photograph waiting to be taken!
