Paul Beerling has provided two excellent photos of the Clarnico fire brigade. He writes 'Some years ago as a Retained Fireman in Hastings I was lucky to retrieve some old framed photographs from the local dustcart which was heading to the refuse tip. I recently came across these again in the loft and thought with the help of the Internet I would like to trace the name of the Fire Brigade which can be seen on the old wooden firecart in the photograph.'

'To my surprise when entering the word Clarnico it came up with a sweet manufacturer, which I had never heard of, and more surpisingly ' Brentford ' which is where my wife and I got married in 1975 at the Register Office, and is not a stones throw from Chiswick where my wife was born.'

The photo above shows 20 men in uniform with brass helmets , with fire hoses, standpipes and ladders. The second photo (below) shows the same equipment but with (different?) men in caps rather than helmets. Please contact if you can suggest dates.

A photo from 2008 on flickr shows a Clarnico building in E15 which looks similar to the photos here. Two telephone directory references:

• 1938: Clarnico Depot at Carpenters Road, Hackney, E15
• 1968: Clarnico Factory at Waterden Road, E15

A 1910 trade directory includes the following:
Clarke, Nickolls, & Coombs Ltd., wholesale & export confectioners; makers of gum, gelative & pan goods; boiled sugars; lozenges, liquorice, cocoanut confectionery, chocolates, "Clarnico" cocoa, "Clarnico" caramels, jams, jellies, marmalade, "Clarnico"christmas crackers & stockings; Clarnico confectionery works, Victoria park NE; branches 11 Bishopsgate st. without EC; 209 Borough High st. SE; 57 High st. Brentford; 100 Fore st. Edmonton N; 10 High st, South Norwood SE & 86 Bristol st. Birmingham

Clarke, Nickolls & Coombs explains the tradename Clarnico.