Darran Gough was a child of the swinging 60s. Born to a Lock Keepers Family his childhood 
was idyllic. Growing up on the River Thames he often boasts that he had a boat before a 
bicycle.

A family tragedy in 1982 would have the most dramatic effect on his life and future career.

What began as an innocent, “I can do that”, became a lifelong career within the fire 
service. 

Darran's destiny was to be needed, but to be needed, someone had to experience 
an unthinkable emergency.

Whether he was in the direct heat of the action or taking control of the emergency, when a 
person made that dreaded call to 999, the adrenaline set-in and Darran flew into action. 

With a unique view of all aspects of the fire service, from kicking off his career as a retained 
fireman in the heart of Henley-on-Thames, to stepping behind the fire with Oxfordshire’s 
control team, whilst remaining on-call in Banbury’s busy two-pump station, to then
stepping back into the fire full-time in the West Midlands; Darran highlights his 360 
experience as his life within the fire service collides with the lessons learnt away from the 
emergency.












Darran began writing "Muck Grime & Sweat" in 2013 whilst on a night shift at Canley fire station. 
It initially was just to record his thoughts and make a sort of belated diary of his life.
It was started at 2200 and by 0400 the following morning he thought he better get some rest!

Book Two is underway and he has promised Softwood Books, his publisher that this one won't take 12 years to finish!