Yes, the contraption was the hopper for "urea" pellets which did stand behind the fire station and used for de-icing/anti-icing for a number of years.( No need for any detail of what they contained ) Also purchased was a spreader much like grit spreader for roads. However they were not environmentally friendly as the stuff found its way into the local water table and we were forced to discontinue its use. Replaced by rather more expensive liquid agents.
Plenty of room for Concorde on a number of visits. however my scariest departure was a Court Line Tristar direct Gander with 350+ pax wind calm at night, runway 26 and it went out of sight for what seemed ages before reappearing well north of the required NPR.