On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. FOR SALE! The state-of-the-art facilities put the Isle of Man on the map as one of the most important tourist destinations in the British Isles. We went to a show to see the Black and White Minstrels, that's when I smelt smoke. With a year-round programme of shows and events, there's plenty of ENTERTAINMENT on offer at VillaGaiety. We were in Summerland on the night of the fire, as we had been most evenings. . I remember the main floor in front of the stage with all the deck chairs & the straw umbrellas, the music, the talent shows. slide somewhere near where the Hilton Hotel is now I think. Experts searching the wreckage. You are in: Isle of Man > History > Where the sun always shines. These proposals will necessitate significant investment but will enable us to rectify core issues that have compromised the integrity of the building in recent years, such . The concept was so radical that architect Geoffrey Ellis came to the Island to work for Mr I was told that the drummer from the show we had been watching did not make it. from when I was an infant until I was a teenager.Also my dad and his friend used to have such fun jumping on the beaded filled cushions in the solariumI also remember being at home in Liverpool watching the blaze on TV and crying becuase I would never be able to go there again. . I still remember the screams and panic, they haunt me to this day. You were certainly spoilt for choice - you could go swimming in 2 lovely new pools, rollerskate or play a multitude of sports in the massive sports hall, moonwalk in a big white type of enclosed bouncy castle (which like everything in there had a distinctive new smell). Tehachapi, CA, US. Summerlands bed and breakfast (B&B) is a charming and unique house in Ramsey, which has recently been refurbished throughout to a very high standard. It was a lovely place but it's so sad the way it all ended. There's not much left of the place. Continue along King Edward Road beyond the new offices of Royal Skandia. [14] No specific individuals or groups were blamed and the deaths were attributed to misadventure, although the delay in evacuation and the flammable building materials were condemned. A recent trip to Isle of Man brought back many happy memories but I was sad to see that not only had Summerlands closed but the building was completly gone.Some people said I was daft as there was no pool on the prominade but my memories of that place will never disappear. I hope you'll find it a useful means of info as to the current status of the site; my hopes for the Isle of Man Government to develop a memorial space there dedicated to the 50 killed in the fire of 2nd August 1973; the one minute's silence I organise on the anniversary of the fire; the Summerland Memorial Concert held each year; together with links and blogs. We never knew if she saved our lives. Summerland for me, like many others who grew up on the Island was one of the main places that you could find entertainment of all forms from Rollerskating through to catching a afternoon film in the cinema. [4], Summerland was designed to accommodate up to 10,000 tourists and consisted of a dance hall, five floors of holiday games, a rollerskating rink, restaurants and public bars. LizAlthough I remember when the fire happened (as a relative was working there that evening and thankfully survived), my happy memories are also quite vivid as I used to go there many times, especially during school holidays. Andy, LiverpoolAs kids we used to holiday in the Isle of Man either at port St Mary or Peel. We went to the shops on the prom and I still have Minnie the clockwork mouse to this day. I will never forget the screams and people climbing over each other to get out. After a couple of hours frozen to the spot I remember seeing my Mum running towards me and picking me up, crying and hugging me as if she hadnt seen me in years or something. Property & houses for sale in Isle of Man *DISCLAIMER. Summerland was only a mile away from the District General Hospital and there was no clearing station for preliminary assessment of the injured. Julie was 14, and identified by her jewellery. Fifty people were killed and 80 seriously injured. The lower floors were geared towards children and teenagers, with a disco, fairground. On the night of the fire my Mum and Dad were taking me to see the Black & White minstrels, my much older brother and sister didn't want to go and went on the prom. The venue attracted thousands of people to the. The conflagration took place on 2 August 1973 in this ambitious entertainment complex in Douglas, Isle of Man, commissioned in 1965 and opened in May 1971. Behind the stage was the huge rock face. "A good batter, a tasty sauce, and the excellent fried rice with chives.". The year before the fire we were taken to Summerland to watch a syncronised swimming display. slide somewhere near where the Hilton Hotel is now I think. 05 Apr 2023 - 16 Apr 2023. construction of a swimming pool, which was completed in 1969. The Summerland building in Douglas was the first of its kind in the world. There were two phases in the building In June of 1832, Cholera arrived on the Isle of Man. They were each fined 3 (equal to 31.86 in 2020) and ordered to pay 33p compensation and 15p costs. I was too young to realise what had happened but it makes me feel cold now. OK.What's with the 3 school-boys, what caused the fire?Accident or sabotage was an investigation carried out?Tell us more! The scale of the fire has been compared to those seen during the Blitz. StewartI dont remember the initial Summerlands complex, but I was in Summerlands in the mid 80's; after it was rebuilt and reopened in 1978; I was therer on annual camp with the scouts, that was the year I joined the scouts and that was the reason i joined, the trip to the Isle of Man.What a great time I had there using the swimming pool. We went to the shops on the prom and I still have Minnie the clockwork mouse to this day. "Services weren't equipped for Summerland disaster", "Article about the disaster based on the report by Dr Ian Philips", "Remembering the Summerland fire disaster, 40 years on", "Isle of Man 'shame' over Summerland fire disaster", "Remembering The Summerland Disaster 40 Years On", "Asbestos information centretrade names", "Summerland fire survivor: 'I don't blame dad for saving my sister and leaving me in blaze but I never got to tell him', "Summerland fire: Fifty victims remembered on anniversary", "Summerland disaster survivor: 'I still dream of people in flames', "THE SUMMERLAND SITE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY", "Summerland fire memorial built to mark 40th anniversary", "Summerland fire victims remembered on 40th anniversary", 1972 amateur film of pre-disaster Summerland, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Summerland_disaster&oldid=1142829611, Fire disasters involving barricaded escape routes, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 16:12. I worked in Summerland a week before it burnt down. Her Name was Julie Panter, and her friend Dawn Ellingham wrote to me to tell me this. Dr Ian Phillips' book on the Summerland fire, revised in March 2021, is the most comprehensive account ever written of the disaster. I was on holiday at the IOM with a group of girl friends the week of the Summerland fire. A lot of people on the Island will never forget what happened on 2nd August 1973. i remembr 1968-69 , I worked at White City on the Isle of Man , they were the eight best years of my life. Lomas wanted to create the illusion of being outside and to this end he planned to cover exposed cliff faces with tropical plants while allowing wild birds to live and fly throughout the building. Canada Revenue 1/5 Excise Tax Matchbook "SUMMERLAND GROCETERIA" West Summerland C$10.00 Seller: DeveneyStamps ( 4410 ) When we noticed the black smoke to one end of the building - and the crowds looking in that direction - we started to move towards the exit. A girl I met that night but got separated from in the panic died. 14a Majestic Apartments King Edward Road Onchan IM3 2BD. We were there the night before the fire, we just thatought the "moving staircase" by the front door was the best thing ever. Catherine WoodhouseI was 9 and on holiday with my Mum, brother and Uncle Peter (Mum's brother), the aim of the holiday being to give Mum a break after my Dad had died following a long illness. At 8:00 p.m. on 2 August 1973, Summerland, a leisure centre on the Isle of Man as shown in Figure 1, was seen to be on fire. See where they filmed this movie from 2020 starring Gemma Arterton, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Lucas Bond. I remember the music and noise of people just enjoying themselves. I finished work on the 1st of August after working in the bar because Ihad run out of money. Figure 2 shows where the fire initially started, and it spread quickly over the building faade. The acrylic material melted, allowing more oxygen to enter, and dropping burning molten material, both starting other fires and injuring those trying to escape. JacquiI remember winning a talent contest at Summerland when I was 6 years old.We went to the IOM every year for our summer holidays. STORY. On the third attempt, my uncle's door came open and several others followed. Although I remember when the fire happened (as a relative was working there that evening and thankfully survived), my happy memories are also quite vivid as I used to go there many times, especially during school holidays. Most of week had been spent at the evening disco and I still have photos and the weekly ticket from our good times there. My Uncle and several other "big chaps" hurled themselves against the fire doors to break them down. The closure of the . The building's exterior and the interior were designed by two different architectsthey did not coordinate their planning with each other and thereby created a venue with significant fire risks that were to become apparent only later. JaxuttonOK.What's with the 3 school-boys, what caused the fire?Accident or sabotage was an investigation carried out?Tell us more! We hadn't had decent swimming baths for a long time in Douglas and for that reason alone I couldn't wait to get in and have a look. It wasn't until we were on the promenade at a safe distance that I looked back to see the building completely engulfed in flames. To experience Summerland at that time was special and afterall, what has the Government ever done since to improve our quality of life here in the IOM. We had a family holiday on the IoM when I was 6. Just then I distinctly remember seeing a small flicker of light at the base of the building on the West side thinking it was someone with a torch or something, as it was getting dusky. One survivor (who was a child at the time) remembered her father noticing smoke coming from the ventilation shaft and had started to attempt to evacuate when the whole area erupted in flames. The Summerland disaster is the worst day in Manx history and remains the third worst loss of life from fire on land in the British Isles since World War Two. I will never forget her and that night that I nearly died.Sincerely John McGimpsey, Newtownards N Ireland. When they couldnt locate me they began their search for me on the prom. I was 5 at the time. As kids we used to holiday in the Isle of Man either at port St Mary or Peel. Denis Cowley QC acted for the Douglas Corporation. Just then I distinctly remember seeing a small flicker of light at the base of the building on the West side thinking it was someone with a torch or something, as it was getting dusky. I was 13 when summerland went on fire i still remember that night clearly my mum and i had told my dad that we were going to summerland while he went to the villa marine to watch wrestling but just before the bus stopped we changed our mind and went to white city we had just got into white city when we were told summerland was on fire we had to walk all the way round onchan to get back to the prom its a scene you will never forget seeing people jumping into the sea to get away from the flames even when we came home on the boat your were reminded again as we had to wait until all the coffins were taken of first as a mark of respect. We saw the fire take hold and like many others my parents were shocked and crying at the horror of the tragic loss of life. Also had a vague recollection that the lads who were smoking near a kiosk which led to the fire, came from Liverpool. There was a lot of excited anticipation before it opened. 1. See more ideas about summerland, isle of man, brutalist architecture. It was all shining, it even smelt new. Summerland was rebuilt, but staff and visitors to the site reported the sounds of screaming, hearing footsteps along empty passages, and occasionally seeing ghostly people wandering around the area. I had a great time. We were there the night before the fire, we just thatought the "moving staircase" by the front door was the best thing ever. I am a surviver of this tragedy.I still have nightmares. It was the brain child of Douglas architect, Mr James Phillips Lomas who had been commissioned by Douglas Corporation to design a building which would attract visitors to the Isle of Man whatever the weather. [1][2][3], Summerland was opened on 25 May 1971. On 17 September 1973, three Liverpool boys two of them 12 and the other 14 appeared before Douglas Juvenile Court and admitted wilfully and unlawfully damaging the lock of a plastic kiosk next to Summerland. But I was young and my family did not let me know about it. My legs went like jelly and the next thing I knew, flames shot up the sides of the windows. 7. Custom Mountain home in Tehachapi CA.-2 hrs from LA or 2 hrs from Central Coast. [12] The fire brigade's provisional total of 51 deaths at the scene was subsequently revised down to 48, and two others died in hospital, one in Douglas on 11 August and the other in Scotland on 29 September; the latter is excluded from the Isle of Man coroner's list of 49 deaths. My dad played a lot of squash so I was always there watching him, well trying.. it took me years to be tall enough to see over from the spectators gallery properly.Every weekend it would either be rollerskating, swimming or the play area in the day and at night we would come back for the cabaret and more time in the play area.Through the week I would be in Summerland for 5-a-side football and swimming lessons with my school.For years I knew nothing about the fire but was told by my parents at a sensible age, from this moment on I wanted to know what the place looked like as their description made it sound out of this world and it was!I have spent many an hour researching everything Summerland.I have to admit I did feel very sad when I saw this place coming down.A newer more aesthetically pleasing version needs to be built, we need a more resourceful entertainment complex on the Island, everthing under one roof.. like Summerland! The pool was salt water and it made my eyes sting. I was 9 and on holiday with my Mum, brother and Uncle Peter (Mum's brother), the aim of the holiday being to give Mum a break after my Dad had died following a long illness. The complex Bit by bit over the years things would start to disappear, until by the end there was only "Manxland" left, my son really enjoyed palying there with all his cousins & it was a great place for Mums to meet on a Saturday & have a coffee while the kids played, we did that for a lot of years. [17], In October 2002, torrential rain caused damage to several structures, as well as two landslides behind Summerland which dislodged two 50-tonne concrete blocks that had once supported the roof of the original building, but had not been removed in the wake of the fire. The worst thing was I could hear screams even from that distance, this has haunted me to this day. Majestic Apartments can be found a short distance along on the right hand side. The survivor and her mother were separated from her father and sister and stuck in the venue before being rescued through a window by firemen. From Wonderful California, published 1915. 8. The 3.5 acre Summerland resort, claiming to be the biggest and most innovative indoor entertainment centre in the world, was hailed by the British Tourist Authority as An outstanding tourist enterprise. The Summerland disaster occurred when a fire spread through the Summerland leisure centre in Douglas on the Isle of Man on the night of 2 August 1973. 1. 5. vs burned out building. William LeedsI remember going there as a 6 year old. When we finally reached the bottom the firemen were there to guide us out and just as we got outside, the whole place was engulfed by fire. ISLE OF MAN: Summerland Entertainment Center - Vintage Photograph 1399665 - 12.48. You were certainly spoilt for choice - you could go swimming in 2 lovely new pools, rollerskate or play a multitude of sports in the massive sports hall, moonwalk in a big white type of enclosed bouncy castle (which like everything in there had a distinctive new smell). FREE membership. My uncle saw someone he knew from our home town (Widnes) whose hotel was closer than ours, and he was able to phone family at home to say we were OK just as the story was coming on the news.We were all OK, apart from my uncle's cracked ribs from charging at the fire door, but the horror of the evening is still with me such that even lighting a candle is something I struggle to do and I always check out fire exits when I'm somewhere new. It was a tragedy but the happy memories as a child are still vivid even in my late 40's.My thoughts are with those who lost someone dear xx. Jumping and diving from the boards was also fun with us all playing dead mans fall from the different boards, but I never did manage to dive or even jump from the top board. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for LIGHTHOUSE DOUGLAS - ISLE OF MAN ( T30 ) at the best online prices at eBay! Manx Forums - A Discussion Board & Classifieds for the Isle of Man. We spent alot of time in Summerland it was a great venue for all the family. It was indeed quite glamorous and I know for a fact my mum and dad spent more than a few romantic evenings there, (We kids got packed off to our grandparents house!) The queue to get into the swimming pool with my Mum, Dad & brother and of course the smell. I feel there should always be something incorporated into whatever is built or put on the site to commemmorate the people who died. It was all shining, it even smelt new. Firemen were already on the scene and ran past us with hoses. Noel Skillicorn, LiverpoolSummerland for me, like many others who grew up on the Island was one of the main places that you could find entertainment of all forms from Rollerskating through to catching a afternoon film in the cinema. On August 2, 1973, at about 20.00, a fire in a kiosk close to Summerland, Isle of Man, started a conflagration and caused the death of 50 people. I remember going there as a 6 year old. I WILL RETURN AS THERE IS A KIND OF MAGIC ATTRACTION ABOUT THE ISLAND,I SHALL ALWAYS REMEMBER 'THE GEM IN THE IRISH SEA' WAYNE FORD, Moonwalk,rollerskating & swimming, just 3 of the things that kept myself, my brother & cousins entertained for hours. of 1971. Those were the days. I've got used to passing the site & it not being there but from the boat, going in either direction it's still not the same. My Mum persuaded me not to stay any longer in the childrens' play area in the basement, so we returned to the gallery area overlooking the stage/dancefloor to join my brother and uncle. Find average house prices, current average values, other historic property data & request a valuation from an estate agent. We never knew if she saved our lives. Condition is excellent. The water in the pool was lovely and hot and we used to go out and stand in a cold shower and the cold foot bath then dive into the pool to get that even warmer feeling. Phase I was the I finished work on the 1st of August after working in the bar because Ihad run out of money. What a great place. CLOSED COMPLETELY! The island has been visited by various raiders and trading peoples over the years. 1. Aug 27, 2019 - Explore Amanda Smith's board "Summerland IOM" on Pinterest. As Bob says the smell of the place too & being in there when it was pouring down outside was amazing to us kids. 6. vox pops boys re. . [1] [2] [3] Background Summerland was opened on 25 May 1971. My uncle saw someone he knew from our home town (Widnes) whose hotel was closer than ours, and he was able to phone family at home to say we were OK just as the story was coming on the news.We were all OK, apart from my uncle's cracked ribs from charging at the fire door, but the horror of the evening is still with me such that even lighting a candle is something I struggle to do and I always check out fire exits when I'm somewhere new.
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