I remember seeing below us musicians from the group who had been on stage swimming across the learner pool, one of them with his guitar. Her Name was Julie Panter, and her friend Dawn Ellingham wrote to me to tell me this. I was too young to realise what had happened but it makes me feel cold now. I was so sad when the tragedy happened and still feel sad when I drive past the now empty site. But I have fond memories of summerland and I to did win the talent competion in summerland. We stayed for a week and on all of the 4 nights preceding the evening of the disaster I had been to the complex for a swim and play around with new-found friends. of a new Sports and Entertainment Centre, which would cost the council There were two phases in the building [9] The building's open-plan design included many unblocked internal spaces that acted as chimneys, adding to the conflagration. At the time Summerland was one of the most. 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). I've just seen that picture of the pool with the rows of spectator seats and it brought it all back to me.I remember the next year when the fire happened because we were packing for our holiday to Anglesea when the news broke. [16], Soon after the disaster, John Hinnigan was brought in from Blackburn fire and rescue to become the new chief. The complex My Mum and I started to go towards a spiral staircase which led towards the main entrance but my uncle steered us further along the gallery to where there were fire exits leading to the swimming pool area. 7. vox pop older man re. Most of week had been spent at the evening disco and I still have photos and the weekly ticket from our good times there. The year before the fire we were taken to Summerland to watch a syncronised swimming display. Follow on beyond Summerland and Port Jack. I worked in Summerland a week before it burnt down. My Uncle and several other "big chaps" hurled themselves against the fire doors to break them down. 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 remember the music and noise of people just enjoying themselves. Then with my children to manxland,their first birthday parties, my sisters-in-laws fashion shows & watching cousin's children do ballroom dancing & they're just a handfull of memories!Summerland was a one off & while the Villa Marina is a part of our islands history & heritage, there will never be another place like Summerland - it's in a league of it's own. The ghost walk at Castle Rushen is said to be one of the best on the island and can be booked here. . While children were entertained in the theatre, parents could relax upstairs. We felt at the time that it was the beginning of the good times here on the Isle of Man. I had the best holidays ever as a kid in IOM , it is a magical place. I remember hearing a woman shouting "My God, my children are in there", which I still find a bone-chilling thought. My dad raised the alarm after I smelt smoke coming from a slot machine. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Isle of Man: Summerland Entertainment Center - Vintage Photograph 1399644 at the best online prices at eBay! We crossed onto the promenade via a walkway which crossed the road, I think. 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. The worst thing was I could hear screams even from that distance, this has haunted me to this day. Continue along King Edward Road beyond the new offices of Royal Skandia. 34808 | VAT Registration Number: 001090349 Directors . Add Your Event View All 04 March Saturday Manx Amateur Drama Federation Coffee Morning View 10:00 - 12:00 Current Weather 9 4 03 March Friday 8 4 In the summer everyone enjoyed the talent competitions which were great fun. The Isle of Man [1] ( Manx: Ellan Vannin) is an island in the British Isles, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. Map. Fifty people were killed and 80 seriously injured. I was told that the drummer from the show we had been watching did not make it. With a year-round programme of shows and events, there's plenty of ENTERTAINMENT on offer at VillaGaiety. 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. Brings back great memories of times spent on the island. It took me a long time to go on holiday again. Bid today! It bears the names of those killed in the fire and is set into a circle of paving, alongside a stone laid earlier to mark the 25th anniversary. (The comedian/presenter on stage made a remark about there being "a chip pan on fire"). Experts into wreckage of building 4. The BBC reserves the right to edit comments submitted. jilliani loved summerland it was amazing the play area and the skating the swim baths and all shame the way things went, WAYNE FORDHI, I PLAYED THE SUMMERLAND DISCO WITH MY BAND 'ROCOCO' THE YEAR BEFORE THE FIRE,I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM ANYONE WHO REMEMBERS 'ROCOCO' I HAVE SOME VERY FOND MEMORIES OF MY TIME THERE, I HAVE VISITED THE ISLAND ONCE SINCE THEN,QUITE BY CHANCE IT WAS THE YEAR BEFORE THE DEMOLITION TOOK PLACE,BUT I SUPPOSE I COULD SAY GOODBYE. [11], One survivor wrote about her experiences from the fire in a book entitled Made in Summerland, which was published in July 2018.[12]. I used to love walking round the place & everytime it was just as amazing as the first time.Then in my teens & 20's & 30's going to the cave & upstairs for the TT events from TT supporters club meetings,to gigs & tyre balancing. Location. Situated only a few minutes walk to the beach, harbour, shops and public transport. It had been a last minute holiday booking and to this day I will not go on a last miniute booking holiday. [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. Facts About Isle of Man: Places to Visit in Isle of Man Location Map of UK Cities Where is Aberdeen Where is Basildon Where is Basingstoke Where is Bath I remember winning a talent contest at Summerland when I was 6 years old.We went to the IOM every year for our summer holidays. 420,000 Property details; Douglas Corporation, aided by grants from the Isle of Man Government, spent 1.5 million on the building and more cash was provided by The International Trust House Forte group who had taken Summerland LTD on as a subsidiary. We never knew if she saved our lives. 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. Summerland was a high tech leisure centre that was built in Douglas, on the Isle of Man, and opened in 1971. The scale of the fire has been compared to those seen during the Blitz. There were cafes and bars to relax in when you needed a drink. "Excellent! Experts searching the wreckage. Douglas (Man It was my last night on the IOM with my BB Company from N Ireland. sammy hamiltonI worked in Summerland a week before it burnt down. I stood on the prom looking over at the Summerland complex contemplating whether to give it a go or not. Figure 2 shows where the fire initially started, and it spread quickly over the building faade. 1. RM R8WF63 - Oil wells drilled into the bed of the Pacific ocean at Summerland, between Santa Barbara and Los Angleles, California, United States of America, c. 1915. Julie was 14, and identified by her jewellery. The decor made it look like a tropical fairyland in places with the waterfall which looked like it was tumbling into the building from where the cliff-face was at the rear of the building. The pool was salt water and it made my eyes sting. Kayti Summerland signed up 2022-08-04 22:08:04 -0400. This was on the 2nd floor. We actually visited the Summerland on the day of the fire, I can remember the night of the fire, we were staying in a hotel on the opposite end of the prom, I was there with my cousin and our Mum's and Dad's had gone out for the evening. The burning kiosk collapsed against the exterior of the building. Semi-detached house for sale in Seacroft, 3 Summerland, Ramsey IM8 Just added. My parents had been to the site of the fire thinking I was in there as I had been all week. For just over two years the centre attracted visitors from all over the world. At first we thought it was only a small fire but we soon became aware that it was a lot more serious. What a great place. I decided to throw a wobbly and asked for a toy as I didn't want to go to the show - overtired! The average house price in Summerland, Ramsey, Isle of Man IM8 is . 7. I remember the main floor in front of the stage with all the deck chairs & the straw umbrellas, the music, the talent shows. My legs went like jelly and the next thing I knew, flames shot up the sides of the windows. Feb 22, 2021 - Manx Electric Railway 26 a 1898 GF Milnes crossbench tram at Derby Castle terminus in Douglas about to push crossbench trailer 56 back to the depot past the rebuilt Summerland on 14 July 1978. 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. Numerous firms are employing truck drivers in different locations of Canada like Alberta, Ontario, Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga, Quebec, Ottawa, Calgary, and also great deals of extra. We spent alot of time in Summerland it was a great venue for all the family. Find average house prices, current average values, other historic property data & request a valuation from an estate agent. Phase II We were first alerted to it by the noise from the fire engines.Looking out the window of the boarding house we saw the 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. Firemen were already on the scene and ran past us with hoses. From pantomime to ballet and live music to musicals. And the name, it was just called the summerland play area, or Barry Nobles arcade before that (not to be confused with the one that was opposite Woolworths) The fire was contained in an internal space within the walls until it penetrated the interior, destroying the wiring of the fire alarm system in the process. My mum eventually took me and my sisters and I couldn't believe how new and lovely everything was. on arrival above somerland we couldnt beleve the whole building was an infurno (just where we would have been had we not been delayed)we left the site not beleving such a tragity could be hapening to those poor people,and by the grace of god spared us.with the passing of time and no disrespect to those who loved ones perished or were injured i beleve that summerland was a fabulous venue of the time and should be under another name be reserected for the people of the island and visitors alike,the past is the past and nothing can remain a stain of the building/archetects or goverment who built it in good faith and by unforcene events that happend.the island needs a new complex to invest in tourisem and for the island people to enjoy in these hard days ahead bring life back to the island as it was before the doom and gloom merchants moved in.being a stopover from the late 60s and with three children who were born here i personaly would like to see an indoor complex such as summerland revived. I've not lived on the Island for 10 years, but I have the memories of the great times I had & will never forget Summerland, even know my time spent there was in the 90's, quite a long time following the 1973 Disaster. Property reference . The panic started and we all headed for the fire exit down the steps, only to find the doors were locked. A lot of people on the Island will never forget what happened on 2nd August 1973. Instead the first call came from a passing taxi driver, while another came from the captain of a ship 2 miles (3.2km) offshore who radioed HM Coastguard and said, "It looks as if the whole of the Isle of Man is on fire". Marketed by Chrystals, Isle of Man I was 7 and on holiday with family,that inluded aunts,uncles and cousins.A lot of us had been holdaying in Douglas that week and we spent a lot of time in Summerland.It was a great place to spend the day.It had all the ammenities ,everything you wanted was there,a funfare ,indoor heated swimming pool,indoor amusement arcade.It had bars,a disco's everything.On the night of the fire, we just finished our evening meal in our hotel and we began walking up Douglas promenade ,going towards Summerland,when we noticed smoke billowing up from behind the building,the next instant the entire building was engulfed in flames.I remember seeing people pouring out of the building,some were on fire,it was horrific.We were standing some distance away and I could not take my eyes off it.The explosions from the burning building boomed across Douglas bay.I had never seen so many injured people before and it is something that I wll never forget.The following morning we all cut our holiday short and returned home,as the ferry was leaving Douglas we all stood on the boat deck ,staring at the burnt out shell of Summerland.Have never been back to IOM since that terrible fire. We never knew if she saved our lives. the old building demolished. I was too young to realise what had happened but it makes me feel cold now. Department of Community, Culture and Leisure announces future of Summerland site, Redevelopment of the Former Summerland Site - The Wave. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. While many escaped the inferno unharmed, the incident claimed 50 lives and seriously injured 80. Examples of their tools are kept at the Manx Museum. Property description & features. Brings back great memories of times spent on the island. They went to give bloood and looked for my brother and sister on the way. 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. BBC Isle of Man, Broadcasting House, Douglas Head, Douglas, Isle of Man IM99 1SW, I was 16 at the time of the fire, like many teeagers in Douglas we spent most of our evenings and many a wet day at Summerland.We could occasionally get served in the bars and if not we roller skated on the big rink downstairs.The night of the fire we had left Summerland to go to the stock cars at Onchan stadium, we got as far as the Catholic church in Oncan park when we saw a thin column of black smoke and people began to gather at the cliff top overlooking the site.We ran across the golf course watching the smoke grow, by the time we reached the cliff, half of the seaward wall of Summerland was blazing with a thick sheet of jet black smoke rising hundreds of feet.From our viewpoint we watched the fire spread over the huge oroglas canopy and saw thousands of people pouring out of the doors.When the events of 9/11 were shown on tv it reminded me of Douglas prom that night, teeming with shocked people and emergency vehicles flying up and down.We ended up in the Granada hotel trying to phone our parents to tell them we were ok but the phones were busy.The next morning the whole town stank of burnt plastic and vans instead of ambulannces ferried the dead to a makeshift mortuary.I didn't loose anyone and I dont have nightmares, but it was a dark part of my childhood and a memory that is still often in my thoughts. We got out past the swimming pool - as a lady carrying some keys ran towards the doors to unlock them. 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. There were posters everywhere and everyone was talking about it. The venue attracted thousands of people to the. We came back to the island the year after the fire and we stayed in Oncan. This, coupled with the constant sirens of emergency vehicles, is what made this the worst night of my life. NOTHING! We were there the night before the fire, we just thatought the "moving staircase" by the front door was the best thing ever. A girl I met that night but got separated from in the panic died. Ricky Rooney, DouglasFor me, Summerland was the hub of all my childhood memories, I would be there at least 4 times a week. carol burnsI survived that terrible disaster. We came back to the island the year after the fire and we stayed in Oncan. His solution was to design an artificial centre of sunshine and it had to be spectacular enough to compete with the growing threat of cheap foreign holidays. Location: Isle of Man Date Posted: 4/5/2017 2:49:35 PM Waymark Code: WMVDNA At the time Summerland was one of the most. I will never forget her and that night that I nearly died.Sincerely John McGimpsey, Newtownards N Ireland. There were 7 floors in total and the building had a capacity for 5 thousand people. It took me a long time to go on holiday again. Mountain retreat in Southern California. "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. 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. ISLE OF MAN: Summerland Entertainment Center - Vintage Photograph 1399665 - 12.48. Dr Ian Phillips' book on the Summerland fire, revised in March 2021, is the most comprehensive account ever written of the disaster. 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.
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