Outside its raining yet here you are relaxed in your shirt sleeves, gently perspiring in a tropical 80 degrees.. 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. We came back to the island the year after the fire and we stayed in Oncan. In the summer everyone enjoyed the talent competitions which were great fun. Everthing about that place was magical, everyone had a smile on their face & the atmosphere was exciting. I do recall entering a talent competition and singing 'I'm a little teapot'. It does not take away from the fact that it was for a few years, a great place to be. Follow on beyond Summerland and Port Jack. On the night of the fire I had decided, for some unknown reason, to spend some time on the ASTROGLIDE (who remembers that ?) I remember walking past Summerland and seeing a rocking horse from a ride stood on its own. (The comedian/presenter on stage made a remark about there being "a chip pan on fire"). The transparent roof was composed of 6 ft acrylic bronze-tinted sheets so that the natural light filtering through would appear like golden rays. I 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. I was at summerland in august 1973,and went to the groovey disco underneath,but it seemed a bit lacking in atmosphere compared to the clubs in Manchester.I was also in Douglas when Summerland set on fire and joined the long queue of people donating blood for the victims. The fire spread to the wall's interior soundproofing material, which was highly combustible, causing an intense fire that ignited the flammable acrylic sheeting that covered the rest of the building. belindaI went to the Isle of Man after the fire and never heard of the fire until recently. I survived that terrible disaster. Its charred steel skeletal remains were demolished in 1975 and then rebuilt on a smaller scale, construction commencing in 1976, with a smaller area of glass than the original, and a highly advanced fire extinguisher and alarm system. Having met with Mr Gawne MHK to discuss my proposal for a commemorative space prior to his unsuccessful re-election, then continued with Ray Harmer MHK the newly . "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'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. My dad raised the alarm after I smelt smoke coming from a slot machine. Much thought was given to bringing a sunshine-feel to the building. It was a lovely place but it's so sad the way it all ended. I finished work on the 1st of August after working in the bar because Ihad run out of money. 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. Original 1970s flyer in colour. slide somewhere near where the Hilton Hotel is now I think. Seconds later the light grew to a flame a few feet high, then within no time at all there were large flames extending the whole height of the side of the building I was frozen in shock watching what was kicking off. I remember the main floor in front of the stage with all the deck chairs & the straw umbrellas, the music, the talent shows. We spent alot of time in Summerland it was a great venue for all the family. We went to the shops on the prom and I still have Minnie the clockwork mouse to this day. Examples of their tools are kept at the Manx Museum. 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 Summerland building in Douglas was the first of its kind in the world and its state-of-the-art facilities put the Isle of Man on the map. [1][2][3], Summerland was opened on 25 May 1971. panels dropping in flames onto the ground and I guess, people below. IMS VINTAGE PHOTOS IMS VINTAGE PHOTOS THIS IS AN ORIGINAL VINTAGE 394351480931 7. vox pop older man re. The year before the fire we were taken to Summerland to watch a syncronised swimming display. 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. It was so colourful and had such a happy and relaxed atmosphere. They went to give bloood and looked for my brother and sister on the way. the old building demolished. Location. Now I have my own kids of my age at the time of the disaster, I know why. 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. 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. 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. Following many goes on the slide (the attendant was very friendly and let me have many free rides!) Now it's completely gone & it is a shame but they will hopefully put something back there for the manx & visitors to enjoy & make their amemories last a lifetime too. Welcome to Summerland Today! We crossed onto the promenade via a walkway which crossed the road, I think. We felt at the time that it was the beginning of the good times here on the Isle of Man. This, coupled with the constant sirens of emergency vehicles, is what made this the worst night of my life. The fire services were not called for over 20 minutes,[5] and even then the call did not originate from Summerland. I had a great time. I would like to see an ice-skating rink there (which the Island needs). 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. The death toll brought about a public inquiry that ran from September 1973 to February 1974. Mass Cholera Grave in Douglas. The ghost walk at Castle Rushen is said to be one of the best on the island and can be booked here. 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. It was all shining, it even smelt new. I think it would be appropriate and (hopefully) not too disrespectful to the people who passed away there. Everywhere we went afterwards there was requests for blood donors it was so sad, and I think we were all glad to get home. If you like to see Seven Sisters - view in Seaford, United Kingdom or any other wonderful filming locations from Summerland, start scrolling. Douglas (Man 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. 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. Fifty people were killed and 80 seriously injured. Firemen were already on the scene and ran past us with hoses. Gray 2017 Keystone Summerland 2980 BH with 1 miles for sale at public car auctions in Carville LA on 03-07-2023. I had the best holidays ever as a kid in IOM , it is a magical place. [10], Because of the locked fire doors, many people headed to the main entrance, which caused a crush.[9]. The complex 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. We were there the night before the fire, we just thatought the "moving staircase" by the front door was the best thing ever. I remember hearing a woman shouting "My God, my children are in there", which I still find a bone-chilling thought. I do recall entering a talent competition and singing 'I'm a little teapot'. people screaming and trying to escape, one boy broke a window with a microphone stand. The Majestic. Also had a vague recollection that the lads who were smoking near a kiosk which led to the fire, came from Liverpool. 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. Also had a vague recollection that the lads who were smoking near a kiosk which led to the fire, came from Liverpool. Summerland was such a great place to hang out and I would guess that most of the Isle of Man population that was around at the time of the fire is still in shock. [13] The inscription on the 1998 disaster memorial did not give a death toll; its 2013 replacement lists all 50 names. 7. I still remember the screams and panic, they haunt me to this day. The Summerland site today is in the ownership of the Isle of Man Government, derelict for 12 years and for sale for 10 years until January 2018 when it was taken off the market. 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. 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. LOCATION From the Sea Terminal proceed the length of the Promenade. Now it's completely gone & it is a shame but they will hopefully put something back there for the manx & visitors to enjoy & make their amemories last a lifetime too. Summerland was only a mile away from the District General Hospital and there was no clearing station for preliminary assessment of the injured. I stood on the prom looking over at the Summerland complex contemplating whether to give it a go or not. Behind the stage was the huge rock face. Re: Isle of Man Summerland Fire Yes I remember the fire I was 10 years of age and on holiday with my family. 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. 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. We found them distraught watching the flames as they thought we were in the building. Phase II We would spend alot of time up there because of the pool and because they could keep and eye on us and have a drink at the same time. With the building also suffering from concrete cancer, the remainder of the site closed in 2004, and demolition began in January 2006. 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 island was cut off from the surrounding islands around 8000 BC as sea levels rose following the end of the ice age. I will never forget the screams and people climbing over each other to get out. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. There was a lot of excited anticipation before it opened. [9] The centre was seriously damaged by the fire. 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. On the third attempt, my uncle's door came open and several others followed. was the development of an entertainment complex, which was completed in 1970. There were cafes and bars to relax in when you needed a drink. At first we thought it was only a small fire but we soon became aware that it was a lot more serious. I was 5 at the time. 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. A period semi-detached double fronted town house built circa 1864, set along a quiet cul-de-sac, yet within easy walking distance of the shops and cafes of Parliament Street. The first responding fire crews realised additional resources would be required and almost every resource available to the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service was mobilised to the incident (93 of its 106 firefighters and all 16 of its engines). xx. i loved summerland it was amazing the play area and the skating the swim baths and all shame the way things went, HI, 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. Continue along King Edward Road beyond the new offices of Royal Skandia. JaxuttonOK.What's with the 3 school-boys, what caused the fire?Accident or sabotage was an investigation carried out?Tell us more! construction of a swimming pool, which was completed in 1969. The indoor Summerland leisure complex in Douglas was the first of its kind in the world and its facilities put the Isle of Man on the map as one of the most important tourist destinations in. on the night of the summerland fire,my wife and mother and father inlaw (in there late seventies) plus myself with a wife who was expecting a child,were due to have a drink in the top bar as a fairwell to there holls before returning to liverpool next day, due to a strange event my wife hair rollers broke down so delaying by half an hour our departure.we stoped at the laxey filling station only to be told the complex was on fire!! We spent alot of time in Summerland it was a great venue for all the family. I was 5 at the time. 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. Andy, LiverpoolAs kids we used to holiday in the Isle of Man either at port St Mary or Peel. We were there the night before the fire, we just thatought the "moving staircase" by the front door was the best thing ever. You are in: Isle of Man > History > Where the sun always shines. Everywhere we went afterwards there was requests for blood donors it was so sad, and I think we were all glad to get home. 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. We crossed onto the promenade via a walkway which crossed the road, I think. SUMMERLAND, DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN. 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, Crazy Carol, OnchanMoonwalk,rollerskating & swimming, just 3 of the things that kept myself, my brother & cousins entertained for hours. 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. 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. 5. vs burned out building. We got out past the swimming pool - as a lady carrying some keys ran towards the doors to unlock them. My Uncle and several other "big chaps" hurled themselves against the fire doors to break them down. Experts searching the wreckage. The house has 4 good sized reception rooms, a breakfast kitchen, basement, 4 bedrooms, ensuite bathroom and separate wc and family bathroom. 34808 | VAT Registration Number: 001090349 Directors . The island is in desperate need of some alternative. A lot of people on the Island will never forget what happened on 2nd August 1973. 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. The average house price in Summerland, Ramsey, Isle of Man IM8 is . A girl I met that night but got separated from in the panic died. My Uncle and several other "big chaps" hurled themselves against the fire doors to break them down. Nicole SmithThe queue to get into the swimming pool with my Mum, Dad & brother and of course the smell. I was one of the worst things that has ever happened on our small Island and none of us will ever forget the event. It took me a long time to go on holiday again. Custom Mountain home in Tehachapi CA.-2 hrs from LA or 2 hrs from Central Coast. I will never forget the screams and people climbing over each other to get out. 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. The island is in desperate need of some alternative. After a geotechnical team determined that the blocks could not be safely stabilised or removed, and that there was a risk they would fall into the buildings below, the site was scheduled for demolition. Everthing about that place was magical, everyone had a smile on their face & the atmosphere was exciting. I was 17 and with my boyfriend at the time. On the night of the fire I had decided, for some unknown reason, to spend some time on the ASTROGLIDE (who remembers that ?)