The fire exits - clear glass ones, all in a row - were locked which I guessed afterwards was to prevent people paying for access to one area and then going to the other as well. 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. A Cafe. We were there the night before the fire, we just thatought the "moving staircase" by the front door was the best thing ever. Summerland was a high tech leisure centre that was built in Douglas, on the Isle of Man, and opened in 1971. When it opened Summerland w The Summerland building in Douglas was the first of its kind in the world. There was a charming wooden see saw, slide and roundabout. 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. xx. Meanwhile a group of three school boys on holiday from Liverpool was hanging around at the back of the building next to a section of a dismantled fibre-glass kiosk. They were each fined 3 (equal to 31.86 in 2020) and ordered to pay 33p compensation and 15p costs. While many escaped the inferno unharmed, the incident claimed 50 lives and seriously injured 80. There were cafes and bars to relax in when you needed a drink. My dad raised the alarm after I smelt smoke coming from a slot machine. tracyI am a surviver of this tragedy.I still have nightmares. 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! As Bob says the smell of the place too & being in there when it was pouring down outside was amazing to us kids. 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. 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. Located in the heart of Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man, the complex was a landmark of the island, offering a wide range of attractions for both locals and visitors alike. Jade Harbour Restaurant. I remember the main floor in front of the stage with all the deck chairs & the straw umbrellas, the music, the talent shows. 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. The house has 4 good sized reception rooms, a breakfast kitchen, basement, 4 bedrooms, ensuite bathroom and separate wc and family bathroom. I was 5 at the time. The site on King Edward Road in Douglas has remained unused since the complex was. The state-of-the-art facilities put the Isle of Man on the map as one of the most important tourist destinations in. Manx Forums - A Discussion Board & Classifieds for the Isle of Man. Douglas, Isle of Man IM1 2SE Registered in the Isle of Man No. 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. There are more than 2 filming locations on our site. I made lots of friends both from the island and liverpool. 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. Demolition of the site from Oct 2005. Follow on beyond Summerland and Port Jack. I remember walking past Summerland and seeing a rocking horse from a ride stood on its own. Ladies Location: Douglas - The Nunnery estate Type: Haunting Manifestation Date / Time: Unknown This part of the building was clad in a material called Galbestos: profiled steel sheeting with asbestos felt on both sides coated with bitumen,[5][8] with no fire-resistant qualities. [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. The world's first offshore oil wells, drilled from piers in 1896. Phase II We came back to the island the year after the fire and we stayed in Oncan. 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. 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. It was my last night on the IOM with my BB Company from N Ireland. 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. Location. After another few minutes the flames had spread over the top of the building and were beginning to engulf the whole place, it was horrible to see. Such a happy reunion but such a terribly sad sad time. (The comedian/presenter on stage made a remark about there being "a chip pan on fire"). VillaGaiety is the Isle of Man's premier ENTERTAINMENT venue. jimmy kitchin onchanon 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!! CLOSED COMPLETELY! I remember hearing a woman shouting "My God, my children are in there", which I still find a bone-chilling thought. Experts into wreckage of building 4. We never knew if she saved our lives. I was one of the worst things that has ever happened on our small Island and none of us will ever forget the event. The whole thing ended so tragically but it's important to remember the good times too. 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. John McGimpseyI was 15,and in the fire, but I escaped by jumping around the bannisters which were jammed with people too frightened to move on the stairs which were on the same side as the balcony with the crazy golf where the fire was started.. 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. Phase I was the 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. Gray 2017 Keystone Summerland 2980 BH with 1 miles for sale at public car auctions in Carville LA on 03-07-2023. FREE membership. 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. I survived that terrible disaster. Condition is excellent. The fire services were not called for over 20 minutes,[5] and even then the call did not originate from Summerland. 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. 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. I'll never forget the tragedy and the emptiness we felt after that horrific day. Re: Isle of Man Summerland Fire Yes I remember the fire I was 10 years of age and on holiday with my family. Location: Doolish; Share; Posted July 3, 2008. . 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) Summerland. 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. Isle of Man > Ramsey > Summerland > Semi-detached house for sale - 4 bedrooms . You are in: Isle of Man > History > Where the sun always shines. 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). The transparent roof was composed of 6 ft acrylic bronze-tinted sheets so that the natural light filtering through would appear like golden rays. After another few minutes the flames had spread over the top of the building and were beginning to engulf the whole place, it was horrible to see. xx. Humans colonised it by travelling by sea some time before 6500 BC. (en) dbo:thumbnail With the help of the government and Trust House Forte Leisure Ltd the The west wall remains intact as there is concern that its removal may cause the adjacent cliff to collapse. 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. Ramsey is one of the sunniest parts of the Isle of Man, offering walks, fishing, golf, cycling and swimming. Her Name was Julie Panter, and her friend Dawn Ellingham wrote to me to tell me this. "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. 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. [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. We felt at the time that it was the beginning of the good times here on the Isle of Man. It was so colourful and had such a happy and relaxed atmosphere. 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. 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. is now owned and operated by the Department of Tourism and Leisure. 7. vox pop older man re. The fire started at around 7:30p.m. on 2 August 1973 when approximately 3,000 people were inside,[5] and was caused by three boys who were smoking in a small disused kiosk,[6] on the centre's miniature golf course[7] and who told police it was likely started by a carelessly discarded match or stub. Those were the days. The island is in desperate need of some alternative. The plans took years to finalise. Marketed by Chrystals, Isle of Man 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. There were cafes and bars to relax in when you needed a drink. 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. Siobhan McHaleWe had a family holiday on the IoM when I was 6. 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. Experts searching the wreckage. 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. [15] Changes to building regulations to improve fire safety were introduced. August ISLE of MAN "SUMMERLANDS DOUGLAS" DESTROYED BY FIRE 2nd AUGUST 1973 POSTED 1974 Street Cars Derby Vehicles Swiss Derby Castle before Summerland was demolished J Judith B summerland isle of man August 2013 My Heritage 40th Anniversary Birth Gem Sidewalk Memories