On the third attempt, my uncle's door came open and several others followed. 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 Paranormal Database Haunted Isle of Man/THE TRAGIC SUMMERLAND FIRE, ISLE OF MAN VillaGaiety is the Isle of Man's premier ENTERTAINMENT venue. Douglas, Isle of Man IM1 2SE Registered in the Isle of Man No. The latter idea was eventually scrapped when it was discovered some of the birds were poisoning themselves by eating the plastic foliage. The Summerland building in Douglas was the first of its kind in the world. It was my last night on the IOM with my BB Company from N Ireland. Places - Lost in Time: Summerland Centre, Isle of Man - YouTube Hello, and welcome again to Places - Lost in Time, a series that looks back on the tale of places and locations that have. [10], Because of the locked fire doors, many people headed to the main entrance, which caused a crush.[9]. 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. (Good move as it happens - I understood later that about 12 people were found dead at the bottom of that staircase, which I seem to recall did not have proper handrails round it, being largely decorative.) I do recall entering a talent competition and singing 'I'm a little teapot'. 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. As kids we used to holiday in the Isle of Man either at port St Mary or Peel. Canada Revenue 1/5 Excise Tax Matchbook "SUMMERLAND GROCETERIA" West Summerland C$10.00 Seller: DeveneyStamps ( 4410 ) Isle of Man: Summerland Entertainment Center - Vintage Photograph They went to give bloood and looked for my brother and sister on the way. Nicole SmithThe queue to get into the swimming pool with my Mum, Dad & brother and of course the smell. Phase I was the 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. 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. MER 26 56 Douglas 1978 | Isle of man, Summerland, Isle Firemen were already on the scene and ran past us with hoses. Follow on beyond Summerland and Port Jack. I'll never forget the tragedy and the emptiness we felt after that horrific day. With the building also suffering from concrete cancer, the remainder of the site closed in 2004, and demolition began in January 2006. 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. As Bob says the smell of the place too & being in there when it was pouring down outside was amazing to us kids. Situated only a few minutes walk to the beach, harbour, shops and public transport. 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. The island is in desperate need of some alternative. While many escaped the inferno unharmed, the incident claimed 50 lives and seriously injured 80. I remember hearing a woman shouting "My God, my children are in there", which I still find a bone-chilling thought. We felt at the time that it was the beginning of the good times here on the Isle of Man. construction of a swimming pool, which was completed in 1969. 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. Summerland Fire Memorial - Douglas, Isle of Man - Waymarking Isle of Man Government - Manx Development Corporation (The comedian/presenter on stage made a remark about there being "a chip pan on fire"). 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. [1][2][3], Summerland was opened on 25 May 1971. ISLE OF MAN SUMMERLAND FIRE | AP Archive I feel there should always be something incorporated into whatever is built or put on the site to commemmorate the people who died. There were posters everywhere and everyone was talking about it. With a year-round programme of shows and events, there's plenty of ENTERTAINMENT on offer at VillaGaiety. 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. . I went to the Isle of Man after the fire and never heard of the fire until recently. The first drawings materialised in 1965 but hundreds were drafted out before building work actually started. We went back when they rebuilt it but it didn't have the same atmosphere & at first people almost seemed to be looking over their shoulders as if they were waiting for something to happen, it was strange. I remember hearing a woman shouting "My God, my children are in there", which I still find a bone-chilling thought. Location. We had a family holiday on the IoM when I was 6. The end of a holiday dream It was a lovely place but it's so sad the way it all ended. Also had a vague recollection that the lads who were smoking near a kiosk which led to the fire, came from Liverpool. This, coupled with the constant sirens of emergency vehicles, is what made this the worst night of my life. My parents had gone for a drink and I was looking after myself on my own in the safety that was 1973 in the fantastic Isle of Man. 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. Brings back great memories of times spent on the island. Department of Community, Culture and Leisure announces future of Summerland site, Redevelopment of the Former Summerland Site - The Wave. Game & Entertainment Centers. 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. Julie was 14, and identified by her jewellery. Zoom in to cu of Summerland Complex and fire damage 2. vs fire damage 3. Mass Cholera Grave in Douglas. 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. [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. [15] Changes to building regulations to improve fire safety were introduced. I am a surviver of this tragedy.I still have nightmares. 30 Mar 2023 - 05 Apr 2023 +. The Summerland fire, according to the independent report into the blaze, will remain a permanent scar in the minds of Manxmen.. 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. Looking at the picture of the pool makes me sad!! tracyI am a surviver of this tragedy.I still have nightmares. A survivor of the devastating Summerland fire on the Isle of Man which killed 50 people, including 15 from Merseyside and Cheshire, has made an emotional appeal for the three Liverpool friends who . THE 10 BEST Chinese Restaurants in Isle of Man (Updated 2023) - Tripadvisor ISLE OF MAN SUMMERLAND FIRE | AP Archive