I went to the Isle of Man after the fire and never heard of the fire until recently. Location. Summerland complex, Isle of Man Isle of Man Tram and Summerland Leisure Centre. Location Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland Geographic coordinates 54 15 N, 4 30 W Map references Europe Area total: 572 sq km land: 572 sq km water: 0 sq km country comparison to the world: 193 Area - comparative slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries total: 0 km Coastline 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. LOCATION From the Sea Terminal proceed the length of the Promenade. Only three Solaria existed at the time: Chicago, Japan and Switzerland. It was a lovely place but it's so sad the way it all ended. The fire killed 50 people, eleven of them under the age of twenty. [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. I had a great time. Fifty people were killed and 80 seriously injured. Her Name was Julie Panter, and her friend Dawn Ellingham wrote to me to tell me this. 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. 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. 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. Location: Doolish; Share; Posted July 3, 2008. . Tehachapi, CA, US. There's not much left of the place. 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. We spent alot of time in Summerland it was a great venue for all the family. construction of a swimming pool, which was completed in 1969. In The Summerland Story written by Robert Kelly he promotes the centre as a holiday town where it never rains, the wind never blows and the temperature never gets chilly. From pantomime to ballet and live music to musicals. We came back to the island the year after the fire and we stayed in Oncan. 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 rest is of course history. 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 Summerland Tragedy, Isle of Man.On the 2nd of August, 1973, a fire broke out in . "A good batter, a tasty sauce, and the excellent fried rice with chives.". 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. "Good crispy duck and great main dishes.". 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. A lot of people on the Island will never forget what happened on 2nd August 1973. 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! Lots of wildlife viewing!! On the third attempt, my uncle's door came open and several others followed. [15] Changes to building regulations to improve fire safety were introduced. 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. The fire quickly spread across the sheeting on the leisure centre walls and roof, and through vents which were not properly fireproofed. Inside the centre he included plans for an indoor heated swimming pool, saunas, Turkish baths, an artificial sunshine zone, a childrens theatre, an underground disco, cascading waterfalls, restaurants and bars all with live entertainment throughout the day. Brings back great memories of times spent on the island. 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. For just over two years the centre attracted visitors from all over the world. We had a family holiday on the IoM when I was 6. I had the best holidays ever as a kid in IOM , it is a magical place. Original 1970s flyer in colour. 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. It was a climate-controlled building covering 3.5 acres (1.4ha) on Douglas's waterfront, consisting of 50,000sqft (4,600m2) of floor area constructed at a cost of 2 million. I wondered why she was fussing me so much and so upset, after all, I was fine. 30 Mar 2023 - 05 Apr 2023 +. 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. Looking at the picture of the pool makes me sad!! I will never forget her and that night that I nearly died.Sincerely John McGimpsey, Newtownards N Ireland. 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. NOTHING! Continue along King Edward Road beyond the new offices of Royal Skandia. But I have fond memories of summerland and I to did win the talent competion in summerland. complex was rebuilt in 1976 and opened again in 1978. I do recall entering a talent competition and singing 'I'm a little teapot'. Demolition of the site from Oct 2005. 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. 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. It was so colourful and had such a happy and relaxed atmosphere. I do recall entering a talent competition and singing 'I'm a little teapot'. 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. 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. [16], Soon after the disaster, John Hinnigan was brought in from Blackburn fire and rescue to become the new chief. But the dream was short lived. My mum eventually took me and my sisters and I couldn't believe how new and lovely everything was. 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 venue was designed to hold 10,000 people in five floors and included swimming. We went to the shops on the prom and I still have Minnie the clockwork mouse to this day. But I was young and my family did not let me know about it. I still remember those who died and those who lost loved ones. 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. This, coupled with the constant sirens of emergency vehicles, is what made this the worst night of my life. I survived that terrible disaster. 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. We got out past the swimming pool - as a lady carrying some keys ran towards the doors to unlock them. I remember the music and noise of people just enjoying themselves. 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. We never knew if she saved our lives. 1. 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 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. There was a charming wooden see saw, slide and roundabout. I was one of the worst things that has ever happened on our small Island and none of us will ever forget the event. I was 17 and with my boyfriend at the time. Continue along King Edward Road beyond the new offices of Royal Skandia. 4. vs damage to building. Firemen were already on the scene and ran past us with hoses. [11] Around 80 people were seriously injured in the resulting crush and fire and received physical and mental scars. We never knew if she saved our lives. 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. FOR SALE! 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!! 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. Film: Pos - Sound: Mag SOF - Colour - NYFilm: No - LN Number: LN45368 - Available in HD Storyline Go to top Scenes of the aftermath of the Summerland Pleasure Complex fire Categories Go to top Locations: Follow on beyond Summerland and Port Jack. 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. Kayti Summerland signed up 2022-08-04 22:08:04 -0400. I still remember those who died and those who lost loved ones. The lower floors were geared towards children and teenagers, with a disco, fairground. We were there the night before the fire, we just thatought the "moving staircase" by the front door was the best thing ever. There were cafes and bars to relax in when you needed a drink. The west wall remains intact as there is concern that its removal may cause the adjacent cliff to collapse. We were there the night before the fire, we just thatought the "moving staircase" by the front door was the best thing ever.