We came back to the island the year after the fire and we stayed in Oncan. 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. Demolition of the site from Oct 2005. 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. belindaI went to the Isle of Man after the fire and never heard of the fire until recently. fire, which triggered a major change in fire regulations on the Island. The plans took years to finalise. 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. The new Entertainment Centre was named Summerland and opened in the summer Looking at the picture of the pool makes me sad!! I was one of the worst things that has ever happened on our small Island and none of us will ever forget the event. Denis Cowley QC acted for the Douglas Corporation. Location. Isle of Man: Summerland Entertainment Center - Vintage Photograph 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. Mountain retreat in Southern California. On the night of the fire I had decided, for some unknown reason, to spend some time on the ASTROGLIDE (who remembers that ?) I loved it so much and will always remember it . ISLE OF MAN SUMMERLAND FIRE | AP Archive The Summerland fire, according to the independent report into the blaze, will remain a permanent scar in the minds of Manxmen.. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Find average house prices, current average values, other historic property data & request a valuation from an estate agent. Seacroft, 3 Summerland, Ramsey. LizAlthough 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. While many escaped the inferno unharmed, the incident claimed 50 lives and seriously injured 80. is now owned and operated by the Department of Tourism and Leisure. There were posters everywhere and everyone was talking about it. The Summerland Tragedy, Isle of Man.On the 2nd of August, 1973, a fire broke out in . When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. It took me a long time to go on holiday again. The panic started and we all headed for the fire exit down the steps, only to find the doors were locked. The Majestic. Everywhere we went afterwards there was requests for blood donors it was so sad, and I think we were all glad to get home. It was my last night on the IOM with my BB Company from N Ireland. I worked in Summerland a week before it burnt down. 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. The scale of the fire has been compared to those seen during the Blitz. BBC - Isle of Man - The Summerland building disaster 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. The island was cut off from the surrounding islands around 8000 BC as sea levels rose following the end of the ice age. I decided to throw a wobbly and asked for a toy as I didn't want to go to the show - overtired! There were 7 floors in total and the building had a capacity for 5 thousand people. Opened with much fanfare a little more than two years earlier on 25 May 1971, the 2m climate-controlled building boasted restaurants and bars, an indoor heated swimming pool, saunas, a children's theatre and an underground disco. The year before the fire we were taken to Summerland to watch a syncronised swimming display. 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. summerland site isle of man - Investingmath.biz 4. vs damage to building. 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. 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. I remember the main floor in front of the stage with all the deck chairs & the straw umbrellas, the music, the talent shows. 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. Looking at the picture of the pool makes me sad!! I was 5 at the time. We went to a show to see the Black and White Minstrels, that's when I smelt smoke. I was told that the drummer from the show we had been watching did not make it. complex was rebuilt in 1976 and opened again in 1978. 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. I loved it so much and will always remember it . MER 26 56 Douglas 1978 | Isle of man, Summerland, Isle 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. They were each fined 3 (equal to 31.86 in 2020) and ordered to pay 33p compensation and 15p costs. My legs went like jelly and the next thing I knew, flames shot up the sides of the windows. I made lots of friends both from the island and liverpool. There is also a mysterious underground room in the castle where a male ghost has been seen lingering. BBC - Isle of Man - History - Where the sun always shines (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.) seeing many bodies, young people burned beyond recognition Location: Isle of Man Date Posted: 4/5/2017 2:49:35 PM Waymark Code: WMVDNA 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. As Bob says the smell of the place too & being in there when it was pouring down outside was amazing to us kids. We went to the shops on the prom and I still have Minnie the clockwork mouse to this day. Map. Fifty people were killed and 80 seriously injured. Semi-detached house for sale in Seacroft, 3 Summerland, Ramsey IM8 Just added. [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. 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. On the evening of Thursday 2nd August 1973 an estimated 3,000 people were enjoying themselves at the resort. 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. celiaI was on holiday at the IOM with a group of girl friends the week of the Summerland fire. It took me a long time to go on holiday again. There's not much left of the place. 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 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.