The world's first offshore oil wells, drilled from piers in 1896. The lower floors were geared towards children and teenagers, with a disco, fairground. Instead the first call came from a passing taxi driver, while another came from the captain of a ship 2 miles (3.2km) offshore who radioed HM Coastguard and said, "It looks as if the whole of the Isle of Man is on fire". I think they must have broken through a back wall or something to get there. [13] The inscription on the 1998 disaster memorial did not give a death toll; its 2013 replacement lists all 50 names. 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. I do recall entering a talent competition and singing 'I'm a little teapot'. With a year-round programme of shows and events, there's plenty of ENTERTAINMENT on offer at VillaGaiety. StuartI was 9 at the time of the Summerland fire and on holiday with my Mum and Dad staying at the Granada Hotel as we always did then. At first we thought it was only a small fire but we soon became aware that it was a lot more serious. 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! Jumping and diving from the boards was also fun with us all playing dead mans fall from the different boards, but I never did manage to dive or even jump from the top board. 7. vox pop older man re. The death toll brought about a public inquiry that ran from September 1973 to February 1974. I hope you'll find it a useful means of info as to the current status of the site; my hopes for the Isle of Man Government to develop a memorial space there dedicated to the 50 killed in the fire of 2nd August 1973; the one minute's silence I organise on the anniversary of the fire; the Summerland Memorial Concert held each year; together with links and blogs. celiaI was on holiday at the IOM with a group of girl friends the week of the Summerland fire. 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. In the summer everyone enjoyed the talent competitions which were great fun. (en) dbo:thumbnail 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. Humans colonised it by travelling by sea some time before 6500 BC. 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. [9] The centre was seriously damaged by the fire. It is a British Crown dependency (and therefore not part of the United Kingdom itself); the UK is responsible for defence and foreign affairs. I was 17 and with my boyfriend at the time. I was 17 and was working there at the time of the fire, it was total panic, the fire spread so fast and no body could get out due to the doors being locked, I managed to get my friend away safely but with all the panic going on around I ended up in a daze, I dont know how I got out but remember someone pulling me, I got out befor the first explosion went off. 8 ISLE OF MAN EXAMINER www.iomtoday.co.im Tuesday, June 27, 2017 BUILDINGS AT RISK Heritage: A look at the Castle Mona Hotel s history S A newsdesk@iomtoday.co.im Twi er: @iomnewspapers The journey from the jewel in Douglas s crown to an eyesore A nyone who knows the song The Ugly Duck - ling will know that the bird in "So far the best Chinese I had on the Island ( and I lived 3 years in China) t.". On the third attempt, my uncle's door came open and several others followed. 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. 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. 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. 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. Locations. Majestic Apartments can be found a short distance along on the right hand side. The venue was designed to hold 10,000 people in five floors and included swimming. I feel there should always be something incorporated into whatever is built or put on the site to commemmorate the people who died. The street frontage and part of the roof was clad in Oroglas, a transparent acrylic glass sheeting.[5]. The site was acquired by Douglas Corporation in 1964 and 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. 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. 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. As Bob says the smell of the place too & being in there when it was pouring down outside was amazing to us kids. The Summerland concept was new and made the Isle of Man complex unique in the British Isles when the building opened in 1971. I was on holiday at the IOM with a group of girl friends the week of the Summerland fire. A couple of the girls had been at the afternoon disco but were on their way back to the digs when the fire must have taken hold. We never knew if she saved our lives. [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. 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. But I have fond memories of summerland and I to did win the talent competion in summerland. I lost a couple of pals in the 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. [1][2][3], Summerland was opened on 25 May 1971. As kids we used to holiday in the Isle of Man either at port St Mary or Peel. 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. My dad raised the alarm after I smelt smoke coming from a slot machine. Continue along King Edward Road beyond the new offices of Royal Skandia. We got out past the swimming pool - as a lady carrying some keys ran towards the doors to unlock them. We crossed onto the promenade via a walkway which crossed the road, I think. Overview. I will never forget her and that night that I nearly died.Sincerely John McGimpsey, Newtownards N Ireland. I remember the main floor in front of the stage with all the deck chairs & the straw umbrellas, the music, the talent shows. I remember hearing a woman shouting "My God, my children are in there", which I still find a bone-chilling thought. The first occupants were hunter-gatherers and fishermen. 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 . See where they filmed this movie from 2020 starring Gemma Arterton, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Lucas Bond. My Uncle and several other "big chaps" hurled themselves against the fire doors to break them down. 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. [12] The fire brigade's provisional total of 51 deaths at the scene was subsequently revised down to 48, and two others died in hospital, one in Douglas on 11 August and the other in Scotland on 29 September; the latter is excluded from the Isle of Man coroner's list of 49 deaths. 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.. 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 . While children were entertained in the theatre, parents could relax upstairs. Property description & features. We went to a show to see the Black and White Minstrels, that's when I smelt smoke. Lots of wildlife viewing!! of 1971. I worked in Summerland a week before it burnt down. Ladies Location: Douglas - The Nunnery estate Type: Haunting Manifestation Date / Time: Unknown Lomas wanted to create the illusion of being outside and to this end he planned to cover exposed cliff faces with tropical plants while allowing wild birds to live and fly throughout the building. The Summerland fire, according to the independent report into the blaze, will remain a permanent scar in the minds of Manxmen.. panels dropping in flames onto the ground and I guess, people below. I was too young to realise what had happened but it makes me feel cold now. It was so colourful and had such a happy and relaxed atmosphere. We found them distraught watching the flames as they thought we were in the building. The transparent roof was composed of 6 ft acrylic bronze-tinted sheets so that the natural light filtering through would appear like golden rays. Ricky Rooney, DouglasFor me, Summerland was the hub of all my childhood memories, I would be there at least 4 times a week. 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!! IMS VINTAGE PHOTOS IMS VINTAGE PHOTOS THIS IS AN ORIGINAL VINTAGE 394351480931 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. I stood on the prom looking over at the Summerland complex contemplating whether to give it a go or not. 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. I had the best holidays ever as a kid in IOM , it is a magical place. 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. The Summerland disaster is the worst day in Manx history and remains the third worst loss of life from fire on land in the British Isles since World War Two. Custom Mountain home in Tehachapi CA.-2 hrs from LA or 2 hrs from Central Coast. You are in: Isle of Man > History > Where the sun always shines. was the development of an entertainment complex, which was completed in 1970. I was too young to realise what had happened but it makes me feel cold now. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. I remember walking past Summerland and seeing a rocking horse from a ride stood on its own. Find it on the Isle of Man | Business, Restaurants, Classifieds, Events and more To access your webmail, click Sign In Find it on the Isle of Man Click here to sign into webmail What's On? But I was young and my family did not let me know about it. Game & Entertainment Centers. 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. 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. 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. This, coupled with the constant sirens of emergency vehicles, is what made this the worst night of my life.