PDF Heritage: A look at the Castle Mona Hotel s history The journey from They went to give bloood and looked for my brother and sister on the way. I loved it so much and will always remember it . In 1973, the Summerland Complex suffered a tragic accidental We were there the night before the fire, we just thatought the "moving staircase" by the front door was the best thing ever. The Summerland building in Douglas was the first of its kind in the world. There was a charming wooden see saw, slide and roundabout. We came back to the island the year after the fire and we stayed in Oncan. STORY. Douglas, Isle of Man IM1 2SE Registered in the Isle of Man No. The fire killed 50 people, eleven of them under the age of twenty. Game & Entertainment Centers. 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. 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. the old building demolished. 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! 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. Find it on the Isle of Man | Business, Restaurants, Classifieds, Events 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'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. Kayti Summerland signed up 2022-08-04 22:08:04 -0400. The BBC reserves the right to edit comments submitted. A girl I met that night but got separated from in the panic died. [15] Changes to building regulations to improve fire safety were introduced. When they couldnt locate me they began their search for me on the prom. My parents had been to the site of the fire thinking I was in there as I had been all week. Property reference . But I have fond memories of summerland and I to did win the talent competion in summerland. 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. I 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. PDF "The - Summerland Fire Disaster We came back to the island the year after the fire and we stayed in Oncan. The pool was salt water and it made my eyes sting. It was indeed quite glamorous and I know for a fact my mum and dad spent more than a few romantic evenings there, (We kids got packed off to our grandparents house!) The latter idea was eventually scrapped when it was discovered some of the birds were poisoning themselves by eating the plastic foliage. Mountain retreat in Southern California. In the summer everyone enjoyed the talent competitions which were great fun. The End Of An Era: The Closure Of Summerland Leisure Complex In 2018 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! I remember seeing below us musicians from the group who had been on stage swimming across the learner pool, one of them with his guitar. Summerland opened on 25 May 1971 and was designed to accommodate up to 10,000 tourists as one of the largest entertainment centres in the world. mike howarthI was at summerland in august 1973,and went to the groovey disco underneath,but it seemed a bit lacking in atmosphere compared to the clubs in Manchester.I was also in Douglas when Summerland set on fire and joined the long queue of people donating blood for the victims. 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. "A good batter, a tasty sauce, and the excellent fried rice with chives.". I lost a couple of pals in the fire. . The worst thing was I could hear screams even from that distance, this has haunted me to this day. But the dream was short lived. Summerland fire disaster, Isle of Man | 2nd August 1973 Summerland Disaster - ScienceDirect [13] The inscription on the 1998 disaster memorial did not give a death toll; its 2013 replacement lists all 50 names. "Excellent! 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. My legs went like jelly and the next thing I knew, flames shot up the sides of the windows. The Summerland site is to be put on the market - BBC News 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. BBC - Isle of Man - The Summerland building disaster Demolition of the site from Oct 2005. The Isle of Man is located in the middle of the northern Irish Sea, Isle of Man to the east, Northern Ireland to the west, Scotland (closest) to the north and Republic of Ireland to the southwest. 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. [10], Because of the locked fire doors, many people headed to the main entrance, which caused a crush.[9]. My Uncle and several other "big chaps" hurled themselves against the fire doors to break them down. They went to give bloood and looked for my brother and sister on the way. Seconds later the light grew to a flame a few feet high, then within no time at all there were large flames extending the whole height of the side of the building I was frozen in shock watching what was kicking off. [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. It was so colourful and had such a happy and relaxed atmosphere. Isle of Man - The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency Summerland Leisure Complex Douglas Isle of Man IM99 2TB Tel: +44 (0) 1624 625511 The Site Facilities Include: Cinema Children's Soft Play Area Squash Badminton Basketball Five-a-Side Football Tennis Rollerskating Volleyball Indoor Golf Simulator Sports Bar Nightclub Spa Suite Future of Summerland Site 5 October 2010 Isle of Man Government - Manx Development Corporation In the summer everyone enjoyed the talent competitions which were great fun. 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. Location. Now it's completely gone & it is a shame but they will hopefully put something back there for the manx & visitors to enjoy & make their amemories last a lifetime too. 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 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 was on the 2nd floor. 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. ISLE OF MAN SUMMERLAND FIRE | AP Archive Noel Skillicorn, LiverpoolSummerland for me, like many others who grew up on the Island was one of the main places that you could find entertainment of all forms from Rollerskating through to catching a afternoon film in the cinema.