Summer land fire

[Iknowitsgonnabealonglongtime]

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/24/1973-summerland-leisure-centre-fire-isle-of-man-survivors

I can’t believe I’d never heard of this before. Just read an article on it and it’s awful. Those poor families and like many of these disasters sounds like it was totally avoidable.

[DobbyTheHouseElk]

I watched a documentary on it. Really shocking.

[Iknowitsgonnabealonglongtime]

I agree, I’m just surprised I’d never heard anything about it before.

[Doyouthinktheyknow]

The year before I was born. Still surprised I’d never heard of it. Absolutely tragic and just terrifying.

[WimbledonPimms]

It's horrific and surprisingly unknown

This is a good article about it www.birmingham.ac.uk/documents/college-les/gees/staff/fire-disaster-c3.pdf

[ElinoristhenewEnid]

I remember it well and mentioned it in a post about news stories people would not know about today. I was with a youth camp in Southend and one of the leaders read the news article out loud - it was horrifying.

[IOMQuestions]

I live on the IOM, it’s more talked about here than it used to be. I knew very little of the background to it though before I read that guardian article when it was published.


I’m still shocked no one was prosecuted for their part in it, forcing the signing of fire certificates etc.

[Iknowitsgonnabealonglongtime]

And it's made worse by the fact cutting corners is still costing people their lives. It's unimaginably dreadful isn't it?

[CindersAgain]

Gosh, it was before I was born, but I have close ties to the Isle of Man but had never heard of it.

[Merchantadventurer]

I am also Manx and it was really not talked about as I was growing up. We used to go to the re built summer land and I honestly had no idea other than the fact there had been a fire and even that was vague.

There are people now who are really highlighting it but i think it a source of shame for many years. It is truly awful.

[Iknowitsgonnabealonglongtime]

It must be awful for the boys who started it - they were all really young and must've carried the guilt all their lives.

[megletthesecond]

I had never heard of this. It's awful.

[UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername]

@Iknowitsgonnabealonglongtime

And it's made worse by the fact cutting corners is still costing people their lives. It's unimaginably dreadful isn't it?

We just don't learn, do we?

[Iknowitsgonnabealonglongtime]

That’s the sad thing, we really don’t.

[RaraRachael]

I remember it quite clearly. I was on holiday with family at the time and I remember the adults talking about it - I was 11, although OH who is the same age has no recollection of it at all,

[IrishSee]

I'm also from the IoM, and my grandparents told me about the tragedy as it happened just before I was born. When they took me to the rebuilt Summerland in the late 80s, I remember that they always made sure we knew where the fire exits were.

There's a big memorial service planned this year, but it's only really in the last few years (since Grenfell I think sadly) that it has become more widely talked about. Absolutely tragic, and yes, lessons should have been learnt from Summerland which weren't.