The Night Glasgow Burned

[ibtg]

Sorry for the short notice - just found out myself...

This programme being shown again on BBC2 at 18.30 tonight ......

[Lucky Poet]

Ta! Watching it now

[glasgowken]

What was it ?

[Dexter St. Clair]

The deaths of nineteen men in a tragic whisky bond fire in Glasgow in 1960 represented the worst peacetime loss of life for the fire service. The fire in Cheapside Street was one of a series of disasters in commercial premises in Glasgow which earned the city the nickname 'Tinderbox City'. Yet despite the loss of life and the bravery of those who survived, little was done to ensure such a tragedy could never happen again.

As commemorations are held to pay tribute to the dead, BBC Scotland correspondent Reevel Alderson looks back at the Cheapside Street fire and government failures in its aftermath.

On the Iplayer till 13th February 2011

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rs2gj

[HollowHorn]

What was it ?

Kenny, ffs.

[robertpool]

Thanks Liz, watched the 'catch up version' at 4:00am. I'm glad to see someone is finally putting a fitting memorial in Cheapside Street after 50 years. I wonder excactly where they will put the memorial as the the area is up for redevelopment by Dandara and nowhere seems suitable at the moment. When l spoke to a representative of Dandara a couple of years ago, in Cheapside Street, they said that would in intertested in putting up a memorial to those that died in the fire; here is hoping they are still interested once the building work starts.

[+ 1]

That was a very interesting programme, Glad somebody spotted it.

[glasgowken]

What was it ?

::): ::): ::):

Kenny, ffs. ::):

Well, obviously I know about that event but the title didn't say anything about it. I don't watch a lot of telly.

[RDR]

Excellent programme.

[ibtg]

Sorry, Ken, I should maybe have given a short description of what the programme was about for those who didn't see it first time.

Having only spotted it a few minutes before it aired, I was anxious to get the message out quickly.

[Vinny the Mackem]

I wonder excactly where they will put the memorial

Memorials already in place, east side of the Kingston Bridge beside the ferry.

Before the formal unveiling




After the ceremony, the plaque added to the memorial


This one was done by local schools.

[RDR]

I wonder excactly where they will put the memorial

Memorials already in place, east side of the Kingston Bridge beside the ferry.

Before the formal unveiling




After the ceremony, the plaque added to the memorial


This one was done by local schools.

A nice and fitting tribute to add to the one in the Necropolis.
I have a friend who served his 30 years in the then Glasgow and Strathclyde Fire Brigade, who worked in his early days of service with some of the survivors, as he was based at the old South (centre street) Fire Station.
For an ambulance service perspective on the Cheapside Street disaster, try and get a copy of 'Blue Lights and Bandages' by Jack Kirkland.

[Mori]

News reel of the fire.
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=41358

The funeral of the Firemen.
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=41379

[RDR]

Going off at a slight tangent, and apologies to the mods if this has been looked into before, but has anyone researched old Glasgow Fire Stations, and what they became? For instance;
South Station (centre street) - Converted to flats - replaced by new station at Polmadie
Queens Park (Alison Street) - Converted to flats - combined with South in new station at Polmadie
HQ (Ingram Street) - Restaurant - replaced by the complex at Cowcaddens which includes the workshops and training school.
Govan (Orkney Street) - Flats along with the old Orkney Street Police Station it was connected to - replaced very nearby by Station on Govan Road.

I'm not as familiar with the North and West of the city, but both Maryhill and Yorkhill are relatively new stations and must have replaced far older ones

A lot of the old stations seemed to be built to very similar designs, Ingram Street and Alison Street being almost identical so I wonder if the then Glasgow Corperation used the same arthitects?

Another feature is that the doors to the engine rooms were so narrow, I doubt that modern fire appliances would fit in and even the old ones had a very tight squeeze. You wonder if the station were built to fit the tenement space rather than the actual space required.
All the old stations had living accomodation above for families as firemen in those days had 'tied' houses and had to live above the 'job'. Modern stations don't have that restriction.

Finally, the Lothian Bigrade have a museum in Lauriston Place that they maintain, is there a Strathclyde equivalent?

[ibtg]

The Scottish Fire Heritage Group website:-

http://www.ayeready.org