Victoria Hall disaster

[Deleted member 23273]

I have just had a read of this on the BBC

The Hogmanay cinema panic that killed 71 children

Children found the exits locked as they tried to escape what they thought was a fire in the cinema.

www.bbc.co.uk

Now, it was an absolute tragedy what happened in Paisley, I understand that it’s topical, New Years Eve, last remaining survivors etc etc, but a lot more children lost their lives in Sunderland about fifty years previously, yet that never gets a mention anywhere.

 

[RestlessNatives]

I have just had a read of this on the BBC

The Hogmanay cinema panic that killed 71 children

Children found the exits locked as they tried to escape what they thought was a fire in the cinema.

www.bbc.co.uk

Now, it was an absolute tragedy what happened in Paisley, I understand that it’s topical, New Years Eve, last remaining survivors etc etc, but a lot more children lost their lives in Sunderland about fifty years previously, yet that never gets a mention anywhere.

Don't think it's a competition.

 

[gods_homeboy]

I have just had a read of this on the BBC

The Hogmanay cinema panic that killed 71 children

Children found the exits locked as they tried to escape what they thought was a fire in the cinema.

www.bbc.co.uk

Now, it was an absolute tragedy what happened in Paisley, I understand that it’s topical, New Years Eve, last remaining survivors etc etc, but a lot more children lost their lives in Sunderland about fifty years previously, yet that never gets a mention anywhere.

I thought the Victoria hall disaster lead to changes in the law regarding more fire exits and doors opening outwards

 

[peil]

I have just had a read of this on the BBC

The Hogmanay cinema panic that killed 71 children

Children found the exits locked as they tried to escape what they thought was a fire in the cinema.

www.bbc.co.uk

Now, it was an absolute tragedy what happened in Paisley, I understand that it’s topical, New Years Eve, last remaining survivors etc etc, but a lot more children lost their lives in Sunderland about fifty years previously, yet that never gets a mention anywhere.

It was published in the Scottish News section, BBC do reflective pieces like this quite often.

I thought the Victoria hall disaster lead to changes in the law regarding more fire exits and doors opening outwards

Probably a discrepancy arose between Scots and English law

 

[Boy]

My dad told me about it when I was very young, probably in the late 60s.

 

[shadowplay]

Well, I'd not heard of this one. Strange to read the similarities. Grim.

 

[Teed]

I have just had a read of this on the BBC

The Hogmanay cinema panic that killed 71 children

Children found the exits locked as they tried to escape what they thought was a fire in the cinema.

www.bbc.co.uk

Now, it was an absolute tragedy what happened in Paisley, I understand that it’s topical, New Years Eve, last remaining survivors etc etc, but a lot more children lost their lives in Sunderland about fifty years previously, yet that never gets a mention anywhere.

That's because it's only Sunderland, we don't matter.

 

[ErichZann]

History is full of all but forgotten tragedies, unfortunately Victoria Hall is one of them. Few outside of Sunderland know about it, and many within Sunderland don't.

 

[RichD]

It must have been horrific for the parents and families of those young children who died..

 

[roppa]

It’s because Victoria hall wasn’t a cinema I think, and they’re talking to survivors

 

[AlpineExile]

BBC - A History of the World - Object : Victoria Hall Disaster Toy Rocking Horse

A History of the World is a partnership between the BBC and the British Museum that focuses on world history, involving collaborations between teams across the BBC, and schools, museums and audiences across the UK. The project focuses on the things we have made, from flint to mobile phone.

www.bbc.co.uk

BBC News | ENGLAND | Toy tragedy children honoured

 

[Jon Dough]

Tragic story, all those poor children.

 

[Churchlanelad]

Toward Road, Sunderland runs along the eastern edge of Mowbray Park, perhaps the most outstanding of the city's many impressive public amenities. However, this attractive urban setting hides a terrible secret, for here, at the junction of Toward Road and Laura Street, stood the Victoria Hall which was the scene of what was arguably the country's worst ever tragedy, a tragedy which moved the whole country in a way only matched by the outpouring of grief following the terrible events at Aberfan in 1966 and the recent death of Princess Diana. The tragedy occurred on Saturday, June 16th 1883, during a children's show when gifts were being distributed from the stage. The 1100 or so children in the gallery, determined not to miss the treats, dashed down the spiral staircase to the stalls, but at the foot of the staircase their way was barred by a door which could only open towards them. Tragically the rush of children was such that, before the door could be opened, the leading youngsters were already being pressed against the door by those behind them. The yells of delight soon turned to screams of terror as more and more children found themselves trapped. In the ensuing confusion no less than 183 young children were crushed to death. Truly a tragedy without equal.

Money poured into the town - this is not a modern phenomenon - and some of the donations were used to erect a monument to the dead children in Mowbray Park. This took the form of a life-size white marble statue depicting a grieving mother holding a dead child.

Victoria Hall remained in use for a further 58 years until the night of April 15th/16th 1941 when, at around 3:00 a.m. during a heavy air-raid on the town, a German parachute-mine scored a direct hit on the northern end of the building and completely demolished it. Few would have missed that sullen reminder of an earlier tragedy, but sadly several other nearby buildings were seriously damaged too, including the Winter Gardens and the Museum and Library in Mowbray Park and the Palatine Hotel at the northern end of Toward Road. Soon after WW2 the marble memorial to the dead children was moved to Bishopwearmouth Cemetery.

In 1994 Sunderland Council began a £13 million project which included a new Winter Gardens, the restoration of Mowbray Park to its Victorian glory, and the refurbishment of Sunderland Museum. As part of this project, the much vandalised marble memorial to the dead of 1883 disaster was removed from the cemetery, fully restored, and re-erected in a copper and brass protective enclosure near to its original location in Mowbray Park.

Copied from the Genuki website.

 

[MackemBob]

Toward Road, Sunderland runs along the eastern edge of Mowbray Park, perhaps the most outstanding of the city's many impressive public amenities. However, this attractive urban setting hides a terrible secret, for here, at the junction of Toward Road and Laura Street, stood the Victoria Hall which was the scene of what was arguably the country's worst ever tragedy, a tragedy which moved the whole country in a way only matched by the outpouring of grief following the terrible events at Aberfan in 1966 and the recent death of Princess Diana. The tragedy occurred on Saturday, June 16th 1883, during a children's show when gifts were being distributed from the stage. The 1100 or so children in the gallery, determined not to miss the treats, dashed down the spiral staircase to the stalls, but at the foot of the staircase their way was barred by a door which could only open towards them. Tragically the rush of children was such that, before the door could be opened, the leading youngsters were already being pressed against the door by those behind them. The yells of delight soon turned to screams of terror as more and more children found themselves trapped. In the ensuing confusion no less than 183 young children were crushed to death. Truly a tragedy without equal.

Money poured into the town - this is not a modern phenomenon - and some of the donations were used to erect a monument to the dead children in Mowbray Park. This took the form of a life-size white marble statue depicting a grieving mother holding a dead child.

Victoria Hall remained in use for a further 58 years until the night of April 15th/16th 1941 when, at around 3:00 a.m. during a heavy air-raid on the town, a German parachute-mine scored a direct hit on the northern end of the building and completely demolished it. Few would have missed that sullen reminder of an earlier tragedy, but sadly several other nearby buildings were seriously damaged too, including the Winter Gardens and the Museum and Library in Mowbray Park and the Palatine Hotel at the northern end of Toward Road. Soon after WW2 the marble memorial to the dead children was moved to Bishopwearmouth Cemetery.

In 1994 Sunderland Council began a £13 million project which included a new Winter Gardens, the restoration of Mowbray Park to its Victorian glory, and the refurbishment of Sunderland Museum. As part of this project, the much vandalised marble memorial to the dead of 1883 disaster was removed from the cemetery, fully restored, and re-erected in a copper and brass protective enclosure near to its original location in Mowbray Park.

Copied from the Genuki website.

Can remember it in the cemetery. My Nan used to point it out every time we went ip the cemetery visiting grandads grave.

 

[Falconhoof]

183

 

[RestlessNatives]

A canny short story based on the disaster.

The Rock-Pool Reflections ~ Short Story

On 16th June 1883 the Victoria Hall tragedy claimed the lives of 183 Sunderland schoolchildren, who had attended a Saturday morning children’s variety show. This is a fictional tale of two children…

talesofbeingsomeoneelse.wordpress.com

An exhibition related to it was on earlier this year as well.

Logon or register to see this image

Logon or register to see this image

 

[zwartekat]

A canny short story based on the disaster.

The Rock-Pool Reflections ~ Short Story

On 16th June 1883 the Victoria Hall tragedy claimed the lives of 183 Sunderland schoolchildren, who had attended a Saturday morning children’s variety show. This is a fictional tale of two children…

talesofbeingsomeoneelse.wordpress.com

An exhibition related to it was on earlier this year as well.

Logon or register to see this image

Logon or register to see this image

There is also a poem by notorious 'bad poet' William McGonagall.

 

[Churchlanelad]

183

There’s a list of the bairns who were killed on the Genuki webpage, but I’m not savy enough to post a link. Families in a lot of cases, lost more than one child. Heartbreaking.

 

[EDGE]

Toward Road, Sunderland runs along the eastern edge of Mowbray Park, perhaps the most outstanding of the city's many impressive public amenities. However, this attractive urban setting hides a terrible secret, for here, at the junction of Toward Road and Laura Street, stood the Victoria Hall which was the scene of what was arguably the country's worst ever tragedy, a tragedy which moved the whole country in a way only matched by the outpouring of grief following the terrible events at Aberfan in 1966 and the recent death of Princess Diana. The tragedy occurred on Saturday, June 16th 1883, during a children's show when gifts were being distributed from the stage. The 1100 or so children in the gallery, determined not to miss the treats, dashed down the spiral staircase to the stalls, but at the foot of the staircase their way was barred by a door which could only open towards them. Tragically the rush of children was such that, before the door could be opened, the leading youngsters were already being pressed against the door by those behind them. The yells of delight soon turned to screams of terror as more and more children found themselves trapped. In the ensuing confusion no less than 183 young children were crushed to death. Truly a tragedy without equal.

Money poured into the town - this is not a modern phenomenon - and some of the donations were used to erect a monument to the dead children in Mowbray Park. This took the form of a life-size white marble statue depicting a grieving mother holding a dead child.

Victoria Hall remained in use for a further 58 years until the night of April 15th/16th 1941 when, at around 3:00 a.m. during a heavy air-raid on the town, a German parachute-mine scored a direct hit on the northern end of the building and completely demolished it. Few would have missed that sullen reminder of an earlier tragedy, but sadly several other nearby buildings were seriously damaged too, including the Winter Gardens and the Museum and Library in Mowbray Park and the Palatine Hotel at the northern end of Toward Road. Soon after WW2 the marble memorial to the dead children was moved to Bishopwearmouth Cemetery.

In 1994 Sunderland Council began a £13 million project which included a new Winter Gardens, the restoration of Mowbray Park to its Victorian glory, and the refurbishment of Sunderland Museum. As part of this project, the much vandalised marble memorial to the dead of 1883 disaster was removed from the cemetery, fully restored, and re-erected in a copper and brass protective enclosure near to its original location in Mowbray Park.

Copied from the Genuki website.

Why would it be acceptable to vandalise such a monument? Arseholes.

 

[Nookie Bear]

The new bridge should’ve been named in honour of the victims imo - terrible tragedy