Summerland again

[CallMeCurious]

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/campaigners-vow-to-stand-in-front-of-bulldozers-if-memorial-not-proposed-for-summerland-site/

Successive governments seem to have brought this on themselves.

Aside from the moves to overturn the inquest after 50 years, on the back of the success with Dublins Stardust nightclub fire, the lack of movement on dealing with the site 20 years after it's demolition is a disgrace.

Given how much money has been spent on the prom and various art installations over the years, the government couldn't get together with the survivors and victims families and find a fitting memorial? We've missed the 50th anniversary which would have been an ideal opportunity to have national rememberance day, unveil a new memorial and have the Cheif Minister apologise in public to those survivors & relatives and those who witnessed or were involved in the aftermath.

As it is, the site is a festering eyesore and given the way they are throwing money at developers, it's about time thye got on with it. Even if it ends up as a multi-storey car park with a bus stop. 

[Declan]

There is a memorial. 

I don't understand why people who lived through the disaster rebuilt it. Yet now it has to be a permanent memorial. 

[monasqueen]

1 hour ago, CallMeCurious said:

Even if it ends up as a multi-storey car park with a bus stop. 

Best plan by far. 

[Andy Onchan]

51 minutes ago, monasqueen said:

Best plan by far. 

Isn't that why the horse tramlines were built more "solidly" in the prom upgrade, to take the weight of electric trams as a means of getting folk from a Summerland car park to/from town? 

[Fred the shred]

There was a report on MR regarding the site apparently there is a lot of problems regarding the site which have put developers off.   As for building any kind of memorial this is a dreadful idea there is already a memorial garden.

[Declan]

I'm not a car driver, but why would someone drive almost to Douglas, then decide to get a bus. 

[Fred the shred]

There is one lady who has been banging on about a memorial for years she has now set up a petition.

[Fred the shred]

Or walk on a nice day, or bring a bicycle in the boot of your car and cycle the rest of the way.    The multi storey car park should have been in Duke Street where that eye sore is.

[lethargy]

2 hours ago, Declan said:

There is a memorial. 

I don't understand why people who lived through the disaster rebuilt it. Yet now it has to be a permanent memorial. 

I never questioned this as a kid, even when I first learned about the disaster. Now looking back as an adult, it seems a frankly insane choice to do as they did.

[TheTeapot]

Rebuild summerland completely!

No better memorial than a new rollerdrome and The Cave II

[Declan]

54 minutes ago, TheTeapot said:

Rebuild summerland completely!

No better memorial than a new rollerdrome and The Cave II

With the taxidermised AI animatronic corpse of David Cretney spinning the hits of the 70's. 

[The Phantom]

So do they want a memorial built there?  Or it to be re-developed?

Or a memorial built there now and then kick off when it has to be moved when one day they eventually build the Monorail terminal?

What Bulldozers are they planning on standing in front of?  I wish I was able to call their bluff on that one.  Do JCK do hourly rates and a brief crash-course?

Already discussed elsewhere, but the unironically named Phoenix Law are only digging this up as they can smell the money.  Be under no illusions there is any sense of altruism or interest in justice. 

[Gladys]

6 hours ago, lethargy said:

I never questioned this as a kid, even when I first learned about the disaster. Now looking back as an adult, it seems a frankly insane choice to do as they did.

At the time, it didn't seem to be an insane choice and I cannot remember a huge outcry about it being rebuilt, but I could be wrong.

It is easy to look back and judge the decision, and prevailing sentiment, to re-open it with hindsight.  It operated as mainly a sports facility for a very long time. 

BTW, it wasn't rebuilt, but the upper levels, previously covered in oraglass, were replaced with a smaller superstructure.

 

[Two-lane]

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/campaigners-vow-to-stand-in-front-of-bulldozers-if-memorial-not-proposed-for-summerland-site/

Manx Radio Political Correspondent giving the Managing Director of Manx Development Corporation a hard time:

Gawne: "So what are the obstacles to the development of that site?"

Harrop: "... there's a lot of complexities around Summerland.... and I think anything that is proposed there needs to be carefully considered"

Well, that puts my mind at rest. Another 20 years of derelict non-building site.

You are all desperate to know what I would do. In fact you are already sharpening your pencils in readiness for your response.

What would I do? Knock off as much as possible of what is left. Spray rock-coloured concrete over the rest so that it does not look so bad. Mend the wooden fence and paint it white. Install turf and a herd of Loaghtans to give the tourists something to look at. Get rid of all the junk that is lying around in that area.

And accept that the site will never be sold.

[I assume that MDC have it on its books at some considerable value]

[Hairy Poppins]

4 hours ago, Two-lane said:

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/campaigners-vow-to-stand-in-front-of-bulldozers-if-memorial-not-proposed-for-summerland-site/

Manx Radio Political Correspondent giving the Managing Director of Manx Development Corporation a hard time:

Gawne: "So what are the obstacles to the development of that site?"

Harrop: "... there's a lot of complexities around Summerland.... and I think anything that is proposed there needs to be carefully considered"

Well, that puts my mind at rest. Another 20 years of derelict non-building site.

You are all desperate to know what I would do. In fact you are already sharpening your pencils in readiness for your response.

What would I do? Knock off as much as possible of what is left. Spray rock-coloured concrete over the rest so that it does not look so bad. Mend the wooden fence and paint it white. Install turf and a herd of Loaghtans to give the tourists something to look at. Get rid of all the junk that is lying around in that area.

And accept that the site will never be sold.

[I assume that MDC have it on its books at some considerable value]

Sensible idea. I'd plant it with trees (assuming you could get them to grow there). 

It will never be truly developed. There's supposedly still thousands of tons of concrete buried there, they backfilled the Nemo's nightclub when it was demolished (so I'm told) which means all the foundations and stuff are under there. It's soaked by the sea, the cliff is reportedly super unstable... there's easier sites to develop.