Summerland survivor says fire has been 'forgotten' and calls for accountability on 51st anniversary
Tracy Walmsley talks to ITV Granada Reports Isle of Man reporter Joshua Stokes about her experience inside the Summerland fire
A survivor of the Summerland fire says the disaster has been "totally forgotten", and believes "people need to be made accountable".
Tracy Walmsley, from Warrington, was five-years-old when she was caught inside the Summerland leisure complex, on the night of the fire.
Since then, she has suffered with severe anxiety and recurring nightmares, which she believes is due to the effects of the disaster.
She said: "Only through years and years of therapy have we eventually got to the bottom of it, and it was Summerland, because I never talked about it.
"There was no mental health stuff in the seventies, you just had to suck it up and get on with it, you've nobody to talk to."
Recalling the night of the fire, Tracy said: "I remember seeing people who were more or less as an inferno - you could see their face, but the rest of their body was literally flames.
"And they were throwing themselves off the balconies as far as they could get, thinking they could escape the fire".
50 people died as a result of the Summerland fire, with many more injured in the blaze.
The disaster, which occurred during the evening of 2 August 1973, was started by three young boys who were smoking in a disused kiosk, up against the main Summerland complex.
The fire spread rapidly, due to the highly-flammable acrylic sheeting used in the construction of the complex.
Once alight, the fire spread across the ceiling within 20 minutes, causing melting Oroglas to fall down onto the holidaymakers below.
Tracy said: "I actually saw the flames dripping onto people".
"They were trying to put themselves out, people rolled on the floor to try and put it out".
An inquiry into the disaster found a series of errors led to the blaze.
'The Summerland Fire Commission' contained many examples suggesting little consideration was given to fire safety during the construction of the building.
These included a lack of fire escapes, the decision to cover the building in Oroglas, and the use of softwood instead of concrete.
However, the report did not single out any one person or group to be held responsible for the fire.
Instead, the Commission concluded there were 'many human errors and failures', with 'too much reliance upon an old boy network' that led to 'very ill-defined and poor communication'.
In the end, it concluded: 'there were no villains'.
Tracy's sister, Valerie Daniels, described the 'misadventure' verdict as 'an insult'
A 'death by misadventure' verdict was given to all 50 people who died, something a group of survivors are campaigning to overturn.
In 2023, the Chief Minister of the Isle of Man apologised for 'any government failings' that could have led to the disaster.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Isle of Man Government, said: "The Summerland fire leaves a lasting legacy on the Isle of Man’s recent history, and at the upcoming memorial event we will remember the people who died, and acknowledge the enduring effects on survivors, the bereaved and those who responded to the tragedy.
"The Isle of Man Government continues to welcome engagement with survivors and victims’ families, some of whom travelled to the Island to be part of previous commemorations.
"However, an application for a fresh inquest would be a legal matter for the Attorney General to consider, and it would be inappropriate for the Isle of Man Government to comment until this process is complete."
Two separate commemorative services are due to take place to mark the anniversary - one at the Summerland memorial, and another on the Summerland site.
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