Gas blowing tale
Several generations of Pearson’s were raised in Ancoats / Miles Platting. Although I was raised in Sale, my father, Eric Pearson, told me many stories about his younger days in Sandal Street and Bradford Road, where his father had a grocer's shop.
Dad did quite a lot of work researching the family history and writing down reminiscences. After his death in August 2008 aged 91, I continued the work and through ancestry.com I have found many relatives previously unknown to us. Through one of them, Walter Butler, I heard of your magazine. Indeed Walter kindly showed me the article "The day the gas holder blew its top". This is a story I have heard many times and I have extracted the following from Dad's papers:
We left our house in Sandal Street and came to live at the shop on Bradford Road which, until then, had been what was known as a lock-up shop. The living room was behind the shop and the bedrooms upstairs. Below the shop was a cellar, dark and somewhat mysterious. It was a place I seldom visited.
Quite close to the shop, behind a high brick wall, was the Gas Works. There were four gas holders, commonly called the gasometers, and always the smell of gas.
One unfortunate day, two of them exploded with a deafening bang. Flames shot into the air and were carried straight over our shop, with great speed and intense heat. The shop window somehow remained intact but the bacon behind it was quickly fried! Nobody, however, appeared to buy a cooked breakfast!
All the shops and houses around were evacuated. In his haste to escape, my father remembered to collect my mother but not the money from the shop till.
The police allowed him, together with Charlie Hayes who had been close to our house, to go into the building. Whilst there the two of them went upstairs to get a better look at the wreckage, saw a third gas holder alight and Charlie always admitted he never remembered getting down our stairs on his way out!
In spite of the damage that day, no one was injured. Perhaps your readers might be interested in this?
Whilst writing, I wonder whether you have any information about Stones/Slones Buildings, Ancoats Hollow? My Great grandfather was born there in 1852 and I have found it on a street map but have no further information.
Southwood Holywood Dumfries DG2 0RW
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john@images2cherish.co.uk
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