I believe in the late 50`s and definately not later than 1961 an explosion took place which i seem to remember shook the school,St Johns , Sparkhill Stratford Road around dinnertime (12.00ish),i think it was an explosion in West Bromwich although not sure it was real or my imagination playing up can anyone out there help ?
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Explosions 1950s And 60s
- Thread starter ed smith
- Start date
sylviasayers
master brummie
Ed, I remember that explosion very well, it was the around lunch time and as you say 1960/61 and in West Bromwich, I lived in Aston at the time and heard it distinctly and the house shook, the only thing I have forgotten is the actual details - was it a factory.
sylviasayers
master brummie
Thanks for the information Robert.
sylviasayers
master brummie
Robert I loved that.
There were two explosions, both in West Bromwich; one during the late 1950's at a tube-works (?) when its boiler blew-up and another, during January of 1962, at Friar Park, when a lorry carrying chemicals (as mentioned above) exploded and caused much devastation. I heard both explosions, and was taken by my Dad, to see the destroyed houses at Friar Park. It looked like Beirut on an exceptionally bad day! I don't think anyone was killed (?) but there were many injured. I remember becomming suddenly shocked and scared, when I saw lots of bloodied bandages and pads of cotton-wool lying all over the road. We lived a couple of miles away but the explosion made our house 'jump' ......which was my first thought when the 'Dudley Earth-quake' hit too....my first night back in the Midlands for thirty years!
I remember the lorry explosion very well, we heard it at school in Acock's Green, albeit as a somewhat distant rumble. The event was worthy of recording in my Enid Blyton diary (no cringing, please) and I can confirm the date as Tuesday 6th February 1962. "Lorry blew up in West Brom" I wrote.
Ed, try this link: https://www.macearchive.org/Media.html?Title=4890#
There was another site, which appears to have disappeared, to be replaced by our own discussion...it's a mystery to me how these things work!
I recall that the Black Country Bugle once did a full article on the event.
There was another site, which appears to have disappeared, to be replaced by our own discussion...it's a mystery to me how these things work!
I recall that the Black Country Bugle once did a full article on the event.
Ray Griffiths
master brummie
There was 3 other explosions about this time that I can remember.
1) Kynocks in the ammunations works.
2) GEC Witton A large alternator for Japan caused a very large explosion and fire in the Turbo shop Hydrogen was release into an oil tank and ignited.
3) GEC Witton a 200 megawatt rotor on test in the overspeed test broke loose causing an explosion and fire down the overspeed pit.
Ray
1) Kynocks in the ammunations works.
2) GEC Witton A large alternator for Japan caused a very large explosion and fire in the Turbo shop Hydrogen was release into an oil tank and ignited.
3) GEC Witton a 200 megawatt rotor on test in the overspeed test broke loose causing an explosion and fire down the overspeed pit.
Ray
I remember hearing an explosion when I was at Kingsthorne Junior School, Kingstanding. We too thought it was the start of war - it was around the time of the Cuban Crisis and I must have picked up on that at home. So the explosion we heard must have been October 1962. Maybe it was one of the explosions in Rays previous post ? Viv.
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
Yes it was Tues 6th February 1962, Friar Park, explosion of lorry carrying 5 gallon drums of chemicals.
I can dig the Hits out if anyone is interested.
Some details and a newsreel film here: https://www.macearchive.org/films/midlands-news-06021962-west-bromwich-explosion
I remember that explosion - I was at school at the time (in Edgbaston) and we heard a distant rumble. The lorry was containing methylethylketoneperoxide (MEKP), rather nasty stuff and which is a catalyst for polyester resin used in manufacture of glass-fibre components; a process I became familiar with in later years. Amazing no-one was killed!
G
I remember that explosion - I was at school at the time (in Edgbaston) and we heard a distant rumble. The lorry was containing methylethylketoneperoxide (MEKP), rather nasty stuff and which is a catalyst for polyester resin used in manufacture of glass-fibre components; a process I became familiar with in later years. Amazing no-one was killed!
G
Hi,
I remember there was an explosion in the early 60's in the basement of Telephone House
in Newhall Street caused by a gas leak. I worked In the Westminster Bank on the other corner
of Lionel Street, and we were evacuated for the morning to the Colmore Row Branch.
Kind regards
Dave
I remember there was an explosion in the early 60's in the basement of Telephone House
in Newhall Street caused by a gas leak. I worked In the Westminster Bank on the other corner
of Lionel Street, and we were evacuated for the morning to the Colmore Row Branch.
Kind regards
Dave
