Fire at Williams
 

On July 30th 1910 several girls who lived in at Messrs Williams shop in Accrington were killed in a fire. Does anyone have any information on this tragedy?

Re: Fire at Williams
 

The shop was still open at 9.45pm. One of the lamps in the front windows 'arced', igniting a display. The fire spread rapidly. The horse-drawn Fire Brigade turned out from the nearby Market Hall fire Station. The officer in charge was told that everyone had been accounted for and concentrated on stopping the fire spreading. Sadly, this was not the case, and an hour later a roll-call was initiated. On enetering the building, the brigade found 5 ladies bodies. 3 shop assistants and 2 customers


I got this from an essay on Accrington Fire Brigade by John Kelly in the book 'An accrington Mixture' which I edited.

The shop was in Church street corner of Holme St

Re: Fire at Williams
 

Greatly appreciated. I have a before and after photo that I intend posting. jimmieg.

Re: Fire at Williams
 

We have already had a thread about Williams Fire in Church St last Year.

Any way heres some pictures.

Retlaw.

Re: Fire at Williams
 

Is this where Bailey's is now?

Re: Fire at Williams
 

Yep, previously Toymaster.

Re: Fire at Williams
 

Williams shp was at the corner of Holme St and Church St.

Picture taken in 1984.

Retlaw.

Re: Fire at Williams
 

Its used to be the main toy shop in accy as far as i remember, what is it now as i cant remember seeing it when i last came down

Re: Fire at Williams
 

its a pub lol, Baileys

Re: Fire at Williams
 

I think it was called Baileys in the 40s when it was a ladies wear/haberdashery store.

It was the place where the shop assistants sent your money on an overhead cable system to a cashier , who put your change and reciept in the 'screw mugsized thingy' and zoomed it back to the shop assistant on the cable.

It is difficult to describe to those who never saw it - fascinated me as a child, and makes that shop so memorable.

Re: Fire at Williams
 

remember seeing that vaugely, thought it was "Sauls" up black abbey,but obviously not.

Re: Fire at Williams
 

You can still see the old signs on it. It goes round the pub on the green background. It says "Bailey's Ltd, Hosiers & Gloves" It also says "Millner's" on the corner is this the name of the owner?

Re: Fire at Williams
 

Is it "milliners" ? Thats the old name for hat makers .

Re: Fire at Williams
 

It was like a small department store. My mum took me when she needed to buy silk stockings - nylons hadn't been invented.

There was a similar store nearby named Moffitts, but I can't remember exactly where that was - perhaps Atarah will.

Re: Fire at Williams
 

If I'm not mistaken Baileys was on Church St next door to William's,
you used to be able to see the sign on there from the Library steps.
I have a photo somewhere.
Saul's in Black Abbey St also had the system of sending your money
and purchase order on a cable to the cashier.
He got rid of it in the early 1960's.

There were three shops that still had the system in the 1940's

Bailey's and Sauls were two of them.
Seem to remember some of the Co-ops had them as well, Warner St ?.

Retlaw.

Re: Fire at Williams
 

cheers retlaw i'm not as dumb as i thought.;):)

Re: Fire at Williams
 

Where was Saul's on Black abbey St ? I have nevr heard of it, I went to school with a lad who had the surname Saul , were they Jewish?:confused:

Re: Fire at Williams
 

Found two more pictures. One is an aerial view of the gable end in Church St. The other is Church St showing Penny Wise where Bridges Tool shop was, and the restaurant next door was Moffit's, & Baileys occupied the premises where Williams had been.

Retlaw.

Re: Fire at Williams
 

On the left hand side going down Black Abbey St from Abbey St, the block before Jacob St. Saul was Jewish, he lived in Blackpool took over the shop from Bob Holt, the lad you knew, I don't thing he was Sauls son Saul was an old man in the 1960's looked about 90.
Retlaw

Re: Fire at Williams
 

see linds every buggar ignores me.:(

Re: Fire at Williams
 

I've been looking through my albums and found these which might be of interest. There was a thread about old Cinema's some time back, one of the Bug Hut, Ranch, or some called it the Flea Pit. They showed so many Cowboy films that they had to close once a month to pick all trhe lead out of the walls. :biggrin8:
The other picture is a clanger by Howard and Bulloughs, they thught their cast iron sets were better than cobble stones, only lasted a few months, in bad weather they were a disaster, people and horses with injuries, cars skidding all over the place.

Retlaw

Re: Fire at Williams
 

I remember that flea pit cinema though never went in - Roxy?
The whole length of Union Rd in Ossy was paved with beautiful granite sets.
When the age of tarmac came they found that they were so hard, it was easier to tarmac over them (buried treasure)

Re: Fire at Williams
 

Trust you to show accy up!! :rolleyes:



spot the police car :D

Re: Fire at Williams
 

2 great photos retlaw, the flea pit margaret was the Kings Hall, just around the corner from me house on burnley rd, were the bank came to be, 2 films a time,changing 3 times a week, spent many happy hours in it.;):)

Re: Fire at Williams
 

The Sauls that I knew at school ( Moorhead) were called Nichola and Paul(?) ,really tall ,good looking kids with olive skin if I remembercorrectly. It's an odd surname for round here so they may be related.

Re: Fire at Williams
 

Best time was Saturday "Flash Gordon", remember Ming the Merciless.
Tom Mix was a regular in Cowboy films, also William Boyd as the Lone Ranger and his faithful sidekick Tonto. Zorro, Pearl White in the Perils of Pauline. Another cowboy in films I can't remember his name but his wife was Dale Arden & his horse was called Trigger.

Retlaw.

Re: Fire at Williams
 

Roy Rodgers and his real life wife Dale Evans
Welcome to The Official Roy Rogers - Dale Evans Website

Re: Fire at Williams
 

Lol! I never noticed that! But i'm afraid i'm not guilty! I got the picture out of the Gallery. That would be Roy who took it.:)

Re: Fire at Williams
 

I remember them doing that in Union Road Margaret, I was only about 9 or 10 at the time, mind you if they had had to take those stone set up they'd still be doing it now:)