Following on from the “Any of you oldies” thread

[William Treseder]

Does anyone remember the building site tragedy in late 60’s early 70’s (?) in the city centre?
A hoist collapsed and came crashing down with workmen inside it. My mates and I had left the empire pool just after it had happened and remember seeing police and ambulances everywhere. Sure there were a few fatalities.
Can’t find anything online about it.
Apologies if anyone on here had any family or friends invloved.

[BLUETIT]

Young lad I know, (he is about 60 now), saw it fall past him, as he was working inside.

White as a sheet, when I saw him about an hour after it happened

Dominic MacCuhan (spelling) is his name, from Pentrabaine (spelling)

Family was from Newtown originally

[uncle bob]

Wasn't it on Southgate house building on Wood Street?
Thought it was 2 window cleaners on a trestle and it fell from the top not long after it was built?

[Bobby Dandruff]

Yeah I remember that in the news at the time.

[Bobby Dandruff]

Wasn't it on Southgate house building on Wood Street?
Thought it was 2 window cleaners on a trestle and it fell from the top not long after it was built?

Yeah I remember that being in the news at the time.

[Malckent]

I know someone who lost a brother during this tragedy. Somehow and very luckily I do believe one or maybe two guys walked away unhurt.

[ToTaL ITK]

principal insurance building?

[William Treseder]

Wasn't it on Southgate house building on Wood Street?
Thought it was 2 window cleaners on a trestle and it fell from the top not long after it was built?

Must be my memory. I could have sworn it was a hoist taking the guys up and down the outside of the building as it was getting built?

[splott parker]

It was Southgate House on Wood St, mid 70s, I’d say. Weren’t they workers from JonWindows (John Williams) who were inspecting the external installation of the windows?

[BLUETIT]

Wasn't it on Southgate house building on Wood Street?
Thought it was 2 window cleaners on a trestle and it fell from the top not long after it was built?


Must be my memory. I could have sworn it was a hoist taking the guys up and down the outside of the building as it was getting built?

Bit of both, it was in the process of having work done on it, as Dominic, was working inside.

It was a platform on the outside of the building that fell, whether they were cleaning or doing building work, I’m not 100%

[BLUETIT]

Just got confirmation, it was 5 men from John Windows, checking for faults, manager type workers, not actually doing maintenance work.

Four died, one survived

[light up the darkness]

It was Southgate house
On a Monday morning if memory serves
A cradle came loose and sent the people on it over the side
All were employed by John Williams WIndows of Curran Road
Included in the dead was the Managing Director of JW windows

Terrible tragedy that shouldn’t have happened

I worked at Jonnies at the time. Still comes back to my thoughts from time to time

[ToTaL ITK]

whats the point in asking a load of old fecks that have clearly lost their memories :P

[William Treseder]

It was Southgate house
On a Monday morning if memory serves
A cradle came loose and sent the people on it over the side
All were employed by John Williams WIndows of Curran Road
Included in the dead was the Managing Director of JW windows

Terrible tragedy that shouldn’t have happened

I worked at Jonnies at the time. Still comes back to my thoughts from time to time

I think it was a Friday afternoon?

[bobh]

Just got confirmation, it was 5 men from John Windows, checking for faults, manager type workers, not actually doing maintenance work.

Four died, one survived

Those "workmen" included directots of John Windows - my sister was their secretary at the time.

[light up the darkness]

I think it was a Friday afternoon?

Total ITK nailed it

[William Treseder]

Total ITK nailed it

Not really. We are talking about a tragedy that happened over 40 yrs ago. If I asked you the date and the day of the week that that poor young girl was found in a shallow grave in a garden in Riverside, would you know, without googling it?

[light up the darkness]

I had a good rummage around on the interweb but can’t find anything
I’ll send a message to Tony Barry who was a manager at Jonnies at the time and see if I can jog his memory

[uncle bob]

I seem to recall a feature called, "A look back at the news on this day " in the South Wales echo a few years ago and it had a small write up on it then.

[uncle bob]

Trying to find this feature but no joy

[light up the darkness]

I texted Tony Barry but he never replied. The trail went cold then.

[Dublinblue]

I know someone who lost a brother during this tragedy. Somehow and very luckily I do believe one or maybe two guys walked away unhurt.
I remember the guy who survived saying something like that he jumped off the falling cradle just before it hit the ground. Had forgotten about the fatalities.