Lord Provost unveils Cheapside Street Memorial Stone

Lord Provost Bob Winter of Glasgow today unveiled a memorial stone to mark the 50th anniversary of the UK's worst peacetime fire disaster.

The ceremony was the final event to mark the Cheapside Street Disaster of 28th of March 1960 in which 14 members of Glasgow Fire Service and five members of Glasgow Salvage Corps were killed when a whisky bond exploded.

The plaque is sited on the Clyde Walkway on the north bank of the River Clyde, near Glasgow city centre and beside Cheapside and Warroch streets where the 19 men died. Addressing fire service veterans who attended the tragic incident and members of Strathclyde Fire & Rescue, the Lord Provost said: "The commemorative stone will ensure that future generations never forget the great sacrifice these men made.

"The Cheapside Street disaster is a tragedy etched in the city's history. Events such as this remind us of the fragility of life and the dangers faced daily by our frontline emergency services."

Opening the ceremony, Brian Sweeney, Chief Officer of Strathclyde Fire & Rescue, said the disaster was "an event marked out by tragedy and heroism, a sense of duty and a dogged determination to protect life and property."

Among the veterans who watched the unveiling were James Dunlop, 81, who was awarded the George Medal, the highest civilian award for gallantry. Mr Dunlop received the award through his actions in bringing his colleague, William Watters, safely to the ground from the top of an extended turntable ladder while whisky barrels were landing on the ground and exploding in flames.

Also attending the event were fellow ex-Fireman Raymond Ferrari and ex-Salvageman Joe Smith, both of whom narrowly avoided losing their lives in the blast.

On the 28th of March 1960 this year the 50th anniversary was marked with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cheapside Memorial at the Necropolis, a service in Glasgow Cathedral and ceremony and display in George Square.

The memorial stone was engraved and donated by Glasgow funeral directors Wylie & Lochhead, the firm which arranged the interment of the Cheapside Street victims in 1960. Adjacent to the stone is a mosaic, also marking the disaster, which was designed by pupils of the local Anderston and St Patrick's primary schools and community arts commpany Impact Arts. Some of the pupils were also among the gathering at today's ceremony.