Film of the Crystal Palace burning down

[admin]

Seen lots of photographs - but never the film. However a copy has just shown up on YouTube which I have added to the Sydenham TV gallery here:

http://www.sydenham.tv/cgi-bin/sydtv_ju ... np5zcLLkBw

Admin

[FergussonFamily]

Thanks, I'd only ever seen photographs too.

Did anyone here witness it personally?

My wife's mother could remember watching the fire from a bedroom window Thornton Heath.

[regoneil]

The newsreel of the fire is most interesting but there is also a video published by the Crystal Palace Foundation entitled "The Crystal Palace is on Fire" which not only shows film of the fire but some very interesting historic footage of the history. 55 minutes of captivating documentation of events over it's years prior to the fire.
The question has been asked " Did you see it?"
I can say "Yes". I was 16 and working in the west end when I was asked by a lift attendant if I lived near the edifice and when I replied in the affirmative, he told me that it was on fire, to which I replied: " Don't be bloody silly! it's made of glass and iron".
He then took me up to the roof and I could not believe my eyes, it was one mass of flame from one end to the other.
I cycled home via Brixton, Herne Hill and up college Road, passing numerous fire engines pumping water from one to another over most of the route. On reaching the Parade, police stopped anyone from going any further so I took diversionary tacticks and made my way round to the High Level Station, to witness one of the transepts come crashing down.
I eventually made my way to the area half way up Southend Lane to witness the blaze from afar, then to return home to listen to a commentary on the wireless. The then Prince of Wales, was reported visiting the fire, which, incidentally was seen by passengers in airliners flying over Dover.
Yes, I remember it very well. Only to be surpassed by the blitz on LONDON on Dec 12th 1940

[Melvyn Harrison]

The newsreel of the fire is most interesting but there is also a video published by the Crystal Palace Foundation entitled "The Crystal Palace is on Fire" which not only shows film of the fire but some very interesting historic footage of the history. 55 minutes of captivating documentation of events over it's years prior to the fire.
The question has been asked " Did you see it?"
I can say "Yes". I was 16 and working in the west end when I was asked by a lift attendant if I lived near the edifice and when I replied in the affirmative, he told me that it was on fire, to which I replied: " Don't be bloody silly! it's made of glass and iron".
He then took me up to the roof and I could not believe my eyes, it was one mass of flame from one end to the other.
I cycled home via Brixton, Herne Hill and up college Road, passing numerous fire engines pumping water from one to another over most of the route. On reaching the Parade, police stopped anyone from going any further so I took diversionary tacticks and made my way round to the High Level Station, to witness one of the transepts come crashing down.
I eventually made my way to the area half way up Southend Lane to witness the blaze from afar, then to return home to listen to a commentary on the wireless. The then Prince of Wales, was reported visiting the fire, which, incidentally was seen by passengers in airliners flying over Dover.
Yes, I remember it very well. Only to be surpassed by the blitz on LONDON on Dec 12th 1940

The video (old technology now) is now available as a DVD. along with the 'Crystal Reflections'. The combination DVD is priced at £14.95 and is available on their website at www.crystalpalacefoundation.org.uk

[Tim Lund]

Childish one-upmanship I know, but my mum remembered seeing the fire from Dagenham!