Local history

For many years the closing event at the Gillingham Park fete had been a display to publicise the work of the Gillingham Fire Brigade, whose members staged a ‘rescue’ of a wedding party from a simulated fire in a replica house. The display at the fete of 11 July 1929 went tragically wrong and real flames engulfed the house and its occupants. Despite the presence of the Fire Brigade, 15 people were burned to death in front of a crowd that contained many of their relatives.

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