Woman, now 63, lost her mum and best friend in the disaster
A woman who escaped the Summerland fire with life-changing burns but lost her Mum and best friend in the blaze, has broken her fifty year silence.
Jackie Hallam, now 63, from Huddersfield who was thirteen years old at the time, has given her harrowing account of the blaze to the Daily Mail, and has launched a campaign demanding an apology from the Isle of Man Government over failings that led to the tragedy.
Jackie Norton as she was then went to the giant entertainment complex with her Mum Lorna and best friend Jane Tallon, also 13.
In the horror that followed she sustained terrible burns that have required years of operations and treatment in hospital. Her Mum and friend Jane perished in the fire, that claimed 50 victims.
In the newspaper article Jackie says she was so deeply affected she's never spoken about what happened - not even to her four children.
She says her 'Apologise For Summerland' campaign is about closure.
The campaigners also want a public admission that the 'death by misadventure' verdict was 'inappropriate', which she claims deflects the blame onto the victims.
A National Service of Remembrance for the victims is taking place at St Georges Church, Douglas at 4pm on Sunday the 30th of July.
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