Flamingo Land Flamingo Park Parrot Show fire late 1960s or 1970

[Parrotsandrew]

Does anyone have any information about this incident in which all of the performing Parrots were killed? I'd like to know exactly when it took place if possible. What I do know is that the person responsible for starting the fire was the Elephant keeper (one of several possibly as there was an ever changing Elephant population in the early years of the new house) and he was subsequently sent to prison for the offence. I cannot picture him now, but I recall seeing him on his own in the cafeteria on occasion during that period. As I say the fire took place after the opening of the new Elephant House, at a guess probably in 1969 or 1970. The late Sean Drayton told me he had been involved in a doomed to failure rescue attempt (as far as I remember the house where the performing Parrots lived was wooden - it was along what was to become the Bird Walk in later years, but quite a few mammals were kept in that area in those days), and I think Sean started at Flamingo Park in 1968. It was definitely before 1971 as my family moved to Shrewsbury in April of that year and I know it happened before then. Any information would be gratefully received.

 

[Parrotsandrew]

Excellent work by Bubbles has unearthed a newspaper report of the fire dated 24th September 1970. It says the fire raged for more than two hours on the Tuesday night - presumably the 22nd (if I dig out my football programmes from 1970/71 I could work out the dates, although I expect it's possible to do it with a click of a mouse). It adds the house was 40' long and firemen (not fighters yet) fought to prevent the blaze spreading to the nearby Mammal House. This means the Parrot House must have been nearer to the hall than I remember, but at least I was in the right direction. Peter Grayson, later to go to Belle Vue of course, said he had found evidence of an attempt to start another fire in the Zebra House. As far as I remember that was what is now the Camel House. Visitors could walk down to it from the Elephant House and there were viewing windows into the stalls. That track is now closed to the public by a gate by the Fruit Bats' outdoor area.

 

[Parrotsandrew]

Yes it was a Tuesday - Saturday 26th, Bridlington Trinity 5 Hallam 0, my first sighting of Trinity and instant love. I should have added above that 30 birds died in the fire.