The Balconies

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Robert Pope was just seven when he was involved in the tragic events that have taken place in The Glen Cinema in Paisley 90 years ago.

of The 97-year-old was killed on Hogmanay-matinee-screening, in which 71 children.

The hall was Packed with More Than 600 children, when the screen is black and someone called out "fire!" Mr Pope says.

"That's what the whole panic," he says.

The Alarm was raised after smoke seen from a film canister, was in the auditorium.

There was no fire, but, like The Children in a panic, and hurried exits to the castle, many were trampled or crushed in the Confusion .

Glen Cinema was Packed with More Than 600 children for a Hogmanay performance

Seventy children died as a result of the events of the 31. Of December, 1929, including the Lord Pope with his friend Willie Spiers, who had come sat next to him in The Cinema .

He died of injuries in the panic.

Mr Pope says he survived because he moved from his seat.

"I was out there," he says. "I never knew nothing. The people were, squeaking, screaming, howling. "

Mr Pope is reminiscent woken up by a firefighter, knocking him on the shoulder and told him to run home to his mother.

Looking Back , he says, that his "Guardian Angel " must have been to protect him to this day.

Emily Brown, who is now 95, says she was saved when a firefighter is in a window

smash Another survivor, Emily Brown, who is now 95, was five when she went to the movies with her Two Sisters , to observe the ages of three and 10, the cowboy-movie Desperado-mate.

Ms Brown told Bbc Scotland there was a lot of panic when someone shouted "fire". She says it was a crush at The Doors , and people jumped from The Balcony to The Children below.

she was rescued, as a fire-man, smashed a window and got with her. Emily was separated from her sisters, but to escape you also. Some of their friends have died.

"stopped Everything That Day ," she says. "Most of the people in Paisley lost someone. We were lucky, others not. "

Glen of The Cinema was started on The High Street in Paisley

The disaster, as the film is a crescendo is reached.

According to the filmmaker, Paul Mothersole, who has studied The Tragedy for the last 15 years, the film operator a reel nitro discovered cellulose film, which had begun to smolder.

would pull A subsequent investigation concluded it was caused when the Metal Box with the nitrate film set on the upper side of the battery in the projection room.

It is believed that The Box was Taken Out and into a back room, where she jumped up and smoke started to enter the Packed auditorium.

Mr Mothersole, said for the first time, interviewed Survivors of the 75-year anniversary, it's an adult voice that called out was "fire!".

The Children in a panic and ran to the exits, but The Doors were locked.

Not only were they closed, but they were locked to stop from the outside, The Children secretly in The Cinema .

The Boys Brigade marched past the picture house on The Funeral

Mr Mothersole describes hundreds of children crushing against the escape doors, as well as others who could not get down from The Balcony and decided to jump from the upper floor.

"It was like being in a Pressure Cooker ," he says. "No one can Get Out of the outputs and to the people that can get in The Balconies , down The Stairs . It will only get worse and worse. "

Finally, a police officer who managed to break the lock on one of The Doors , but it was still a problem.

The Doors opened to the inside, and corpses were piled up behind them.

they had to move the door forcibly open, the people stacking up behind him.

"people were crawling and climbing over the dead bodies out," said Mr Mothersole says.

The Cinema was full because it was Hogmanay.

At the time, it was clean, a great Scottish tradition, The House ready for the New Year .

"All mothers, all The Children were so, you could have said the houses are ready," Mr Mothersole.

The Audience was all children, and the ages ranged from babies, brought by their older siblings, about 14.

Survivors of Robert Pope and Emily Brown lost participated in a memorial ceremony earlier this month

Many families have More Than One Child .

As The Tragedy unfolds, the fathers were from the factories, and the street railway cars to ferry people to the hospital.

In The Wake of the disaster, the Cinematograph act of 1909 was amended to ensure that The Cinema would be a lot more retirements, and that the escape The Doors were fitted with push bars that open to the outside.

The Building that housed The Glen Cinema , which is The Building now houses a furniture store

that housed The Glen Cinema still stands and today houses a furniture store.

Mr Mothersole has made a documentary about the disaster.

He says that more people should know, the worst Cinema disaster in British History .

paisley, cinemas

Source of news: bbc.com