On November 18, 1968, a fire in an upholstery factory claimed 22 lives. It would go down in history as Glasgow's deadliest blaze.
Men and women perished in the inferno which ripped through a building in James Watt Street, as firefighters battled the flames through barred windows and locals looked on helplessly in horror.
Shockingly, it would take more than 50 years and a concerted effort by the victims' families for a permanent memorial to those who died in the Broomielaw fire to be erected.
READ MORE: Remembering the tragic Glasgow fire that killed seven firemen
The blaze
The victims, mostly employed by B. Stern Upholsterers, died trapped behind the barred windows of the old whisky bond as the fire ripped through the two-storey building in the Broomielaw.
Twenty bodies were found behind a padlocked entrance. Two more men who worked for another company were found in the basement.
Only three people managed to escape the fire, which is believed to have started from a lit cigarette.
It was the women of the tea merchants McGavin and Sclanders opposite the warehouse who raised the alarm shortly after 10.30 in the morning.
Connie McCulloch, whose mother Freda died in the fire, was too young at the time to know exactly what happened to her mum, but later learned of her tragic fate.
She told the Daily Record in 2018: “It was really hard. We didn’t have a mum and, although I was too young to remember, it never went out of my head. I vaguely remember sitting on my uncle’s knee and I was saying my mum wouldn’t be coming back again.
"A few years ago, I had depression and it’s because I didn’t get to mourn my mum.
“My mum was caught behind the door. There was no key to open it to let people escape. As far as I’m concerned, it was murder. My dad never talked about it. Years later I asked why he never met or married anyone else. He said, ‘There’s no one else for me’. That was heartbreaking.”
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News of the fire at the building, owned by Julius and Samuel Stern, spread quickly.
The building had been given a fire safety certificate but it was granted when the building was still operating as a whisky bond.
The fire, eight years after the devastating Cheapside Street blaze that killed 14 firemen and five salvage corps men, led to a series of changes to strengthen health and safety legislation.
A probe into the fire resulted in a list of recommendations including a ban on bars on the windows of factories, the control of the storage and use of foam plastics and other flammable materials and the extension of restrictions on smoking in factories.
Further measures were introduced for more frequent inspection of factories with a high fire risk and for introducing certification of premises to ensure they had safe and suitable means of escape.
Memorial
In September 2019, a plaque to the James Watt Street victims was finally unveiled thanks to the efforts of their families, including Connie McCulloch, and Anne Benedetti, who lost her husband that fateful day.
Connie and Anne were joined by the fire brigade, including retired Jim Smith, who was one of the first responders on the scene, and councillor Marie Garrity.
Councillor Marie Garrity said at the time: “Following the 50th anniversary of the fire, I was contacted by my constituent, Mrs Benedetti, who asked me if I could help create a memorial for the people who lost their lives. I would like to thank all the people who made this possible.
“I would like to give a special thanks to Jim Smith, who was one of the fire fighters on that day and retired last month, for his service and the emergency services for being in attendance at this important event.
“People really do make Glasgow.”
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