The Night They Burned: The Cheapside Tragedy

The deaths of nineteen men in a tragic whisky bond fire in Glasgow 50 years ago represented the worst peacetime loss of life for the fire service. The fire in Cheapside Street was one of a series of disasters in commercial premises in Glasgow which earned the city the nickname 'Tinderbox City'. Yet despite the loss of life and the bravery of those who survived, little was done to ensure such a tragedy could never happen again. As commemorations are held to pay tribute to the dead, Reevel Alderson looks back at the fire and government failures in its aftermath.