Remembering Paisley’s ‘Black Hogmanay’: The Glen Cinema Tragedy of 1929
New Year’s Eve 2024 marks the 95th Anniversary.
“During a children’s afternoon matinee in the Glen Cinema on 31 December 1929, panic set in as black smoke filled the auditorium, the smoke had came from a metal film canister to where a roll of cellulose nitrate film had been placed within, due to the cellulose nitrate being so flammable the warm film tin and the composition of the cellulose nitrate belched off the black smoke, one child had shouted FIRE ! when there was no fire and a tragedy of the worst imaginable thoughts unfolded, seventy one children died and around 30 were injured, crushed behind an escape door, which could not be opened outwards, the door was at the time designed to open inwards and was locked. Britain’s worst cinema disaster left Paisley in a state of shock and became known as Paisley’s ‘Black Hogmanay,’.”
One of the most moving reminders of the disaster is a pair of clogs worn by Harry Green, one of the victims, on the day the disaster took place. The clogs were donated to Paisley Museum by Mr William Spence, whose mother had received them as a gift from Harry’s mother, and who treasured them all her life in memory of a close childhood friend.
Glen Cinema Disaster Memorial Services, when the memorial services started in 2009 at the Cenotaph at Paisley Cross I decided to photograph and film where possible each years memorial event so these could be looked back upon in future years. Sadly some of the survivors such as Peter Smith and Jim McCallum and members of the public who attended each year are no longer with us R.I.P . Photos from 2009 the 80th Anniversary Memorial Service
Emily Brown, now 99,( pictured front centre above ) recalls her hesitation to attend that day. Separated from her sisters during the panic, she found herself wandering down Glasgow Road, later reunited with her family. Robert Pope, now aged 101, (pictured above holding wreath ) remembers the inexplicable urge to stay in his seat during the chaos, an instinct that likely saved him from the crush.
News of the Glen Cinema disaster spread, prompting the entire town to converge on the cinema to aid rescue efforts. Emily’s mother, one of the rescuers, unknowingly worked to save lives while uncertain of her own children’s fate.
The funerals of the 71 children took place in January 1930, bringing the town to a standstill large crowds lined the streets as the funerals of the victims took place. the community paid their respects. Hawkhead Cemetery became the final resting place, marked by a memorial that stands to this day.
Fifty-four of the children were buried in one day during a bimultaneous funeral at St Mirren’s Cathedral, a steady procession of little white coffins started at early morning and ended at dusk
The tragedy’s reach extended beyond Paisley. Letters of condolence arrived from around the world. In response, the Cinematograph Act of 1909 underwent amendments, ensuring enhanced safety measures in cinemas globally.
Every Hogmanay, survivors, their families, and the community gather at Paisley’s Dunn Square to lay a wreath, honouring those who perished in the Glen Cinema tragedy. The event is a poignant reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of ensuring the safety of future generations.
The Glen Cinema disaster of 1929 remains one of Scotland’s most heart-wrenching tragedies, a somber chapter in Paisley’s history. Yet, in remembering the lives lost, the community pays homage to the strength forged in adversity and the enduring commitment to safety that arose from the ashes of that fateful ‘Black Hogmanay.’
Paisley Photographs 