Glen Cinema Disaster

The Glen Cinema disaster took place in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on New Year’s Eve 1929. A children’s matinée was packed with between 700 and 1,000 youngsters when a film canister began to smoke in the spool room. Nitrate film burned fiercely once exposed to air, filling the auditorium with thick black fumes. The building had opened in 1901 as ‘The Glen’ and still stands today, now a furniture shop. The tragedy killed 71 children and injured up to 40 others, making it one of Scotland’s worst disasters. An inquiry found the fire started when a canister was placed on a battery, causing a short circuit. Limited exits, inward-opening doors and padlocked gates trapped the children as they rushed to escape. Manager Charles Dorward admitted exits were sometimes locked to stop fare-dodgers, despite repeated warnings. Visitors today can see the cinema’s former entrance on Dyers Wynd. Paisley Museum holds a small display with newspaper cuttings, a child’s shoes and hat, plus letters from across Britain and abroad. An annual memorial service is held at the Cenotaph each New Year’s Eve, attended by survivors and local dignitaries.