The Sunderland building which burned down on Bonfire Night

Sixty firefighters fought an intense blaze at the Wheatsheaf lighthouse on November 5, 1970.

Transcript

00:00It was the Sundland Lighthouse which was never illuminated until the night had burned down.

00:06On bonfire night in 1970, the weight shift building was well alight.

00:12The fire was so intense that windows cracked in a nearby hotel and 60 firefighters were

00:19called in.

00:20Meanwhile, crowds watched in Newcastle Road and Roker Avenue as the 100 foot high flames

00:28spread across rooftops.

00:31It took hours to bring under control, but eventually public works officials decided

00:37the shell should be demolished.

00:39To get a better view, they lit up the building, the first time it had been illuminated, despite

00:46plans for that to happen 100 years earlier.

00:50Thanks to Sundland Antiquarian Society for another great piece of Wearside history.