It was an ingenious solution to a deadly problem. After the Christmas Blitz of 1940 - the bloodiest event in the history of Manchester - firefighters were determined to be better prepared should the German bombers come again.
So, in the basements of bombed out warehouses around Piccadilly Gardens, huge reservoirs were created. It meant that in the event of further air raids a plentiful and reliable source of water was available for firefighters, even if the mains supply was damaged. READ MORE: Hour-by-hour: 'Live' blog details how the Christmas Blitz devastated Manchester Fascinating pictures from the Greater Manchester Police archives show how Piccadilly Gardens looked at the time.
Taken in 1941, two fenced-off lakes can be seen amid the ruins. Buses queue at the station across the road, while in the distance several concrete air raid shelters are arranged around what appears to be the remains of the ornamental gardens.
Bob Bonner, from Rochdale-based firefighting museum Fireground, said the lakes, which were created in the early months of 1941, were one of a number of inventive firefighting measures taken at the time. "There were portable water tanks around the city centre, but when Piccadilly Gardens got bombed in December 1940, they decided to use the basements of the buildings, which were mainly warehouses, and fill them up with water," he said. "It took them a while to demolish the buildings, and make them safe to use, but the next big raids were in May 1941 and the lakes were in use by then. "The city centre was badly hit, and Piccadilly Gardens was a target because within a few hundred yards there was the main telephone exchange. "On the second day of the Christmas Blitz Army engineers came in and
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Get the latest stars news and celebrity rumours with exclusive stories, photos, videos and interviews.
Breaking up, scandals, engagements, divorces, gossip – all you need to know about the private lives of your favorite celebs.
Get to know the latest showbiz news along with exclusive interviews and even more. All this is waiting for you on the main page 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Who, where, when, with whom, how, why and for what!? Stay tuned to know first!
Just follow us daily and we will provide you with the current news from the life of famous stars and celebrities.
Owner: SNOWLAND s.r.o.
Registration certificate 06691200
Address:
Snowland s.r.o.
16200, Na okraji 381/41, Veleslavín, 162 00 Praha 6
Czech Republic
©2024. All rights reserved.