# The Baldock Beer Disaster



## Yob (5/11/10)

quote from another site.

Please be careful. Beer making can be dangerous.

"The Baldock Beer Disaster occurred on March 14, 1904 when an unstable storage room floor collapsed at the Simpson Brewery, in the North Hertfordshire town of Baldock, in England.

Around 300 barrels and crates of beer fell three floors through the brewery, crushing eight workers to death, drowning five and injuring another fifteen. Some surrounding streets were temporarily hit by a wave of beer, which reportedly destroyed three houses and killed a dog. The disaster marred the reputation of the brewery and led to two further deaths from alcohol-related conditions. This reputation eventually caused the brewery to declare a state of bankruptcy, and the building was left derelict until 1968 when it was demolished.

The disaster is commemorated each year by staff from the Library in Simpsons Drive.

Mr Lidder, a late Baldock resident is quoted as having said in his personal memoirs (recently published by his family) - "The Baldock Beer Disaster was a terrible event that has stayed with us over the years. Many people were traumatised by the disaster and dare not set foot near a pub barrel to this very day. My own father died in this disaster as well as his dog (Geoffrey) as mentioned above. The people involved in the disaster will never be forgotten."

http://teakdoor.com/the-teakdoor-lounge/13...eer-in-los.html


:blink:


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## kelbygreen (5/11/10)

lol thats classic but if I was to drown I would prefer it to be in beer


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## iwinton (25/2/12)

A HOAX. A lovely "story" - but that is exactly what it is. The "Baldock Beer Disaster" was a HOAX - quite clever and well done, in its way, and it certainly spread successfully across the Internet, but - alas - no truth in it whatsoever.
I was born and brought up in Baldock, where this "event" was alleged to have happened. AND in my last year or so at school, and then before starting a "proper" job I actually worked at Simpsons Brewery. With 100% certainty, therefore, I can assure forum readers that the story is completely untrue.
Think for a moment about bits of detail: beer comes out of the Vat at more or less ground level. In 1904, without electric lifts etc, if you had 300 barrels (in England, 36 gallons each) all at the same time (unlikely?) would you store them three floors above ground? If many did fall through a weak floor, how long would it take for the resulting deluge to about disappear through doors and windows? Long enough to drown people in beer? Some of us might well think that's a lovely way to go - but likely or possible? No. I can assure readers that if it had happened it would have been famous in the town - and it isn't, because it simply did not happen. Masher


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## Wolfy (26/2/12)

Maybe this event is based on the beer flood in 1814 when 'dozens' of people died, in London when a brewery tank burst.
This incident is also mentioned in Randy Mosher's book (and I think he's pretty good with his research).


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## spog (27/2/12)

I reckon this was covered in an interview with a pommie beer writer? that was in a podcast on the BREWS NEWS (caps lock ..sorry) site.... it caused a bit of a stir as this story was incorrectly quoted in Gareth Olivers recent book....as i remember,.........cheers..................spog..........


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