When Joplings went up in flames causing the Sunderland fire which could be seen from 20 miles away

It was regarded as one of the biggest fires in Sunderland's history.

The blaze which spread through Joplings happened 70 years ago and was so huge, people could see the glow from 20 miles away.

Memories of it have been preserved by Sunderland Antiquarian Society and historian Philip Curtis has shared them with the Echo.

It began in the basement with what is thought to have probably been an electrical fault and it spread rapidly.

When fire engines arrived at the scene, crowds had flocked there to see the spectacle.

A valiant fight to save the store

Firemen attending fought valiantly to save the store but the blaze was out of control.

To their credit they worked hard to contain the fire and ensure that the nearby buildings were saved from serious damage.

The fire was brought under control by 3am but the full extent of the damage was not known until the next day.

Joplings, one of Sunderland’s largest and best-loved department stores, was burned to the ground with nothing remaining but twisted girders and smouldering rubble.

Determined to rebuild it

It had been packed with goods for Christmas shoppers and there had been a special effort made on the store's grotto that year.

Following the devastation it would have been easy for the store to call it a day but the directors were determined to rebuild as quickly as possible.

A suitable site was available close by in John Street.

Rebuilt on a new site

This was the bombsite where St Thomas’ Church and its vicarage had once stood before being destroyed in March 1943 by a German parachute mine.

The vacant site was ideal and agreement was quickly made for Joplings to have their new store rebuilt there.

In the meantime the store carried on in a number of premises. Furniture, electrical and china were sold from the Home Gift Centre in Blandford Street.

The Fashion Centre in John Street catered for ladies clothing and the footwear department was housed in a temporary store back on the High Street site.

All the mod cons at the new store

A men’s shop dealing with bespoke tailoring was also housed further along the street.

Work on the new store in John Street progressed quickly and, by December 1955, one year after the fire, the new floors of the shop were nearing completion and an escalator as well as a lift was being installed.

Our thanks go to Philip and Sunderland Antiquarian Society.

To find out more about the society, visit its Facebook page or its website at http://www.sunderland-antiquarians.org/