Accidental Nuclear Siren

[martoon]

I'd forgotten all about it until today. I can't post a link to the Evening News article I found but it happened in July 1986.

 

I remember being woken in the early morning by this terrifying sound. 

 

Anyone else recall it.

 

 

Edited February 28, 2022 by martoon

[Aussie Jambo]

Yes. I remember it. I was working at SMT in Roseburn. On the bus going through Princess St. a mans voice saying emergency emergency then something else can’t remember. Then those Frankie goes to Hollywood sirens. Yes I mind it and possibly required new pair of skecks. 

[Cade]

I remember that.  

 

I also remember the planned test sirens.

That's no way to live.

 

Those days need to stay in the feckin past.

[Pap]

Outwith breaking news, do we have anything like that these days? Any kind of sirens.

[The Mighty Thor]

17 minutes ago, Cade said:

I remember that.  

 

I also remember the planned test sirens.

That's no way to live.

 

Those days need to stay in the feckin past.

They used to test them fairly regularly IIRC. 

 

It's a horrible sound. 

[Unknown user]

1 minute ago, Pap said:

Outwith breaking news, do we have anything like that these days? Any kind of sirens.

Ineos do a test once a month at grangemouth, it was at 1145 today as it happens, you can hear it for miles

[Better call Saul]

4 minutes ago, Pap said:

Outwith breaking news, do we have anything like that these days? Any kind of sirens.

Yes ...bloody Carstairs hospital for the insane or whatever the PC term is ,

I was working in the area and they sounded the alarms as they do once a month and they are identical to air-raid sirens WELL I SHIT MYSELF.

Edited February 28, 2022 by Ferris Bueller

[Gizmo]

44 minutes ago, martoon said:

I'd forgotten all about it until today. I can't post a link to the Evening News article I found but it happened in July 1986.

 

I remember being woken in the early morning by this terrifying sound. 

 

Anyone else recall it.

 

 

I was heightened as feck during the Cold War as a youngster to the point that hearing the start of the 12" of Two Tribes from my bedroom (Amstrad stacking system, my mates didn't know you needed to twang the drive belt on the turntable to get reasonably* accurate speed/pitch) whilst I was in the bath and I nearly shat myself, the distortion made it sound otherworldy. I was always convinced, due to things like reading When The Wind Blows and those Protect & Survive public broadcasts (I think we had 4 minutes to paint the window panes white, put brown paper on the kitchen table and hide under it - how on earth did we swallow any of that crap). 

So when the sirens went off, I woke bolt upright at, if I recall, about 7-ish AM Saturday morning.. It was loud as ****, not surprising as their was a police box on the corner about 25 yards away.
Ran through to my parents room and woke them. My Mum put the radio on and it was just normal programming, my Dad just snorted, rolled over and went back to sleep. There I was, in my boxers, standing wondering if the end was coming. Then it just stopped. 

They blamed this "misfire" on a piece of missing equipment. Never bought that excuse tbh but I was never scared of sirens or looking for incoming missiles in the sky after that incident. 

Copy of the article from back then - need to zoom this a bit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/80902862@N05/7626173430

[Unknown user]

19 minutes ago, Cade said:

I remember that.  

 

I also remember the planned test sirens.

That's no way to live.

 

Those days need to stay in the feckin past.

 

All the towns in Holland that I lived in tested their flood warning sirens every month, they take that stuff pretty seriously for obvious reasons.

[Салатные палочки]

4 minutes ago, Pap said:

Outwith breaking news, do we have anything like that these days? Any kind of sirens.

 

ICI in Stevenston first Wednesday of every month. I had never heard it until three weeks ago and it was pretty earie. Could hear it in Irvine and I had no idea what it was until I checked online. 

[Pap]

10 minutes ago, Smithee said:

Ineos do a test once a month at grangemouth, it was at 1145 today as it happens, you can hear it for miles

 

Cool. I had no idea. 

 

You'd think there would be something for the cities.

[Doctor FinnBarr]

28 minutes ago, Ferris Bueller said:

Yes ...bloody Carstairs hospital for the insane or whatever the PC term is ,

I was working in the area and they sounded the alarms as they do once a month and they are identical to air-raid sirens WELL I SHIT MYSELF.

 Aye, I worked in Forth in the late 70s and it was an odd thing to hear. IIRC it was at one on the first Tuesday of the month, installed after McCulloch and Mone went on a murderous rampage about 75 I think.

 

Think the correct name is State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.

Edited February 28, 2022 by FinnBarr Saunders

[Newton51]

I was wondering about this the other day. Sure will be in place somewhere still

[milky_26]

8 minutes ago, FinnBarr Saunders said:

 Aye, I worked in Forth in the late 70s and it was an odd thing to hear. IIRC it was at one on the first Tuesday of the month, installed after McCulloch and Mone went on a murderous rampage about 75 I think.

close 76, i had never heard of that so had a google

[Mikey1874]

We also had some close scares. We don't necessarily know the true story but US nuclear forces were mobilised in  1980s on a false scare and the Russian detection system also went off but the commanders in both cases chose to wait and then confirmed not true. 

 

 

[Mikey1874]

Maybe get an update soon

 

 

 

[Unknown user]

19 minutes ago, Pap said:

 

Cool. I had no idea. 

 

You'd think there would be something for the cities.

 

That's just my opinion mind, it could have been aliens landing and having a toy fight with their woowoo death rays, witnessed by one single VERY credible person. Did a sketch and everything!

[martoon]

29 minutes ago, Gizmo said:

I was heightened as feck during the Cold War as a youngster to the point that hearing the start of the 12" of Two Tribes from my bedroom (Amstrad stacking system, my mates didn't know you needed to twang the drive belt on the turntable to get reasonably* accurate speed/pitch) whilst I was in the bath and I nearly shat myself, the distortion made it sound otherworldy. I was always convinced, due to things like reading When The Wind Blows and those Protect & Survive public broadcasts (I think we had 4 minutes to paint the window panes white, put brown paper on the kitchen table and hide under it - how on earth did we swallow any of that crap). 

So when the sirens went off, I woke bolt upright at, if I recall, about 7-ish AM Saturday morning.. It was loud as ****, not surprising as their was a police box on the corner about 25 yards away.
Ran through to my parents room and woke them. My Mum put the radio on and it was just normal programming, my Dad just snorted, rolled over and went back to sleep. There I was, in my boxers, standing wondering if the end was coming. Then it just stopped. 

They blamed this "misfire" on a piece of missing equipment. Never bought that excuse tbh but I was never scared of sirens or looking for incoming missiles in the sky after that incident. 

Copy of the article from back then - need to zoom this a bit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/80902862@N05/7626173430

 

That was the one I found just before starting the thread, Gizmo.

 

Thanks for posting it.

 

Threads, Two Tribes, Prince and his party like it's 1999 (cause we'll all soon be deid) was mildly unsettling for the teenage me. I was too focused on lassies and Hearts to really panic but there was always that wee nagging doubt about the future.

 

Add Chernobyl (sp) into the mix and it's a feckin miracle my nerve held out. 🤪

[milky_26]

7 minutes ago, Mikey1874 said:

We also had some close scares. We don't necessarily know the true story but US nuclear forces were mobilised in  1980s on a false scare and the Russian detection system also went off but the commanders in both cases chose to wait and then confirmed not true. 

 

 

in the early 60's if the russians had tried it they probably could have nuked america as we "nuked" them twice in the 60s

 

 

[Doctor FinnBarr]

22 minutes ago, milky_26 said:

close 76, i had never heard of that so had a google

 

We beat Partick 2-0 at Firhill in the LC that night, mum was awfy glad me and my brother made it home safe as there had been newsflashes on the telly, no radio on our bus so totally oblivious.

[Jeff]

1 hour ago, Smithee said:

Ineos do a test once a month at grangemouth, it was at 1145 today as it happens, you can hear it for miles

 

Jeeso I'd be fecked then as I missed it from Redding 😂

[Cade]

And we let these idiots run the world.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_military_nuclear_accidents

[Unknown user]

6 minutes ago, Steak said:

 

Jeeso I'd be fecked then as I missed it from Redding 😂

 

 I was in bo'ness this morning and heard it! I'd just let my skittish dog off the lead for the first time at Kinneil House when it started - cue Malcolm Tucker levels of cursing

[Morgan]

This rings a bell with me, but would never have recalled it if this thread hadn’t appeared.

[graygo]

Going forward in the event of a nuclear attack on the UK your mobile phone will emit a loud siren noise whether you have it off/muted or not.

 

I'm not shitting you 

 

Link 

 

"The plans are for a notification to be sent to every phone or tablet to those in the affected area with a warning and advice on how to stay safe.

 

Your phone or tablet may make a loud air raid-siren like noise, read the alert out and vibrate, even if the volume is turned or the device is on silent."

 

 

[Pap]

1 hour ago, Smithee said:

 

That's just my opinion mind, it could have been aliens landing and having a toy fight with their woowoo death rays, witnessed by one single VERY credible person. Did a sketch and everything!

 

If they test it once a month then its fact. No opinion needed.

 

Copy & paste the rest to a ML post

[FWJ]

I remember it, wasn’t it just before the Commonwealth Games started?  I remember switching on the radio and them saying it was a false alarm.

[Doctor FinnBarr]

45 minutes ago, graygo said:

Going forward in the event of a nuclear attack on the UK your mobile phone will emit a loud siren noise whether you have it off/muted or not.

 

I'm not shitting you 

 

Link 

 

"The plans are for a notification to be sent to every phone or tablet to those in the affected area with a warning and advice on how to stay safe.

 

Your phone or tablet may make a loud air raid-siren like noise, read the alert out and vibrate, even if the volume is turned or the device is on silent."

 

 

 

Does that include another breakout at the State Hospital?

[¼½¾]

The town I was brought up in used to use the old WW2 air raid siren to call out the part-time firemen, until the early 80s at least; Before the likes of pagers, then mobile phones were used. They used to test it every tuesday night at half-past six. Sent all the local dogs wild.

[Jambo_jim2001]

There used to be a siren on the roof of our local retained fire station,it got used on a regular basis before the fire fighters got issued with pagers,they only removed it last year when the roof got replaced,will need to have a look to see if it's been put back

[luckydug]

1 minute ago, Meathook said:

The town I was brought up in used to use the old WW2 air raid siren to call out the part-time firemen, until the early 80s at least; Before the likes of pagers, then mobile phones were used. They used to test it every tuesday night at half-past six. Sent all the local dogs wild.

There used to be air raid sirens on the roof of the old Police boxes. 

[The Bannon Flick]

4 hours ago, milky_26 said:

close 76, i had never heard of that so had a google

In the event of a real life scenario, when the siren sounds the police are instructed to make their way to the local primary school immediately.

 

Wee bit chilling 

[graygo]

1 hour ago, Meathook said:

The town I was brought up in used to use the old WW2 air raid siren to call out the part-time firemen, until the early 80s at least; Before the likes of pagers, then mobile phones were used. They used to test it every tuesday night at half-past six. Sent all the local dogs wild.

 

1 hour ago, Jambo_jim2001 said:

There used to be a siren on the roof of our local retained fire station,it got used on a regular basis before the fire fighters got issued with pagers,they only removed it last year when the roof got replaced,will need to have a look to see if it's been put back

 

I remember they had one on top of the fire station in Alloa next to the football ground.

[martoon]

4 hours ago, Morgan said:

This rings a bell with me, but would never have recalled it if this thread hadn’t appeared.

 

I'd completely forgotten about it myself, Morg, until I watched a News item about Ukraine and air raid sirens.

 

Suddenly recalled it but had to search online to confirm that it did, indeed, happen and when.

[martoon]

4 hours ago, graygo said:

Going forward in the event of a nuclear attack on the UK your mobile phone will emit a loud siren noise whether you have it off/muted or not.

 

I'm not shitting you 

 

Link 

 

"The plans are for a notification to be sent to every phone or tablet to those in the affected area with a warning and advice on how to stay safe.

 

Your phone or tablet may make a loud air raid-siren like noise, read the alert out and vibrate, even if the volume is turned or the device is on silent."

 

 

 

Wow.

[ri Alban]

4 hours ago, graygo said:

Going forward in the event of a nuclear attack on the UK your mobile phone will emit a loud siren noise whether you have it off/muted or not.

 

I'm not shitting you 

 

Link 

 

"The plans are for a notification to be sent to every phone or tablet to those in the affected area with a warning and advice on how to stay safe.

 

Your phone or tablet may make a loud air raid-siren like noise, read the alert out and vibrate, even if the volume is turned or the device is on silent."

 

 

I hope there's ships out depth charging the feck out of the North sea and North Atlantic, as we speak. Save us being interrupted from JKB and it's many Professors.

[I P Knightley]

12 hours ago, FinnBarr Saunders said:

Think the correct name is State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.

Made me think of:

[JWL]

14 hours ago, Gizmo said:

I was heightened as feck during the Cold War as a youngster to the point that hearing the start of the 12" of Two Tribes from my bedroom (Amstrad stacking system, my mates didn't know you needed to twang the drive belt on the turntable to get reasonably* accurate speed/pitch) whilst I was in the bath and I nearly shat myself, the distortion made it sound otherworldy. I was always convinced, due to things like reading When The Wind Blows and those Protect & Survive public broadcasts (I think we had 4 minutes to paint the window panes white, put brown paper on the kitchen table and hide under it - how on earth did we swallow any of that crap). 

So when the sirens went off, I woke bolt upright at, if I recall, about 7-ish AM Saturday morning.. It was loud as ****, not surprising as their was a police box on the corner about 25 yards away.
Ran through to my parents room and woke them. My Mum put the radio on and it was just normal programming, my Dad just snorted, rolled over and went back to sleep. There I was, in my boxers, standing wondering if the end was coming. Then it just stopped. 

They blamed this "misfire" on a piece of missing equipment. Never bought that excuse tbh but I was never scared of sirens or looking for incoming missiles in the sky after that incident. 

Copy of the article from back then - need to zoom this a bit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/80902862@N05/7626173430

 

They also told us to get below ground with blankets and cushions and board up the doors and windows. Basically telling us to build our own coffins. You're right, we bought all that and thought they were trying to save us.

[Gizmo]

I was in a terribly nihilistic mood last night. Watched Children of Men (bad timing probably but it felt appropriate) and then the old "Protect and Survive" public broadcast advert. 

Good lord. It starts with the nuclear siren then matter-of-factly tells you to go to your "attack shelter" - what attack shelter has someone built in their shitty old British council house? 

Followed by what to do if someone expires whilst you are sheltering in this attack shelter - which you CANNOT leave for 2 days, should you suvive the initial impact. It talks as if their will be infrastructure left over and some ambulance will just nip round to come pick up dead bodies etc. 

Absolutely nuts, like a very unfunny Monty Python sketch. 

I think I liked the concept that the nuclear launch codes should be buried inside a living person and the only way any of the psychotic despots in charge could launch, from any side, would be to get a hatchet and chop the person open, whilst alive. 

[trotter]

21 hours ago, Smithee said:

Ineos do a test once a month at grangemouth, it was at 1145 today as it happens, you can hear it for miles

Those air raid style sirens are typically only used for a release of pretty nasty stuff (there are separate alarms for gas release/fire/etc). It was used to alert people to an anhydrous ammonia leak when I was at BP Saltend, and for HF when I was Lindsey. Scares the shit out of you, even when you know it's a test. You'll never see an out of shape pipe fitter move faster than when one goes off...

[martoon]

17 hours ago, Gizmo said:

I was in a terribly nihilistic mood last night. Watched Children of Men (bad timing probably but it felt appropriate) and then the old "Protect and Survive" public broadcast advert. 

Good lord. It starts with the nuclear siren then matter-of-factly tells you to go to your "attack shelter" - what attack shelter has someone built in their shitty old British council house? 

Followed by what to do if someone expires whilst you are sheltering in this attack shelter - which you CANNOT leave for 2 days, should you suvive the initial impact. It talks as if their will be infrastructure left over and some ambulance will just nip round to come pick up dead bodies etc. 

Absolutely nuts, like a very unfunny Monty Python sketch. 

I think I liked the concept that the nuclear launch codes should be buried inside a living person and the only way any of the psychotic despots in charge could launch, from any side, would be to get a hatchet and chop the person open, whilst alive. 

 

Are you volunteering, Gizmo? 🤪😉

 

 

[Jibbers]

I remember a story at the time that the sirens were triggered by someone with access as a protest against Thatcher opening the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. May be apocryphal. 

[cookieboy]

On 28/02/2022 at 21:20, FinnBarr Saunders said:

 Aye, I worked in Forth in the late 70s and it was an odd thing to hear. IIRC it was at one on the first Tuesday of the month, installed after McCulloch and Mone went on a murderous rampage about 75 I think.

 

Think the correct name is State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.

1pm on a Thursday. breakout was 30th November 1976 . alarm went off at wrong time once and we were shit scared early 90s I think it was 

[Gizmo]

On 02/03/2022 at 06:56, martoon said:

 

Are you volunteering, Gizmo? 🤪😉

 

 

I think I’d fancy my chances if it was Boris or Biden trying to get the launch codes out of me. 😆