Remember when: Blaze spelt curtains for Wilhelmina's radiogram and Chesterfield suite

WEARING only a pair of pyjamas, Wilhelmina Baxter ran for her life as her house in Hyvots Bank Avenue went up in flames on the evening of September 24, 1958.

It is thought a spark from her sitting room fire ignited her nylon curtains, causing the blaze to rip through the room, destroying everything in its path - all while Ms Baxter slept soundly in a back bedroom.

"I went to bed about 9.30pm. Just after 11pm, I woke up choking and spluttering. Smoke was pouring through the sides of my closed door," she said.

"When I got up, flames were leaping from the living room across the hall. I managed to get out all right and a neighbour lent me a pair of boots."

The blaze was discovered by passers-by, who immediately called the fire brigade. But impatient at having to wait even a minute for help, they smashed the sitting room windows and began throwing pails of water on the fire in a bid to get it under control.

By the time the emergency services arrived, the fire was almost extinguished, yet nearly 500 worth of damage had been caused. Ms Baxter's furniture, including a Chesterfield suite, a television set, a piano and a radiogram were among the casualties of the blaze. She had only recently re-decorated the room.

Ms Baxter was alone in the house, which she shared with her sister Janet and brother James.