Sarah to blow up factory where her father died
Sarah Griffiths 41 is one of main contenders for Campbells Tower demolition with picture of her dad, Michael Locke, who died in an incident at Campbells Foods in 1995
SARAH Griffiths, whose father Mick Locke died following a steam blast at the former Campbell’s factory in Lynn, will be pressing the button that brings the iconic Campbell’s Tower crashing down.
The 41-year-old, mother-of-two, from Main Road, Clenchwarton, has been chosen from 45 nominees to have a hand in Lynn’s history because of the sense of closure which felling the tower on Sunday (January 15) will bring her.She told the Lynn News: “The tower is a constant reminder that I have been robbed of my dad. I see it whenever I go past on the train or shopping with my two children, who never knew their grandad.
“I’m a bit choked up about it because it’s a big thing for me to do and I feel very pleased to be given the chance of closure – I think the others would understand.”
Mrs Griffiths had been married to husband Simon for just four weeks when her 52-year-old father was fatally scalded by a blast of steam while trying to close a huge pressure cooker-type machine at Campbell’s factory in July, 1995.
Mr Locke, who lived in Burkitt Street, Lynn, and colleague Jim Tripp were working on a 10ft high retort, used to sterilise cans and jars at Campbell’s. The inquest was told the retort lid would not close properly and Mr Locke was using a closing spanner when the blast occurred.
She said: “It took a lot of time to get my dad from the premises because they had to cut down railings to get the stretcher up there. Then he had to endure being driven by ambulance to hospital in Norwich when he should have been airlifted with Jim Tripp to a specialist burns unit.”
Mr Tripp, another of the nominees, suffered 80 per cent burns and was left severely burned.
Mrs Griffiths, who was working in a hairdresser’s at the time, first heard about the incident from a Campbell’s employee who came into the salon after finishing her shift and expressed surprise she was still at work.
Her father gave her away at the wedding, but she said: “I have never watched my wedding video because there are too many painful memories, although I hope to do so one day soon.”
She gave her nine-year-old son Charlie the middle names Michael Locke in memory of her father and she and Simon also have a 12-year-old daughter, Madeleine.
Mrs Griffiths said: “I feel honoured that I have been chosen against so many other people.
“I hope they understand my need to do this, especially Jim Tripp as he went through the same experience and has had skin grafts and everything, bless his heart.”
o TESCO has yet to finalise the arrangements for Sunday’s demolition of the tower but provisionally it looks as though people will need to be at the B and Q car park before 7.30am when Hardwick Road will close for an hour.
The demolition is expected to be within that hour after which the road will re-open.
Watch this website for any updates and confirmation of plans.
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Weather for King's Lynn
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 26 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
