Cause of blaze at former Ramsgate home of wrestler Jackie Pallo to be investigated

Crews at the scene Photo Swift Aerial Photography

An investigation will be carried out into the cause of a blaze at the former Ramsgate home of  60/70s wrestling star Jackie Pallo.

Three fire engines and the height vehicle attended the scene as yet another fire took hold at the derelict property off Haine Road yesterday (July 30).

Kent Fire and Rescue Service was called to the property at 12.14pm. Kent Police assisted and a road closure was put in place while crews dealt with the incident.

Firefighters finished at the scene at 2.30pm and the road was reopened. No injuries were reported and KFRS said the cause was unknown.

An update from the fire service says: “An investigation will take place into the cause of the blaze.”

Photo Swift Aerial Photography

Kent Police has been asked for further information.

An application to create six homes at the site was refused by Thanet councillors last year due to concerns about pedestrian and cyclist access.

The property, set in extensive grounds, belonged to the famed 60s and 70s wrestling star until his death, aged 80, from cancer in 2006.

Jackie Pallo

His son, Jackie Jnr, and wife Trixie continued to live at the property. Trixie died in 2013. The property was put on the market in 2018.

The four-bed home was also gutted by fire in March 2018, believed to have been deliberately set. Ramsgate and Margate crews were called to the site with 16 firefighters and four fire engines at the scene during the height of the blaze.

The cause of that fire was recorded as unknown. The property, which was once known for the huge amount of rusting Saabs parked on its grounds, was cleared of rubbish prior to an auction open day in 2017 but remains in a dilapidated state and has attracted flytipping.

Rubbish at the site in 2018 Photo Adam Dark

Jackie Pallo Snr, known as “Mr TV” was famous for his feud with wrestler Mick McManus.

The welterweights had two hard-fought draws on the afternoons of the 1963 and 1965 Cup Finals.

The pair fought in two televised matches ending in draws, to set up the 1963 Cup Final Day match, which McManus won by stoppage. The bout attracted around five million viewers.

They had a famous rematch at the Royal Albert Hall in 1967, again ending with a stoppage victory for McManus.

Photo Swift Aerial Photography

Trixie became known as The First Lady of Wrestling for her continued ringside appearance at her husband’s fight and Jackie Jnr was also a wrestler and the pair formed the first father and son tag team.

Jackie Snr was also a favourite with crowds at Merrie England in Ramsgate, Margate Winter Gardens and the Oval bandstand ring in Cliftonville.

He retired from wrestling in 1983. Flamboyant Pallo Snr also starred on TV, appearing beside Honor Blackman in The Avengers and in Are You Being Served? He also wrote an autobiography, You Grunt, I’ll Groan.

Find Urbex footage from the property at https://youtu.be/830PjHlEoJs

13 Comments

  1. No surprise that yet again it has caught fire.
    Was it ‘Goddened’ or a result of the antics of the local ferrals?, we will probably never know. What we do know it is an eyesore and should be either rebuilt (🙄) or demolished.

    • Eyesore.. It wasn’t.. Perhaps the development director wouldike to show his face.. Tdc cannot afford to buy an apple right now… Tdc stopped planning.. Yet happy to sell green land off..

  2. If memory serves, and it isn’t always reliable these days, he used to dabble in antiques, which I suppose were long removed from the property.

  3. same old story around thanet , nobody was ever caught for burning ramsgate libary down , its seems a popular pastime around here – mystery fires , was that two in a week ?

  4. Jesus wept. if you lot didn’t pour out your depressed opinions so often, people like me wouldn’t have to keep countering them.

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