As the George Formby classic film No Limit prepares to celebrate it's 90th birthday, we hear from people involved in making - and showing - it back in 1935 - and it's the final episode of our archive serial - The Little Dark Cupboard - spoiler alert - it's scary!!
ETHEL GALE - aged 98 - is full of stories of life down North at the turn of the last century and LAURENCE KERMODE - breaking records by being the oldest person ever to win a class in The Guild when he was aged 100, talks about his early years and his start in the entertainment world. Plus the penultimate episode of our archive serial - The Little Dark Cupboard
Stanley Karran, born in 1910, lived his whole life in Cregneash - so his fascinating stories are packed with gems of knowledge about the area - and David Callister and Terry Cringle go to the pictures, and chat with some of the cinema managers from the heyday of tourism
David Callister talks with Cecil Mitchell, who was given an award after crossing the Irish Sea over 4,000 times on Steam Packet vessels, and Charles Kelly recalls the joys of the Douglas Picture Houses in the early 1900's - plus Episode 5 of 'The Little Dark Cupboard' and a chance to hear the sound of Manx Radio in 1971
In THE ARCHIVE ROOM this week we visit an auction - all the worldly goods of Dr Alexander Cannon, and a haunted church - St Barnabas in Douglas, then go shopping in 1970's Ramsey - and we finish with another episode in our archive serial - The Little Dark Cupboard, first broadcast on Manx Radio exactly 50 years ago.
Dr Alexander Cannon was a Doctor who also longed to be a magician. What happened in his private clinic and in his theatre is told by people who were there. Howard Simcocks talks about overcoming total blindness in the 1940's and there's Episode 3 of The Little Dark Cupboard
Bill Dennard was a young surveyor who came to the Island at the end of the 2nd World War, to start building the 4 runways for Ronaldsway Airport, and Joan Speedie remembers her life as a nurse at Nobles before the arrival of the NHS. Plus there's Episode 2 of The Archive Room serial - The Little Dark Cupboard
90-year-old Kathleen Green remembers being footloose and fancy free in Dalby; Miss Jean Thornton-Duesbury reflects on life in Bishopscourt; Mrs Elspeth Quayle (MHK for Castletown from 1971 to 1981) and Miss Katherine Cowin (MHK for Douglas East from 1971 to 1976) reflect on their time in Government, and we've the first part of our new serial from the Manx Radio Drama Group.
We're ending a year in The Archive Room with another chance to hear a great collection of funny and fascinating stories of Island life in years gone by - told by the people who were there.Ellen (Cissy) O’Brien and Inkerman Faragher remember life in the Douglas Children's Home, Laura Briggs recalls a frightening incident during World War II, Charlie Webster and Geoff Cannell recall the first days of TT broadcasting in the mid 1960's and Leslie Garrett recalls his childhood living on the Calf of Man. The heyday of tourism is remembered here too - with stories of the success of Cunningham's Camp, and reversing the fortunes of the failing the Falcon Cliff Hotel.And in the world of education, Mrs Annie McArd shares her memories of teaching table manners to the youngsters in Marown School between the wars - and Laurie Davies recalls a most unusual Christmas carol choir practice!
In The Archive Room this week ....Louise Quirk talks with Captain Corteen in 1971 as the Lady of Mann made a farewell trip to the Calf of Man before leaving the Isle of Man for good.Historian Peter Kelly talks to David Callister about the very early days of the Gaiety Theatre - and we get a first taste of electronic music from the Sulby Phantom Band!And it's not just the interviews that are vintage - listen out for some vintage advertisements too!Leslie Bannan was an energetic young salesman between the two Wars, keen to get his drapery business off the ground - and he paints a vivid picture of rural life, and selling textiles to the farming community, in conversation with John KennaughAnd Tom Cowell is in his beloved Baldwin Valley - taking a walk round the village and chatting with Charles Webster.
In The Archive Room this week, we use a vintage episode of The History Makers, and an episode of Kelly's Eye, to recall the inspiring story of Nellie Brennan - the "Mother" of Manx nursing.Then we go North to Ballaugh - where a young Laura Briggs spent 4 years as a member of the Manx Women's Land Army during the Second World War - but this isn't a straightforward tale of farm life - there's recreation, rioting, and recruiting too!And we meet husband and wife Kenny and Connie Brew - who remember a very different Ballaugh village to the one we know today - cart tracks instead of a road between the two churches, and no less than EIGHT shops in the village - and then there's the story of Connie's brush with The Law .... !!And listen out for a 1970's Manx Radio jingle, and a vintage advertisement too!
The year is 1980 - the 150th anniversary of the IOM Steam Packet Company - General Manager Sydney Shimmin shares stories from past and present; Teacher Irene Shimmin gets a surprise new career when she goes to hire a hall, and Advocate Martin Moore shares memories of childhood and early working years - but please don't take the vintage adverts too seriously!
In The Archive Room this week - Dee Lewis reflects on 16 very varied years working at Manx Radio; we discover just how difficult it is to make a radio commercial, and a Governor tries his hand at ploughing at Cronk-y-Voddy. Plus - two very different poems - one by Patsy Everett and another by Ronnie Fell - offer snapshots of Island life
In The Archive Room this week - Charles Guard reports on the 1982 flood - the worst the Island had ever experienced; former Lt Governor Sir Laurence New shares some Tynwald Day thoughts; inventor and adventurer Jack Carine is remembered by his two daughters, and Radio Isabella takes to the air - from its studios in Laxey Primary School!
Kathleen Morrey recalls the time her home was used as a film set - John Kelly recalls his years as a butcher in Peel - residents of Glenside are full of tales of family life - Group Captain David Scouller talks about an airship - and we celebrate a very famous song that would never have been written, had it not been for our own John Kaneen ..... it's all in The Archive Room this week.
In this first programme of the new series, David Callister talks with Inkerman Faragher and with Ellen O'Brien (also known as Cissy) Born in 1924 and 1922 respectively, they both spent the majority of the childhood in the Children's Home in Douglas, following the death of their parents. Here they share memories of their childhood, including being film extras on George Formby's 'No Limit' and meeting the star himself. There are stories of their experiences during the Second World War, and they reminisce about their working life which, for Inkerman, meant 40 years in the world of politics, including many years as a Councillor in various Douglas Wards, and a year as the Mayor of Douglas. Cissy had a full working life, but also managed to raise a family of 7 children.
This programme has extra content, not in the broadcast edition!A potted history of the TT Races - from journalist and race commentator Geoff Cannell, teaches us that, in its early days, it didn't involve bikes at all, and even when the bikes did join in, the race was never about speed!Manx Radio's first Managing Director, John Grierson, explains the mysterious means by which the first race commentaries were broadcast, and there's interviews with race veteran Stanley Woods, and Formula 1 racing car and motorbike champion John Surtees. David Mylchreest talks about the years he spent doing one of the most sought-after tasks in the TT Festival - driving the Roads Open car - a task he took over from his father Brian, in 1977.And finally - one of the most original and entertaining additions to any TT Festival was the arrival of the Purple Helmets. In this extended interview, recorded in 2007, Purple Helmet Jim Davidson tells David Callister how they came into being - and other stories!
From the shelf marked TOURIST TROPHY in the Manx Radio Archive Room .....Johnny Gelling shares stories of marshalling at the Highlander in his native CrosbyFelix Gale explains how he built up a flourishing camping business in Glen WyllinPolitician Jack Nivison discusses how the Island's road surfaces were improved - and how it affected the road racing!The 1966 Junior TT made racing history - but why? The answers are here!And doesn't everyone dream of travelling (or even driving) the Roads Open car?Brian Mylchreest explains to David Callister why HE wanted the job - and reveals that it's not always as straightforward as it looks ....And finally there's a word puzzle for you to solve ..... who might have said "It's not easy to join and it's even harder to leave" ? You can hear the voice in this programme - but to find out the name of the speaker (and other things he said), you'll need to listen to PART TWO of The TT Archive Room, due to air on 13 June 2024 and podcasted soon after transmission.
In this episode of The Archive Room, we take a closer look at the tourist industry on the Isle of Man in the years between the two Wars. In 1919 the Falcon Cliff Hotel was deemed a white elephant - it couldn't make money - but that was before Mr and Mrs Kane bought it in 1919 - and in the early 1920's turned its fortunes around. Tonight we find out how they did it. Cunningham's Camp was a highly successful way to give young men a healthy and happy holiday - set up by the acknowledged father of holiday camps - Joseph Cunningham - some 40 years before Billy Butlin even began his similar venture. There was never any trouble, although thousands of young men came to the camp each season - the rules were strict - but just how well did the ban on alcohol work? We find out in this programme - and discover how the outbreak of war in 1939 changed these attractions for ever. We finish with a visit to Derby Castle - former MHK and Minister for Industry Bernie May remembers that in the late 1950's and early 1960's it really did offer superb facilities and entertainment - a mecca for holidaymakers and locals alike - and just a short distance to White City! This is the last in the present series of The Archive Room - Catch up on earlier episodes you might have missed - they're all here as podcasts, to listen when it suits you.
We're on the move in The Archive Room this week ..... The Curator of the Marown Motor Museum tells David Callister about some of more unusual vehicles on display there; Alfred Duggan talks taxis - reminiscing about the early days of his business when he drove stars and sporting heroes around the Island - and Geoff Cannell and Charles Webster tell David Callister how they pioneered broadcasting of TT race commentaries - back in 1965!