A conversation with Eleanor Shimmin BEM about her long life involved in music in the Isle of Man.

Now in her early 90s, Mrs Shimmin speaks about her early life in Pulrose and Douglas, hampered by a life-threatening combination of double pneumonia, pleurisy and whooping cough.
Despite these health issues, young Eleanor Clarke’s musical gifts soon emerged and the family invested in piano lessons and a second-hand piano, leading to her winning the Baume Scholarship in 1951 to study singing and piano at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Eleanor's teachers included Miss Bell, Emily Christian and George Tootell.

Upon graduating, she returned to the Isle of Man to build up her musical teaching practice. Over the course of the rest of her working life she taught many of the Isle of Man’s leading Manx singers and musicians.
She also led choirs, including Aeg Threshlyn, who occupied an important place in the history of Manx music, through their early adoption of Manx Gaelic song into their repertoire, and their representation of the Isle of Man at the enormous Festival Interceltique de Lorient in Brittany.
Mrs Shimmin also led a highly successful performing career, with three Cleveland medals to her name, won in 1965, 67 and 69.

Interviewed by her former piano and singing pupil, Dr Chloe Woolley, on 20 November 2024, this conversation is full of happy memories of so many people and events spanning nearly a century of music making in the Isle of Man.

This interview is part of the collection of nearly 200 oral history recordings freely available on the Culture Vannin website: culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/

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Oral history interview with Eleanor Shimmin (20 Nov 2024)

Renowned Manx singer, pianist, choir conductor and teacher, Eleanor Shimmin reflects on the secret to realising the fruits of her musical gifts.

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Eleanor Shimmin BEM, recorded by Dr Chloe Woolley on 20 November 2024.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/eleanor-shimmin-880049/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
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"It's just in you": Eleanor Shimmin on her musical gift

A wonderful memory of Douglas in the past...
As well as using a donkey to make deliveries around Douglas from his greengrocer's shop, Mr Winters' also took the animal to a pub of the evening. This was especially handy at the end of the night, as the donkey knew the way home on its own...!

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Eleanor Shimmin BEM, recorded by Dr Chloe Woolley on 20 November 2024.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/eleanor-shimmin-880049/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
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Mr Winters' Donkey

First hand memories of Eleanor Megaw, one of the most brilliant figures of Manx archaeology in the mid-20th Century.
Peter Davey here recalls first meeting her and her strong personality, paired with the wonderful stories of her during the Second World War, when she was Acting Director of the Manx Museum & National Trust, whilst conducting the dig at Ronaldsway with the interned German, Gerhard Bersu, in the most peculiar of ways...

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Peter Davey, recorded by Paul Quayle on 1 December 2024.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/peter-davey-889933/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
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Eleanor Megaw: A great Manx archaeologist

Peter Davey recalls his involvement in the dig and subsequent writing up of the archaeological dig at Peel Castle, which famously uncovered the 'Pagan Lady.'
Involved in the story are figures such as the Director of the Manx and the British Museums and the Attorney General of the Isle of Man, and touches on the initiation, funding, community work, find analysis and writing up of one of the most important digs in Manx history.

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Peter Davey, recorded by Paul Quayle on 1 December 2024.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/peter-davey-889933/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
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The Peel Castle Dig - Peter Davey's involvement

A conversation Peter Davey, former Director of Manx Studies, who was centrally involved in the some of the most important archaeological digs conducted in the Isle of Man over the past 50 years.

This interview concerns his youth and professional life up until the founding of the Centre for Manx Studies in 1992.

Born during a bombing raid in Great Yarmouth in 1942, Peter describes his formative experiences of discovering archaeology through a 17th Century clay pipe discovered on the coast, geology through a Scout badge, and Gaelic community through the seasonal Scottish fishermen and herring workers. His unusual school years included his first public lecture at the age of 14 (on 'Flegg Coastal Fluctuation') and the learning of Anglo-Saxon, Greek and Middle French, on top of French and Latin.
After an brief period studying philosophy at Durham University, he moved to Theology at King's College London before obtaining his Diploma of Education from Oxford. Teaching took him from maths to geography, which led him by chance into archaeology and the University of Liverpool. Between his work here and as Director of Excavations at the University of Chester, Peter was involved in setting up the Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, the Medieval Pottery Research Group, the Merseyside Archaeological Society, the Archaeological Survey of Merseyside, and the Liverpool Field Archaeology Unit.
From 1977, Peter began visiting the Isle of Man and became familiar with the important figures of the day, including Basil and Eleanor Megaw, Sheila Cregeen and Marshall Cubbon. From this emerged the Peel Castle excavation (including the discovery of the 'Pagan Lady'), the dig of Rushen Abbey, and then the beginning of the Centre of Manx Studies.

This oral history interview with Peter Davey was recorded by Paul Quayle on 1 December 2024.
This interview is part of the collection of nearly 200 oral history recordings freely available on the Culture Vannin website: culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
https://culturevannin.im/
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Oral history interview with Peter Davey (1 Dec 2024)

John Crellin reflects on whether there were any homeless people in Andreas when he was young in the 1930s.
The answer is a subtle one, calling for us to re-think our modern ideas...

This is an extract from the oral history interview with John Crellin RBV, recorded by Elizabeth Flynn on 21 July 2011.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/johnnie--juan-crellin-573408/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
https://culturevannin.im/
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People going about the houses in the Isle of Man in the 1930s

John Crellin reflects on how he started to learn Manx.

In learning some of the Manx Gaelic field names around about him in St Jude's in his youth, he began to wonder,
"Who were the people that lived here and spoke like this?"

Soon it dawned on him to see that,
"Unless I went into the language, I wouldn't really know the country."

This is an extract from the oral history interview with John Crellin RBV, recorded by Elizabeth Flynn on 21 July 2011.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/johnnie--juan-crellin-573408/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
https://culturevannin.im/
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"Unless I went into the language, I wouldn't really know the country"

A conversation with Beatrice Quirk about her 17 years at the Crescent Hotel in Douglas.

The detailed conversation covers subjects including the building, renovations, security and safety, staff, suppliers, visitors entertainment and more. The 1,000-person venue would frequently have queues outside, often looking to dance to the likes of Joe Loss or Ivy Benson, or enjoy the Mannin Folk or Englebert Humperinck. Beside the fond memories of family and friends is the sombre recollection of the Summerland Fire of 1973, which impacted enormously on Douglas, perhaps especially on the Crescent.

This oral history interview with Beatrice Quirk was recorded by Elizabeth Ardern-Corris on 16 January 2012.
This interview is part of the collection of nearly 200 oral history recordings freely available on the Culture Vannin website: culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
https://culturevannin.im/
www.facebook.com/culturevannin/
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www.youtube.com/@culturevannin8486

Oral history recording with Beatrice Quirk (16 Jan 2012)

A conversations with Beatrice Quirk about her early life in Peel and working at her mother's cafe on the promenade through the war years.

Bea's time at Peel Clothworkers School was successful despite the life-threatening interruption of diphtheria which saw her isolated at the White Hoe. At 14 she left school to help at her mother's business, Grainger's Cafe, close to the Marine Hotel on Peel Promenade.
The war years were more remarkable, as the establishment of Peveril Internment Camp in the city left Grainger's as effectively the only remaining venue for meals and events. Food supplies, work, meals, cooking, rationing and more are discussed in detail, as well as their ice cream which had people queuing down the street.
Bea then goes on to discuss other aspects of life in Peel at that time, such as the fishing industry, chapel & church, poverty, music, early car journeys, characters and friends. She then talks about her marriage and professional life outside of Peel, first at The Crown in Ramsey and then joining her mother at the Carrick Bay Hotel in Port St Mary, before going on to live all over the Island.

This oral history interview with Beatrice Quirk was recorded by Elizabeth Ardern-Corris on 15 December 2011.
This interview is part of the collection of nearly 200 oral history recordings freely available on the Culture Vannin website: culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
https://culturevannin.im/
www.facebook.com/culturevannin/
www.instagram.com/culturevannin/
www.youtube.com/@culturevannin8486

Oral history interview with Breatrice Quirk (15 Dec 2011)

Promoting and supporting all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.

Culture Vannin awards grants and initiates schemes whilst supporting the work of development officers for music and language. The work of Culture Vannin has been fundamental to the revival of interest and support for Manx language and culture over the last twenty years.

Culture Vannin is the trading name for the Manx Heritage Foundation, registered charity 333 in the Isle of Man.

New tracks tagged #Manx oral history