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.
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Oral history interview with Breatrice Quirk (15 Dec 2011)

A monumental new history of British conflict, publishing for the eightieth anniversary of VE Day
'An impressive audit of the monuments all around us and their often forgotten back-stories. A hundred individual histories, skillfully assembled, built into a poignant meditation on why they still matter.' David Olusoga 

 Published for the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War Two, this moving book examines the inspirations and individuals behind our memorial-studded country. Acclaimed historian Tessa Dunlop travels the length and breadth of the United Kingdom on a quest to uncover a story of national warring and national mourning, of fighting each other and of fighting together. In so doing, Lest We Forget summons a stellar cast of veterans, military experts and families of the fallen to reveal what our monuments and war heroes say about us, both then and now.

Why did Scotland take nearly 600 years to commemorate its most famous freedom fighter? When did Wellington become anti-Establishment? Who are the Glorious Dead? Can the Cenotaph stay above politics? And how do you commemorate contested, asymmetrical wars?

Through veteran testimony and contemporary voices like Falklands hero Simon Weston and HRH The Duke of Kent, Tessa brings to life the pride and the pain involved in commemorating 2,000 years of war and peace across Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales in a monumental British story.

Lest We Forget, freedom is not free.

'In this wonderfully incisive, moving and timely book about commemoration, Dunlop breathes life into 100 British monuments – some famous, others less so – that together reveal our island story. A stunning achievement.' Saul David

Lest We Forget: War and Peace in 100 British Monuments, By Tessa Dunlop, Read by Tessa Dunlop

A conversation with Margaret Jean Skinner (b. 07/10/1926) about her time in the Land Army in the Isle of Man during the Second World War.

Topics discussed include:
* Signing up to the Land Army at Knockaloe soon after finishing school
* Crops grown & work at Knockaloe in the 1940s
* Work, including: picking stones, docking turnips, ploughing, threshing and more
* Working conditions, including a 7am start and not getting home until 7pm
* Working out on other farms in pairs, dropped off in a wagon from Knockaloe
* Work at the threshing mill
* Work at Lezayre Lodge and at the farm at Ballamona

The conversation with Jean Skinner conducted by David Callister is of an unknown date.


This oral history interview with Jean Skinner was recorded by David Callister (date unknown).
This interview is part of the collection of nearly 200 oral history recordings freely available on the Culture Vannin website: https://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 Jean Skinner

A conversation with Margaret Jean Skinner (b. 07/10/1926) about her time in the Land Army in the Isle of Man during the Second World War.

Topics discussed include:
* Signing up to the Land Army at Knockaloe soon after finishing school
* Crops grown & work at Knockaloe in the 1940s
* Work, including: picking stones, docking turnips, ploughing, threshing and more
* Uniforms
* Working conditions, including a 7am start and not getting home until 7pm
* Working out on other farms in pairs, dropped off in a wagon from Knockaloe
* Work at the threshing mill and a colleague's terrible accident
* Working alongside internees
* Dances at RAF Andreas and at the Pool in Ramsey, and how they would creep into their accomodation late through the cellar
* Frequently seeing airplane crashes when working out close to RAF Jurby
* Work at Lezayre Lodge and at the farm at Ballamona

This oral history interview with Jean Skinner was recorded by Liz Brand with the assistance of Mrs Skinner's daughter, Winnie Callister, on 8 August 2006.

This interview is part of the collection of over 200 oral history recordings freely available on the Culture Vannin website: https://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 Jean Skinner (8 Aug 2006)

First-hand memories of witnessing aeroplanes crashing off the coast of Jurby during the Second World War, as recalled by a member of the Land Army working in the fields close to RAF Jurby at that time.

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Jean Skinner, recorded by Liz Brand with the assistance of Mrs Skinner's daughter, Winnie Callister, on 8 August 2006.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/jean-skinner-889897/

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

Watching WW2 plane crashes from RAF Jurby

A memory of finding out that the Second World War had finished, in the audience at the Guild in Douglas...

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Pat & Jack Corrin, recorded by Vi Ritchie, at an unknown date, c.2006/2007.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/pat--jack-corrin-901112/

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

The end of WW2 as a part of the Guild

Memories of the announcement of deaths during WW2 as a part of the evening church service at King William's College. An event that the children anticipated with dread, fearing to hear the names of Old Boys who had fallen in the conflict.

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Pat & Jack Corrin, recorded by Vi Ritchie, at an unknown date, c.2006/2007.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/pat--jack-corrin-901112/

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

Announcements of WW2 deaths within King William's College

Memories of how the German language was barred from the curriculum at King William's College during the Second World War, and it remained banned until as late as 1947.

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Pat & Jack Corrin, recorded by Vi Ritchie, at an unknown date, c.2006/2007.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/pat--jack-corrin-901112/

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

German language lessons banned during WW2

A conversation with Pat and Jack Corrin about their childhood memories of the Isle of Man during the Second World War.

Pat discusses black-out curtains, wardens and the fear of bombs, days off school to pick blackberries, avoiding wolf whistles from Navy cadets on Douglas streets, the announcement of the end of the war from the stage during the Guild, VE Day celebrations, food and more.

Jack discusses internees, military personnel posted to his home, King William's College giving up land for the creation of Ronaldsway airport, wartime air traffic, black out, the announcement of deaths as a part of the school's Sunday service, food parcels from abroad with bananas in, rationing, German being stopped as a subject during the war and beyond, and the Royal Visit that followed the conclusion of the war.

This conversation with Pat & Jack Corrin was conduction by Vi Ritchie on an unknown date, c.2006/07.

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 Pat & Jack Corrin (c.2006/07)

Memories of Douglas in the Second World War, when Deemster Jack Corrin's home of the boarding house on Buck's Road became the new home of soldiers and their families from 1939 and throughout the war.

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Deemster Jack Corrin, recorded by Elizabeth Ardern-Corris, on 21 August 2012.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/jack-corrin-538074/

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

Soldiers & their families taking over a Douglas boarding house

Publishers of award-winning fiction and non-fiction audiobooks for adults and children. Listen to exclusive clips from our books and free audioook extracts here on Soundcloud.

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 #second world war