Interview with Eva Kane about living at the Falcon Cliff Guest House, Douglas
Audio Player:
Date(s): 11 October 2007
Creator(s): Manx National Heritage
Scope & Content: Eva Kane talks to Matthew Richardson about living at the Falcon Cliff Guest House, Douglas and the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) and Manx Grand Prix (MGP) race riders and teams who stayed there. Eva talks about the hotel between the wars; her parents and how they bought the hotel; preparation of accommodation for riders and support crews, including building extra garages; German works motorcycle teams including DKW, NSU and BMW in the late 1930s; Jock West, Georg Meier and Karl Gall; death of Karl Gall who crashed in 1939 TT practice; Georg Meier winner of 1939 Senior TT and his telegram from Hitler; riders Ginger Wood, Ted Mellors and Stanley Woods; rider Paddy Johnston and his 1929 TT replica.
She describes how after the Second World War her family moved to the Howstrake Hotel in Onchan and continued to host TT teams and privateers building additional garages at the hotel to accommodate riders; foreign teams and how she nursed a Japanese rider at Nobles Hospital where she was worked during TT; sale of the ingoing to Howstrake Hotel in 1959; riders Dennis Parkinson and Ginger Wood; Howstrake Hotel renamed Rembrandt after it burnt down 1965 and rebuilt; George Formby and his wife Beryl as regular visitors; 1935 TT film 'No Limit' shown at Gaiety Theatre and Onchan Cinema; death of rider Karl Gall; 1949 visit of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; riders Maurice Cann and Ted Mellors; Norton team at Castle Mona Hotel; rider Denis Parkinson and Manx Grand Prix trophies in the Falcon Cliff Hotel.
Administration / Biographical History: Eva Kane was born in 1923 at home at the Falcon Cliff Hotel, Douglas during the 1923 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) races.
Language: English
Extent: 21 min. 3 sec.
Item name: compact disc
Collection: Sound Archive
Level: ITEM
ID number: SA 0586
Access conditions: All reasonable attempt has been made by Manx National Heritage to trace and request permission (where needed) from the copyright holder(s) in this sound recording. If however you think you are a rights holder then please contact Manx National Heritage.
Subject tags : #TT&MOTORSPORT, #UOSH, #UOSHTT