Interview with Norman Callister about his life at Church Farm, Cregneash
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Date(s): 4 January 1993
Scope & Content: Norman Callister talks to Phil Gawne about his life at Church Farm Cregneash. Norman talks about Keggins fields; layout and décor of the four downstairs rooms; hall, dairy, sitting room, back kitchen, unpainted concrete floor with oil cloth covering; no water or electricity before the Second World War; Second World War internees bringing water to village; woodwork was painted brown in hall; in sitting room was a small cast iron fireplace; furniture; his marriage; William born there; Ballakillea papered every year due to dampness; curtains on the windows with nets; square of carpet. Norman asks if the house will be put back to how it was and Phil says, that’s the plan.
Norman talks about the kitchen fireplace with a range which was removed; hot and cold water for the bathroom; dog sleeping in one of the cupboards; Manx dresser in the alcove; other houses and villagers in Cregneash; later tenants of Church Farm; house costing £125 and slate roof added in the 1920s (biggest slate roof in the island).
Recording resumes in the dairy where there used to be big stone slabs and the milk was kept there and butter made, they did not have separators in small farms; describes window, whitewashed walls and concrete floor; moves to back kitchen which has changed a lot from Norman's time; describes men working on the roof and putting in a window which caused the wall to collapse; cowhouse wall collapse; Englishman who lived in the house; back kitchen used for laundry with a boiler, mangle and a dolly tub; no sinks in house; water from well, Faragher’s Field; later standpipe outside, prone to freezing; type of boiler, wood and then coal fired (nobody used turf except at Harry Kelly’s); moves to bottom of stairs and describes how it used to be; problematic getting good joiners.
Administration / Biographical History: Norman Callister lived at Church Farm, Cregneash from 1930-1950, farming 45 acres.
Language: English
Extent: 24 min. 46 sec.
Item name: cassette tape
Collection: Sound Archive
Level: ITEM
ID number: SA 0386
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 : #UOSH