Interview with Mrs Letitia ('Letty') Edgar about working in boarding houses and later as a hotelier in the Isle of Man
Audio Player:
Date(s): 24 September 1998
Creator(s): Manx Heritage Foundation
Scope & Content: Track 1: Mrs Letitia ('Letty') Edgar (born 1928) talks to John Beckerson about her time from 1946 to 1989 working in boarding houses and later as an hotelier in the Isle of Man. Letty talks about first boarding house at 35 Hope Street; working at The Alma, Castle Mona Avenue for the Bancrofts; coming from Scotland to work in the summer and meeting her husband on the Isle of Man (married at Kirk Braddan); working in Clydebank shipyard; Mrs Bancroft; going dancing at The Palais; daily duties at The Alma; during the winter working at the Masonic Hall and other hotels; working in the Villa Marina Café; her job at Clydebank shipyard; moving to Hope Street with husband and her young sons; moving to 122 Bucks Road to run boarding house. Letty describes a typical day at the boarding house in Bucks Road, including during the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) race weeks; her husband meeting the boats in the morning; TT and other guests; conversion of Bucks Road into holiday flats around 1976 and then into permanent flats; buying and modernising The Seaborne, including the kitchen.
Track 2: Letty continues to talk about food and meals; end of season and in winter on holiday to Spain and Italy; missing visitors after retiring; John Morley at The Empress; the stopping of daily Liverpool sailings and the decline of tourism in the Isle of Man; sitting on front steps of The Seaborne watching the Manx Grand Prix (MGP) races along the Promenade from Mylchreest’s; acquiring staff and how her two sons married staff. She end with an anecdote about chamber pots found in a cupboard at Bucks Road.
Administration / Biographical History: Mrs Letitia ('Letty') Edgar was born 23 September 1928. John Beckerson, researcher, born 1974.
Language: eng
Extent: 59 min. 34 sec.
Item name: cassette tape
Collection: Sound Archive
Level: ITEM
ID number: SA 2019-0001/1
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, #UOSHTT, #UOSHHolidays