Interview with Mrs Olive McFee (and briefly Mr McFee) about working as hotelier of the Waverley, Spaldrick, Port Erin, 1943-1973
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Date(s): October 1998
Creator(s): Manx Heritage Foundation
Scope & Content: Mrs Olive McFee talks to John Beckerson about her life running the Waverley guest house, Spaldrick, Port Erin. She talks about coming into the boarding house trade during the Second World War with internees resident in 1943; internee tribunals; amount paid for housing internees; how the internees had to help with work in the house; visitors returning in 1946; Italian internees, including Dr Bregazzi, Mrs Costantini, Mrs Mastozi, Mr Coppola and Mr Capaldi; first day moving into the guest house; blankets provided by the government and the laundry; inspecting internees' rooms; German-Jewish internees; catering and rations; getting the house ready for the first post-war season and government coupons to buy replacement towels; atmosphere after the war; advertising in the Isle of Man Guide; staffing problems; husband's market garden and selling the vegetables; anecdote about staff leaving; staff numbers in the season; guest meals; final year with visitors in 1973; regular visitors; visitors going abroad; improvements and changes to the house; fire safety improvement loan from government; first ever guests Arthur, Marjorie and Derek Inman.
Mr McFee tells an anecdote about guests drinking noisily with a staff member in a bedroom; numbers of letting rooms and the changes with people going abroad resulting in them giving up the business in 1973; mortgage on the business; being at Olive Mount for a short period before the Waverley.
Track 2: Mr McFee talks about being in a reserved occupation and his market garden.
Administration / Biographical History: Mrs Olive McFee was born 8 October 1915. John Beckerson, researcher, born 1974.
Language: English
Extent: 48 min. 8 sec.
Item name: cassette tape
Collection: Sound Archive
Level: ITEM
ID number: SA 2019-0001/49
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, #UOSHHolidays