Reminiscences of Arthur Douglas Addams about his life
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Date(s): late 20th century
Creator(s): Addams, Arthur Douglas
Scope & Content: Tracks 1 and 2: Arthur talks about ambition to play big bass fiddle in his band and recounts anecdote about buying a fiddle for £5 from a guard at the Second World War internee camp at Port Erin and travelling by taxi, an Austin 7, driven by Billy Faragher, who became a lifelong friend to collect it; Freddie Callow who went along for the ride; Port Erin camp exterior; going to Police Station to get a permit for the fiddle to be removed from the camp; how the fiddle was too big to fit in the car boot so had to be laid across the rear seats on top of Freddie; going through Castletown and when they turned into Arbory Street the neck of the fiddle hit a pedestrian and Arthur took the man to the George Hotel for a drink to recover; how the fiddle smashed a mirror at his sister's house and he had to keep it in the back yard; how a Liverpool lad came to one of the dances and offered to buy the fiddle but was posted back to the mainland before he had paid for it so he lost the money and the fiddle; Dog's Home Hotel; sister taking in soldiers as lodgers and how his brother-in-law was a guard at the camp and asked the band to play at the Bay Hotel; Bruce Bridson and success of the band as 'The Favourites of the South' and the 'Southern Serenaders'; how they forgot to bring Bruce back and he had to walk back to Douglas in the rain; writing to Joyce who sent him a photograph which made him want to succeed; engagements with the band 'Arthur Addams and the Rhythm Boys' and his ambition to play in England and be heard on the radio; Collinson's Cafe; Harry Roy and Bing Crosby numbers he played; Joyce's letters recounting air raids in Southport and Liverpool; answering advert in 'Melody Maker' for a Manager at the Liverpool Rialto Ballroom and travelling to interview and meeting with Joyce (who was training as a nurse working with blind children) while he was staying with his cousins at Port Sunlight; meeting with Joyce (who calls him 'Bing') in Southport and hearing 'We've Come a Long Way Together'; walking her home to the Sunshine Home in Birkdale and sings a song they heard on the radio there and how she agreed to marry him when she was old enough; interview at Rialto and being offered job.
Administration / Biographical History: Arthur Douglas Addams (1920-2011) was born on 22 February 1920 in Douglas.
Language: eng
Extent: 1 hr. 26 min. 42 sec.
Item name: cassette tape
Collection: Sound Archive
Level: ITEM
ID number: SA 2019-0110/16
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