The Iron Pier, demolished in 1895, Douglas

Date(s): n.d.

Scope & Content: On the back of this photograph Frowde writes, 'A memory of happy summer days in the early eighties, and earlier when there were two sets of swings erected in the shingle near the Harris Promenade. I used to 'mind' Mr Quine's swing with Percy Quine, getting free exercise on it when not engaged. And we also "minded" the small boats like the boys in the picture, and "brung in" the Sally or Sarah Jane on command. Happy days - not a care, no worry. But the cane at school supplied that want, once the holidays were over. What memories this view brings back. In the Castle Tap days, the Niggers, in Christian Road, mornings, by the Iron Pier later in morning and early in afternoon, and at tea-time of all places, along the kerb by Kneale the bookseller's, now Emett's in Victoria St. "Oh, hop into my canoe, my lovely Dinah do, the skiff is by the Shore, t'is all I ask of you!" And "We'll fight for Uncle Jefferson, we are the black men gay" etc, etc. - evidently an echo of the American Civil War. Sept 1931. At the Manx Convention in Buffalo, US in August this year, my old school chum the Reverend R Lewin Cain - of Southport these days - met Louis Kelly (brother of C T Roach, long demised) who built the Central Hotel, in the photo, many a long year gone bye, quite hale and hearty. He had the job of filling in the Castle Mona gardens to make a lovely basin (in which the gardens were in my boyhood) the flat filled in surface it is today with Victoria Crescent built on it. See large cuttings book. The idea was a racing track, cycles chiefly, then of the penny farthing type, and sports of other kinds. It proved a disaster, and Andrew Caley (other names in cutting article) amongst others, dropped a lot of money over the venture. Yet to find - a picture of this scene with the two swings in the gravel below the Harris Prom, which as a small boy I used to mind, Mr Quirk's swings in my case - referred to above - and actual date of demolition of the old Castle Tap and Squittle Alley. Mr Alec Robertson told me recently (Sept '33) they would be there 1874 to 1876. (The latter sentence refers to the swings. At high water the chairs were hauled up halfway to the crossbar.) I fancy the man man with the wire trimmed straw in the small boat, was Stephen Latham, father of Augustus who was a bass in the Thomas' St Choir in my time. Stephen L was a small boat owner and had his stand at this point. "'The days that was, the days that was". (Pte Mulvaney?)'.

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Language: eng

Extent: overall: 15 cm x 21 cm

Physical description: black & white print

Item name: photograph

Collection: Photographic Archive

Level: ITEM

ID number: PG/8224/18/34

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