Living Heritage Podcast Ep151 Field to Flight

In September 1913, flying was very new, very risky, and very exciting. Records were made, then broken. No one had ever flown across the Atlantic nonstop. Lord Northcliffe, the owner of Britain’s Daily Mail, wanted to change that with a contest. Many teams were ready to try in 1914—then the Great War broke out and the contest was put on hold. In November 1918, just three days after the Armistice, the race was back on. The right departure point would be key. For a few exciting weeks in the spring of 1919, the teams set themselves up here in Newfoundland.

2019 marks a century since the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic and Admiralty House is creating a new exhibit titled "Field to Flight". The exhibit will highlight some of the major players of a historic race and feature Margaret Carter, a St. John’s women and her perspective on the race. We chat with Museum Manager Sarah Wade about the air race, but also manage to talk about Twinkletoes the cat, fur coats, and beer!

Download the mp3

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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HeritageNL and CHMR Radio. Past episodes are hosted on Libsyn, and you can subscribe via iTunes, or Stitcher. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Armistice 100 On Air: A Living Heritage Podcast Live Recording

"Armistice 100" On Air:
A “Living Heritage Podcast” Live Recording

On Tuesday, November 13th, 2018, join Heritage NL folklorist Dale Jarvis and special guests Darlene Redmond and Michael Pretty at the Annex, beside Admiralty House Communications Museum, for a live audience recording of the Living Heritage radio show and podcast to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice. 

Darlene Redmond is an artist who has always had a keen interest in history and war. She admires the care and dedication given by the people of this province in preserving the history of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and created the series to contribute to a proud legacy. She lives with her husband and children in Mount Pearl. Darlene's work will be featured in Admiralty House's new exhibit "Armistice 100."

Michael Pretty is the founder of The Trail of the Caribou Research Group Inc. (TCRG). TCRG is a not-for-profit volunteer organization and a registered charity. Their mission is to raise awareness of the accomplishments and sacrifices of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in military conflicts and peacekeeping missions over the past 100 years. All TCRG initiatives are founded on values of fellowship, inclusion and respect.

This event is included in the cost of admission to the Annex.

Admiralty House Museum Annex
365 Old Placentia Rd, 

Mount Pearl, 

NL A1N 0G7

Tuesday, November 13th, 2018

7pm

Link for tickets: https://squareup.com/store/admiralty-house/item/armistice-on-air-1

Mount Pearl Memory Mug Up at Admiralty House

Memory Mug Up participants at Admiralty House Communications Museum.

On Wednesday, July 18th, Dale, Natalie, and I were out in Mount Pearl at Admiralty House Communications Museum for their first Memory Mug Up. The Mug Up was hosted by several staff members at Admiralty House and it focused on Mount Pearl memories.

A dozen people showed up to tell stories about climbing haystacks and stealing turnips from farmers' fields, swimming at Twin Falls, and flattening pennies on the railway track. The main memories people shared were about the sense of community and the strong relationships which developed in Mount Pearl.

There were several residents who moved to the community in the 1960s through the 1980s and discussed the development over the years. Another common memory which was shared was of time spent volunteering with different organizations. Several people mentioned the sport alliance, and the Frosty Festival and how volunteering for these events helped build the community spirit of Mount Pearl.

If you want to learn more about how to run a Memory Mug Up in your community check out our easy how-to-guide or contact Dale Jarvis at 739-1892 ex. 2 or dale@heritagenl.ca

Sharing stories and memories of Mount Pearl.

#CollectiveMemories Monday - Steve Best, Train Dispatcher and Telegraph Operator

A 19-61. Stalled! Winter scene on the Newfoundland Railway [191-?]. Originally published by Ayre & Sons (St. John's, N.L.). Courtesy of The Rooms Provincial Archives.

One of the interviews recently digitized for Admiralty House Museum and Archives was with Steve Best, a resident of Mount Pearl. Best talks about his childhood growing up in Gambo, telling stories about his family, school, and pastimes. He also talks about moving to the growing community of Mount Pearl in the 1970's. 

Best also talks about his work with the Newfoundland Railway, as a telegraph operator and train dispatcher. He tells stories about the accidents that occurred on the railway, both minor and major, and the problems snow created on the railway.   

To listen to the interview with Steve Best visit Memorial University Digital Archives Initiative.

~ Kelly

Do you remember the Mount Pearl Curl? - Tuesday's #FolklorePhoto

You may remember Kerri Rodden-Kemp from Kilbride who appeared
on The Ellen Degeneres show with her big hair from 1989.
Photo courtesy of CBC Newfoundland and Labrador.

This week I did some follow up interviews from our Mount Pearl Memory Mug Up events which took place at the local library. Debbie O'Rielly who grew up in Mount Pearl in the 1970s and early 1980s described her memories of playing games, going to school, and visiting the local shops. She also explained the system of trails she would play on as a child and later as a teenager used as a hangout spot. Debbie also mentioned some of the major changes and the growth she has seen in the community over the years.

Aside from childhood memories there was one particular thing I had to ask Debbie about and that was the origin of the Mount Pearl Curl. Debbie explained that the phenomenon started a couple of years after she graduated high school but she explained the process of creating the famous Mount Pearl Curl. In the clip below you can learn how to recreate the style with the help of a lot of hairspray and a textbook.



Do you remember the Mount Pearl Curl?
Do you know how this hair trend started or how it spread?
Better yet, do you have photographs?
Let us know in the comments or email terra@heritagefoundation.ca!

~Terra Barrett

Mount Pearl Interviews: Community and Radio History

One of the recent additions to the MUN Digital Archives, is a collection of audio interviews from the Admiralty House Communications Museum. The recordings can be divided into two different groupings, those conducted in 1990's and the early 2000's. The later interviews focus mainly on the development of Mount Pearl. We hear Don Hutchen's talks about the Lester Family History and the property that developed into Mount Pearl. Betty Thistle shares memories about spending summers in the area in the 1930's at her family summer home. Multiple interviews talk with residents who grew up in other communities and moved to Mount Pearl in the 1940's and 50's when it was just developing. They talk about what was available to the early residents, the roads, shops, and the lack of crime. Two interviews, with John Fuller and Frank Kennedy, talk about the SS Florizel. Steve Best talks about his experiences working with the railway, and Harold Squires talks about his work as a Marconi Operator.

The older interviews were conducted in the early 1990's by researcher and author Hector K.Swain. Swains interviews focus on the history of radio broadcasting in Newfoundland and Labrador, talking to important names in radio such as Joseph V. Butler, Oscar Hierlihy, Rab Carnell, Paul O'Neil, Michael Harrington, and others. The interviews talk about how different radio stations were set up, significant programs like "The Barrelman", religious broadcasting, and the social welfare effects of radio in the province.

Check out these interviews and others at the MUN Digital Archives

~ Kelly

The Mount Pearl Public Library Memory Mug Up

This morning was the second in a series of Memory Mug Ups events, this one taking place at the Mount Pearl Public Library. Memory Mug Up's are an informal gathering where participants have a cup of tea and share memories of their lives. In this case the focus was memories of Mount Pearl and the group told stories ranging from the 1950's to the 1990's. We talked about the various shops and hangouts, amenities available in the community, the Mount Pearl Curl, transportation, and other aspects of life in the area. We also shared memories of where people grew up before they moved to Mount Pearl, including childhood games and rhymes. One interesting coincidence was having participants who realized they had lived in the same house on Blossom Avenue, one having sold the home to the other in the early 1970's! 

The Memory Mug Ups are part of the Collective Memories Project, an oral history initiative which invites seniors to record their stories and memories for archiving and sharing. Our next Memory Mug Up will take place at the the Marjorie Mews Public Library in St. John's on February 22nd from 2:30 to 5:30.

For more information on how you or your community organization can get involved, email Dale Jarvis at ich@heritagefoundation.ca or call (709) 739-1892 ext. 2

Mount Pearl Memory Mug Up - Monday, February 13th

Mount Pearl Public Library

Share Your Stories at the Memory Mug Up!

Which of your memories would you like to preserve for future generations? What are your dearest childhood memories? What advice would you give your 18-year-old self? If you have answers to these questions, you are invited to attend the Memory Mug Up!

The Memory Mug Up is an informal story sharing session for seniors, where people gather, have a cup of tea, and share memories. The Heritage Foundation of NL will be hosting three Memory Mug Up events for seniors this February, in Mount Pearl, Portugal-Cove St. Philip’s, and St. John’s

The goal of the program is to help participants share and preserve their stories. Whatever story is important to you, whether it a personal story, a story about a family member, or a story about your community, the Memory Mug Up program can help you to preserve and share it.

The event is free! You bring a memory of growing up, we’ll supply the tea and biscuits, and we will all have a chat. Following the sessions, those who are interested can set up a time to have their stories recorded and archived by one of our story collectors.

Mount Pearl Memory Mug Up
Monday, February 13th, 10:30 am
Mount Pearl Public Library
65 Olympic Drive, Mount Pearl

The Memory Mug Ups are part of the Collective Memories Project, an oral history initiative which invites seniors to record their stories and memories for archiving and sharing. It is a project of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office of the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (HFNL), the Provincial Advisory Council on Aging and Seniors, the Interdepartmental Working Group on Aging and Seniors, and is funded through the Department of Seniors Wellness and Social Development.

For more information on how you or your community organization can get involved, email Dale Jarvis at ich@heritagefoundation.ca or call (709) 739-1892 x2.

Digitizing the Mount Pearl Oral History Project. #collectivememories #oralhistory

Gaze in wonder at our high-tech digitization suite, converting micro-cassette tapes to WAV format recordings!

Our Collective Memories project is embarking on a new partnership with the Admiralty House Communications Museum to digitize its oral history collection, largely collected in the early 2000s. Here, we are digitizing an interview conducted January 16, 2001 with Steve Best, conducted by Lisa Abbott. The interview focuses on Steve's childhood memories of growing up in Gambo and later working for the Newfoundland Railway as a telegrapher. There is some focus as well on his memories of Mount Pearl in the 1970s.

We will be working with the fabulous Carla Watson at the Museum to place the collection online as part of Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative. Stay tuned!

- Dale

Living Heritage Podcast Ep008 Admiralty House Museum with Allison Bennett and Carla Watson

Allison Bennett is from Mount Pearl and graduated with a Master of Arts (in History) from Memorial University in October 2014. She is currently completing her Bachelor of Education (Intermediate/Secondary) at Memorial and will graduate this fall. Allison is currently employed as the Centennial Celebrations Coordinator at Admiralty House Communications Museum and is organizing and preparing events for HM Wireless Station’s 100th anniversary September 2015. Originally hailing from Saskatchewan, Carla Watson completed her Masters in Public History at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. She is currently the Museum Manager for Admiralty House Communications Museum in Mount Pearl. In this podcast, Terra Barrett talks with Allison and Carla about the Admiralty House Communications Museum, favourite stories and artifacts found in the museum, examples of programs, stories about supernatural activities in the museum, and challenges youth face working in the heritage sector.