Onchan - People's Pictures

THE CAN CAN

This photograph comes from Elaine Moore (nee Faragher) and shows her late mother with fellow members of St Peter’s Mothers Union taken in The Village Hall around 1950-51 during one of their popular entertainment evenings. The title of the show is not known but the cast includes four can can girls (each with a beauty spot on their chin) and a vicar.

We are grateful to Elaine for the names but there are a couple of queries and one unidentified lady. If you can help please get in touch.

Back row: Annie Bell (with moustache); Alice Mills (wife of Herbie the grocer); Elsie Cretney (mother of Eric the organ player); possibly Evelyn Bell; Anna Corlett; Mrs Cubbon Senior in bonnet; possibly Mrs Quayle as the vicar; Jessie Cannell in the tweed jacket (mother of Geoff Cannell); Mrs Askham; Hilda Howard and Mrs Eccles in the top hat (lived in The Butt).

Middle row: Evelyn Quine (mother of Mel Quine the snooker referee); Nellie King in boater; Margaret Scarffe (Sunday School teacher); Mrs Smith; unknown; Mrs Arthur Moore (mother of Arthur Moore the joiner); Phyllis Christian (mother of John Christian the Onchan road sweeper); Mrs Minshall; Eva Black (in the black dress); Edith Cannell (Bunty’s mother); Mrs Charlesworth (with moustache) and Mrs Eileen Faragher, later to marry Mr Fred Farrar the electrician.

Front row: Nellie Cowin(her husband did the lighting for the show); Amy Jolley; Joan Cubbon; Mona Caley (wife of Bert Caley the baker); Ivy Gelling (wife of George Gelling the cobbler); Jane Leach.

MR CASHIN’S CLASS cc 1953

This photograph of the top class (final year) at Onchan Primary School comes from Elaine Moore (nee Faragher) of Douglas and she has been able to put names to most pupils from all those years ago. Their teacher Thomas Lancaster Cashin hailed from Peel where he was educated before going onto Douglas High School for Boys. The Peel lads travelled in by train as did the pupils from the south of the Island.

When Tom was in the sixth form he became an unsung hero in an act that never hit the headlines nor was it anything that Tom spoke about. The Peel train had arrived and as the pupils were making their way down the platform a young lad fell onto the lines on the other side. This was right as the southern train was coming into the station. As quick as a flash Tom jumped down onto the track, threw the lad up onto the platform and got himself back up with only inches to spare.

He attended teacher training college and when he eventually returned to the Island he taught at Onchan School before replacing Jack Gair as Head of Kirk Michael School where he also inherited the 1 st Kirk Michael Wolf Cubs. He was a worshipper at Barregarrow Methodist Chapel where he was treasurer and he also had an involvement with the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society and the Manx Methodist Historical Society. He passed away before his time in 1994.

Back row: ?; Robert Stirling; Richard Quirk; John Quirk; Winston Birtles; Geoff Cannell; ?; Bernard Jones; James Cowley; Harley Corkill; John Nivison.

Third row: Michael Evans; Peter Coward; Pat Dixon; Pat Hampton; Elaine Faragher; Dorothy Black; Barbara Stacey; Betty Coward; George Jolley; Ewan Leeming.

Second row: Pamela Dale; Hilary Pritchard; Catherine Corkill; Jean Elkins; Cardine Davies; Tommy Cashin; Pamela Volante; Pat Kinrade; Judith Bregazzi; ?; Jean Winterbottom (later Winters) and Carol Magee.

Front row: Keith Knowles; Keith Scarffe; George Cowin; Juan Gilmore; Terry Crellin; Ronnie Brew; Stanley Quirk; Keith Cleator; Christopher Price and John Clague.

Several of these pupils appear on a class photo with Miss Caine in their first year at school in Peoples’ Picture Gallery 1.

MAYPOLE DANCING

To celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth the Second in 1953 a number of events took place in Onchan for the children. In the morning the pupils of Onchan School processed from the school to Government House where the Lieutenant Governor Sir Ambrose Dundas Flux Dundas handed out Coronation Medals and Mugs. In the afternoon the pupils processed again to Onchan Stadium with some of them entering the fancy dress competition (see Peoples Pictures – Gallery 1). There was also a display of dancing by the children as captured here in this photograph sent in by Margaret Adcock (nee Roberts) who at that time lived at Woodland Towers where her father was a gardener. Margaret now lives in Norfolk, in fact the family only lived here for five years but she is able to name some of the children. Others have been named by Ken Walkington who also lives off island but was (and still is) an Onchanite.

Front row left to right: Catherine Stone; Michael Newson; Jane ?; Ken Walkington; Hilary Woodyear; possibley David Kelly; Helen Elliot; Roger Christian (with white ankle socks); Katherine Battison; Brian Lancaster (standing on one leg); Joyce Berry; boy, girl. In the dark cardigan looking a little cold and to the left/rear of Katherine Battison is Margaret Roberts.

Notice how several of the children, especially the boys, are wearing their Coronation Medals. In the background on the left is one of Corkill’s Garage’s two tone dark green Bedford coaches parked within the stadium fence. Jack Nivison was compare on the day.

CHRISTMAS PARTY

This photograph comes from Margaret Adcock (nee Roberts) of Mundesley a smallish village 7 miles from Cromar in Norfolk. It was quite obviously taken in The Village Hall around Christmas time and was thought to be a Sunday School party, however there are children and adults on the picture who were not connected with St Peter’s Sunday School. In the early 1950s there was a party for the children of men who had served in the Second World War, probably run by the Onchan Branch of the Royal British Legion but was this it?

Unfortunately not many names can be put to the faces but we are grateful to sisters Pauline and Vicky Cubbon (as was) for their help and indeed also to Alan Blackburn.

On the row of helpers at the back on the left we have Miss Celia Caine a school teacher at Onchan School, a Guide Captain for 1 st Onchan Guides and a member of the Main Road Methodist Chapel. In the front of Miss Caine is Helen Elliot, moving to the right Margaret Roberts and then her sister Pat then June Halsall followed by somebody’s little sister then Carol Magee. The next girl that looks as if she has a huge bow in her hair but it is the hands of the lady behind is possibly Shirley Cain according to Allan Blackburn or Shirley Evans as identified by Elaine Moore with Barbara Stacey beside her.

On the opposite side of that table with their backs to the camera are Joyce Gee, Elaine Faragher and then the girl just to the left of the lady in the aisle being Patricia Knowles. The table nearer the camera we have possibly Alma Collins, girl, Christine Faragher, Dorothy France, Vicky Cubbon then the three unknowns.

On the opposite side of the table possibly Allan Blackburn, Joyce Berry, back of head then Pauline Jones.

BRIDE AND GROOM

Another picture of St Peter’s Mothers Union Concert Party who performed in The Village Hall Onchan and elsewhere such as Pulrose Hall. This picture is in the Village Hall but looks at the shutters either side of the stained glass window and notice the pattern on them which has now been painted out.

The title of the performance is not known but the production was certainly less vigorous than the Can Can performance which was directed by Geoff Cannell’s mother who was an artist with a local portrait photographer and her job was to tint the black and white photographs. It is thought the production was around 1952.

Back row: Joan Cubbon as the maid; Hilda Howard the policeman; Evelyn Quine; Phyllis Christian; Mrs Greenhalgh of Royal Avenue West in the top hat; Ada Halsall; Eileen Faragher (later Farrar); Mrs Eccles; Ena Black and Edith Cannell.

Middle row: Elsie Cretney; Mrs Quayle playing the part of the vicar again; Alice Mills with the moustache and glasses; Mrs Minshall and Anna Corlett.

Front row: Amy Jolley; Margaret Scarffe; Ivy Gelling; Mrs Askham; Irene Cubbon Senior; Mrs Charlesworth as the groom; Jane Leach as the bride; Mrs Arthur Moore; unknown; Nellie King and Nellie Cowin.

People's Photographs: Gallery 1 | Gallery 2 | Gallery 3 | Gallery 4 | Gallery 5 | Gallery 6