Stories from some of a town’s oldest residents are being collected and cherished at a heritage centre.
Joy Swain, who comes from an old Looe fishing family, lived near the harbour for many years. She reaclls lying in bed as a child listening to the sound of the boats returning to port, and being able to recognise the individual fishing boats by the sound of their engines.
Now 91, Joy was one of the first people to be interviewed by Old Sardine Factory Heritage Centre manager Rachel Bond. Her stories are being shown on film in the centre and will also be kept in an archive.
Joy remembers the manager of the Sardine Factory before the Second World War, ’an Italian gentleman named Mr Salvadori, who had a twirled up moustache and always wore a suit and pointed wooden clogs’. With the outbreak of war in 1939, Mr Salvadori and his family disappeared, presumably returning to Italy, says Joy.
The Heritage Centre is recording oral histories of Looe’s older generation and will be sharing some of the material with Looe Museum.
Some of the films will be used during a forthcoming ’Shark Legends’ event to take place in June, said Rachel.
’We’ve interviewed Alan and Jean Dingle, to hear Alan’s stories of life as a shark fisherman in Looe and Jean’s point of view as a fisherman’s wife,’ said Rachel.
’If anyone has family members who they think we ought to talk to, then we are happy to be approached.’
Meanwhile, memories of Nelson the seal and other Looe River stories will be shared this Saturday (May 18) at the Old Sardine Factory as broadcaster Nick Bailey interviews ferry skippers Dave Haines, Jon Friend and Vicky Tompson.
The event is open to all ages and is set to start at 11am.