Scilly Stories

Episode 11. Alba Williams

“I love everything about Scilly, I really do…I go down the road, everybody knows my name… I know everybody [and] everybody says hello.” During this episode, we chatted with Alba Williams who moved to Scilly in the 60s with her husband, Roger, a PE teacher, and their two young children.  Alba is Spanish by birth but grew up in rural France. Despite spending time in Wales and Dorset beforehand, she said that arriving in Scilly felt unlike anything else she knew. However, she loved the sea and the people and really took to island life.  Although her children are now grown up and live away and Roger has died, Alba remains in Scilly. She said she briefly considered moving away but changed her mind.  Alba appreciates the island community, regularly meeting with friends, walking far and wide across the islands and taking part in local activities. We hope you enjoy hearing her Scilly story.

Episode 10. Derek Perkins

“I came here for a holiday and I thought well this is very nice, I’ll stop here!” In this episode, we speak with 99 year old Derek Perkins who has spent most of his life on St Martin’s, having arrived on the island during the war when his father was stationed on the island as a coastguard. It was interesting to hear his experiences of the war and some of the differences between life on Scilly over eighty years ago and life now. Derek also talks fondly of his wife, Gladys, who was born on St Martin’s and who sadly died last year.  *** See photos on the Scilly Stories social media pages: http://facebook.com/scillystoriespodcast [http://facebook.com/scillystoriespodcast] https://www.instagram.com/scillystoriespodcast [https://www.instagram.com/scillystoriespodcast] *** Find out more about hosts, Kylie and Erica: www.salakeefarm.co.uk [http://www.salakeefarm.co.uk] www.ericahicks.co.uk [http://www.ericahicks.co.uk] www.tamariskscilly.co.uk [http://www.tamariskscilly.co.uk]

Episode 9. Avril Mumford

“If gossip upsets you, don’t come and live in Scilly! …. I always used to say, ‘If they’re talking about me, they’re giving someone else a rest!’”   We just loved this quote from Avril Mumford when we spoke with her recently about island life!   Avril moved to Scilly with her parents while she was still at school, after her father, Doctor Bell, took on the role as the only doctor on the islands. It was interesting to hear all about how she went on her rounds with him and how different things were during that time.    Avril later married Clive Mumford and we enjoyed hearing what life was like in the papershop, the beating heart of the island community. We also hear how being in the newsagent’s helped her to understand the needs of islanders when she represented Scilly as a councillor, a role which she continues to do to this day.    Avril was inspiring to listen to and we can only hope to be as fun, hardworking and engaging as her when we get to 83!   ***   See photos on the Scilly Stories social media pages: http://facebook.com/scillystoriespodcast [http://facebook.com/scillystoriespodcast] https://www.instagram.com/scillystoriespodcast [https://www.instagram.com/scillystoriespodcast]   Find out more about what the hosts, Kylie and Erica, do in their day-to-day lives on Scilly: www.salakeefarm.co.uk [http://www.salakeefarm.co.uk] www.ericahicks.co.uk [http://www.ericahicks.co.uk] www.tamariskscilly.co.uk [http://www.tamariskscilly.co.uk]

Episode 8. John Bourdeaux

“If you see the wall there, and all around the pottery, there are several hundred heights of children. Those children are coming back at sixty now... We’ve got the third or fourth generation coming back.“   When children come into his pottery studio, John Bourdeaux often marks their height on his walls. He has been doing it for so long that some of the original small people are now grandparents!   He recounts how he bought a barn, originally intended for storing his boat, but how it eventually became his pottery workshop where he has remained for close to fifty years. John clearly loves meeting different people and seeing customers return over the years.   John also tells us about moving to Scilly as a child and what adventures he used to get up to when he was young. It was also riveting to hear what it was like to come into Scilly as an outsider, and how his family were treated by different individuals on St Mary’s when they took over one of the shops in the centre of town.   If you enjoy entertaining stories from the past, this episode is for you! John Bourdeaux clearly revels in spinning yarns and even refers to himself a “master of BS" during our chat! Some of his stories push the boundaries, and whilst we could have cut them, we chose to keep them in... We’ll let you decide for yourself whether or not that was the right choice!   *** See photos on the Scilly Stories social media pages: http://facebook.com/scillystoriespodcast [http://facebook.com/scillystoriespodcast] https://www.instagram.com/scillystoriespodcast [https://www.instagram.com/scillystoriespodcast]   Find out more about what the hosts, Kylie and Erica, do in their day-to-day lives on Scilly: www.salakeefarm.co.uk [http://www.salakeefarm.co.uk] www.ericahicks.co.uk [http://www.ericahicks.co.uk] www.tamariskscilly.co.uk [http://www.tamariskscilly.co.uk]

Episode 7. Neil Jenkins

“I love football! …In the Easter holidays and the summer holidays, we’d be up the campsite all the time, going round all the holiday homes knocking for kids who wanted to play football. We used to have these epic ‘islanders versus visitors’ football matches…. Lots of people ended up rebooking their holidays around the football matches because their kids loved it so much!”    In this episode, local fisherman, Neil Jenkins, talks fondly about his childhood on Bryher. He speaks with affection about his father and grandparents and what it was like to go out at first light and only come back when he was hungry! He discusses the differences of living on St Mary’s compared to an off-island and about his fears and desires for the future of Scilly.    Neil’s stories are highly entertaining and there is a lot of laughter from hosts Kylie and Erica throughout!     See photos on the Scilly Stories social media pages: http://facebook.com/scillystoriespodcast [http://facebook.com/scillystoriespodcast] https://www.instagram.com/scillystoriespodcast [https://www.instagram.com/scillystoriespodcast]   Find out more about what the hosts, Kylie and Erica, do in their day-to-day lives on Scilly: www.salakeefarm.co.uk [http://www.salakeefarm.co.uk] www.ericahicks.co.uk [http://www.ericahicks.co.uk] www.tamariskscilly.co.uk [http://www.tamariskscilly.co.uk]