Identifier | EERC/DG/DG4/12 |
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Interviewer | Muir-Watt, Julia |
Dates | interview: 2012-09-04 coverage: 20th century |
Extent | 1 digital audio file(s), 1 digital photograph(s), 1 papers |
Subject | Childhood, Working life, shops, Community Life, Tourism, Housing, Clothing trade, Farming, World War, 1939-1945, Death, Transport, Port William, Monreith, Whithorn, Parton |
Interview summary | Biographical interview with Robin Kinnear. Robin's great-grandfather had moved to Port William as a tailor in 1898 and the family business of drapers had continued from there, eventually including further shops in Whithorn and extending into furniture and flooring. Robin describes the business in detail, including: the layout of the original shop; the tailors workshop with its oven to heat the pressing irons; pricing and different types of clothing - including occupational costume and Sunday best clothes and how the business and fashions changed over time. At one time, bills were paid 6-monthly and the drapers would have a set run, a route they took on a regular basis, collecting payments and orders. The usual routine would be for the draper to arrive at a farmhouse after the afternoon milking, stay for tea and then bring in the cases to show wares and take orders. Neighbours might come along too and it could be a long night. The draper would then stay overnight and carry on to their next stop the following day. As the business moved on, suits etc. were ordered in from elsewhere and furniture, kitchens and flooring took up a much larger proportion of the business. Robin talks about how the area has changed over time and related subjects discussed include: shop interiors; shops and businesses; the Maxwell family of Monreith estate; changing fabrics and products; post-war housing renovations; the challenges of wartime rationing; travelling shops; casual work on farms; the local stallion show; tourism and retiring from the business. |
Access | Open |
Usage Statement | We give permission for the re-use of our collections material for non-commercial purposes under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial 4.0 International Licence. |
Audio links and images | |
Transcript |