Archive (7 life histories found)
'He would spend the entire flight flogging duty free booze, cigarettes, perfume, watches and anything else he could acquire cheaply to the passengers '
Just after getting my Commercial Pilots Licence I managed to get a job in Amsterdam. The company employed contract workers around Europe who needed to travel to different locations and to do this as cheaply as possible they procured a few clapped…
Tags: Amsterdam, Aviation Authority, Captian, Customs
'I was revolting against the elders and thinking that they were wrong and I was right and they were spying on me'
Before I became a teenager I was always pining to grow up quickly and to do the grown up things. I wanted to dress up lime my older sister with saries and long dresses with high heel shoes and jewelleries and wanted to accompany her wherever she was…
Tags: Adolescence, Customs, Gender, parents, revolt
'...ladies never went out to do grocery shopping. It was not considered to be respectable, so it was done by the servants'
I lived in a joint extended family which is very common in India. We all lived in a very big house with uncles, aunties and cousins. My father was the eldest and bread winner and took over the financial responsibilities. We had three or four…
Tags: Customs, family home, Gender, Shopping
'The hands of the customs men would be 'greased' at Christmas and they would always be good for the odd shirt if requested'
Being on the border was of considerable advantage and having factories on both sides of the border facilitated greatly. (Foylewear Ltd at Main Street Strabane was still in existence but non-trading). Willie Gallagher stationed himself in the old…
Tags: board meetings, border, Customs, liquidation, smuggling
'...picked, packed and delivered about Dublin in the back of the uncle's car (Morris Oxford)'
Leaving school in 1961 it was deemed that I should join the sales office of Foyle Shirt & Collar Co Ltd, Lifford, Co Donegal which was run from 51 Wellington Quay in Dublin beside the Halfpenny Bridge. It was an upstairs office of two rooms, one…
Tags: Customs, Irish fabric, Sales work, Trade
'Uncle Jim buried 100 gallon tanks of petrol before the war to be prepared for shortage but never found them again'
My father had old car on blocks in yard, no petrol to drive. Uncle Jim buried 100 gallon tanks of petrol before the war to be prepared for shortage but never found them again. We had a tea chest full of tea (hoarded) disguised as a pouffe in the…
'A long stone bridge divided the town of Belcoo from the town of Black Lion'
As a teenager during the war we cycled to Belcoo and Black Lion for butter and sugar. Black Lion was in the Republic of Ireland. As children we nick-named Black Lion as 'The Black'. Butter and sugar were rationed during the war. When aunts came to…