We're ending a year in The Archive Room with another chance to hear a great collection of funny and fascinating stories of Island life in years gone by - told by the people who were there.

Ellen (Cissy) O’Brien and Inkerman Faragher remember life in the Douglas Children's Home, Laura Briggs recalls a frightening incident during World War II, Charlie Webster and Geoff Cannell recall the first days of TT broadcasting in the mid 1960's and Leslie Garrett recalls his childhood living on the Calf of Man.

The heyday of tourism is remembered here too - with stories of the success of Cunningham's Camp, and reversing the fortunes of the failing the Falcon Cliff Hotel.

And in the world of education, Mrs Annie McArd shares her memories of teaching table manners to the youngsters in Marown School between the wars - and Laurie Davies recalls a most unusual Christmas carol choir practice!

In The Archive Room this week ....

Louise Quirk talks with Captain Corteen in 1971 as the Lady of Mann made a farewell trip to the Calf of Man before leaving the Isle of Man for good.

Historian Peter Kelly talks to David Callister about the very early days of the Gaiety Theatre - and we get a first taste of electronic music from the Sulby Phantom Band!

And it's not just the interviews that are vintage - listen out for some vintage advertisements too!

Leslie Bannan was an energetic young salesman between the two Wars, keen to get his drapery business off the ground - and he paints a vivid picture of rural life, and selling textiles to the farming community, in conversation with John Kennaugh

And Tom Cowell is in his beloved Baldwin Valley - taking a walk round the village and chatting with Charles Webster.

In The Archive Room this week, we use a vintage episode of The History Makers, and an episode of Kelly's Eye, to recall the inspiring story of Nellie Brennan - the "Mother" of Manx nursing.

Then we go North to Ballaugh - where a young Laura Briggs spent 4 years as a member of the Manx Women's Land Army during the Second World War - but this isn't a straightforward tale of farm life - there's recreation, rioting, and recruiting too!

And we meet husband and wife Kenny and Connie Brew - who remember a very different Ballaugh village to the one we know today - cart tracks instead of a road between the two churches, and no less than EIGHT shops in the village - and then there's the story of Connie's brush with The Law .... !!

And listen out for a 1970's Manx Radio jingle, and a vintage advertisement too!

The year is 1980 - the 150th anniversary of the IOM Steam Packet Company - General Manager Sydney Shimmin shares stories from past and present; Teacher Irene Shimmin gets a surprise new career when she goes to hire a hall, and Advocate Martin Moore shares memories of childhood and early working years - but please don't take the vintage adverts too seriously!

In The Archive Room this week - Dee Lewis reflects on 16 very varied years working at Manx Radio; we discover just how difficult it is to make a radio commercial, and a Governor tries his hand at ploughing at Cronk-y-Voddy.

Plus - two very different poems - one by Patsy Everett and another by Ronnie Fell - offer snapshots of Island life

In The Archive Room this week - Charles Guard reports on the 1982 flood - the worst the Island had ever experienced; former Lt Governor Sir Laurence New shares some Tynwald Day thoughts; inventor and adventurer Jack Carine is remembered by his two daughters, and Radio Isabella takes to the air - from its studios in Laxey Primary School!

Kathleen Morrey recalls the time her home was used as a film set - John Kelly recalls his years as a butcher in Peel - residents of Glenside are full of tales of family life - Group Captain David Scouller talks about an airship - and we celebrate a very famous song that would never have been written, had it not been for our own John Kaneen ..... it's all in The Archive Room this week.

In this first programme of the new series, David Callister talks with Inkerman Faragher and with Ellen O'Brien (also known as Cissy)

Born in 1924 and 1922 respectively, they both spent the majority of the childhood in the Children's Home in Douglas, following the death of their parents. Here they share memories of their childhood, including being film extras on George Formby's 'No Limit' and meeting the star himself.

There are stories of their experiences during the Second World War, and they reminisce about their working life which, for Inkerman, meant 40 years in the world of politics, including many years as a Councillor in various Douglas Wards, and a year as the Mayor of Douglas. Cissy had a full working life, but also managed to raise a family of 7 children.