DOWN TO SALLY'S COVE
“DOWN TO SALLY’S COVE” is a collection of stories about Newfoundland and Labrador by Ella Manuel (1911-1985) and read by me, Antony Berger. I’m the editor of my mother’s writings about the history and rich culture of the places she lived, and the people she knew and loved. New episodes will be uploaded every week throughout the spring and summer of 2020.
In 1945, after years in England and the USA, Ella returned to Newfoundland to live, a single mother with two small boys. Using her maiden name, she began to write for newspapers and magazines and to read for radio stories about the places and people she met, recapturing some of the forgotten men and women of Newfoundland’s past. Over the next three decades, her voice became known across Canada through her many broadcasts on the CBC. When she died, she left behind a confused mass of undated manuscripts and notes, which I have now arranged and edited. Only a few recordings of her marvelous voice still exist, so I have decided to read her stories myself, notwithstanding the challenge of a male voice substituting for hers.
Of note are episodes 2 & 3 where Ella talks about how and why she opened Killdevil Lodge and it’s relation to the birth of outfitting in Western Newfoundland.