| Collection | Winstanley Oral History Collection |
| Description | Mr. E. L. Dumas, born 1884, interviewed in Sittingbourne. His family came from a French origin, he came over as a sixteen year old boy in 1908 sent by his stepfather. His jobs were a hairdresser, later a chiropodist and physiotherapist. Track 1 [00:33:32] [0:00:01] Introduction: The interviewee is Eugene Lucien Duman [ED] of 15 Terrance Road, Sittingbourne. [00:00:27] ED born 9th February 1884 in France. [0:00:51] ED sent from France to England by his mother and stepfather. [0:02:20] Summary of the jobs he took up when he came here, and how he came to own a shop in Sheemess. [0:05:40] His hairdressing hop in Sittingbourne, which shared a space with a photographer's shop. [0:06:54] briefly mentions his beginner days in Chatham and Gillingham. [0:07:49] His shop-owning days back in Sheerness, the costs and his schedule [00:09:27] Short mention of helping two men (Orville and Wilbur Wright) get stuff for the first flying machine [00:10:41] Mention of the disabled employees he hired in the shops [00:11:40] The people he met while working in the barbers. [00:14:26] ED never had to borrow money to get started. [00:15:11] Short mention of Sheerness when he first arrived. [00:15:45] Sailor’s haircuts and the different haircut styles he offered. [00:16:27] Discussion of old bathing huts. [00:17:29] Detailed summary of helping Orville and Wilbur Wright put the first flying machine together. [00:20:59] Mention of him being in the French army. [00:21:55] He recalled his time in Chatham, working in a barber’s shop. [00:22:56] Discussion about the shop's opening times, his salary and place of living. [00:23:45] His time in Gillingham. [00:24:15] Discussion of products used in barber shops. [00:25:20] ED talks about what you could buy with three halfpence from the shops [00:26:46] detailed discussion about shaving mugs. [00:27:48] ED talks about how they used to get rid of lice. [00:28:24] Brief mention of holidaymakers. [00:29:04] Barber’s uniform [00:29:31] What the barbers did with the cut-off hair. [00:30:04] Dockyard in Sheerness [00:30:43] ED talks about the holidays before the First World War. [00:31:27] ED talks about his bike. Summary created by Roberta Stewart, volunteer, August 2024. |