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As well as spending a lifetime as a skilled joiner,
and one who keeps the skills of the wheelwright alive,
Davey is a well-loved character in the Glens, an entertainer
with his recitations and his fiddle and bow, a man
who loves ceilidhing with his neighbours.
Choose here from a rendition of His Masters Touch played
by Davey on Fiddle, or a recitation written by
Davey, about his time at McMullans carpentry store :
-
2004 marks
Davey George McCrory's 60th year of working and his
80th birthday. He has decided it's time to hang
up his
tools for a well deserved rest.
Failing eyesight means
that he limits himself these days to demonstrating
the
skills of the wheelwright rather than the practice
of making wheels. His pride and passion keeps
those
skills alive today even though their days were numbered
from soon after the end of the war. "After the war, farmers were able to buy the
soft wheels off gliders being scapped by the military
for
£4 a pair. Then tractors came along so we switched
our business to making trailers for them."
 |
On the eve of his 80th birthday
in December 2004 Davey George McCrory told us that
he was now officially retiring. He returned once
more to see the "new" workshop in the
Glens which he had occupied between the mid forties
and sixties. He wanted to have one last look around.
We spent a privileged hour there with him looking
around the place that had been such a big part
of his life. On the way out we couldn't help noticing
that the rusty old clock had stopped at 7pm - Davey's
finishing time every day for those 20 years in
this shop. |
 |
|
Looking for one last customer? Davey reflects
on a life's work |
Watch Davey George and friends in this
homemade video of a typical day in the workshop (recreated
around the mid 1980's )
|
print version
