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Mr. Donald V. Feltham Popplestone rock: well known to all Deer Islanders.
1985
Deer Island, Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada

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Glovertown's Donald V. Feltham has prepared a binder filled with pictures and words about the bully for the 'Glovertown Archives.' The binder is located in the 'Alexander Bay Public Library' at 'Glovertown Academy.'

A native son of Deer Island, Don has many fond memories of the bully. Listen as he shares a few with you.

Transcription of sound clip:

"My memories of Deer Island, my childhood home are many and very dear to me.

They are memories of a boy at play and a boy also responsible for some household chores such as splitting kindling, keeping the wood box and water barrel full. I was also expected to help plant the vegetables in late spring and help harvest them in early fall. Work in the fishing stage and on the flake.

I was required to attend school regularly my parents impressing on me the need for an education to escape from the fishing boat "fishing was a dog's life" they said.

I was also required to attend church and Sunday school. No work was ever done or any sports played on Sunday. It was a day for family togetherness and visiting relatives.

My sports consisted of playing soccer, a game called cat (similar to baseball), hide and seek and tiddely. We rolled hoops, carried torches and flew kites. I rode the hills in winter on my home made sled or store bought coaster. I flipseyed on the small ice pans and foundered bally-caters. I cut and dragged boughs for our giant bonfire on November 5th.

I roamed the island climbing Popplestone looking for bird's nests or stranded squids in tidal pools. We scaled the cliffs and swam in ocean coves with running seas.

My parents worried but only cautioned. I was only carrying on Island tradition after all. It's all gone now and Deer Island is only an uninhabited speck in a wide ocean."