Your Memories
This is what this site is all about. A place for folks to share memories of Port Albert. Anyone who has a story to tell that brings memories flooding back for the rest of us, then we want to hear from you.
Christmas in Port Albert was always a special time of the year. My fondest memories come from my early childhood while I was living in Port Albert.
Special in my heart was the "time" up in the hall on Christmas Eve. The place would be full of excitement with us kids running around the place, the men hanging around the little bar in the far corner and the women getting things ready in the kitchen. I can remember trying to sneak a peak into that kitchen watching the women, Mildred Bennett, Winnie King, Marjorie Hoffe, Aunt Glad, Grandmother Elliott, and the list can go on and on who worked with smiles on their faces getting ready for Santa to come into the hall.
We all waited with anticipation, wondering if there would be a gift for us under that Christmas Tree on the stage; of course there always was. As all our names were called, smiles of relief would creep across our faces, our faces would flush and we would walk up those two steps to the top of the stage which felt like climbing a mountain. I remember there was a gift for everyone, no one was left out.
When the evening was over we would all rush out into the cold air, after a couple hours 'driving works' the cold air would rush into your lungs and you pulled your hat down over your sweating head to keep it from freezing. We would all walk together, past the church, down over Rich Powells' hill and go our separate ways to the north or south side of the harbour to our houses to wait for the real Santa to come. Life in an outport community, it was lovely.
Submitted by Jason Elliott - Petty Harbour, NL
20 December 2007