Bill Radcliffe

[1] These learners were part of a small tight-knit group of high level speakers who would go on to be vital members of Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh, but also the language revival movement.

On his request, Kevin Danaher of the Irish Folklore Commission travelled to the Isle of Man with a crate of fragile acetate discs to record the last remaining native speakers on 22 April 1948.

[6] Radcliffe along with Walter Clarke helped to transport the recording equipment and acted as a guide for Danaher, bringing him to the remote and isolated locations where the informants lived.

They assisted Danaher and spent considerable time before every recording carefully balancing the equipment with a spirit level and connecting batteries and converters as many of the informants did not have electricity.

[8] Eventually they were able to make these recordings, albeit often at significant financial expense to themselves; John Gell for example loaned them £8 to purchase the necessary equipment.

This is a centuries old tradition that required Radcliffe to read out new laws that were to be promulgated in the Manx language on Tynwald Hill.