Theme: Migration - British Expatriates. Arthur Wait was born at 'Ta-Cini' hospital, Santa Venera, Malta on the 9th of July 1940. He had one younger brother, Tony, and an older sister, Gladys. His father had served on minesweepers in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and afterwards was the Master-at-Arms’ right-hand man. His mother was a housewife. Between 1956 and 1958, Arthur was an Able Seaman and gunner for the Royal Navy, he worked on a salvage and mooring ship at Portland, Dorset, UK, c. 1968-1975 and he finally worked as a rigger with the Ministry of Defense at Portchester, UK, from around 1975 until retirement. He had two daughters, Tracy and Teresa and one son, David.
The interview started with a short introduction about Carmelo La Magra's childhood and background. The focus shifted to the religious feast of Our Lady of Lampedusa: symbolism, procession, relations between church and mayor (secular authority), organisation, etc. In the last part of the interview, La Magra described the history of the Sanctuary and its symbolic place on the Island: a place of refuge, freedom, safety and a place where Islam and Catholicism coexisted peacefully for centuries.
The interview started with a short introduction about Carmelo La Magra's childhood and background. The focus shifted to the religious feast of Our Lady of Lampedusa: symbolism, procession, relations between church and mayor (secular authority), organisation, etc. In the last part of the interview, La Magra described the history of the Sanctuary and its symbolic place on the island: a place of refuge, freedom, safety and a place where Islam and Catholicism coexisted peacefully for centuries.
Jean Maria Antoinette Borg née Despott was born on the first of July 1940 in Balzan. Her father was a soldier in the British Army and her mother was a housewife. She had two brothers and one sister and at the age of three, her family had relocated to Tripoli, Libya as her father had been posted there with the British forces. In 1947, she was involved in an accident which resulted in her transfer to Santo Spirito hospital in Rabat, Malta where she had stayed until she was discharged in 1951. Jean had worked as a travel agent between 1957-1959, she did secretarial work for two years between 1959 and 1961 and she lastly worked in a flower nursery in the the UK for one year in 1961. She was married and had two girls.
Salvatore Davì focused on his life experiences in both Lampedusa and in Malta. He lived in Lampedusa until 1968. That year he met his future Maltese wife and subsequently relocated to Malta in 1970. During the interview, he spoke about the exchange of products between the two Islands. He also described how he adapted to life in Malta and how he managed to integrate with the Maltese.