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 DENNIS CORNER

Born: Worle, Somerset 1926
Lived: Porlock
Recording made: 2001
Length of recording: 1 hr 57 mins

To read a summary of the contents of the oral history recordings click CD1 or CD2.  To read quotations from the recordings made as part of the Artlife 'Perspectives' project in 2003 click CD1 or CD2.

Listen to an audio clip by clicking wma or mp3.  (Click here for information about downloading audio clips)

Dennis Corner came to Porlock when he was six to live with his grandparents, who ran a bakery and cafe. He was sickly as a child, often off school roaming the woods, playing on the beach and falling into rivers. As boys they would wait at the bottom of Porlock Hill and help push cars up in the hope of a tip. He was an enthusiastic scout and later went on to run the scouts himself, putting on some memorable dramatic performances. When he left school he worked in the bakery, eventually taking over with his brother.

He's always been interested in talking to people and in local history, especially of the war years. He has been recording people himself for nearly 50 years and has written several books about Porlock. He helped set up the Porlock museum and was made an MBE in 2002.

Dennis Corner was also recorded for the Artlife 'Perspectives' project, part of the Moor to Shore Festival 2003. A copy of that recording is held by the Somerset Record Office.