Gordon McDonald related stories about when, as a child, his family moved into the Dingle Cottage on Dingle Road. At the time the McDonalds moved there, it was still owned by members of Sir Sandford Fleming's family. Fleming's daughter, Lily Exshaw, wife of William Exshaw, had purchased it in 1920 from her brothers, Hugh and Walter Fleming. The cottage was not deeded in 1908 as the rest of his property was. Fleming kept the cottage for another few years and in 1913 he deeded it to his two youngest sons. Lily Exshaw was a resident of France at the time the McDonald family rented the cottage (ca. 1932to 1935). Lily's husband's family owned and operated wineries in France. Lily Exshaws sold the cottage to John W. MacLeod in 1934.
Gordon remembered starting school at Old Cunard School in Jollimore after the family moved to Dingle Cottage. They had "lived in Melville Cove prior to that, renting a house owned by Mr. Stoneman. The house on the Dingle Road had not been lived in for some time and cats had taken over the basement, living off the mice that lived there. The yard was overgrown with raspberry canes. The rent was very little...it was during the depression and everybody was out of work, my father included. In return for caring for the property we had reduced rent. As kids, we were expected to go around the property after people had parties...the part we were responsible for cleaning up went from the stone wharf towards Deadman's Island but not quite that far. Mr. Clarke seemed to be in charge of the property and would drive up in his Rolls Royce...but Mr. Longard collected the rent...a strange fellow, short, he would appear from nowhere, never knew when he would appear."
Gordon remembered the kitchen at the back of the house. He said his cousin's or uncle's family lived there too. There seemed to be people everwhere...but there were a lot rooms, small rooms and we even built partitions though I am sure we were not supposed to. I remember the large fireplace. I don't think those large pillars were there when lived in the house. We were kicked out of the house and that's when we moved to Jollimore. After we moved out they put a new roof on it.