Right ok. (unclear) Right so how long you lived in Newcastle and like whereabouts have you lived and know anything specific in the areas? Any incidents or neighbours that you remember and stuff like that?

Well I lived at -- I was born in Newcastle right in the centre of town right next to the football ground. As a child I can remember the old men queuing up (pause) to get into the match on match day (pause) and we used to open (unclear) at half time and we used to get in for nothing (pause) or the police used to hoy you over the wall so you'd get in free when you were little.

(interruption) The wall?

(unclear) the wall.

(interruption) But you can't get over the wall anymore.

You could at one time

That small!

Was that -- was that -- was that low yeah wasn't it? By the Leazes End?

mm-mm

Do you remember when we were at the FA Cup Final?

Actually (pause) I remember going through the turnstiles with little people in between my legs that were sneaking in for nowt.

eeh!

They did. We used to let them go under the legs

And your dad and I before we met we both (unclear)

(interruption) The peanut man chucking the peanuts

yeah

(laughter)

(unclear)

(interruption) And then went in your pocket.

Aye.

Remember when we you went to the FA Cup Final eh -- eh sorry semi final and I was in the same Leazes End as your dad and never met him anyway (pause) we were both in the same end.

And I wanted to go home because we were getting beat three one

(interruption) I did go home.

And all the crowd went (unclear)

(laughter) Loads of riots

(interruption) People were getting trampled and everything

Aye (pause) I held on to the post.

It was terrible.

Where el- where did you live then?

Me I was born here in Westerhope.

(pause) Can you remember when it was small (pause) village

(interruption) Yes it was just a small village (pause) and eh (pause) the Co-op and everything and I remember my mother's divvy number, forty-seven ten.

What's a divvy number?

It's a dividend number, your Co-op (unclear)

(interruption) Ah right a Co-op number. I know what you mean now

Man used to deliver from the Co-op (pause) all your goods to the door in a little dark blue carrier bag thing.

Remember when

(interruption) Aye you h- you had all sorts of vans coming round then. You had the fish man come round the butcher came round the Brough Stores man came round. (unclear)

(interruption) The what?

Brough Stores

(unclear)

The -- the -- the corner shop down the bottom of North Avenue

(interruption) Well they delivered round the streets then because you didn't have supermarkets then

I can

(interruption) All came round the door delivering. You had a man coming round with his sharpener his grindstone. Ninety-nine shilling to sharpen. Come and (unclear)

(interruption) Sharpen what?

out your scissors and stuff like that

(interruption) (laughter) sharpen your knives and your scissors (pause) yeah

(interruption) Well aye. The used

(interruption) In the street?

In the street! Then the rag and bone man coming round selling you balloons. Giving you rags for g- give him balloons and pegs.

(laughter)

You did.

(interruption) did. But your grandma when she was little used to say the used to collect jars (pause) jam jars and you used to get a halfpenny for a jam jar and the used to save as much money as they could to go to the cinema or hire a bike and not bring it back for the whole day.

Aye (pause) used to collect

(interruption) (laughter)

We used (pause) to collect all the pop bottles

Aye

Three pence. Three d. That's old d. Ol ol old proper money (pause) not this nonsense

Three d. How much is it? About a penny isn't it?

Penny. Penny now aye (pause) When

(interruption) Well when I was little I went to St Andrews school (pause) em which is around the corner from (pause) where I lived and

(interruption) I thought St Andrews was down south?

No the school is in Newcastle. It's not -- it's not there anymore. Morden Street.

(interruption) No Newcastle. City centre.

And when I met y- your dad (pause) em I went into his house and I heard this voice

(pause) That's right aye.

And it made me (pause) cringe because it was the voice of my old headmaster from St Andrews

(interruption) After all them years

(interruption) And I thought he was a giant and when I got next to, him he was only five foot two (laughter)

(interruption) Looked like a garden gnome. (laughter) (unclear) (NAME) (NAME) I know him.

(interruption) (laughter)

(interruption) Uh-uh.

No no no no don't mind (unclear) you put pseudonyms in

Do you remember?

That's right aye (unclear)

(interruption) Oh it was so funny. I was thinking oh my God I know that voice and then you find it was him. (laughter)

So are there any like neighbours or incidents that happened when you were younger

(interruption) Oh God yeah

(interruption) and stuff that you remember well?

Well (pause) I can remember when I was younger I was about fifteen when I lived in Surrey and it's a horrible one to remember. Christmas Eve and we were all in the village hall (pause) having a Christmas party and the police came and my friend and been missing (pause) and they found her on Christmas Day. She had been murdered (pause) It was the little red riding hood murders down in Surrey. And my dad sent me to stay with my friend and we found out the two guys who w- who had done it lived round the corner from where I was staying (laughter)

(interruption) (laughter) What about you?

(interruption) I can remember that

I can remember m- one of my friends up the road eh (pause) catapulted me with a metal rivet in the head and my head burst open (pause) I thought I'd lost my eye.

Why'd he do that for?

(interruption) Because he was stupid

Because he

was it?

Younguns were really daft like they are now. They just do daft things.

So you slate us for having potato guns and (pause) you got rivets

(interruption) Well you (pause) well aye well they had catapults. Aye. You had a catapult

So it was all right (unclear)

(interruption) Shot the catapult and I bent down like this like (unclear) (pause) Punctured my head. And there was blood. I was like this and there was blood all over place

You dad was a (pause) horrible little terror

I was -- I was -- I was -- I was a bit of a rip till (pause) my dad died when I was sixteen. It quietened us down.

Right. Eh are all your family from the same area (unclear) pretty much. Well where are they from and like what who's in your family and how many brother's you've got

(interruption) How do you mean?

Well like your parents and your brothers and stuff

Well my dad's not from round here he was the east end. Walker. Then they went to Newburn.

(unclear)

They lived behind the chip shop in Newburn.

Which chippy?

On Station Road

What? Gu Guiliano's?

I've just told you that aye.

Ah right. Ah yeah you did. Erm what about y- like your mam and your brothers and stuff?

My mam was from eh Burradon. Born in Burradon. Lived in Netherton and (pause) then Morpeth (pause) Northumberland aye.

(interruption) Then married your dad

(unclear) (pause) Mam

My mam was born in Newcastle. Yes so was my dad.

Was he?

Mm-mm

I thought one of them was born down South.

No no we are all born in Newcastle.

Well what about your brothers and sisters (pause) How many you got and do you get on with them?

I got -- got

(interruption) I got (pause) I got two sisters and a brother who is dead. And I've got two older sisters and I'm the baby of the family. (unclear) (pause) (unclear) (pause) got well we've got loads of nieces and nephews and the all (unclear) and they all lived up here. Apart from my sister who lives in Southampton.

I've got four other brothers (pause) I'm the middle of the five brothers (pause) and we look nothing like each other.

Yeah you do

We do not

You do (pause) and eh what did your parents do for a living and what were your parents like because I didn't really know them that well to be honest.

Well my dad was eh a painter and decorator. Obviously when he -- he didn't have a -- I don't think he had a proper trade when he come out the RAF after the war. He used to mend eh (pause) spitfires and aircraft out in the far east. Obviously that's where all the lads have got this (pause) ability to fix things. As you call me a fixer.

(unclear) I've never known what you actually do?

I'm -- well I served my time as a diesel fitter (pause) repairing engin- huge engines on locomotives.

Steam trains

Steam. I used to work on steam (pause) work on diesel engines. I've worked on lifts, I've worked on all sorts of engines and things and now I'm classed as a then I was a fitter but now I'm classed as a service technician.

Is that just the same thing?

Just a posh word for it

(interruption) It's just a posh word to say

(interruption) Like a cleaner as a hygiene maintainer. Yeah

(interruption) (laughter)

(interruption) Yes (pause) Just a technical word instead of just saying you're a fitter. Instead of doing one thing now you do all sorts. Like sweeping the floors and tidying the toilets and everything else you know.

What did gran do?

Multitasking it's called.

Mm right. What did gran do?

Your gran was a eh

Your mam

Your. My mam?

No. My gran your mam. Yeah

Ah she was a eh (pause) like civil servant I suppose she was a clerk (pause) in County Hall. That's right.

That's what it is. What is that?

(interruption) That's what it was. In the city.

(unclear) the County. Used to be (unclear)

(interruption) The County Hall in (unclear)

(interruption) The -- the Civic used to be?

No

(interruption) No

It's down by the eh (pause) High Level Bridge. I think it was because it's a hotel now

Newburn used to be Newburn County

Vermont Hotel?

Yeah (unclear)

(interruption) Ah right right okay. I know where you mean now.

(interruption) You want to know what my dad did?

Yeah

My dad was a plumber then he went into the amphibious tanks in the war (pause) He was blown up, came back, got burned and then went back again (pause) and I remember him telling me a story about when they were (pause) at the end of the war they were in Cologne (pause) and they used to give their cigarettes to th- th- the Germans. One day six prisoners escaped and they chose the guy who was in charge of them and they had ten back. S- In other words they gained four of them (laughter)

(interruption) (laughter)

And when he came back to after the war he -- he went back to work for the gas company and then he moved down south and worked for the water company until he died (pause) And then

(interruption) Did you work for the water company?

Yeah I did.

You worked at the same company as your dad. I would never do that.

It was all right. There was a Geordie who was a manager. Sorry a Mackem who was the manager. There was a tea lady from Durham. There was me and your grandad.

Out of how many?

All the b- all the top spots were given to (laughter)

(interruption) (laughter) I thought so

Em (pause) and then your grandma just worked in the Grainger Market in the cafe. Temple's Cafe.

Where's that?

Pies and peas

(interruption) It's not there anymore. Pies and peas hinny.

Come inside pies and peas.

(interruption) Pies and peas hinny. Yeah

(laughter) Where -- whi- wh- what is it now though?

It's nothing. It's nothing anymore. Not there.

(interruption) Not there now

Is it the clearing where they've done it all out?

Yes (unclear) was upstairs.

(interruption) Was upstairs wasn't it?

Yeah ups- no down (pause) Where the archway where the clearing is

Yeah

Used to be cafes either side. The Twenty-One Cafe was that side and Temple's Cafe was the other side.

Mm (pause) So like above like the cheese shop and all that?

No the other as you go in

(interruption) The other side. The flowers and stuff.

Yeah yeah.

Ah right I think I know where you mean. Yeah yeah yeah. Em (pause) Did they do anything special or of note in their lifetime like a big like deal kind of thing?

Not really

W- Our parents?

Yeah or have you even done anything or even your brothers something like that

(interruption) What do you call er what do you call of note?

No just something that's quite quite interesting that's quite cool

(interruption) Special? (pause) Not that I can think of

But they were special in their own way because they survived things that (pause) we would never have survived (pause) Your gran was always in your mam was always

(interruption) We are the cogs that keep the clock ticking

Your mam was always in and out of hospital. How she even got to where she is now

(interruption) My mother was very very very ill all her life

Aye you did tell us she was in and out of hospital when you were younger

(interruption) Oh yes. Well I used (unclear)

(interruption) Scarlett fever the lot wasn't it?

Scarlett fever? Don't you die?

(interruption) She had -- she had sh- sh- You'll not remember m- your gran had terrible em (pause) psoriasis.

(unclear) on there. On her elbows.

(interruption) No (pause) I'm talking about nobody else ever had di- did you ever see the Singing Detective on the telly?

Yeah.

That bloke. Well it was skin was peeling off. Your gran was like that.

Seriously?

Yes. She didn't -- she didn't like to go outside on the bus because people wo- wouldn't sit next to you. She used to wear she would never wear she would always have buttoned up things and everything down to here so nobody could see (pause) her skin.

Ah

Used to fall off

(interruption) She was like -- she felt like an outcast in society

That's really sad (pause) She's still got it though.

(interruption) Not t- now they've got treatments for all that now. She's been on (pause) the poova machine and the (unclear)

Er

Magics your skin.

It's like a (pause) sunbed

Aye. It's like a sunbed thing. Ultraviolet rays or something (pause) She gets zapped (pause) But y- you wouldn't recognise her (pause) used to walk round the house there was -- there was like just skin lying and that around the house (unclear)

(interruption) (laughter)

It was like that yeah it was.

(interruption) It was horrendous

I never really saw her that bad but (unclear)

(interruption) I've never ever I've -- I've seen people with psoriasis and I've never ever seen anybody as bad as my mother (pause) ever (pause) apart him that wha- on the telly.

(unclear) you mean Michael er (pause) yeah

(interruption) Michael Gambon playing The Singing Detective. It was exactly. Did you ever see that? Watch that and (unclear)

I have seen it. I've seen the film version with Robert Downey Junior in it.

Have you?

Yeah

It was horrendous it was.

I knew she was ill but

(interruption) Well I remember (pause) I remember you telling me something about down south. They told you off for calling your mam 'mam' (pause) the stupid cockneys

(interruption) yeah (pause) when I -- when I first moved down south I was a you know -- with being Geordie (pause) the -- they used to call me wee MacHaggis because the thought I was Scottish (laughter)

I keep getting Scottish. People at uni think I'm Scottish.

And I wasn't allowed to go to this girl's party because I had an accent.

Aye

(interruption) That's rude (pause) That's rude

(interruption) Exactly (pause) But that's what they are like (pause) They're snobs down there man

(interruption) mm-mm

Well some of them are all right -- they're all right.

(interruption) (unclear)

(interruption) I suppose you get people up here like that. They're called social -- social climbers

(interruption) climbers. Yeah

Forgetting where they actually come from.

That's the worse type of person. They have nothing and then they've got something and they think they are better than anybody else.

Eh (pause) How and where did you meet?

Oh that's a long story. I'll give the official version.

(interruption) Go on (pause) Yeah the official version.

(interruption) (laughter) That's his version of it (laughter)

We'll have both versions of it then

(interruption) Well what happened was (pause) It was nineteen seventy

(interruption) I'd met you before that though

No no. You'd never met me (pause) you'd probably seen me but met- meeting somebody is totally different to seeing

(interruption) Right. All right

You never spoke to us before.

No I did not

To any capacity (pause) What happened was (pause) it was (pause) around Christmas time

It was Christmas Eve nineteen seventy nine.

(interruption) seventy nine.

It was just after your grandad had died and I had come up here with my mam

(interruption) My grand-

No my- her grand

(interruption) Your dad

My dad had died uh-huh

(interruption) Just died in nineteen seventy nine

Right

And eh

Came up for Christmas

Yes. And we were in the eh (pause) Excelsior so- the local social club

Is that W- Westerhope Excelsior?

Aye

Aye

Right

We were in there and I was with my mates (pause) and

(interruption) That was open then?

Still is

How old is that place? It's been open for years

She was there with her s- I don't know who you were with.

(NAME) and (NAME).Michael.

(NAME) and (NAME) and who else?

Just me

I was -- who was I with? My mates?

I presume you must have been because I can't remember that much (laughter)

(interruption) Because I -- I used to always thought that I was (unclear) when I used to go to the club I always thought I was Johnny Cash y'knaa

(interruption) (laughter)

(interruption) I used to wear a black -- black shirt with a turned up collar you know. Thought I was a bit of a (unclear)

(laughter)

(interruption) I didn't see it (laughter)

(laughter) I thought I was the bee knees y'knaa.

(interruption) (laughter) Ee in your dreams.

Well you do (pause) And eh (pause) I never -- I use- used to sit there and just drink (pause) like you did then when you were younger (pause) you used to drink madness you know. And eh I never ever got up to dance

There's a reason for that and I've seen it.

(interruption) Ju- just (laughter)

(laughter)

I just could never understand the effort involved in doing it

(interruption) (laughter)

What a waste of effort. I could never understand the issue about dancing.

You sound like (NAME)

And yet (pause) little do anybody know (pause) I once won a twisting competition at school.

(laughter)

(laughter) Did you? So did I

(interruption) Now there you are now (unclear) not many people know that

So did I at the Labour Club.

No. I won it at school (pause) I was a mean dancer at school. Course I had hair then you see (pause) because I started losing my hair when I was twenty one (pause) so that was a downgrade.

(laughter)

(interruption) Anyway going back to how we met (pause) what happened was (pause) m- minding my own business (pause) as you do having a good laugh in the club (pause) and em

(interruption) Don't say the name.

I'm gannen -- what happened was

(interruption) No you can say the name I'll just

I had l- I had a great -- I had a great evening with my mates. I was on my way out of the club (pause) leaving the club (pause) and obviously (pause) her nibs here

(laughter) Thanks very much my wife (NAME) (laughter)

(interruption) (laughter)

Her nibs here must've been having a bit grief with some gadgie in the pub.

Club.

In the club (pause) Must have been trying to hit on her as you do you know.

Yeah

And she couldn't stand him because he was a pain in the neck (pause) And what happened was (pause) she just got a hold of me in -- in -- outside the club. W- Was it? (unclear)

(interruption) It was inside the club actually (pause) It was inside the club

(interruption) It -- It was on the stairwell actually (pause) I was being attacked by this young female (pause) shouting save me from the hairy beast.

(laughter) Lying!

That's truth!

Y- You've got it all wrong! (laughter)

If the lord strikes me down that is truth.

(interruption) (laughter)

(interruption) No (pause) Wait there. What -- w- w- what is your version?

You said save me from the hairy beast!

(interruption) Shh! (pause) No I didn't!

You did!

Well e- half -- half way till he said it was on the stairs. It wasn't it was actually in the club itself.

It was it wasn't in the room, it was outside the room (NAME).

Oh you're always right then. I'm not going to argue.

N- No mam what was your side?

Don't

No no!

(unclear) what he said and i- it was -- I am sure it was inside the club and not outside the club. And that's how I met your dad.

That's where we met.

(interruption) You shouted save me from the hairy beast at him?

(interruption) Well he (unclear) (laughter)

Really?

Really. (laughter)

I think the truth of it sorely is, I'm going to tell you this (pause) what it is her sister (NAME). I knew her sister (NAME) (pause) from (pause) because she used to work in one of the pubs local. And I'm s- I'm sure she must have twigged on that I had money you see. (unclear)

(interruption) (laughter)

(interruption) You didn't have money!

(laughter) Ah shush man.

I had money (pause) then. Before I got married my girl I had some. I was quite well off. Now I've got (pause) brass farthings in my pocket.

All right so what else do you want to know?

Did you get on straight away or was it kind of (unclear)

(interruption) Well no it was funny. I'll tell you a tale about that

I stood him up

No, it was funny that. Did you stand us up? I can't

(interruption) Yeah because I couldn't my mum wasn't my mum was really upset that night and I couldn't get contact you because I didn't have your number

Did we not pa- (interruption) di- w- did we have phones then?

(interruption) No

No

(laughter) No!

(interruption) (unclear)

(interruption) You did have a phone but I di- no I didn't have

(interruption) Did we h- no I didn't think we had a phone.

I said I would come on Christmas Day and I couldn't get on the Christmas Day because my mum was really really upset.

(interruption) I don't think we had a telephone (pause) In nineteen eighty one.

I -- I did. Yes we did. Because I used to ring you up and you used to ring me up.

Ah we used to sit on the stairs all night yapping. That's right aye.

(interruption) Sad

It is. It's terrible. It's disgusting. I can't believe it. It's embarrassing.

(interruption) (laughter)

That's the first time, you know he never talks on the phone in (unclear)

(interruption) I don't talk to p- I'm very quiet person. I'm like a church mouse (pause) I am.

Go on

I'm like a church mouse. I divn't

His nose is getting longer.

(pause) Did yous just not get on straight away? Was it a bit weird?

(interruption) Yeah we did actually.

Well I

(interruption) How was your first date?

(interruption) I was always awkward with women. Women were always a pain in the neck. They always wanted something you d- d- ah something else. Some other issues you know. If you didn't treat them right they just dumped you y'knaa (pause) Got sick of women. They're just a pain (pause) But anyway what happened with (pause) her nibs here

(interruption) (laughter) her nibs (laughter)

(pause) was eh (pause) We did arrange to meet.

And I couldn't go! (unclear)

(interruption) No we did go. We went somewhere on the bus.

Oh that was later on.

Aye. Well I'm saying that's the next time we met. We got -- I gets on the bus to come and sit next to her and she gans and sits behind some lass with some lass. So I'm s- gets on the bus and I'm at a loose end. I'm on my own. I'm saying 'This is clever.' So I thought I'd been dumped without speaking to us (pause) You sat next to your niece

(interruption) (NAME)

Exactly. I said what about me? Sa- I        off and sat on my todd.

I did speak to you.

You did later on (pause) You were flashing your headlights at me.

(laughter)

If you divn't know what headlights are now you don't know what headlights are.

(interruption) (laughter) Shut up man! You didn't have to say that! (laughter)

Well that's what it's all about isn't it (pause) She was after my cash

(laughter) Shut up!

Johnny Cash

Em. Have you seen many changes in the area since you were younger and (pause) em if so what are they and are they for better or for worse?

Worse

In which area?

Just in here in general.

(interruption) With me -- with me living here longest

Yeah

Oh aye it's eh (pause) well when I was a bairn it was just a little village. It was lovely. It had grass tennis courts and proper tennis (pause) Westerhope was a lovely little village but now it's -- it's just part of the urban jungle as I call it. (pause) It's all full of cheeky youngings.

What about you?

Me? Ab- bout Westerhope? It has changed

No, just about Newcastle in general

Newcastle. When I was li- when I was (pause) oo about nine they decided to take everybody outside out of Newcastle and put them on the outskirts

Aye

Biggest mistake. Because where I live was a village within the city itself and had our own little pub, own little shops and if you could come home from school

(interruption) Well it was a community wasn't it?

(interruption) Yeah yeah. You used to come home from school and if your parents weren't there you could to somebody else's (unclear)

(interruption) That community's not there eh -- eh -- eh there's no community here now.

(interruption) That community's lost now.

Like it was. Wes- I mean wh- when I first met wh- when we first married and we lived in Wes- we lived in -- in with -- that's right we didn't have any money so you lived in them days -- you lived in with my mam (pause) We had a room.

Oh I know. I remember.

Now youngings they want everything. The want h- big houses, flash houses, this that. Soon as they get married they want it all. But that's not what marriage is about.

Then we rented a house didn't we?

We rented the property, aye.

Where?

Down in Briarside

(interruption) Briarside

(interruption) I thought you bought that?

No

(interruption) No we rented it

Is that when you got burgled and you moved here?

That's right aye.

(interruption) Yeah I remember

(interruption) He went to work

I says '(NAME) we've been burgled. I'm away to work.' That's right.

You're kidding. We didn't even have a telephone. We didn't have a telly either.

(interruption) But eh (pause) When I first married (NAME) and eh

You knew everybody didn't you?

She us- It used to irritate (NAME) because everybody would say hello to us in the street. She didn't know anybody (pause) But now

(interruption) You. It's like that with you now.

It's the other way round now.

I get people coming up to me. 'Are you (NAME)'s daughter?' I'm like 'I divn't know who you are.'

(interruption) (NAME) knows everybody and divn't know anybody (pause) The role have been reversed

(interruption) (unclear) ever said that?

(interruption) Yeah!

(interruption) Who to?

People who. 'Ah I work with your mam' or something and I'm like 'I don't know who you are.' 'Ah you look like (NAME)'s daughter' (unclear)

Oh you mean (NAME) from eh

(interruption) I met you when I was four and I'm like

(NAME) was in -- from the school you worked in

What are the best and worst parts about living here and would you consider moving elsewhere?

No

Well i- well this is (pause) Where we live is like a little oasis in the desert (pause) That's how I put it. It's a nice little spot (pause) Good neighbourhood (pause) Not much trouble (pause) I like it.

(interruption) Everyone's dying of cancer (unclear)

Well (pause) Well that's natural, natural (unclear)

(interruption) Fact of life.

(interruption) Weird (pause) So you wouldn't consider moving?

I don't want to move anywhere. I like it here.

Well I've -- I've always said if I ever moved I'd go and move into a bungalow. Because I don't want to get old and cannot handle the stairs.

And I hate bungalows because I've already lived in one.

Where?

In Surrey

Aye. She did aye. But o- looking at that I was -- because I when -- when I said that that was when I wasn't very well (pause) with my legs and all that. The ME problems that I had for twenty-five years of it. Torturous.

He's all right now.

Yeah

I -- I managed and managed and managed. Struggled through life.

(laughter) You heard him (laughter)

It's true! People don't realise I was (pause) i- it was

(interruption) He was on the brink of em

I went to see a doctor many years ago when I first got diagnosed about it (pause) and the people I met in the waiting room (pause) nearly sent me over the edge. They were lunatics (pause) They were moaning all -- they were just moaning about 'I cannot do this. I cannot do that. I cannot gan.' I says and I vowed then, I says this isn't going to happen to me. So I pushed myself and pushed myself and pushed myself. Made myself ill (pause) pushing myself (pause) instead of stopping (pause) But you hear about a lot of people with ME and (pause) they just give up. You cannot give up (pause) It's a hard life kidda.

Well you would have given up if I hadn't of pushed you.

(interruption) Well if I hadn't exactly. I couldn't get out of bed in the morning to gan to work.

I remember that.

Eh?

(interruption) I used to force him to work.

I used to go

(interruption) It was about middle school wasn't it?

(interruption) uh-uh

I used to walk to the bus stop. I used to be hanging over the wall at the bus stop puking my guts out (pause) Because I was in such a state (pause) People divn't know -- see I've been a (pause) All my life I've been able to hide things like that. I've been a good magician.

(laughter) Magician

I have

Good actor.

You've just got to -- you d- don't you don't let other people see your frailties or y- y- you divn't let people into that.

(interruption) or your fears (pause) No

You've got to hide all that.

Macho man.

You put this facade on on the outside and thinks 'he's a (pause) fit looking guy but underneath you're a wreck (pause) I used to come home from work and fall asleep on the s- sofa.

I know, I remember. And then I w- I had to sit on the floor because you were taking up the entire sofa (laughter)

(interruption) (laughter)

Because I was just to tired.

I know

He never did anything when you were little with him.

I noticed. He just went into bed and I was like

(interruption) Because I was just. You know. Do you not think that upset me like?

Oh of course. I only ever saw you properly on Saturdays really

What used to narc us when you went to the doctors he would just say 'Ah you're depressed.'

Or you're idle

And I used to get annoyed because I says 'No I'm frustrated. It's got nowt to do with depression.'

(interruption) There's a difference

There's a hell of a difference between being frustrated about something and being depressed (pause) It's frustrating (pause) Your mind wants to do things but your body's stopping you (pause) But that's what I'm saying. It is. I- I- I- It's a -- it's a fight of wills (pause) gannen on inside your body.

A battle

It's a battle of will (pause) and no wonder y- it exhausts you

(interruption) (unclear)

I used to -- terrified to walk down the street. I remember my mother coming here once (pause) We walked down the shops (pause) She said 'pull yourself together. What's a matter with you?' She thought I was drunk. Because I couldn't

Walk

couldn't

Coordinate

(interruption) Coordinate. You can't coordinate muscles. I- It's -- It's a weird

I remember we used to go

(interruption) People don't know anything about ME until they have it.

He used to walk around in -- in the em (pause) supermarket and your dad used to push the trolley and you'd turn around and he'd be on the floor. He used to be on the floor

(interruption) I didn't push it. I used to hang on the bloody thing (pause) My legs used to just buckle. Go, kapoot (pause) No control.

(unclear) like a puppet.

It was -- when you -- tell you what it was one of the most frightening experiences I've ever had.

Have you ever had a near death experience?

A near what?

A near death experience

What do you call that like?

Well like you nearly died or something that's really bad and stuff

Well I was very ill with appendicitis

Is that when you were bent, you were doing the piping or something or the guttering?

I was cleaning the gutters out and I keeled over aye. Appendicitis.

I thought he was dying.

It was

(interruption) Did it burst? Because you die if it bursts.

(interruption) It's the worst pain I've had in my life.

He -- he was jumping off the bed

I was screaming. I was biting through my bottom lip.

He was jumping off the bed with shock

I was -- I went into shock in hospital

(interruption) Did it burst? (pause) Because if it bursts there's only a forty percent chance

(interruption) I was bouncing off the bed

(interruption) Peritonitus isn't it?

Well you get blood poisoning. Peritonitus. Aye.

I don't think

(interruption) I don't think it actually burst but it weren't f- it was leaking I think.

(unclear)

Em

Me. I can't remember. I mean I've had some things like. I've been in a couple of car crashes

Oh I remember that. And the car was all squished at the back.

Yeah but I've never. I don't even know

(interruption) Hence I don't sit behind the driver anymore. That's the reason for that.

Well I wouldn't say

I wouldn't call that near death experiences.

Well no. Just

I had a nasty accident at work, when I was a lot younger where I was actually working a big steam boiler. It burned us. What happened -- the pressure built up and spat the door out and it hit us on the arm (pause) The steam -- super heated steam just burnt all (pause) Luckily it was -- it's what you call a clean burn. It burnt all my arm (pause) and eh (pause) I was -- what I did I ran into the wash rooms and chucked my boiler suits off and just (pause) poured cold water over it. Had to go to the hospital for weeks. I had to get it dressed and everything. It's just

(interruption) Puss

Well it was. It was j- all the skin was just melted and hanging off my arm.

(unclear)

But it was a clean. It was clean.

Yeah so it had no bits or infection or anything.

It was -- it was clean. I had just to go and get it treated all the time.

No, I've never had anything like that.

Well you're boring.

I know

(laughter) Well car crashes. You had two!

Ah I had a good few me

The only one I remember was in the Metro

No. I had somebody come in the side of us. Do you remember that when we were in the car coming from Newcastle?

(interruption) Oh that was in Newcastle

(interruption) Uh-uh and (unclear)

(interruption) This silly wife pulled out and (pause) straight into the side of the car. Wa- eh (pause) Out of Waterloo Street she was. We were outside The Barking Dog.

(laughter) It was barking as well

It was -- it was a woof experience. Har har.

Oh. Oh. Dad

(interruption) Get that in!

You had to get a joke in.

(interruption) De da de de da

Right em (pause) Do you remember any sig- significant social or historical events like since you've been alive like (pause) miners or anything like that

(interruption) Yep. I remember seeing (pause) I remember seeing Concorde take off from Heathrow Airport (pause) Eh (pause) We- well Concorde. It's maiden eh maiden flight (pause) Oh gosh.

Like like bad weather like if snow has been like ten foot high or something like that.

(interruption) Oh wey-aye! When we were younger. Jesus.

Well I don't have any of that (unclear)

(interruption) Well I can remember when I moved down south in sixty five and I've had the snow here and when they had the snow down in Surrey in the March. (laughter) And nobody had seen snow for years down there (laughter)

(unclear) I don't remember sixty five. I remember eh

(interruption) sixty five had some. (unclear) had some and you couldn't walk up the street.

I can't remember the year it was.

We had snow the week before we got married

We did aye. We did, that's right.

And it was a foot high

I'm trying to think of a bad winter we had here.

(unclear) sixty eight? (unclear)

No because I was working because I remember (pause) t- this (pause) I remember walking to Gateshead to work one morning

(interruption) From here?

Aye. I had to walk to work.

That's like three hours!

(interruption) The buses were all off (pause) Oh aye. I got there at God knows what time I got there. Actually walked past a person on (pause) eh (pause) when I was walking up Netherby Drive (pause) What's that road? Netherby Drive?

(interruption) Fenham

Fenham. Through. I had to cut through Fenham.

(interruption) Ah yeah

Was walking up Fenham. There was -- I walked past a guy on skis (laughter)

(laughter)

(laughter)

I wa- I was ganen faster than him

(laughter)

On skis?

He was on skis. I'm telling you there was no buses that day. I -- I forget which day it was

(interruption) How do you walk to Gateshead from here?

Because you did you walked

(interruption) Three hours!

(interruption) You made the effort to go to work then

And some of the people that w- worked with us, lived in Gateshead didn't even come to work. The lazy swines.

I can remember the riots (pause) in Benwell.

(interruption) I can't think of that (unclear)

Because we were sent home w- from work early (unclear)

When was that?

In the se- was it in the eighties the riots in Benwell? I was working with (unclear) Yeah would've been eighties (pause) There were riots in Benwell.

Why?

I can remember (pause) the bombings. The IRA bombings when I used to live down south. Because I used to live near Pirbright Army Camp when they had horse guards there in the September. And they threw a bomb in the eh tent. I can remember the security around it was horrendous (pause) Em (pause) When they had the Guildford bombings (pause) because it was an army based area.

(unclear)

I cannot remember. What like things like watching the bloke land on the moon and all that jazz?

Aye stuff like that. Y'knaa

Oh wey. It was on the telly

(interruption) I remember Winston Churchill's funeral

Sixty five

Yeah because then (unclear) at school there's a new building named after him

(interruption) Or when we won the world cup. Nineteen sixty six.

(interruption) Sixty six. Yeah

Wey-aye.

Too young. missed all that

And then when Maggie Thatcher got out of parliament. Yes!

(interruption) Jesus hell

Got in

No. Got out. Got knocked out. Best thing ever

The eighties

(interruption) That woman's a killer. She killed

(interruption) People look at the eighties and say it was a good decade.

(interruption) It was       

I thought it was the worst decade in this (pause) country

(interruption) Maggie Thatcher (unclear)

(interruption) Was that the three day week or was that the seventies?

Seventies

Seventies

That was Ted Heath era wasn't it?

Was that the Winter of Discontent and all that stuff?

Yeah

That was eh. Well er th- the seventies got off to a bad start with Heath didn't he? Aye

(interruption) Yeah

Then it was a Labour things where you couldn't get the people buried and oh God

(interruption) What? You couldn't get people buried?

Wey no because it was just terrible things happening in that, in -- in the seventies. I think that was -- I think the Labours were in power then

And then the silver jubilee in seventy seven

(interruption) Seventy seven. Aye

And we had the day off work for that

Did you do the whole lining the streets thing?

(interruption) I don't remember getting the day off work

We did where we work

(laughter) Down south

Part-timers man

(laughter)

I mean I can remember

I worked. When I work where I work, I'm work for the railways, you work -- work everyday every (pause) hour God sends man.

(interruption) (unclear) fully paid. Yeah

You had to work. You work seven days a week and two half shifts

What's two half -- what's two half shifts?

Well you work from seven in the morning to seven at night

Oh I couldn't do that

(interruption) (unclear) That's a bad shift (unclear)

But when you think about it

We were never away from work man

The eighties. The seventies and the eighties weren't that great because

(interruption) The seventies were great. I thought they were good

The -- the eighties

(interruption) The music was good in the seventies

The -- the eighties

Excellent

The eighties -- the eighties were the horriblest time because people

(interruption) Everyone got rich and everyone got poor

Well no. The richer got richer and the poorer got poorer.

(interruption) You had the capitalists in power (pause) What I call the capitalists were in power

And Maggie Thatcher killed social housing (pause) Maggie Thatcher is to blame for all the problems we have now

They call her the milk snatcher divn't they

Yeah

I had a s- I remember having milk and they stopped doing it at school

(interruption) She stopped -- she stopped milk. She stopped a lot of things. Sh- she made this. (unclear) The Falkands War. She caused The Falkands war.

Oh divn't start me on about. Divn't start me on about that.

She -- she knew what she was doing when she moved the ships

Wey-aye.

Well do you remember the Jarrow marches and stuff?

(interruption) Smokescreen

No that's too old.

(interruption) The what?

No. That was nineteen twenty something the Jarrow marches.

Well your parents ever told you about them?

(interruption) twenty six (unclear)

Ah no

Hey. How old do you think we are?

No I mean your parents might have told you about them

My parents. Well my mother was born in nineteen twenty two.

(interruption) She might've remembered it.

(interruption) No. (unclear)

(interruption) No my mum (unclear) was only a bairn (unclear) My -- well your grandma when she was younger she lived she actually was in the workhouse because her mum died when she was young and she lived in the workhouse where the General Hospital was because that's what used to be the workhouse.

See another funny thing is when I was born you didn't gan to hospital to be born.

You were born in the house weren't you?

(interruption) You were -- you were born at home then

Were you born at home?

Wey-aye

Were you?

(interruption) Mm-mm. Yes

It wasn't. Hospital was only

(interruption) I only lived round the corner from the QE.

(interruption) Was I?

No (unclear)

You only went to hospital if you thought complications were going to be in. But you just born at home (pause) Should be like out in the paddy fields man. Drop them and then gan back to work

No but I wouldn't like my child be born at home

(interruption) Well ask your gran. Y- your gran on my side. They actually operated on her on the kitchen table (pause) or something. Something to do with her neck.

(interruption) Yeah.

Something on her neck

Like a em (pause) What's it called?

Something on her neck

Quincy or something?

They operated on. They just (unclear)

(interruption) Quincy?

They just cleared the kitchen table and get down to it kidda (unclear)

(interruption) Quincy

On the kitchen table?

Mm-mm

Were there no anaesthetic or nothing?

Wey. I don't know what they had. Probably a slug of brandy.

I can remember. You know when you can remember certain things and that. I remember when I was little going to the hoppings.

The Town Moor aye

But we never used to take our parents. The parents never went with you. You used to go with (unclear) your mates

(interruption) Yeah. You never went with me.

No. We were only six and seven at the time man. All used to go (unclear)

Hold on you lived on the doorstep

No but there was the little hoppings in the Leazes Park and it was there. Then there was the big Hoppings in the em Exhibition Park.

We had things like that in Westerhope when I was a kid. Because Westerhope was a village you used to have a big eh. The big top came here.

The funfair. Th- the (interruption) Circus

(interruption) Circus. The- they had a circus on (pause) I'm sure they had a circus once on

(interruption) Newbiggin Lane

No. They did have it there but they had it once where the bakery is.

Ah right

Before they built the bakery (pause) Whitfield Road. There was a big bit of wasteland there and I'm sure they had a circus there

(interruption) There's a big bit of wasteland now. They knocked down that building.

And they had the circus where (pause) What's on the corner there now?

Cobbler's Corner?

The other corner. (unclear) That was

(interruption) The special centre?

That was

Yeah and the houses

That was just a bit of wasteland. I think it had been greenhouses because it -- it was Harris' Greenhouse.

Yeah

And they were famous Westerhope for tomatoes. Harris' Greenhouse. But anyway on that bit of wasteland there was eh a big circus (pause) I remember going to that. I must've been a babby

(interruption) You remember you used to go to the Orion on a Saturday morning and I used (unclear) to shut you up

(interruption) Aye. (interruption)

What? That the bingo hall?

Your dad (unclear)

(interruption) Used to be the picture. That was our picture house

Oh it used to be the cinema I know. Yeah

(interruption) Used to go on Saturday mornings and see all the (pause) the old Flash Gordon

(interruption) Gordon

And Ming. You know the eh Ming The Merciless

(interruption) Flash Gordon?

In black and white. De de de daa

(interruption) (unclear)

Oh that's sad

And the spring used to come out the seat right into your backside

(laughter)

Gordon Bennett man the seats were disgusting

And they were still there for many years to come I tell you

Aye. The Saturday matinees. Great stuff. See the Three Stooges. Born and bred on them man. You'd laugh your head off.

Is that why you've got a rubbish sense of humour?

Lar La Larry, Curly and Moe. (unclear) Great stuff man (pause) Excellent man

Right eh. What was your upbringing like? Was it strict or were your parents quite easy going?

mine were easy going really. (unclear) yeah.

And like what kind of punishments did they give you if you were bad?

(laughter) I never got any, I don't think (laughter)

Fairly strict I would say

Ah I mean I was -- my dad was firm but fair. You knew where your limita- you know where your boundaries were

You daresn't get smacked off my father. I'll tell you, he had a hand like a sledgehammer (pause) And he was only a short       . That's funny, all the lads are big. He was only five foot four.

Oh yeah I remember you saying he was really short.

Do y'knaa what his nickname was at work was the little bowler because he used to bowl along.

(interruption) (laughter)

He was five foot four and bald as a coot.

(interruption) (unclear)

(NAME)'s not five. He's five eight man.

No but (NAME) (laughter) bowls along

(laughter)

So we must get our height from my mother because my mother was five foot eight.

She's not anymore though

(interruption) My my mother used to be able to bend over and touch the floor with a full hand. Couldn't do it now because she's eighty six.

(interruption) (laughter)

Doubled over now

So you were quite easy going?

Yeah

And like how (unclear)

(interruption) Well we didn't have

(interruption) Yeah. We didn't. I -- I knew my boundaries. And I had respect

You didn't have nowt then though did you?

No

You didn't have

I shared a room me. (unclear) When I was younger we lived in -- in when I lived in Newcastle, there was my gran, my aunty, my two uncles in the house. We had one room. So there was my mam, my dad and my me and (NAME) (pause) In the one room.

Where was (NAME)?

(NAME) was married by then

Ah right.

We lived in eh where my mam is now

(interruption) I know there was about seven of you

Wey-aye there was

(interruption) in one house

(interruption) my mother and father and five lads (pause) In a three bedroom house

In the small room there was only -- there was two of them. Him and (NAME) (unclear)

No no. In the back room there was three of us

But the small room was you and (NAME)

(NAME) and (NAME) (pause) slept in the little room at the front

I thought you (unclear) you and (NAME) slept in the little room

Me, (NAME) and (NAME) slept in the back room

Ah right

Was that the one. Is the small room she's got the front room?

(interruption) Aye

(interruption) Uh-uh

And that's the one where Uncle (NAME) and Uncle (NAME) slept?

(interruption) I -- I slept in bunk beds in there

Tiny. It's like my old room

(interruption) It's -- it's. Wey it's a box room. Kids now they want their own space and everything now.

Well mines not. My rooms not that big.

(interruption) (unclear) The trouble is youngsters now is that they're not into sharing

Well I'm not. I'm an only child

(interruption) Well (unclear)

(interruption) I -- I no. I think -- I think people. No the biggest problem is people expectations are so much higher than the used to be many years ago.

(interruption) You didn't have central heating

(interruption) And they never settled. No you didn't have central heating. Your mother didn't have central heating when I was there.

(interruption) No. We had a coal fire. Was only in later years we had gas fires. We had coal fires

But the trouble is now they want everything now

Jack Frost used to be on the inside of the window then not the outside

(interruption) Not the outside (laughter)

(laughter)

Jesus

Used to have a -- Used to have a coat over your bed to keep you warm

Exactly

That sounds fun. Eh

(interruption) Hot water bottles eh

What did you want to be when you were a child? (pause) What was your -- what was your -- what was your goal as a child? What job did you want to have?

(interruption) (unclear)

I didn't really (pause) have a goal and that. Well when I as younger (pause) How old are you talking about? Well

Just when you were at school you know what I mean

I just we- well a lot of my time was taken up because I joined the church choir. I wa- actually I wasn't in the choir first, I was altar boy at church. Haha you may laugh. But I liked church. It was -- it give (pause) I don't know it just (pause) must've been something I liked about it. Didn't always listen to what the priest said like.

(laughter)

(interruption) (laughter)

All the talked about was money. Everything was about money (pause) But anyway what happened was (pause) me and you -- me and your Uncle were altar boys

(interruption) Which one?

(NAME)

Right

And eh

(interruption) Was Uncle (NAME) not one?

No I don't think so. I'm not sure

(unclear)

(interruption) He's a vicar now like (laughter)

I'm not sure but what happened was (pause) I forget what we doing. We used to have a cup of tea or something after church and this lad come over and (pause) sequestrated us

What's that?

(interruption) That's a good word to use. I bet you divn't know what that (pause) He got a hold of us and (pause) got us to join the church choir because they were must have been (pause) a day for eh. What do you call it where you're recruiting? A recruiting drive.

(interruption) A recruitment drive

For the -- for the church choir. I mean it was a big choir then, St John's. Jesus

What?

(interruption) Oh!

(interruption) Down there?

You had about thirty people in the choir man. A lot of all old blokes and lasses. You meet all sorts of different var- and I got joined into that because it was the money and you got paid. Yippee!

(interruption) And what you -- you used to go to the AYP or something

Used to get

(interruption) What's that?

Anglican Young People's Association. Just like a youth club. I used to row with the priest about that because he says you had to go to church to join it. I says 'Why don't you get people to come to the youth club first then

(interruption) Then they go to church

Do it that way.' And he hummed and hahhed about it y'knaa

(interruption) (laughter) (pause) So what did you want to be when you were younger?

I cannot even remember now. Just finish school and get away and go

But what I was saying is I got paid you got paid a little (pause) I forget how much it was, it was only coppers, to be in the church choir

(unclear)

And you got two and six if you sang at a girls wedding

(laughter)

(interruption) (laughter) Pick me for it

(interruption) And one weekend -- one weekend there was eight weddings

So how many? How much?

Well eight two and sixes

What's that?

A quid. We were rich! A quid. We were running down the street, 'We've got a bin lid, a quid'

What did you buy?

I forget

He went to the pub (laughter)

Aye. Ah no that was well aye when I was later on sixteen. We used -- we used to have to go (pause) on Wednesday night you had to go to choir practice and we used into sneak in the pub for a pint because before choir practice

(interruption) At sixteen. And all the talk about youngsters today

(interruption) No no to be fair

(interruption) Things are a bit. You weren't daft you had a pint of shandy or something.

(interruption) You weren't getting (pause) Yeah

(interruption) Yeah

Just to loosen the throat because it was a hard game singing y'knaa

(laughter)

(laughter) Any excuse

(unclear) wings of a dove

(interruption) What made you (laughter) What made you go into the job you're in now? Ease or just money?

I left school at fifteen and that was the first interview I had and that was the job I got (pause) And I was good at maths. I was a wages clerk

(laughter) Yeah you're not that good at maths mam howay. Well you're better at maths than you are at English. I've seen your English. It's quite poor.

(interruption) Poor. (laughter) I'm very poor at English

So what made you get into your job?

Well when I left school I didn't really I just wanted to fix things and I actually wanted to be an electrician and eh (pause) I remember going for a job interview in the town and obviously wanted someone with experience and I turned up. I looked like a lost sheep. I don't think I've ever told anybody about this. It was a bit embarrassing actually. Anyway I had (pause) I had two job interviews at the time and one was at the shipyards (pause) and one was with the railway. But the one (pause) the none of them were electricians, they were both like engineering fitters. And I just sort of says that's going to be. So I had the choice (pause) of going to the shipyards or going on the railway at the time (pause) And I plumped for the railway

Probably the best thing to do everyone's lost their jobs on the shipyards

(interruption) (unclear)

Eh (pause) I don't know (unclear)

(interruption) You could get a bus to Gateshead then couldn't you?

Aye the bus used to go all the way there. But I (pause) that was it. I got into the railway

And he's been there ever since

And the first thing they asked us was have you got any family that works on the railway. I says 'Aye my uncle blah blah is a train driver.' 'Oh aye uncle (NAME) aye. Knew him very well.'

So what do y- what -- what does your job entail and do you actually enjoy it? And has it changed since you've been there?

(interruption) Oh!

Yours has. I know that much

My job's just changed out of all proportion. Because I -- I mean (pause) engineering's kaput now in this country (pause)

(interruption) You can blame Maggie Thatcher for that as well

(interruption) What I used to work on, they've all gone the stuff I used to work on. The big eh locomotives and that. No longer exist. All the diesel stuff it's (unclear) gone (pause) It's all eh high what?

And who do you blame for that?

Well it's just changes isn't it. We've gone electrified now haven't we (pause) Everything's electrified

Oh I know. But who do you blame for that? Who denationalized? Who d-

Ah well them them who come done that with the railways, it's a pantomime now. You got

(interruption) Who denationalized the railway?

The railway now

(interruption) Maggie Thatcher

(interruption) (laughter)

(interruption) What's it? Ten years ago. Nineteen

(interruption) (laughter) That woman's the bane of my life (laughter)

Nineteen ninety six

(unclear)

Ninety six was John Major.

(unclear) was already in process with Maggie Thatcher. She denationalized everything

(interruption) You've got about a hundred companies. You've got about a hundred companies (pause) got their finger in the pie of the railways. And none of them know what each other are doing

Yeah

And it's all a farce. It's totally a pantomime. That's all I can put it down to (unclear)

(interruption) Has your job changed much? Is it enjoyable? What does it entail? (laughter)

(unclear) it's enjoyable. Sometimes we have a laugh and sometimes it's really sad (pause) because you deal with lots of different issues with people

Strange people

Well you get the good, the bad and the ugly (laughter)

(interruption) Are there any stories about any people you can actually put on tape or would that be? (pause)

If I told you (unclear)

(interruption) Without names, without names because I know you would get in trouble

I could tell you a story. A big story. It would make you laugh your head off

(unclear)

Yes. A certain I'll not mention any names. But eh I was there when it happened. I had to turn away

Go on then

A certain chap took a lamppost through a -- through the train

(laughter) Yes (laughter)

(interruption) What?

Exactly. That's all I'm going to say

(interruption) (laughter)

What do you mean he took a lamppost through a train?

(interruption) Well he had to move from one (pause) platform

(interruption) Platform to the other so he went in one door and then out the other door onto the track with a lamppost

He opened the door, put the lamppost in

(interruption) I was looking for the camera

(laughter)

If the station master had seen it he would've got sacked. That's all I'll say

(laughter) That's terrible

It was a pantomime. I've seen -- I've seen some absolutely idiotic things in my time

What about (NAME) when he got he was working on the eh boiler and

(interruption) Oh the boiler blew back on him aye. He come out like eh Al Johnson singing Mammy. He was black as the ace of spades. Aye all the soot. Like Mammy! Ee I've seen -- I cou- I could write a book

(laughter) Well you should write a book

Well I could write a book about what's happened

(interruption) (unclear)

(interruption) Yours yours sounds horrible

No no. You get a good laugh though

But if you're ever on the train having a cup of tea think of me. I've probably fixed the boiler that's making the cup of tea

Fair enough (pause) Em if you could change your job to something else what would it be and why? (pause) If you had the option to do something new

(interruption) Do something different

I wouldn't work with the public

I don't think anyone would.