Have you ever skived a shift at work or like a lesson at school or anything?

I'm ashamed to admit yeah (pause) I have, I had to take Friday afternoon to go to work

Ah you took time off college to go to work

Yeah

Mm

That's not a clever move is it

No I just couldn't get out of it though

Do you think your education's been a vital part of your life?

Yeah because really your education (pause) shows where you're going to be in the future doesn't it, if you've never done nothing with your life you've never got no education you're going to be stuck in a dead end job (pause) the way I see it

What about you?

But that's quite thingy because people in my company are like managers now and they didn't go to school, they just worked theirselves up in Peacock's and now they're manager of one of the biggest stores in the North East. So I think that's very very snobbish

So do you think you would be where you are today without your education?

No (pause) (interruption) well

(interruption) but

It depends what you want to do really, 'cause like what I'm doing -- doing at the minute, doing child care, you need to go to college or university to get your level two, your level three, your level four, your level five (pause) you need to go to college for that and you can't just not go to college, so you need that kind of education to get the -- that knowledge of that subject you're doing

But you said that people at your work have worked themselves up and now in high positions but do you think they'll be happy doing that for the rest of their lives?

It depends, some people love shop work and fashion and merchandising

Would you want to do that for the rest of you life?

No that's not my type of career, but I do like working part-time there

(pause) Do you think you would be where you are now (pause) where you are now without you working? Like do you think workings helped you both?

It's definitely helped me 'cause it gives you that little bit more money to be honest

The freedom of not going, ah can I lend money? Can I lend money? Can I lend money?

Yeah you can do whatever you want, you don't have to go scrounging to people. Although I have a student loan, it's not enough (pause) I'm a typical student, I just -- that's always in my overdraft, that's always (pause) going out (pause) I just love being a student to be honest

Do you think that's given you like more confidence (pause) or have you just done it for the money?

Well it does give you confidence 'cause you're talking to different people but (pause) I think -- I think it's good to work 'cause you get to meet different people as well, 'cause you have your friends and you can meet different people at work, who are friends at work and you get to meet new friends, I've met a lot of new friends from my work

Mm (pause) so what do your parents work as?

My -- my dad's an electrician

What about your mum?

Well she used to work for a company called Home, but now (pause) she's been made redundant because (pause) the business is struggling, so she's got a pay off (pause) and she's looking for a new job again (pause) but my dad's an electrician, so she's a housewife at the minute

What about yours? (cough)

(tut) My dad's self-employed, he does work here and there. My mam has never really worked, she's a housewife, sh- she tends to have children quite often to be honest (laughter)

(laughter) Have you got a lot of brothers and sisters?

I have yes, I have two brothers and two sisters, so all together she's got five children (pause) Which is a bit cramped in my house at the minute, but my brothers moved out and I -- I should be moving out to be honest, but I get it too easy at home

How old are your sisters?

(interruption) I have

(interruption) And brothers

A twenty-three-year-old brother, I think he's twenty-three. A three month year-old little brother (pause) a four-year-old little sister (pause) and a ten-year-old little sister as well

That's quite spread out

It is yeah

Do you find like, you have to look after the little ones quite a lot?

Not really to be honest, some of the time, my mam and dad have started going out a little bit, like once a month so I'll babysit (pause) But not that often to be honest

Do you think you would want to have that many children?

No definitely not, I -- I don't know if I want children anymore, doing my course and having my brothers and sisters to be honest have put me off children for life

Really? Do you not think that you would want to have children?

Yeah because of my (pause) One of my little sisters to be honest has put me off children (pause) she's a little tear-away

What does she do?

She's just so naughty and so back chat and she knows what she wants. She's naughty at school as well,. sh- she doesn't do what the teachers want or nothing like that

Were you not like that at school?

No, at school, in Primary school I was as good as gold (pause) I hardly had a voice in Primary school, none of the teachers thought I could really speak (pause) At home I was quite naughty but not at school

Have you got any other family that you're close to? Like outside of your immediate family?

No not really, my family is the type of family that you cannot really have in a room together, there's like arguments, fall-outs (pause) I haven't really got a very big family anymore neither

Ah, do you have any family members that are like quite mysterious or (pause) like anything that's interesting about them?

No not in particular (pause) wouldn't say, well you would all call your family a bit weird don't you at times

What about you? Have you got quite a big family?

I do have a big family yeah (pause) on my dad's side, not my mam's side (pause) I have -- my dad's got a lot of brothers (pause) and a lot of sisters who have got little children, so we do have quite a big family yeah

Have you got any siblings?

I've got an older brother called (NAME)

Do you get on well?

No

Do you fight a lot?

We fight a lot, like we can't be in the same room together, or we just argue (pause) (interruption) and bicker

(interruption) Do you not (pause) find it easier now that you're getting older?

Not at all, it's getting worse

Really?

Really

How's it getting worse?

'Cause all we do is fight, if we go in the same room I can't stand him and he can't stand me

Mm (pause) so were you a naughty child?

(pause) Not (pause) I was a naughty, I was a lil- little devil (pause) when I was a younger child but at school I was really quite, like I didn't have a voice like (NAME), like in Primary school I didn't talk (pause) But I was a horrible child, I actually admit that, like a horrible, devil (pause) child

What did you do, that made you naughty?

I used to be grounded every Saturday because I would just back chat my mam and dad, I would be horrible, I would hit the wall, I would lock my mam in the conservatory once (pause) I was just horrible (pause) to be around

Were you naughty?

I was pretty naughty yeah, I used to really fight with my brother, I was really bad when I was younger for biting and I used to bite people in nursery and then I used to bite my brother all the time at home and when you were younger when you used to get in the bath, my mam had come up one day and I had actually bit a big chunk out of my brothers arm and it was pouring of blood

Really?

Yeah and I also loved wrestling when I was little (pause) and I had a little crush on Hulk Hogan which I really shouldn't be admitting to but (interruption) I did

(interruption) When you were little?

When I was little yeah and I had a little wrestlers cup (pause) with all the wrestlers on which I used to have to go to sleep with it on my foot, I couldn't go to sleep unless I had it on my foot and one day I smacked it off my brother and I give him a black eye (pause) and a fat lip (pause) and I got it took off us that day and I -- I couldn't sleep for weeks

Mm, what kind of upbringing did you have?

(cough)

What do you mean?

Like what was it like when you were growing up in your house?

(pause) To be fair I had quite a good upbringing (pause) my mam and dad worked, I got everything -- I got everything I wanted, sometimes I was probably too spoilt (pause) I did get everything and my mam and dad are still together. I did have quite a good life and I still do now (pause) My mam does everything for us

(laughter) Do you think that families with parents that are still together now have like -- like the children are happier?

Not necessarily, I think if you've grown up, if your parents have split from being a really young age then you've not known any different to be honest. I mean when you're a bit older when they've split up then you feel the difference, but I know people that's parents have split up from when they were really really young and they've not known any different. And a lot of like they don't want to know the rest of their fathers

Have you got a lot of (pause) friends that's parents have broken up?

I have yeah

I have as well Yeah. My university friends like, I think only one of my university friends has still got parents which are together

Do you have like lots of memories from your childhood?

I'm really forgetful, like I can't remember much from my childhood (pause) Like my mam go can you remember this time? Can remember that time? I'll be like no. I'm really forgetful, like I can't even remember like last week what I done

Do you not have any things from your life that like just stick in your head? Like you can't get out of your head?

I can remember bits of Florida when I was younger, like when I was on a ride and Jaws was coming and my mam and dad were like, no (NAME) don't sit at that side of the boat 'cause they knew what was going to happen but I didn't 'cause I was young and I was like ah I'm going to be there (pause) and this like Jaws popped up at the boat (pause) and I actually jumped and my dad and (NAME) were like at that side, and I jumped over them to my mam to cuddle her (pause) I actually flew in the air, my mam said she wished she recorded that (pause) she would have got money off it (pause) I just flew in the air

Do you think that you like rides now 'cause you went on so many when you were little?

Yeah I think it helped 'cause my mam and dad were like, come on we're going on this, we're going on this. Like I was on loads of rides when I was little (pause) and I'm not afraid of them now

Did you go (pause) how many times have you been to Florida?

Twice, once when I was younger, the rest of my family went, like my Gran and Grandad and my cousin went and we went for two weeks and stayed in a Villa. But the second time I went, I was fourteen (pause) No I wasn't (pause) twelve (pause) I don't know how old I was (pause) twelve, thirteen. I went with my mam and dad (pause) and we stayed for the week in Florida and then we went onto the Clear Water, which is like a beach resort further on so I done like both sides -- sides of it

Mm, did you go on many other holidays when you were younger?

Yeah I've been on quite a few holidays (pause) I've been to Ibiza

What's Ibiza like? Is it just like (pause) I just imagine Ibiza being like really really clubby (interruption) and full of young people?

(interruption) Well at that time I was only about five, so I was in a buggy and the time the nightlife was starting I was in bed or in buggy flat out

Is there loads of students there?

Well -- Well Ibiza wasn't as big as what it is now when we went, it was still party (pause) like people going to party, but like my mam and dad would go and visit like the main town (pause) when like (pause) in the day time or late -- like at the start of the night before it started like getting all the clubbers in and then we'd leave when all the clubbers were coming in and go like back to the hotel or like further on

Where else have you been on holiday?

I've been to Menorca, I've been to (pause) I've been to Turkey (pause) a couple of times. And I've just been to Egypt (pause) which was very nice and chilled (pause) very hot though

What was your favourite holiday? (cough)

I loved Egypt 'cause I was older and I just lay in -- on a lilo in the middle and I hadn't had a holiday in like two and a half years so I just lay it was lovely. But to be a favourite holiday it has to be Florida (pause) or Costa Rica, volunteering, amazing

Would you -- Would you do that again?

Definitely

(interruption) What about

(interruption) The hot springs, I would love just to go back to the hot springs, they were all these pools of water and each (pause) as you got further up the mountain they were a lot hotter and it was also like raining and thundering and lightening outside and dark, and it sounds like really scary and horrible but it made it, the experience so much better, didn't it?

(interruption) Definitely

(interruption) Like some of them had bars in the middle and there was a slide at the bottom one and the top of one, which (laughter) (NAME) decided to go and do back flips. She literally come down and nearly snapped in half it looked from the air, she'd snapped in half and she loved it, she's mad (pause) she's got no fear

Was that your favourite holiday then?

It's one about the only holidays I've been on to be honest, I've only been abroad (pause) about three times, I've been to Benidorm twice with my Aunties who used to take us away and I've been to Costa Rica and I've also been to Fuerteventura when I was a lot older (pause) and I think to be honest yeah Costa Rica was probably my best holiday

It must cost a fortune for your whole family to go away

Yeah I, that's, to be (pause) that's -- they don't really go abroad because of the money and because my dad doesn't like the heat and my mam doesn't like flying

Mm (pause) what do you both think about Cheryl Cole?

I think she's a total babe

Really?

I really (interruption) do

(interruption) But do you think she is like, is a good representation of everyone that lives in the North East?

I think she is, but I think she's trying to act who she's not, like when she's on the X-Factor she's trying not to be Geordie (cough) she's trying to like (pause) You can tell that she's losing that twang (pause) when she's like on the X-Factor which, like Alan Shearer he's lost his twang 'cause he's going to like (pause) people who are like trying to get his twang away, how he like is on BBC doing the football now and I think, which is wrong 'cause it proves where you come from, you've grew up like that

Does it not annoy you that people think that everybody that lives in Newcastle is like her?

Probably 'cause we're not, we're all different aren't we

Yeah well I hate the representation that people have got about Geordie girls (pause) I think they represent Geordie girls as basically tarts (pause) You hear a lot of people like -- you meet a lot of people like when I'd went to London (pause) Like the boys there are like ah you're a Geordie girl and they think that you're something that you're actually not, they think all Geordie girls are easy to get into bed and stuff like that

Geordie people are quite (pause) are shown as being quite thick, aren't they?

Yeah they've been shown as dumb (pause) and I think the accent can sometimes make you sound a bit dumb as well, I think probably that's what it is

Mm (pause) do you think -- is there any other TV personalities that you like?

(laughter) No not really

(NAME)? Boys that you like? (laughter)

I love em (pause) (tut) who do I love? Forgot, em (pause) I love Paul O'Grady (pause) he hasn't been on in a while actually, I love a good laugh with him. And I also (cough) who else do I like (pause) I love Michael McIntyre (pause) he's like a comedian and my mam and dad have just got it and I didn't really think much of him but I watched his DVD and it was really funny, I really like it, he goes on a bit too much about things but I really do like him as a comedian

Do you like, do you watch a lot of TV?

(pause) Well I do like TV but I haven't watched it in a while, I like (pause) I'm really into Hollyoaks at the minute (pause) Hollyoaks Later, I thought that was really good, thought that was really gripping and like you wanted to watch the next episode to find out what happened, they always left it on a really big cliff-hanger and I also like, I love Home And Away, I record that every Saturday and I watch the whole thing from the whole week (pause) I love that (pause) I also love -- love Waterloo Road, that is very good at the minute. (interruption) Do you

(interruption) Do you think it's

You not like Waterloo Road as well (NAME)?

I love Waterloo Road, I have to watch it every Wednesday. I don't really watch TV but Waterloo Road I make sure I watch, because I love it

Have you always watched Waterloo Road?

I have yes, I have, I think I missed one season of it when I didn't really

(cough)

Realise it was on, I only watched a couple of episodes of it (pause) But I love Waterloo Road and I always watch it

Do you like it as much now with the new characters?

Yeah

Do you? Do you like it more?

Yeah 'cause I get -- I think I get it more, get the story more

I didn't like it at the start 'cause all the characters had left and it was like ah God this is going to be rubbish, but you get to know the characters again and I think it's very good at the minute, really good

Mm, what do you think about X-Factor this year?

I liked X-Factor until it got to the lives and now I think it's at the lives I find it a bit boring, I cannot watch like a full show of it 'cause (interruption) it goes on far too long

(interruption) It goes on far too long

I like the live part better

Er no I think it's funny the auditions

Yeah

Do you not think it gets annoying that they don't show really good singers in the auditions?

No because I think it's funny, 'cause you just laugh at how terrible people are

Like the live shows, for like two hours, on a Saturday night, I cannot even watch it, I watch a little bit and then it's just like boring

I watch half of it and then just get bored

What do you think about the whole thing with Gamu? Do you think that was all like all set up?

No I don't (pause) I think it was just a coincidence that she was black and that she didn't get through

Do you think the X-Factor is set up from the beginning though?

I think it is in a bit yeah

Mm (pause) Right, next subject (pause) let's talk about dating practices. Do you remember what your first date was like?

I don't to be honest, I don't think I've actually had a first date (cough) I seem to just randomly meet boys (pause) that sounds really bad but I don't think I've actually had a first date

Have you?

I've never actually had a date; I've just met like, I met my first boyfriend through work (pause) and we didn't really go on a date we just got to like know each other. I think people don't really do dating anymore (pause) I think we just talked and then we got to knew -- know each other and then we started dating. Em same with my other (pause) recent boyfriend (pause) current boyfriend I mean, that em (pause) we didn't really go on a date, we just got to know each other and met through a friend of a friend (pause) and (pause) we're good

Mm have you ever had a boyfriend that your parents like disapproved of?

I have in a way (pause) well (pause) my parents have thought that I've only had two boyfriends throughout my life, 'cause I was, I've had (pause) got really strict parents that wouldn't let us have a boyfriend and my (pause) one of my boyfriends was a little -- was -- I think he was four years older us and I told -- I told, that was the first boyfriend I told them about and (interruption) they found out his age

(interruption) Did they know this boy was older?

Yeah, and they found out his age and they were a bit funny about it and he was my friend boyfriend as far as they knew and also he went, and he was in the same year at school as my brother and they didn't really like him, they took the mick, they said I could do a lot better and everything like that (pause) about him

Mm do you find yourself being attracted to a certain type of boy?

I don't, but I know that a lot of people say that I seem to go for charvers (pause) and I used to go for a lot of older boys but my current boyfriends not older and (laughter) it's lasted a lot longer than the other ones

Do you think it just depends more on the situation? Or do you think people are attracted to like

I think (interruption) it's all on the situation me

(interruption) certain types

I don't think people are attracted to certain types

Mm (pause) can you talk to your parents about stuff like (pause) Boyfriends? Do you think you could now?

Ah I can now, I can have a laugh on, it always gets turned into a joke, it's not -- not that serious and I can now about my current boyfriend but about my ex-boyfriend I couldn't really

Can you?

I can talk to my -- my mam -- my mam about some things but not all the time (pause) I think 'cause with my mam and dad they're always in the same room, like I have -- I cant speak without my dad, like I tell my mam, ah yeah yeah I really like him duh duh duh duh, but I could never tell my dad because my dad, I don't know, it's weird

'Cause they take the mick don't they dads (pause) So are you all loved up?

Do you remember what you had a dream about last night?

(pause) I cannot remember what I dreamed about last night, I can never remember them, I can remember them when I first wake up, but when I go to tell someone about it I've totally forgot about (interruption) it

(interruption) Yeah me too, I only remember it if I've had like a really horrible dream or something's happened when I've been like dreaming, but I never remember them

Have you ever had them dreams where you wake up and you've actually cry (pause) you're (interruption) crying it's that bad

(interruption) Yeah I have before

I hate them

Have you ever had the same dream over and over again?

(interruption) Yes. I used

(interruption) Yeah when I was younger

(interruption) Yeah when I was younger I used to always have a dream that I was flying down the stairs and landing on a trampoline (pause) and I used to always have that dream and you know how people used to say it's going to come true but it never come true

Why do you think that was? (interruption) Do you think there was something

(interruption) I don't know

In your life that made you think, dream that way?

I really don't know to be honest

(pause) Have you ever sl- slept walked?

Ah I used to be really bad for sleep walking, I used to sit at the top of the stairs and shout of my dog (pause) like tap my legs and shout of my dog and I used to

What's your dog called?

Blacky (pause) Yeah he's called Blacky (pause) I used to sit and shout of him (pause) and then, I remember one day as well I'd went and slept walked in the middle of the night and I went and picked up my TV my mam come in the room and I had my TV in my arms and I nearly dropped it and smashed it. I used to do it as well when I'd slept at my cousins, I'd walked into my aunty and uncles room in the middle of the night, just standing there going I want water, which I cannot remember and they shouted at us telling us to get back to bed, and (interruption) they put me back into bed back to bed

(interruption) Do you talk in your sleep?

No I don't

Do you?

I talk in my sleep, I've never slept walked

Have you ever said anything interesting in your sleep?

No just like I think was having an argument with my mam and I called her a stupid pig

In your dream you were having an (interruption) argument?

(interruption) Yeah

(pause) Do you think that dreams mean something?

I don't know, I think if you've went to bed thinking of something, I think you tend to as well have a dream about it

Mm, do you think that it's true that if you die in your dream then you die in real life?

I don't know, I don't know if I believe that

No, I don't believe that like

Mm, have you ever had a dream that really affected you (pause) like in your life when you're awake?

(interruption) No

(interruption) Never 'cause I don't remember them

Mm (pause) Do you remember where you were when Nine Eleven took place?

I do actually

At Kingston Park

I was at Kingston Park Primary School and I was on door duty where I had to keep the doors open (pause) and I was opening the door, keeping the doors open and I remember Miss (NAME), one of the teachers, I remember her saying to another teachers, a planes crashed into the Twin Towers and at the time I just thought nothing of it and I didn't understand it and when I got home I remember the whole it (interruption) being on the news and everything

(interruption) Being on the news and everywhere (pause) Yeah

Mm

All I can remember coming home is my dad having it on the news and I was watching it, even though I was young I was still taking it in

Do you remember anything else serious like that, in your life that you remember?

I haven't (pause) What do you mean?

Like maybe a relative's died? And maybe you remember where you were when you found out?

I've never had a close death so I can't really answer that

Have you ever nearly suffered -- suffered a near death experience?

I have actually yeah

When?

Being with (NAME) (NAME) on two occasions, he was a bit of a em idio- idiotic driver (pause) and (pause) once it was a quite icy and we were going round a roundabout and he totally mistimed the corner and everything (pause) and ended up on the grass

What out of the car? In the car?

In the car but like up the curb and off the roundabout, on the grass and on the second occasion and he was going too fast round the corning, totally mistimed the corner and we actually spun on the round, around and around and around and I nearly crashed, near death experience

What about you?

I don't think I have no

Mm, what do you think's the funniest thing that's ever happened in your life?

Mm I don't know (pause) I can remember something funny when I was little, which we just laugh at now -- is we'd went over to (pause) at (pause) where the new Asda is at the Metro-Centre, well it's not new anymore, but the Asda at the Metro-Centre (pause) and before that was built (pause) well while they were building it there was like mud at the top and I don't know why but my dad pulled over in the car and decided -- decided to get out and walk along this place and I walked along and the next thing I know I fell in a ditch but I was stuck in the mud, it was quick sand and we didn't know and I was stuck in and I was like, help, help (cough) my brother was stood at the top going, don't worry (NAME), I'll save you and jumped in after me (laughter) but he also got stuck and then my mam come and she jumped in trying to get wuh out and she got stuck, and my dad at the time used his walking stick 'cause my dad's disabled and he was standing at the top holding his walking stick trying to get wuh out and li- like it was quick sand (pause) and eventually we did get out and I remember just having to like strip off from head to foot to get into the car 'cause it was a new car as well and my dad was like (laughter) you can take them off before you get in the car (pause) which I still remember that it was so funny at the time

What about you?

I haven't had any (pause) well I have but like not one that would really like pop out

Have you ever -- ever had an operation before?

No I've never had an operation

I've only had my tonsils removed when I was younger

Did you have to stay in hospital overnight?

Yeah but I was really young when I got mine taken out, I was only eight (pause) so I think I stayed in a couple

Couple of nights?

But I was young, that's why

What's that like?

I can't remember, I was too young

Mm did you get any presents or anything when you got this operation?

Well, my Aunty, I can't remember this but my mam told us, I wasn't allowed to like eat anything, I was only meant to eat like toast and ice cream (pause) well ice cream at the time, but you don't really eat ice cream now (pause) and my Aunty brought a big bar of chocolate in and like my mam and dad left my aunty with us and I was eating this chocolate and I wasn't meant to because I was (interruption) on like Antibiotics

(interruption) Was this before?

This was after, this was like antibiotics coming round and that, et this chocolate and was like sick everywhere, chocolate everywhere

Mm, have you got any things in your life that you've got, that you've still kept from when you were little?

I had a little teddy which I had got given by my grandad when I was born, who I called Rosie Rabbit, which when my sister was born, my first sister was born I give to her, which she then passed down to (pause) my younger sister

(interruption) Aww

(interruption) So now it's been passed down from me to my two sisters, which I've kept that still

Do you think that your younger sister will keep it and pass it down to her daughter or something?

I think she probably would yeah

What about you?

I've just got a balloon, which is a parrot (pause) from when I got my tonsils taken out, which was when I was eight and now I'm nineteen and it's still actually up and hard

Who gave you the balloon?

I don't actually -- I'm sure it was my dad who bought it and it's been (interruption) alive ever since

(interruption) Have you ever asked him?

I'm sure it was my dad

(laughter) It's been alive ever since

Well you know what I mean, inflated

What do you think about the Geordie accent?

I like it but I don't think I talk like a proper Geordie (pause) but I probably do, but when I go down to Manchester people are like, stop talking so quick and put your T's in your words like when I say something I don't put my T in, water, water, you put your T in water (pause) you should put your T's in your words, that's what Geordies don't do

Do you think you've got an accent?

I wouldn't say I've got a broad Geordie accent or a Geordie accent but when you see -- you meet people that aren't from here they say, they can tell straight away that you're a Geordie, but I wouldn't say that I've got a strong Geordie accent

Do you find that especially at Uni, with all the other accents? That you

Well at uni there's a lot of (pause) there's people, everywhere's from, everyone at uni, everyone in my class is from round here and from Sunderland, so there's not really an accent there, there's a couple from Wales (pause) which you can see -- you can see the difference in the accent

Do you think that your voice defines you? Like people perceive you because of the way you talk?

I think it can Yeah, in a way, I don't know

Do you?

Yeah I think people can look down on you for the way you do talk

Do you -- do you think you judge people on the way they talk?

I don't, I never have

No I don't, I mean sometimes I'll laugh at like an accent a little bit, I'll like giggle and I like -- I love the Liverpudlian accent

If you saw like a posh person on the TV though, would you judge them?

It depends if (pause) I must admit if I see people that act really posh I just think oh look at them, they're stuck up their own        (pause) I do see people like that at times

You know how you were saying that there's like a lot of charvs in the Big Market, do you think that charvs talk in a specific way?

Yeah

I think they put, they're like wey wey, wey wey wey, and they think they're hard but they're actually really not and they just think they're better than everybody else but they're totally not