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Age Group:

61-70

Gender:

Male

Residence:

Tyneside - Gateshead

Education:

Left school at 14

Occupation:

Nightwatchman (previously Miner)

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Gender:

Female

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(unclear) for modernisation (unclear)

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ah yeah you're getting moved out soon are you (interruption) (unclear) aye you moving out soon (interruption)

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(interruption) (unclear) expecting (interruption) (unclear) he's asking we're moving out soon for modernisation

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for the (interruption) modernisation you are yeah

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oh aye yes aye

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right eh (pause) well eh could you tell us first of all Mr (NAME) where you were born please

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I'm working

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no where you're b no where you were born

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oh Downey Street

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whereabouts is that

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in Gateshead (interruption) (unclear) uh-huh

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Gateshead yes

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down in Gateshead is it

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aye

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is it still up now or has it been

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oh no it's all pulled down now

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it's been pulled down now

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(unclear)

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and eh where whereabouts else have you lived you know since then

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Gateshead fif (unclear)

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eh (pause) (unclear) it was seventeen Davidson Street Gateshead Gateshead

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yes

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it's Askew Road like

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oh aye yes

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worked lived there worked and lived all my life there

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I see aye h how long have you been living here

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many year we been up here

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(unclear) fifteen when we moved up here and she's eh (pause) twenty three now (unclear) about eh (pause) (interruption) eight year

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about eight year

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eight year we've been here

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yeah

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(unclear) come up here because about (unclear) so then we've got to move all the kids (unclear) (laughter)

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I see aye aye do you like living up here you know

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oh aye it's all right here aye

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it's not bad

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no

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eh (pause) how does it eh is it better or worse than eh

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oh it's better up here

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it's better up here (unclear)

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aye yes

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do you get on eh do you get on well with people up here you know do you get on with (interruption) (unclear)

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I dinna bother nobody (unclear)

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do you not

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no

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keep yourself to yourself

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this the night watchman (unclear) pension in here but (pause) I've got a bit watchman job

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I see aye yeah

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I start at five o'clock tonight like till ten

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five till ten is it

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aye

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aye whereabouts is that like

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Pemberton's paper mill Half Moon Lane

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oh Half Moon Lane aye

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Pemberton's paper mill work there

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(unclear) different time (unclear) five to ten tonight or from one to (unclear) middle of next week (unclear) from eh ten till (pause) seven you see (unclear)

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yeah

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(unclear)

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that's right yeah what eh how long you been doing that job

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this'll be twe twenty five month I only started up there last year in October

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yeah

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twenty five month I've been there

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aye what did

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(unclear) last October he started

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I got sick of sitting (unclear)

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aye

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I used to get in the garden you see doing the garden I got s sit up sitting here

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yeah

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in the house

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had you been you'd been retired like had you for a bit (interruption) before

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since May

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(unclear) you're sixty seven this year

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yeah

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be about three about two year he's been retired

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(unclear) two years

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eh can you tell us ehm whereabouts were your parents born as well were they born in Gateshead

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oh aye Gateshead as well aye

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both of them (interruption) yeah

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aye

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and ehm what eh what did your father do what was his occupation

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well he he (unclear) he got killed in the first war

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was he (interruption) yeah

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aye

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but he was a coal hauler before that you know (interruption) (unclear) coal and that

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aye he's (unclear) coal you know them days like

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yeah and eh (pause) and you're you're how old now sixty seven

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sixty seven

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yes aye (pause) and eh have you got any children

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(unclear)

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we've had we had six

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we had six

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one died but the other five are still living

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yeah where are they all now

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two (pause) one the oldest boy's living up Leam Lane

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he's married him (interruption) he's the oldest one

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and eh (pause) (unclear) daughter lives down in Lavender Gardens Low Fell

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oh yes I know where that is aye

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she's eh she's eh a midwife and the other two daughters well one's married lives down at (unclear) other daughter was married but just separated living here and have a younger son nine eh twenty just turned twenty so he's eh he's a plasterer

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yeah (pause) eh what did eh what did you used to work at Mr (NAME) (interruption) before you retired

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pits in the pits

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were you

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aye

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did you do that there all your life

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no

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except for the war

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when I come out the Second World War I was in the Second World War like when I come out I got a job at the pits

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aye

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been there twenty three year

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had you aye

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aye

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which pit did you work at

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Seaton Burn Gosforth (unclear) Gosforth

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yeah yes what did you think of that as a job like did you

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oh I liked it all right

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did you

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I'd gan back again if I got the chance

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would you

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oh aye (unclear) you've got to finish when you're sixty five they'll not s not keep you on

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aye you would have stayed on if you could (interruption) would you

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oh aye yes it was all right

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mm did you

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I had I had a canny job you know like

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aye

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on the butt on the buttons you know when the coals come down the conveyer belts

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yeah

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yous had to watch them that's all

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yeah was that underground or

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underground oh aye

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(unclear) aye aye yeah and eh what eh what job did you do when you first left school you know what was the first job (interruption) you had

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it was in the pits

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was it

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oh aye fourteen (interruption) before my father killed in the first war aye

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when you were fourteen yeah and you were you went straight in the pit

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aye over there Redheugh Colliery there (unclear) just down Askew Road there it's closed now like you know

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that's right there's the pit field

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aye (laughter)

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and eh what have you done any other kinds of jobs in your life

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oh

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you've just eh (pause) well you come out with (unclear) keeping the (pause) camouflage off some of the doors (unclear) month (interruption) (unclear)

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aye couple of month just ehm (pause) helping the painter you know because he's he's eh (pause) my brother like used to go round doing the corporative stores painting well you know the black outs used to strip the stuff off the window and that that's all

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yeah

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aye

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did you not eh (pause) was it you didn't find it hard work down the pit did you (unclear)

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oh no oh I'd go back if I got the chance (unclear) cannot cannot get back you see

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yes

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because they're getting good money now you know

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yeah yes aye they got a they got a canny rise now didn't they not (unclear) mm

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aye

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eh h how old did you say how old were you when you left school again

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fourteen

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fourteen

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aye

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eh do you think you were glad to leave school or not

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oh aye

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did you enjoy school though

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(unclear) school like (unclear) got job straight down the pit though when I left school like

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aye

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I was only I was getting eleven shilling a week I was driving a pony like pulling the tubs of coal you know when they tub them taking them away

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aye (pause) mm and eh did you have any eh any other education after you left school like (unclear)

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no

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no no no eh (pause) what eh do you think eh you know do you think education's very important like for well say for kids now you know

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oh

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do you d do you think your own education was worth very much to you

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oh (laughter) (pause) well there's no jobs for kids now is there

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oh that's that's true like aye

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no like there's no jobs man for them

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aye (pause) it doesn't even matter if you have got an education I think

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no

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well I don't know about him there's no jobs but I think if the kids went out and looked for a work but there's my youngest son now when he's out of a job he doesn't he doesn't just descend and go onto the dole once a week or that for it

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yeah

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he goes (pause) around every day sear round looking all over the place for (unclear) job he usually ends up (unclear) one in a week's time so I mean if there's work there there's a right to go and look for it

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yeah (pause) eh (pause) ehm whereabouts were you living you know when you were when you were fairly young say when you were when you were under twelve you know whereabouts were you living then

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oh still down there Gateshead

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down Gateshead

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all my life oh aye

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did you eh did you have a good time down there you know as a kid like would you say

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oh I was going about in bare feet selling papers

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did you

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oh aye snow on the ground aye them days (unclear) shoes us

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pretty hard times (interruption) in fact really (unclear)

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aye yes (pause) (unclear) couldn't get nowt to eat you know them days (unclear) was on the (unclear) you know to get something to eat much money it cost in them days (pause) couldn't get nothing

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(unclear) (pause) can you remember any of the ehm (pause) you know any of the kind of things you used to get up to or games you used to play you know when you were

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hm

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can you remember any of the (pause) games you used to play or things you used to get up to when you (unclear) a lad you know

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oh we used to play quoits and that you know quoits (interruption) (unclear) aye

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quoits mm-hm

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aye

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clay (unclear) clays (unclear) clay holes

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aye

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like quoits and that oh aye

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(unclear)

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down there

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that's a new one on me that like (unclear)

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(laughter) aye

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(laughter) new one on me too

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(laughter)

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aye clay call them the clay holes like quoits you know you used to hoy them (unclear) like a hook you know used to fling them like to get them on

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aye

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oh aye (pause) but there's a great place over newca didn't go over there like Newcastle call it the Gas Yard you know

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yeah

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used to play gambling there every Sunday there for money

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did they

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oh aye policeman used to (unclear) I didn't go over there like

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uh-huh

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aye they gambled for money every Sunday every Sunday morning aye

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aye yeah (pause) it was illegal was it I mean eh

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oh aye but the police would be after them the police oh aye

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(laughter)

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will you two shut up (pause) (unclear)

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eh (pause) what eh what kinds of things do you like to do in your spare time now you know I mean (unclear) like well (pause) you're not really free in the nights now (interruption) are you in the night times like but wh wh what eh (interruption) what

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(interruption) oh no no just (interruption) just go to bed and get up again in morning for work again that's all

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aye

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wey aye

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what eh wh what kinds of things do you do at weekends and that you know when you've got some free time what sort of things do you like to do

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well I'm at work at ten to well till ten tomorrow see (unclear)

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(unclear) works at ten till one

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you work on Saturdays as well

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oh yes Sundays

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aye

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only get ten pound a week it is sixty four hours I do there (pause) sixty four hours for ten pound

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that's pretty bad yeah

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it works out though to like works out (unclear) do you put that all to (unclear) you know

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yeah

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like there's people (unclear) five till ten and then he's on from eh one till ten tomorrow one till two on Sunday it's like a ten hour day he's off Tuesday on w (unclear) on seven till seven (pause) and then he's at on his (interruption) next week he's on ten till ten

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(unclear)

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ten hour shifts a long time that

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aye they keep nineteen shilling off the old age pension

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yeah

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and they keep about twenty five pence tax

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oh (interruption) wey it's hardly worth your while doing it really is it when you think about it

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not worth not worth it no

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but it it gives you something to do

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well my my mate he's he's seventy one my mate what relieves me he's seventy one (pause) he's been there eight year that man eight year

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aye (pause) and he's still (interruption) still (pause) plugging on is he

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oh aye well he's going to stay till till he packs it in like he does (unclear) like bag of snuff see he's using (interruption) it you see (unclear) take a bag of snuff

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aye I see aye

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(unclear)

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you see he likes the job so

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aye

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I think men (unclear) that are f like his like ehm been used to working all their life and then when they find they haven't any they do that's when they begin to fret

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yes it's true like some people you know they need to need to have something to do yeah (pause) yeah mm what eh well what what what kind of things did you used to do when you were younger you know did you race the dogs like

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oh no that's my son in law belongs to his father

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aye

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I just look after it comes back from work you see

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oh I see aye

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I take it for walks like

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aye

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I take it out three times a day it races a Saturday night

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aye (pause) is he very good

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oh aye a good dog (unclear) Gosforth him

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aye

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call him big glory up there

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yeah (pause) (unclear)

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aye

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did you used to eh did you used to go out very much you know when you were w when you were younger like you know did you used to were you the sort of bloke that went out a lot or

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no no

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no (pause) yous used to stay in did you

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stay in (unclear) I divn't think much about going out

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mm (pause) what about eh watching the television (interruption) and that you know do you watch that

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oh I watch the television oh I'll sit and watch that of a night oh aye

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what kinds of things do you like to watch on it

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oh I like to see the films that's all (laughter)

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do you watch the films

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aye

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(pause) do you do you think most of the stuff on there's good I mean do you think the programmes are pretty good like

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oh aye yes

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(unclear) okay (unclear) (pause) eh (pause) eh (pause) this is eh is a question we always ask everybody but you don't have to answer it if you don't want because some people keep it quiet eh which way do you vote

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mm

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which way do you vote

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vote

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aye

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Labour

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do you

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aye

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have you always voted the same (interruption) way

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Labour oh aye Labour all the time aye

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I don't

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(laughter) eh why why do you think it is that you've always voted that way you know

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I've always voted all m my life Labour

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aye do you do you think they look after your interests like when they when they're in power

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oh they done all right last time he give we a rise like Wilson like you know and he's give we a rise the other ones say no they give we a rise

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aye

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and they let we make let we make (unclear) nine pound ten now so it's not too bad

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yeah but eh (pause) do you ehm do you think there's very much to choose between the the two parties you know a lot of people say that they're just more or less both the same

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they're all the same what gets in they reckon they're just the same I reckon whoever gets in

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aye

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do nowt for you

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yeah

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that's what they say do nowt for you all the same whoever gets in

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do you eh do you usually vote eh you know in every election like do you usually bother

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eh

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do you usually vote whenever there's an election

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oh aye (unclear)

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yes ehm (pause) if we could just go on to talk for a bit about what we are most interested in like that's the way you talk and that you know and eh what what you think about it ehm (pause) firstly do you think ehm do you think you ever change the way you speak

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mm

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do you think you ever change the way you speak you know according to like who you're talking to or any other circumstances

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oh (pause) I never speak to nobody hardly nobody I don't know nobody round here

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yeah so you always talk more or less the same in fact

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just the neighbour next door here

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aye (pause) do you think you talk in the same way say when you're at work as what you do (interruption) when you're in the house you know

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oh aye oh aye aye

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more or less the same never change

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no

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aye eh (pause) and do you think you talked ehm do you think you've talked more or less the same all during your life (pause) or do you think you've ever changed your speech in any way

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no no it's I never say nothing

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you don't think you've ever changed the way you talk (pause) you think it's been more or less the same

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aye I do aye

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yeah and ehm (pause) what do you think about eh you know the the Geordie dialect like do you like to hear people talking it

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oh aye yes

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yeah (pause) do you think you're a very very Geordie speaker you know

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I'm not a very good speaker like (laughter)

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(laughter) (pause) did you ever used to ehm did you ever used to (pause) correct your children about the way they used to talk you know do you ever

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no I never say nothing to them (interruption) never check them no

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did you not used to let them t talk any way they wanted like aye

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aye

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what ehm what do you think about eh you know the other accents of England like you know say Liverpool or Cockney accents like do you like any do you like them or

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no (pause) Liverpool

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yeah

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I've never been down there yet Liverpool

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have you not ah but you must you hear people (interruption) on telly

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oh aye talking oh aye (unclear) heard them talking about like asking questions you mean on the telly

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aye

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oh aye

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do you like the way they talk

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oh aye yes I just like to listen to them like oh aye

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okay

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aye

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aye (pause) what about eh (pause) what do you what do you think about eh (pause) the way the way I'm talking now what would you would you say that I was a Tynesider to listen to would you where do you think I come from

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couldn't say (unclear) well I'm a Geordie me like

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aye what do you do you think do you think I come from Tyneside as well

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aye (laughter) aye (laughter)

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you reckon

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aye

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yeah well you're right like I'm from Gateshead (unclear) (pause) eh (pause) have you ever been have you ever lived away from Tyneside

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mm

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you know have you ever been away from Tyneside (interruption) for any for any length of time

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oh not me no no

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(unclear)

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except during the war

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that's the only time I was away like oh aye seven year in the war

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yeah could people usually tell you were a Geordie then

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mm

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could people usually tell you were a Geordie then

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the people like

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aye the blokes you know you were in the army with

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oh aye

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aye

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was all (unclear) lot of mates like

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aye

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well there were about twenty six in a in a section of men you know (unclear) of a night time you couldn't get out you had to do guard you see you couldn't get out

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yeah

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you see when you're abroad you're on guard just the same take your turn I think it was (pause) four hours on four off used to get

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yeah

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aye it used to be the same when you were abroad as well (unclear) (unclear) a guard

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yeah was there was there blokes there from all different parts of the country like you know did they

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oh aye

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aye

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there was ehm Scotch people as well you know Scotch (unclear) the Hampshires

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aye

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engineers (pause) there was

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and what did you think about their patter like what did you think about the way they talked

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oh the Scotsmen I couldn't make them out them (laughter)

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could you not

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no

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couldn't understand them

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because we nearly (unclear) used to play the bagpipes them lads it was good actually like oh

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aye

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we haven't got much time because I've got to get away for work (laughter)

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eh oh that's right aye (unclear) yeah