(unclear)

well I think they're friendlier you know they tend to talk on the buses and things like that more than you find in other places

yeah yeah most people think (unclear) (pause) eh whereabouts were your parents born as well

eh my mother was born New York near Tynemouth (laughter)

yes

and eh my father was born in Carr Hill in Gateshead

yes yeah and eh and what's your father's occupation

ehm he was a (unclear) he's had an accident and he's not working at the moment

I see yes ehm (pause) could you tell us which age group you come into on that card please

eh B

ta and eh on what basis you occupy this house again if you could just say the letter

ehm (pause) well (interruption) my mother and father own it (laughter)

A yes (laughter) ta (pause) eh (pause) ehm whereabouts do you work

eh the employment exchange Felling the dole you know

as (interruption) as what

(unclear) on Holly Hill clerical officer interviewer

yeah you actually eh (interruption) receive the the punters (unclear) yes

interview the public yeah (laughter) try and find them jobs (interruption) sign them on for their (unclear)

yes my cousin works in eh Walker at at the same job yeah yeah

oh

do you eh what do you think of it as a job do you enjoy it

well I've been there six years you know first at Birtley and then at Felling and I've enjoyed it you know I enjoy working there because ehm every day's not the same you know well even every five minutes isn't the same you know it's a different (unclear) different person each time

yes

they've all got different problems you know

yes

you get bored with it like you do with everything else but I I find it yeah quite nice

yeah do you do you never find people hard to handle or anything like that

well you get your awkward customers as you do with everything you know

eh but (unclear)

but ehm (pause) I feel if you treat people with respect you know you get the same back

yes yes

I haven't had any bother personally but I've I've watched other people have bother you know (laughter)

yeah

you can imagine the type we get good cross section of the public

oh yeah yes or even a rather special sort of cross section (laughter) you know when you think about it yeah

(laughter) well you know we get commercial I deal with commercials and women mainly but ehm of course we also get the labourers ex convicts and things like this

yes

but ehm they're all people (unclear)

what ehm what sort what sort of attitude do you take to the you know to the people you deal with do you think that eh do you think very many of them are idle or

well (pause) I would say a minority anyway

yes

everyone's got basic you know are lazy basically I think but ehm

that's true yes aye

you get the type that are just bone idle you know

yes

and they'll never work no matter what we do they'll never work but you get the other ones who I feel want work you know

yes and you reckon they in fact are the the majority you know you're not you're not disillusioned with the human race anyway

well I don't know I think it's the there's not enough opportunities for them you know if you could get people a decent job well it probably works

yes

but a benefits are at the moment they're getting more unemployed and personally I can't blame them you know

yes (unclear)

(unclear) sort of (pause) some of them are getting (pause) between fifteen and twenty pound

yes

now I offer them a job for twelve or thirteen and I can't see them taking it you know eh I don't feel I'm justified in saying take a job at that wage

yes yes this is eh this is just not

this is the problem you know

yes it's an argument I have over and over again with my friends (unclear)

(laughter) if there was full employment I I don't think there'd be anybody on the dole (pause) because you could push the ones that didn't want work into work

yes

whereas it is now you've got nothing to offer them

yeah

and you just have to let them (laughter) collect their money each week

yes yes eh is this the only job you've ever done did you do that as soon (interruption) as you left school

well I worked on a Saturday (pause) in a shop in a shoe shop

yeah but this was your first permanent job yeah ehm (pause) how old were you when you left school

eh sixteen

aye

just over sixteen

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

no I w I would have stayed on if I hadn't failed my examinations you know (laughter) ehm I would have like to gone to teacher's training college but ehm I got terrible GCE results so I ehm just started into civil service having passed that exam in the March before I left school you know so I had a job to go to

ah I see yes

and then when I failed my O levels I thought oh well I might as well just take it and you know I've en I've enjoyed working there

yes so which school did you go to

Elgin secondary technical school

did you

mm-hm

eh (pause) and have you had any further education since then

I went for two years day release with ehm the civil service you know to get the day off a week I had to do O level course there I took ehm since then well I went two year ago and did A level sociology and English literature

oh

(laughter) I finished the sociology course but I didn't take the exam it was just more for something to do than take the exam

yes

and I only did one year of the literature then I dropped it it was too much I felt well I was going two nights a week and I couldn't cope with working two nights and the study

mm-hm

there was so much reading to do you know

yeah I can imagine so

and to be beneficial in my job I had to get the two together

mm-hm (interruption) yes

so (pause) you know I just packed it in I may do it later on

oh yeah it's sort of ehm (pause) it's crucial for some kind of promotion isn't it having two (interruption) together

yeah you need to have two together well (pause) there's no point in me taking just one you know other than just for recreation (unclear) (laughter)

sheer interest (laughter) yeah

well I felt it was doing better than just you know sitting around at least I was improving my mind (laughter)

yes good because you've still you'll still have ehm sort of better chances for promotion (interruption) in any case (unclear)

yes all well I'm eligible for promotion as from later on this year

yes

after you've done a certain length of time you know you're elligible for promotion

mm eh (pause) y (pause) eh you were living when you were ehm fairly young let's say when you were under twelve you were living here in fact

mm-hm

eh did you think it was a very good place to live from your point of view as a child you know do you did you like living here

yes because ehm at that time there was a lot of people of my age group you know around here

mm-hm mm-hm

a lot of my friends come from around here you know girlfriends that I went to school with and that

yes

ehm I've always had a close friend near at hand (interruption) you know

aye yes

sort of ehm well there was two actually girls in the street the same age when I was younger

yes yes did you ehm was it was it the sort of place where kids used to play a lot you know

(unclear) yes out in the street

yeah (interruption) yeah

not it's never been sort of a rough place you know or a place where you played noisy games because (laughter) they're all old people (laughter)

(laughter) yes

(laughter) ehm but we always played out mm-hm not like they don't pay out now like we used to you know

no yes I

even though I'm not all that old

(laughter)

(laughter) there seems to be ehm they don't seem to play out as much

yes I know I I don't know whether that's eh I I have the same impression you know and e almost everybody in the interview says the same thing I don't know whether it's perhaps that we just don't notice them you know

possibly

(unclear) (interruption) (unclear)

well my friends who have children I know they they don't play out (unclear) not to the extent we did anyway

yes

because she takes her round you know in and out of cars sort of more than anything else you know

mm yes

but just (pause) I don't think it's a good thing

yes probably just watch television all the time

well they don't mix with so many different people you know it makes it difficult when they start school

yeah yeah (pause) ehm can you remember eh what you used to call eh the game where one of the kids had to chase the others to try to touch them

oh no I remember playing it we used to play it at school (pause) ehm

people have very different sort of n I used to call it tuggy

yeah I think (interruption) that's what we called it mm-hm

did you yeah (pause) and what did you say about the one who had to chase the other did you say she was on

she was on yeah mm-hm something like that

and eh

I can't even remember you know it's just vague sort of games we played

yes people who can remember their childhood are ehm old old men and women they always want to tell you everything about when they were little we (pause) and ehm did you have a a sort of truce word that you used to say when you wanted to call a halt in a game for some reason you know did you ehm (pause) did you used to cross your fingers and say

no

no can't remember

I can't remember I think everybody just got sick and you just you know finished it

mm ehm (pause) still on the eh (pause) on the topic of what words you use for things could you tell us just eh what you call each of the rooms in this house what your normal word is for each room

ehm (unclear) kitchen what I would normally call a dining room my parents call a kitchen you know and then we have a back kitchen and bedrooms

uh-huh yes

oh there's bathroom

uh-huh and what about what you're in when you when you come through the front door

ehm passage

mm

eh again if you had a if you had a coal fire what do you call the thing that you stand in front of it to get it going

a guard oh

no to get it going you had to ehm if you have a she you know you have a sheet of tin just to stand (interruption) in front to get

blazer a blazer or bleezer that's it isn't it a (interruption) bleezer mm-hm

yeah mm-hm mm and what do you ehm call cleaning the plates and things after a meal

washing the dishes

yes ta (pause) eh could you tell us please just how you like to spend your spare time you know what you do in your evenings and that

I go out you know usually to a pub I like ehm to go where there's something on (unclear)

yeah (unclear) a drink

or something like that mm

where does is is there anywhere in Gateshead that you go as well as going to the town

ehm I go to the pubs in Gateshead or well I like the Crown in Low Fell sort of the Ravensworth I like the we usually go out sort of into the country pubs

yes

ehm our friend plays in a group and we usually go to the working men's clubs to see him

aye

you know and to see other groups that he's to recommend

mm yes I go to the Crown very occasionally myself

mm-hm I I used to like it before actually before they converted it because it was quiet there and it was just there was something about it you know (unclear)

I don't think I knew it then w what was it like

it was just two rooms and in the back they used to get sort of a very upper middle class and in the front the young sort of teeny bopper types

(laughter)

and the everybody sort of knew each other you know you could see the same faces coming in each night

yes

but since they've ehm changed it it's too crowded now you can't get moved

yes

you can't get a drink you know you stand next to the scrunched up

yes the eh the the Ravensworth it's a terribly eh county set sort of place as well isn't it (interruption) it's

mm-hm I don't like it since they put ehm a new part on where you can get snacks and that

have they I didn't (unclear)

mm-hm and I don't like it now not as much as I used to I liked to sit in the garden and that I think that's the attraction (unclear) you've got the garden

yes (pause) eh what about ehm television do you watch television

sometimes yes well the television's on all night

yeah

you know my parents watch it all night

yes

so where I'm if I'm in you know I pa sort of partially watch it

yes do you what's is there anything you particularly like to watch

mm nothing in particular ehm I've got pretty broad taste you know (unclear) quite a few things

mm but you're not ehm you know you're not particularly addicted to it (interruption) you'd never s can you ever

well when I get married I wouldn't have one

mm

you know probably not initially maybe later on but

yes uh-huh

it's not a thing I'd go out and buy as one of the first things

yeah same with me I haven't got one either ehm (pause) do you think there are any ehm you know any things that eh you would like to have done but you've never had the chance to do or you've never got round to doing or you know

I'd like to go abroad to to work

yes

you know to live and to get to know people

yeah

rather than I think I've had a very sheltered life you know just Gateshead (unclear) I've been abroad on holiday but no worked of ehm outside of Gateshead you know other than Birtley and that just within the same areas and ehm I feel I haven't met enough people

mm-hm

you know to be able to judge people which is part of my job to judge people in but I haven't really met is a different type of peoples

mm do you think you'll ehm stay in the same job you're in now or not (unclear) (interruption) or do you think you'll ever up your roots and you know go abroad and do something

ehm until I'm married (pause) until I'm married I'll stay in the same job because it has a quite large gratuity on marriage you know which keeps you in the job really I'm very materialistic (laughter)

(laughter) yes a cunning (unclear) (unclear)

(laughter)

eh (pause) eh these are just a few questions about your eh opinions on some ordinary matters ehm what do you think that parents should do when their children misbehave

explain to them why you know why they're getting wrong

yes

ehm (pause) I don't really believe in smacking them but I think in some cases they do need something that way just to show them you know that they're not all the

mm-hm yes

but I think to explain it more than anything else I think that's where a lot of parents go wrong

yes yes so you you wouldn't actually hit them except in rare circumstances

less I think unless I lost my temper (unclear) got really then there would be the will of God (laughter)

(laughter) yes and what about you know a young person of say sixteen or so what sort of do you think the parents should have any control over them

just to advise you know I wouldn't say you do this I'd say this is what I think you should do if you don't want to do it then fair enough

yes you you wouldn't want to sort of ehm make sure they were in by a certain time at night (interruption) (unclear)

no well I think at sixteen they should know I would say well I expect you to be in by a certain time knowing that they wouldn't you know but knowing that they would have that guilty feeling (unclear) punishment you know

(laughter) yes that's great

well you wouldn't want them to be off the straight and narrow you wouldn't not if you were like that when you were young yourself (laughter)

(laughter)

I don think it's difficult you know to ehm

yeah yeah

to eh sort of say be in by a certain time when you know when you were young

yeah

you did the complete opposite

yes yes it's like smoking and things like that isn't it people always tell their kids not to smoke even if they do themselves eh and this is ehm a question you don't have to answer if you don't want to because eh some people don't eh which way do you vote

Conservative I did at the last election that's the (unclear) time I've voted but I didn't give it enough thought I don't think before I voted I don't know what I (interruption) (unclear)

does that mean does that mean you're regretting it (laughter)

well I thought they might do more for the country than they did

yeah yeah well it ehm would you say that (pause) eh you know you base your voting decision on you know the manifestos of the various parties and who you think's going to run the country best or ehm ehm which party you agree with the ideas of

I well basically the ideas ehm the reason I voted Conservative was I'm I thought it would make house buying easier for young people

mm yeah

but ehm the way things are everything seems to have tightened up you know

yes yes

sort of (unclear) so I don't know whether I did the right thing or not when you think of the increased numbers of unemployed I think I did the wrong thing

yes yes do you think that do you think that you'll always vote the same way or do you think that you'll change according to

I think my vote will change probably every time I vote because I've got that type of mind you know the sort of mind that jumps from one thing to the other

mm eh do you think that ehm you know a a lot of people vote i in a certain way because eh well because their parents voted that way or because they're (pause) working class people or because they're not working class people whatever they mean by that you know do you think that do you think that's a reasonable way for people to vote or not

well I know it happens you know I've seen a lot of this ehm they all seem to vote either like their parents did or because they work in a factory or something and they think they should vote Labour but ehm (pause) I think if you're going to use your vote to full advantage you should (pause) study what you're voting for you know

mm-hm mm

I can't say that I do because I you know I very rarely have time to interest myself in politics last time I'd say I just voted the way I felt at that moment you know didn't go into it deeply

yeah yeah but you ehm you don't you wouldn't imagine yourself voting because of ehm you know whether you own your own house or something like that or because (interruption) of the sort of class you belong to

no (pause) well my par my mother's straight (unclear) dad's Labour so I'm torn between two you know (laughter)

yes yes eh mm (pause) now if we can just eh go on to talk a bit about eh the thing that we are most interested in that's the way you talk and what you think about the way people talk especially ehm firstly do you think that you ever change the way you talk according to you know the company you're in the person you're talking to or (interruption)

all the time because i it's the job I'm in you know

yes

ehm (pause) if I get a a chap that speaks broad Tyneside he's not going to be at ease if I talk all sort of lardy da and the other way round if I get a commercial and I talk broad Tyneside he's going to think oh it is an opinion people get you know they think because someone talks in a local accent that they're a grade below

aye yeah

I've noticed this you know even with just the people I work with that their accents change according to the to the people they interview

yes what ehm what sort of voice would you say you were talking in at the moment

ordinary I've talked for too long (unclear) (laughter)

so this is your I mean would you say this was your most localized voice

mm-hm

yes yes ehm yeah and do you also think that eh on a fairly long term basis you've talked more or less the same all your life or do you think you've changed it

no it's always been very much the same ehm maybe a bit more slang when I was younger you know

yeah yes

but other than that I'm just just the same

yeah (pause) eh on the whole do you eh approve of people talking in local accents you know well Tyneside accents especially

well

an aesthetic matter you know you think that one sounds nicer than than the other but you you wouldn't say that you disapproved of say broad localized accents for any other reason I mean you don't?

well they're difficult to understand people that speak broad Tyneside ehm I mean I know a lot of Tyneside words I sort of I I could make it out but anyone else sort of coming into the region to be confronted with someone in a broad Tyneside accent try and understand what they're saying

aye

just the same as if we went to London you know and we heard a Cockney and we would find it difficult to understand

yeah yes it's eh (unclear) possible ehm do you think that eh you would ehm correct your children if you had any for talking (unclear) in very localized ehm accent you know perhaps saying a've just fallen doon and hit me heed or something

yes

yeah

I would because I (laughter) I do it (unclear) but ehm I think it's something we should be proud of you know not to be used (pause) a lot but I think when it's it's a thing you should be proud of you shouldn't be ashamed of speaking a local accent

aye

I don't believe that but eh there again I I don't know it doesn't sound right you know (laughter)

(laughter) you mean it sounds all right on stage or something like that you know I mean that it's not quite a that broad Tyneside isn't quite a language to speak but a language to listen to on special occasions for amusement or something

not for amusement I would say ehm (pause) I don't to be quite honest I don't really know I've never given it enough thought but I feel that it's a thing for the region you know for this particular area and that we shouldn't pull it down at all

yes (interruption) yes yes

and yet I do in my own life you know I mean my friends always correct their children if they speak broad Tyneside

yes this I

and I suppose I might correct my children just as a matter of ehm (pause) (interruption) it's the thing to do to to speak properly

yeah (pause) it's a strange thing (unclear) nearly everybody corrects their children about it even the most broad Tyneside speakers you know

mm-hm

which is odd

I don't know why yeah but I suppose it's the thing that people think you get on well in life if you speak correctly

mm

and employers do consider that you know (laughter)

nasty ehm (pause) do you think that eh you know eh say the way the newsreaders speak on television when they're reading out the news ehm do you do you look upon that as being a particularly eh correct form of speech I mean do you approve of it

it sounds false you know

yeah

it sounds put on (pause) but ehm (pause) I've never given it much thought really

it doesn't sound like anything that you could ever really use you know what I mean

no maybe a bit too

do you know anybody yourself that talks very like that

yes one or two

mm

ehm (pause) both of them are (pause) members of the theatrical (pause) group in Gateshead

uh-huh

and probably th I always put it down to that (unclear)

(laughter) uh-huh mm eh this might eh m might strike you as a rather vague sort of question but eh well I don't know perhaps you're used to this sort of thing in your job what what kinds of things do you think you can tell about somebody from the way he talks you know a apart from say where he comes from which you might have a guess at but on Tyne you know among Tynesiders what do you think you can tell about people

class to a certain extent you know

yes

not that there is such a great class now as there used to be I think more people tend to just think they're working class (laughter) everybody (interruption) thinks that they're working class

(laughter) everybody thinks they're working

(laughter)

yes would you say you could make fairly ehm you know fairly fine guesses about people or just broad ones you know I mean (pause) would you be willing to to guess within certain limits what kind of job a person might do from listening to him talk

you could probably put him in (unclear) one of three categories you know

so you would say whether (unclear)

depending on what you were talking about you know it would depend what he was talking about

mm-hm

you would need sort of extra guidance for us deciding

yes but would do you think then on the whole you could tell betw you know the difference between somebody who worked in a factory and somebody who worked in an office

well depending depends on the individual but you usu taken broadly you usually ehm well an office worker sort of tries to speak better than a ehm than a factory worker you know

yes

but it's n I think it's because factory workers (pause) speak the tone you want you can say what you like where they sort of speak when when the opportunity arises when the machine stops and things like that

yes that's yeah there's definitely

and it depends on the type of work you do because if you're doing a repetitive job you know I could imagine you get pretty sick

yes

and sort of chunter on and that these girls in the eh you know when they're on the production lines and that if you hear a factory full of them (unclear)

uh-huh uh-huh yeah (laughter) do you think that eh women tend to be less localized in than men (pause) you know on the whole would you say that you know a a man would usually be a more localized speaker than his wife

I don't think a man puts as much emphasis on on the way he speaks as a woman it sort of well it depends on the woman really

mm

you know I I know a lot of girls that just they speak the way they speak and they don't think any more about it and yet I know other girls who try to be sort of up really you know

yes aye (pause) eh what ehm to take a a concrete example of this what would you say about my accent from listening to it

I wouldn't think you had any accent at all

really I mean would you say that I come from Tyneside

no well I'd say you came from Tyneside but I wouldn't say you spoke broad Geordie

no no but I mm yes I'm always worried about people say that that do you think that if if you didn't you know I mean if you just sort of heard me passing on the street do you think you would ever do you think you would be able to guess that I was a Tynesider just from hearing a few words

yes I think so because people from other parts of the country they have sort of this difference in the way they speak you know as opposed to here

and what what would eh

well I wouldn't think I don't think he comes from round here you know if I heard you speak

I see what you mean yes yes

but I wouldn't think he definitely lives on Tyneside

yes yes yes what would you say ehm how do you think my voice compares with yours

about the same perhaps I'm a bit more broad than you

really I I I was just sitting here thinking exactly the opposite

(laughter)

which is odd (laughter) it's g it's good that it's it's almost (unclear) really (unclear) about (laughter)

(laughter)

(unclear) the truth (unclear) we're seeking for the truth you know yeah it's funny and yet you know I was ehm (pause) of course I I might be talking differently in you know now than t than what I normally talk (pause) because eh you know I have lived in Gateshead all my life like

mm-hm

as far as I know I've always talked more or less the same

I don't think you notice sort of much yourself as probably an outsider

aye yes

you know sort of people I've worked with maybe they can notice the difference

mm-hm

or people I haven't seen for a while to get them to express an opinion like that (laughter)

yes oh eh yes eh (pause) would you just read that list of words for us please

find mind fly bill well men head back farm wall daughter down talk straight cold alone poor fire four tower path after earth year me field been new moon school revolution but none seven one long holiday room book good maker wafer happy Harry Mary yes better something fall which apple television absent realize Newcastle Seahouses method concert descend chocolate explain industry condemn tissue with film that it (laughter)

I should type that out again it's getting far too scruffy (unclear) now eh I'm going to read out a list of words and for each one I would just like to know well firstly whether you're familiar with it and secondly whether whether you use it they're all fairly localized words you know

mm-hm

ehm (pause) aside for 'beside'

aside

would you say it's just aside the fire

no

mm

just aside the fire

mm-hm eh a bairn

bairn yes

mm bait

bait yes

bonny

not so much no

no eh bray

bray

yeah (pause) you do but you wouldn't use it but you know what it means

I don't know what it means

for 'to hit'

oh bray

aye mm-hm

mm-hm yes I use it (laughter)

mm (laughter) bullets

bullets are sweets yes not very often you know but

yeah yeah clamming

mm-hm

mm boody

pardon

yeah boody

no I don't know what that means

don't you ehm china broken ch especially broken china

oh (pause) I've heard of it but I I wouldn't say I used it

mm coin

coin maybe but I would (interruption) mean money

no oh yes yes what about coin a corner

oh no turn the corner

yes aye

coin the corner (pause) no I wouldn't s I I know what it means

aye (pause) but you y y you have also heard eh ha haven't got much coin (unclear)

mm-hm (laughter)

ehm cree cree

for cradle

oh s

(laughter)

(unclear) me I usually think it's a place where you keep your pigeons

oh a pigeon cree

aye

yes I've heard of that and I would use it mm-hm

yes yes eh (pause) lowe lowe for a flame or a light (pause) no

no

give us a lowe for give us a light no ehm mense be more to your mense to get some work done

no

no eh parky

parky yeah

about your food

mm-hm

ehm varnigh varnigh

no

no ever heard it no varnigh very nearly varnigh missed the bus

oh I've probably heard it you know when you say it in a sentence it

mm-hm yeah

but I wouldn't I wouldn't use it

you wouldn't use it (pause) fair enough eh mell

mell

mm

(unclear) (laughter)

hammer

what's that hammer

I don't think many women use the word mell actually but it's what ehm (pause) you know it's what blokes always call a big hammer a big mell ehm what about eh knool to be knooled

knooled

uh-huh yes ehm now eh (pause) (unclear) more or less on the same