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Age Group:

41-50

Gender:

Female

Residence:

Tyneside - Gateshead

Education:

Left school at 14; subsequent night school

Occupation:

Housewife (previously Clothes Cutter and Designer)

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Gender:

Female

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Gender:

Male

 decten1tlsg25

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right

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T L S G three one two

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thanks (pause) eh (pause) eh start at the beginning could you tell me ehm first where you were born please

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where I was born

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yeah

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I was born in 1 A Alfred Street

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ah yes yeah

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just where the school's being built now

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that's right yeah ehm and eh whereabouts else you've lived since then (unclear)

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pardon

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eh whereabouts else you've lived since then for a few (unclear)

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whereabouts ehm it's how actually on the High West Street it was on the High West Street before they pulled it down

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yes you stayed in Alfred Street (interruption) how long how long before you moved

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yes two streets down

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yeah

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that's where I was born

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yes and how long did you live there before you moved

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eh well I was only there when I was a baby and after that we moved up beside the Shipcote (unclear)

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I see yes yeah and then where

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(unclear) (pause) do you want me to continue where I was

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yes

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oh and and after that we went ehm I went to work at Bainbridge's

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yeah

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eh in Newcastle and then of course I got married I haven't worked since

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no and

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not at all

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you've lived here since

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we bought this house and we lived here all the time

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yes yeah ehm (pause) and which of those places do you think was the best one to live in which area do you think was the best (interruption) to live in

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which a area do I think is the best well Gateshead is the best area if it was kept as Gateshead

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yes

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but actually I think Gateshead is dying out

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mm yes

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too many roads in it now

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yes

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and it's a shame because it was a beautiful (pause) place Gateshead there was a eh character about it they've spoilt the character of Gateshead

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that's true yes

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through the roads

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yeah you would certainly not say

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I can't recognize it as Gateshead

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aye you would prefer to live in Gateshead rather than Newcastle for instance

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well I'd prefer to move out of Gateshead if I was going to move at all but my husband loves Gateshead

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yes yeah

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he (unclear) wants to stay here I don't

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yes ehm (pause) would you say that ehm you knew the people who live around here very well

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well if they kept the character up (pause) of this area it would be there's all there's all these streets (unclear) they've still got the same people living in you know all the old people

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yeah yes

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all this street here has all the old people

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yeah

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they're very old they've lived here all their lives

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yes

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born here sixty and seventy years

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yes

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and they're still living

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yes

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we're just strangers to them my husband lived here see oh when he was a boy

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do you think it's is is it a very neighbourly eh area to live in

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pardon (unclear)

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is it a very neighbourly area to live in (pause) do you (unclear)

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eh not the type of neighbourliness no people tend to keep themselves to themselves

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yes

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because these were all big houses you see

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yeah

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I mean they're they're big terrace houses and there've been big families brought up at them got away and ehm (pause) they were all business people and a lot of railwaymen

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yes

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lived in this street and it's a shame and there's a street next and the next street was a beautiful street

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eh that's

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and Denmark Street

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Denmark Street yes

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it was a beautiful street up to about six years ago

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yeah

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and of course it's been s ruined

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yes

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lot of the prominent business people of Gateshead were born there

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yes but now they've all sort of (interruption) divided up (unclear) yeah

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been spoiled by and then things like that

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yes yes

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I should should put it back the way it was and (unclear) that would be part of the character of Gateshead

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yes

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because Gateshead had a right down Gateshead High Street and right up the top they had the the beautiful shopping centre and there's no shops there at all

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(unclear)

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we lack shopping area proper shops

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yes

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from the bottom of our street up to about four years ago y you could buy anything

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yes

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from that side you can't now you must go to Newcastle for whatever you want

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yes you do

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or Chester le Street I do

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yes

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I go to Newcastle or Chester le Street

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yes

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I don't do any shopping in Gateshead hardly

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mm mm

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it's not worth it there's nowhere to go

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yes

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you can't get anything

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that's eh very true eh do you think that there's anything you would miss (interruption) (unclear)

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and I don't fancy the council estates

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no

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no (pause) I prefer to be i in in an area like this

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yeah mm so you would miss this area really if you had to leave it presumably

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well my husband would miss it more than me

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yes

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I would like to get out of it

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yeah

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any time

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yes eh

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actually this house is going to be too big for us when my daughter leaves (pause) I would like to move

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yes where do you think you would like to move (interruption) to

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she'll be leaving July you see

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yes

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it's a big too big a house a big terrace house is for big families

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mm-hm

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you see no it's going to be too big for us

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yes

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but you we can't sell them (unclear)

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yes I've heard that it's difficult to sell these houses

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eh we can't sell them for the property round the area it's been turned into slum character it's a shame

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yes yes ehm (pause) would you ehm do you prefer living on Tyneside compared with (interruption)

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do I prefer what

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living on Tyneside compared with the rest of the country would you would you willingly move (interruption) away from Tyneside

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ehm well I haven't lived anywhere else

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yes

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I've lived on Tyneside and I know the area very well

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yes

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I lived in in the I've worked in Newcastle and I've lived in Gateshead and I know the area very well my husband knows every back street and cranny

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yes

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around this area

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(unclear)

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he can take you anywhere in Newcastle and anywhere in Gateshead

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yes

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all the little short cuts

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so you don't (interruption) (unclear)

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well he's a cyclist as well

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oh I see

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he knows all the roads

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yes oh I cycle

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he actually he wo would have been the best one

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yes

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because he knows every little place

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(laughter) yes

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there's not a place he doesn't know

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yeah

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he takes me shortcuts sometimes I don't know where I am

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(laughter) eh so you are in fact fairly attached to Tyneside (interruption) as a (unclear)

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eh well I like Tyneside the people are friendly here

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mm-hm

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but ehm you can get the reverse you know the same as any other area

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yes yes

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I don't think I'd like to live on one of these modern housing estates

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no

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no they're too ehm the Joneses trying to beat the next set of Joneses

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yes I think that's true yes (pause) eh

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you see I I've got a neighbour next door now I can go in if I want to (pause) next door

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yeah

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she come in here I thought it was her as a matter of fact coming in

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yes (laughter)

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th w when you're missing off the street I've been missing for six month in ho I've been in hospital eh they all wonder where you are

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yes

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they all miss you

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yes

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well on the housing estates they don't

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yeah eh so (unclear) you've never actually been away from Tyneside in your life (interruption) never for very long periods

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yes I like I stay on Tyneside

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yeah (pause) ehm could you tell me please ehm were your parents born in Gateshead as well

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pardon me

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were your parents born in Gateshead

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my parents one of my parents was born here my mother

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yeah

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she was born where we live two streets down my father comes from Lincolnshire

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oh I see right yes

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we had a mixed eh (laughter) dialect in our house you know

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yes yes that's certainly it's certainly (interruption) (unclear)

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but he worked all his life on Tyneside once he came out the army up here

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I see I see he had been living up here a long time then (interruption) before you were born

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yes he lived up here from ehm from being a young man married

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yes I see eh and ehm what was your father's occupation please

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pardon me

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what was your father's occupation

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my father's name

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no his occupa occupation

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occupation he was a ehm eh instrument assembler in the ships

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I see yes yeah yes

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my husband's a painter and decorator

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yes ta ehm (pause) yes could you tell me ehm which age group you fall into please on that card

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eh

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if you could just say the letter

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yes eh well I've just had my birthday I've just turned fifty and my husband's fifty

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I see yes

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just had it in hospital (unclear)

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yes puts you in D

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I'm not ashamed of my age

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(laughter)

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(laughter)

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that's why we we resort (interruption) to the cards because some people are (unclear) (laughter)

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no I'm not no I'm not ashamed of my age some can carry it well

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yes and eh you own this house y yourself

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yes

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yes ehm and eh your husband is from Gateshead (interruption) (unclear) very local local yes yes

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painter and decorator yes self employed

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uh-huh right eh (pause) and eh how many children do you have just

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pardon me

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how many children do you have just the one

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eh just the one daughter

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one daughter and she's (interruption) how old

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she's twenty five

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yeah

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she's the Manchester University

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is she

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yes

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yes (pause) ehm (pause) right ehm (pause) are you currently employed

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no

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no

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I don't work at all

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I see yes

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well I've just come out of hospital you see

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yes

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eh just at the weekend I've had a heart operation

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I see yes

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down at Seaham Hall

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yeah is is everything all right by the way

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yes (pause) well (unclear) today I've had the heart operation

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yes

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had two valves in the heart put right

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yes how do you feel

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that's the second one I've had mind I had one seventeen years ago one of the first ones

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I see yes

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and I've had another one

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yes

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so I'm lucky to be here sitting talking to you it's only a month a day yet

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(laughter) yes indeed yeah ehm could you tell me ehm what jobs you've done in the past please

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what jobs we've done

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what well what jobs you've (interruption) you've done

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that I've done oh well I I did work at ehm Bainbridge's I was cutter and designer there

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yes

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for gowns

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yes

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that's before I got married

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yes

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I haven't worked since I was married

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I see yes and that

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my husband's a very very old fashioned type he'll be the (pause) bread winner and you (pause) make the bread that type of (laughter)

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oh I see yes (laughter) eh

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he doesn't believe in work eh w women working

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in in the woman working yeah right ehm (pause) and that's the only job you've done in the past

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yes it's the only one I've ever done

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yes I see yes ehm did you did you think it was a good job

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I've continued it mind through my married life I've never bought any clothes

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oh I see you've you've sort of kept up (interruption) the skills as it were

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uh-huh yeah I've bought no clothes

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yeah very useful that (unclear)

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here's my neighbour

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oh

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he's just asked if we've got neighbours

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(laughter)

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from the eh university here's my neighbour

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yes next door eh I've just seen Mr (NAME) a way down but I haven't spoken to him he's right down he was away a fortnight you know but I was only away a week I should have had a fortnight really

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eh this chap's interviewing me

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pardon

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interviewing me for the eh (pause) speech

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oh yes uh-huh

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eh for the Tyneside dialect you see

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oh I see uh-huh yeah

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uh-huh (pause) Mr (NAME)'s got a good one (laughter)

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oh he has hasn't he

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yes mm-hm

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ah yeah (pause) it's a pity (unclear) couldn't (unclear)

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and I eh (pause) eh I couldn't understand a word in Scotland believe me they're terrible there (interruption) oh dear me

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yeah yeah

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I wondered if you were up I'm just going up are you having a good time now then

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mm-hm

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I thought you would be back you know I thought (unclear) (pause) well I'll go and let you get on with it (laughter)

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whuh (pause) eh

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uh-huh (pause) is that all the question you've got

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no there's some more I'm afraid

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oh they're just the same ones oh well

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could you tell me ehm how old you were when you left school please

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how what

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how old you were when you left school

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how old I was when I left school I was fourteen year old

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yeah

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and I went straight to work

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yeah so did I

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and my ehm (pause) relatives had a gown factory that's how I went (interruption) into the

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I see yeah

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they had the business they had a gown factory in Newcastle

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yes were you eh

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they taught me the trade you see

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yeah

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the cutting and designing of course now it's different altogether now

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yes

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(unclear) a second I'll come in again all the best

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I'll see you after (interruption) (unclear)

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I'll be seeing you

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I'll see you after

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right oh

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come and see you

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uh-huh yes right

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I'm on my feet

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(laughter) eh were you glad to leave school at the time

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pardon me

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were you glad to leave school at the time

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eh no actually I wasn't glad to leave school ehm I went to ehm a college afterwards

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oh I see

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at night college

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yes

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and eh (pause) I liked school very much

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yeah

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course then we had to leave at fourteen (pause) (interruption) you see

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yeah

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to go out and earn our own living

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yes

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there was no ehm very few hand outs for the ehm (pause) universities or anything like that you had to have your name down you know to get into the university but now (pause) it's different because my daughter's been right through it herself

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yes yeah ehm

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I think they've had the op more opportunity now

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yes

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than we did

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yes eh whereabouts did you go to

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but my husband to a grammar school mind

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yes

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at Seaham Harbour

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I see yes eh

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I didn't I went to night schools at nights

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yes whereabouts did you go to the night schools

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eh in Newcastle ehm City Road ehm (pause) oh I forget the place now it was along City Road

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and what did you what did you study there

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ehm (pause) it wasn't the Northern Counties that just came out it was along City Road it was a school at nights

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yeah

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used to go

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eh

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but now and again you know ehm

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yeah

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but ehm (pause) but my daughter's not Tyneside course she's a schoolteacher

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yes (interruption) (unclear)

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she's been away quite a while now

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it's the sort of thing that would make a difference yes

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my husband speaks better Tyneside it comes out now and again when he gets excited you see

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yes yes I remember I met him the last time (interruption) I was here you know he was he was here yes

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yes oh he'll be in shortly

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(unclear) card

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yes (pause) eh anyway I've

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oh do you smoke

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no thanks no no I don't eh (interruption) I never touch them

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I shouldn't really but

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yeah it's eh

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I've got a lot of writing to do you see

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yes

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for a lot of eh for a lot of book work it's been ke it's been kept for me for six month I've got it all to do

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eh oh dear that (pause) will keep you busy

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right you'd better

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anyway eh fire away some more questions at you if that's if it's all right ehm (pause) could you tell us please eh just eh what you like to do in your spare time you know how you like to spend (interruption) your presumably you like (unclear)

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well actually what I like doing in my spare time is making dresses

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ah yes that's

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yeah that is my trade

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very useful yeah

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and eh I'm just looking there (laughter) at the at the new fashions I I like to that as a a hobby really

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yes

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design my own dresses

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oh you can design your own oh that's great yes

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(unclear) designs I w I was a cutter and designer in town (pause) eh but I haven't worked since I was married but I still keep it up

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you still do it (unclear) you make things for yourself and your family

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do all my own eh bits and pieces like that because the price of the the the gowns in town I just had a walk round for the first time in six months (pause) this week (pause) and I wouldn't use them as dusters some of them (laughter)

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it's incredible isn't it (unclear) they're so expensive

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well that is my hobby ehm dress making

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yes eh

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and I like the sports meetings mind I go to a lot of sports meetings

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oh athletics (interruption) (unclear)

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eh my husband's an ex eh I'm saying ex he hasn't been on this year cyclist

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oh oh that's interesting

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and he's pretty well know in the cycling area and we go to most of the sports meetings

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yeah

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do a lot of the (unclear) on the big races (pause) and eh we're going to one tomorrow Gypsies' Green

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where (interruption) whereabouts is that

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big cycling meeting on there

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yeah whereabouts is that

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Gypsies' Green South Shields

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is it (interruption) (unclear)

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right at the end you go straight along the promenade there's a beautiful stadium there

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yeah

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anyone can use it from (pause) anywhere

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yes

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and we're not taking advantage of it

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aye yes

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beautiful stadium for cycling it's all banked up just like Hearn Hill

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aye I don't eh I don't cycle as much as I should now (interruption) you know I like to eh get out

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oh do you not eh well I like nothing I like to see to see all the ehm I like to see any kind of sport

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mm-hm yes yes do you watch television very much do you watch the (interruption) sport on television

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yes

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yes would you say eh do you usually watch it every every evening

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I well I actually that's that's only pieces o bits and pieces o on the television of the sport

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yes

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I don't mind the tennis

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yes

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but ehm I'm not keen on the football

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mm

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I like the wrestling the tennis and the horse jumping

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yes

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I think that that is a television type of thing but I like to go and see it in real life

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(unclear)

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I like to see all the sports

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

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what do I think think of the what

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that parents should do when their children misbehave you know how do you think parents should

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when they don't speak correctly well

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well just any sort of misbehaviour you know

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eh the parents well (pause) th that type eh when they're when they're not speaking or acting correctly it starts in the home

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mm-hm

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definitely

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yeah

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when my daughter was born (pause) I never spoke baby language to her and she never spoke it

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mm

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back to me

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(unclear)

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the baby language that children speak are their i it it's their own language

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mm-hm

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but you don't have to answer them in it

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yeah

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you have to answer them in the proper language and they correct themselves

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yes aye yes (interruption) (unclear)

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I never believed in that

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I think you're quite right about that

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you see I did a lot of nursing in children's places and voluntary

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yeah

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and eh (pause) I always said I would never speak baby language because you're teaching a child to speak a baby language that that is not spoken

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that's right yes

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it's not spoken amongst adults

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yeah

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the child speaks his own baby language and let it enjoy it

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mm

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I I've got a I'm a great believer in that

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yeah

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teach your child just to speak plain English because actually if you (pause) speak plain English I'm not talking about this Cambridge lark and this powder puff stuff put on it's all put on that

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uh-huh

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the plain English started in the North East

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yeah

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it started on the on the ehm North East coast (pause) the English language

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uh-huh

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I've been right around England you know I've toured England

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yeah yes

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all the place and the continent

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yeah

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and if you speak the plain la English language you can be understood anywhere in the world

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yes

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because I've travelled quite a lot

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right

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camping

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mm

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(unclear) away to see it

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yes yeah

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my daughter's (pause) she well she's just came back fortnight ago from Cannes she said if you can speak if you speak French or Flemish you can be understood over there

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mm mm eh (pause) so do you eh would you say you more or less approve of people speaking in their ordinary local dialects you know

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well dialects are beautiful if they're spoken if they're spoken properly

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yes

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but they're mixed now

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yes you don't like (interruption) mixed dialects

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yes I like it I good to hear a good dialect

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mm-hm

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a good one well spoken now on the Northumbrian coast in Northumberland the likes of ehm (pause) these little place Amble Beddlington all those places up there now they have a guttural (pause) dialect of their own and it's beautiful to listen to

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mm mm mm what about ehm you know the language of Newcastle or Gateshead (interruption) is it do you think it's yes

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well I don't I haven't mixed in with lots of people that type of people you see but I like the ehm (pause) to hear this n Northumbrian (interruption) (unclear) Northumbrian

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the most (unclear) sort of rural (unclear) yeah

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I can understand it some of them I can't they've got a gravel it's an inheritance the gravel type in their voice and they can get any the can get Scotch they can get any type of language out of it I haven't got any guttural in my (unclear) voice

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(unclear)

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I wish I had because I could imitate them

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(laughter) aye (pause) do you think that ehm you yourself ever change the way you speak according to the person you're talking to or (interruption) any other circumstances

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well I I've never changed

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no

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not in my speech

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do you think you've more or less spoken the same all you life

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well (pause) yes I haven't changed my speech one little bit

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mm and you think that (interruption) you know

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mind I have sisters who have

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mm-hm

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and I can't understand them now and it annoys me

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yes

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because they come from the North East

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aye

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and I'm proud of the speech of the North East

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uh-huh

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and they shouldn't go and imitate where they're living now and they are

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and where whereabouts are they

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one lives in Carlisle and I don't know whether they're speaking Scotch or broad Cumbrian or what I can't understand that language but I've told them they should keep to your own mother tongue where you were born

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mm-hm mm

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I'm very very eh I I I don't think sh people should alter their speech to suite their statues in life (unclear) where they were born and brought up

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mm aye do you think that eh (pause) apart from these sort of permanent changes do you think that you ever change you know just ehm just according to the company you're in eh

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well I think (interruption) people ch

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or do you or do you think that you always talk exactly the same in all circumstances

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I've always spoke like this you see

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aye

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but some people change once they get on the sec first rung of the ladder

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uh-huh (unclear)

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that type of thing and it's all wrong because eh actually when they get excited their mother the tongue they were born with comes out and it spoils all the effect of what they're trying to be

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that's right yes (interruption) (unclear)

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mind I I believe in eh I believe if you h ever ch children ever get the chance to teach them elocution

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mm-hm

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because the majority even I've noticed on the television don't open their mouth (pause) they don't sound their words properly

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yes

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and it's still (pause) they're still teaching A B C (pause) they still teach that at school

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uh-huh yes

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to start with and then it is A B C now some of them are this language on the television it's Americanized

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yes (unclear)

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to a certain extent

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mm

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and they're missing words letters off which they don't ha do at school they've got to still write the letter on at school

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yes yeah

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I've got a very very eh strong point in that I could argue that anywhere

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yeah

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but when you write a letter or a word at school you if you miss an E off and they and they put an E and a a D on to sort of eh (pause) I've I've I've pulled to pieces hundreds of things on there (unclear) I watch the children's programmes as well you see

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yes yes

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but mind there was was a programme on I was very a very interested in last week I think it was on and I with me not getting out much I watch it

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mm

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this drama (interruption) I don't know whether you've seen it

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yeah (unclear) I didn't see it no

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but eh is there she's Chancellor of Edinburgh University you know this lady she's a lady about fifty or sixty and she's teaching geo drama there was a Wallsend youth club on

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yeah

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drama as the children want to play it

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yes

:

in their own language in their own style

:

yes

:

of ehm (pause) of eh accent

:

mm-hm yes

:

and it was very very good

:

sounds (interruption) good that yes

:

they were reacting better than they were learning parts

:

mm-hm

:

they were acting to play themselves as they imagined to be

:

yes it's quite (interruption) exciting (unclear)

:

and it was very very cleverly done

:

yes (pause) ehm (pause) do you usually ehm did you used to correct your own children if they ever came out with you know a very broad local expressions I mean if they said (interruption)

:

oh yes I corrected my daughter yes yes

:

yes if they said things like I've fallen (interruption) fallen doon

:

every night (pause) out of the Evening Chronicle give us twenty spellings I used to give her

:

yeah

:

I used to correct her that way

:

yes

:

her way she asked for them no I didn't used to sort of sit down and hammer it into her

:

mm-hm yes (pause) but her pronunciation as well apart from the spelling (interruption) (unclear)

:

the pronunciation yes ehm (pause) if I thought it was going to benefit to her yes

:

mm-hm

:

and if I didn't I used to just let her carry on

:

mm mm-hm mm

:

I just had a set way of teaching her (pause) speech as the grown ups te teach it she taught me the baby language I didn't teach her

:

mm-hm

:

and then she corrected it herself

:

mm

:

it was I think it was with me going to ehm I was taught this this e elocution but I never (pause) made a point of teaching her it she passed elocution herself English oral

:

mm-hm mm (pause) ehm you know eh the way the newsreaders speak on television when they're re

:

pardon me

:

you know the way the ehm the newsreaders speak on television when they're reading out the news

:

well some of them

:

(unclear) you think of that

:

yes I know some of them speak the Oxford (pause) and Cambridge accent eh now the Queen I'll bring her into it because I don't think hers is the correct speech

:

yeah

:

not for the people of England

:

yes

:

it's it's eh they don't speak that type of language

:

(unclear)

:

but the some the majority of the eh announcers eh speak a very very plain English

:

mm-hm

:

and some of them don't

:

yeah but some of them speak sort of what you would call too posh perhaps

:

eh well some of them speak a just a bit th now the North East announcers were very very good

:

mm

:

I don't know whether this Earl Earls eh I don't forgot his other name Irwin but he was a very good speaker (pause) some of them speak with their mouth closed I don't know how they get their words out

:

mm-hm yeah

:

you know thin lips you d I just don't know how the words come out like that and yet some of them speak ehm (pause) with their mouths open we were always taught to be sound our vowels (unclear) that way that way and that way

:

mm-hm

:

and the old teaching of the to bring speech out is still the best

:

mm-hm yes yes that presumably they are sort of good teachers and good speakers and bad speakers are there not but

:

some people seem to swallow their words chew their words

:

yes

:

they don't come out

:

yes and those are eh those are the only grounds you have for disapproval (interruption) of anybody in any way

:

yes yes poor speech

:

(unclear) but it's not a matter of ehm disapproving of certain kinds of accents (interruption) (unclear)

:

no no it can be easily easily corrected (pause) and this I that's I I don't disapprove of it now mind my husband does because he can't understand some of the stuff he watches on the television so he doesn't watch it

:

mm-hm

:

the pop groups are the worst

:

oh yes some (unclear) (interruption) (unclear)

:

they chew on their words they're spitting it out and chewing it again you can't understand what they're singing about

:

ah yes that's that's quite true aye

:

I switch them off I don't listen to that

:

ehm

:

I pick all my eh type of eh listening I'm not eh (pause) I I'm not a great listener of these type of the rub the rubbish that they put on there

:

mm mm (pause) ehm when you're eh when you're away in other parts of the country you know on holiday or something ehm do people usually guess that you come from Tyneside (interruption) (unclear)

:

oh when I when i if go away if I go abroad or anything if I can't make myself understood I do the sign language I go and get it and ask them

:

yes yes

:

I done all the shopping abroad

:

(laughter)

:

I was pushed to the front I didn't understand the language but I got on by the sign language

:

(unclear) yes

:

I could point and ask them and they always got

:

yeah yes I was thinking o of ehm when you're in other parts of England you know (interruption) (unclear)

:

there's only one place that we weren't understood I was but my husband wasn't and that was right on the borders of Scotland

:

yes

:

beside Stirling went to get a camping spot there and my th w w we went to book in at the eh the eh office for a camping spot for a couple of nights and the big fat lady came to the door I can nay understand you laddie to my husband

:

(laughter)

:

and we had to no he they couldn't understand him at all

:

aye

:

and we had to come and get him

:

mm I see aye

:

and all he wanted was two nights (pause) lodging

:

(laughter)

:

two nights on the field

:

yes

:

and she couldn't understand a word he was saying

:

mm

:

I think he was saying it too quickly

:

yes

:

the majority of people speak very quickly just now

:

mm

:

I don't know why but they're in a hurry the world's moving very fast that's what I said to my daughter it's mo moving too fast for the people in it

:

yes (interruption) (unclear)

:

mm-hm scientifically etcetera it's moving fast and people can't keep up with it

:

mm-hm

:

I've got some very funny theories but they're true if you lo (interruption) you've ju you've just got to gaze around and watch them

:

(unclear) I see yes eh do people do people usually know that you come from Tyneside

:

pardon me

:

do people usually know that you come from Tyneside from your speech you know do people usually get it

:

ehm no not me but my husband yes

:

mm yes aye

:

they got a bit of eh they've asked Welsh and ehm (pause) Welsh and do you come from the south

:

yes

:

eh (pause) certain places where there's a lilt

:

mm-hm yes

:

eh (pause) there's a lilt in the voice

:

yes

:

evidently they can they c they kept guessing because there's something in the way I speak that I'll end up high

:

yes

:

and I c I've never noticed it before

:

yes but i it sounds like Welsh (interruption) that's right yeah

:

but you've got a sing a lilt in your voice

:

yeah

:

I think the Welsh people have

:

yes (interruption) that's right yeah

:

and that's why I I'm very often taken for Welsh

:

yes I think ehm the strange thing is that lots of lots of Tyneside people are often taken for Welsh

:

yes yes they have a lilt in their voice and as I'm talking instead of ending up on the lev same level I've tried to correct it you know

:

(unclear)

:

on my own but eh you've you just go back to it

:

(unclear)

:

it's the way you've been brought up the way you've been taught

:

mm-hm

:

and my father and mother never spoke pure Tyneside and I think that's what it is it's in the home where it starts

:

(unclear)

:

definite

:

mm but people people don't usually guess you come from Tyneside

:

no

:

no

:

no they don't guess

:

no (unclear) (pause) would you say that eh would you say that I came from Tyneside

:

mm-hm

:

yes

:

yes definitely

:

aye from Gateshead

:

Gateshead they sometimes ask where it is

:

yeah but do you think do you think I do you think I come from Gateshead

:

do you belong Gateshead

:

aye I do in fact do you think I sound like it (pause) do I sound (interruption) do I sound as if I do

:

no they don't they don't they don't think of you as coming from Tyneside (pause) and I think that what the percentage must be sixty percent now (pause) eh of the people in Tyneside don't speak Tyneside but (pause) I think (pause) when they get on the television it sounds raw

:

mm-hm

:

the n it's beautiful to the Tyneside people

:

mm yes

:

the Tyneside language

:

yes

:

now there's one person I have the caravan beside me you might his name'll be on the placards as Dickie Irwin

:

mm

:

Tyneside comedian now he is broad Tyneside in his turn

:

mm-hm yes

:

lives at Gosforth di he lives Dickie Irwin now he has a caravan beside me and we've had many good nights with him

:

mm-hm

:

well he's broad Tyneside but he also can speak the Queen's English

:

mm-hm right

:

not many people ever heard that

:

aye

:

you see he could change

:

yes does he speak that normally you know

:

yes

:

yeah yes and he's

:

whether it's kidding you up or talking amongst you he's broad Tyneside the the broadest I've ever heard in my life

:

yeah

:

and it's nice to hear spoken like that but when he gets on the television people seem to think it's dragging you down and eh it's it's not really it's a it's the language of the Tyneside people the Geordie

:

mm-hm

:

where the Geordie came from I don't know I've oft I've investigated that I've been to the library I would love to know when Geordie was actually in introduced

:

(unclear) (interruption) been here been here all the time

:

I think it's from George Stephenson actually that's as far as I've got

:

oh you mean where the name came from

:

yes

:

eh well eh I I've got a theory which you might like to consider (interruption) (unclear)

:

well I had a theory and I looked it up you see

:

yeah

:

I think it came from the eh the George Stephensons because there was (interruption) two of them you know two of the Stephensons

:

do you think so yeah I I heard once that it was on it was thought to be from the time of the Jacobite rebellions when people round here were in favour of King George (interruption) the name Geordie (unclear)

:

well you see when I was a little girl well I mean I'm not fifty yet but when I was a little girl I can remember lodging houses on Bottle Bank

:

uh-huh

:

lodging houses I can just remember them I can remember going for the last time across the high level bridge in a horse and trap

:

oh yes

:

for a farthing a ride across when we used to have to pay going across the high level bridge I can remember all of those things

:

aye

:

but you see I worked in town

:

yes

:

I when I left school and I went to another school in ehm City Road in town for dress design

:

yes

:

and I know more about Newcastle (pause) than I knew about Gateshead I lived a bit little bit higher up where the ehm (pause) eh I've always lived in Gateshead though eh little bit higher up where the ehm (pause) eh (pause) the Shipcote is

:

mm-hm

:

the Springwood Hotel that's just beside it

:

yes where the picture house used to be

:

uh-huh where the picture house was yes (pause) well that's where I lived you see

:

when can you remember when they ehm when they took the toll off the t off the high level bridge

:

I can just remember when they took the toll off

:

do you know

:

it was just before the war

:

just before the war was it yes

:

yes they took the toll off yes

:

yes

:

because know I w when we joined the when I joined the guides I had to run the high level bridge it's quarter of a mile long exactly

:

that's right yes

:

and I had to run the high level bridge for my for my certificates

:

is that right

:

and that was a measured (pause) eh

:

yes (unclear) quarter of a mile yes

:

yes

:

yes (unclear) I suppose in those days there there wouldn't be very much going back and forwards (interruption) between Gateshead and Newcastle

:

there wasn't much traffic but there was traffic

:

mm-hm

:

there wasn't a lot of traffic but you see Gateshead to me when I was a little girl it was an interesting place

:

uh-huh yes

:

(unclear) interesting because you could buy block from block salts everything from the Gateshead high street you know the end of Sunderland Road

:

mm-hm yes

:

where they're building now

:

yes

:

just down to the bottom (pause) there were hundreds of little shops

:

yes

:

right right up to a doll's hospital and it was an interesting place it was never you could (pause) stop at every shop

:

yes

:

now there's none they've spoiled Gateshead

:

yes yes it's all empty now

:

it it is a shame

:

yes

:

even Newcastle there's not the shops in Newcastle

:

mm

:

you know where I you know where I have to do my shopping in South Shields

:

do you (laughter) mm hello there

:

so you're the bike rider are you

:

that's that's right yes

:

yes he's away upstairs (laughter)

:

(unclear) (pause) that's