Return to: InterViewer Index | Go to: InterViewer Home | DECTE Homepage

:

:

Age Group:

31-40

Gender:

Female

Residence:

Tyneside - Gateshead

Education:

Left school at 15; subsequent secretarial college

Occupation:

School Secretary

 decten1tlsg34

:

ehm eh to start at the beginning eh could you tell us where you were born please

:

in Gateshead

:

yes whereabouts

:

you mean exactly

:

yes

:

(laughter) the street's been demolished now

:

is it

:

yes it's Devonshire Street

:

is it I don't know where that is

:

ehm (pause) you know where the Ritz cinema used to be

:

oh aye

:

quite near there

:

yes sort of behind there was it

:

yes

:

yeah and eh whereabouts else have you lived you know (unclear) how long did you stay there

:

oh let me see think we moved from there when I was about fourteen

:

yes and where to

:

to Wrekenton

:

oh I see yes it's just the two houses (interruption) there and (unclear)

:

mm mm

:

eh how do you think the two eh the two places compare you know as places to live

:

well I certainly didn't like living in Devonshire Street ehm (pause) I remember looking out at a lot of you know grimy slate roofs that sort of thing I always found it quite depressing but on the other hand eh (pause) lot of relatives lived near by it was very pleasant from that point of view

:

yes (interruption) (unclear)

:

I had a very happy childhood except that the house itself wasn't very nice

:

aye and what about ehm the place you live now do you like (unclear)

:

oh yes it's eh I think it's a very pleasant house eh I I don't meet any of my neighbours very much

:

do you not

:

no

:

aye is that sort of mm by design or by accident I mean do you

:

I just can't imagine I've much in common with them really I think to tell you the truth that's partly my fault I don't like making the effort to eh meet them very much but on the other hand I've a very busy life and not too much time

:

yes mm ehm (pause) you've eh you've never actually lived away from eh Gateshead in your life do you think you would ever want to move away you know what I mean

:

actually I did think about it some years ago I did toy with the idea of emigrating but eh (pause) discarded the idea for various reasons and I haven't regretted it

:

mm

:

I don't think I would be happy living away from England

:

mm

:

I often feel terribly homesick when I'm on holiday and have to come home again you know (unclear)

:

yes so you are fairly attached to this area then

:

well you see I live at home with my parents and my brothers and eh (pause) I'm more used to having them around you see and I do miss them terribly when I go away

:

yes ehm w whereabouts eh whereabouts in England would you say you would like to live if you know if money was no object (unclear)

:

oh I suppose like most people in the south east

:

would you

:

yes

:

yes some sort of rural eh retreat perhaps or I don't know (unclear)

:

not terribly rural I'm very fond of the country but I do feel awfully cut off when I'm there for any length of time you see

:

that's right

:

being born in Gateshead I'm so used to city life

:

yes it does (interruption) (unclear)

:

and eh the country life doesn't really agree with me

:

yes I think I'm more or less the same (unclear)

:

mm

:

eh do you find that ehm people from Tyneside you know from Gateshead and so are very different from people from other parts of the country in your experience

:

sad to say eh (pause) (laughter) I think eh they're rather rough diamonds compared to other parts of the country

:

do you

:

when one goes to places say like ehm the south west people seem so much better mannered

:

aye

:

I don't think they're perhaps better people but their their manners are better and so they're more appealing really

:

yes do you not find eh Tynesiders more friendly though this is a fairly (interruption) broad thing (unclear)

:

no I can't say that's so and I think my opinion's backed by the headmaster here who you know lived in various places and eh he lived in Wigan for some time and he said he w got very attached to the people there found them very friendly but he doesn't think the North East people are friendly and I don't think they're particularly so

:

mm-hm eh (pause) (unclear) whereabouts were your parents born please were they

:

they're both eh Gateshead born

:

Gateshead people as well (unclear)

:

mm

:

yes ehm (pause) and eh (pause) what's eh what was your father's occupation please

:

he was a painter with the corporation he's retired now

:

yes ehm and eh how old are you at the moment if you don't mind (interruption) (unclear)

:

(laughter) I'll have to think actually I was born in nineteen thirty six January nineteen thirty six I never can quite remember

:

(unclear)

:

I don't really sort of you know just think I'm just thirty whatever it is all the time you know

:

yes (unclear) and ehm you're not you're not married

:

no

:

and you live at home with your parents ehm eh now I take it that you're eh the th the secretary of this school

:

yes I do have an assistant who comes here in the mornings

:

mm yes eh would you say this was a good job you know do you like it

:

yes I'm very happy here have minor gremlins I think we all have I don't think the perfect job exists

:

mm what eh wh wh what other kinds of jobs have you done in (interruption) your life

:

ehm I've always done eh secretarial work

:

aye

:

I haven't I did think about being a librarian once and I was going to go to the central library but ehm (pause) decided not to

:

yes

:

I haven't done any other type of work

:

what eh I suppose eh secretarial work in different kinds of places (interruption) though

:

yes I did work at the university for a while

:

did you

:

yes but (laughter) I have to say I didn't like it

:

did you not

:

no

:

where did you

:

worked in the department of psychological medicine

:

yes

:

I didn't find it very congenial

:

oh why was that do you think

:

it's a little bit difficult to say ehm I simply felt quite unhappy there you know it's it's rather difficult to explain isn't it I simply didn't find the people very friendly or the place congenial at all

:

mm (unclear)

:

and I just knew I wouldn't like it so I frankly got out as soon as I could

:

I see yes oh in our department I think the secretaries are very eh (interruption) (unclear)

:

oh yes you know I don't suppose one department in the university's ever like another they'll all have their different eh (pause) characteristics

:

yes but eh would you say that you eh do you prefer being secretary in a school to to (interruption) (unclear)

:

very much so compared to any of my other jobs yes

:

mm-hm yes is this a eh wh wh what kind of school is this (interruption) (unclear)

:

it's a senior high school you know about the comprehensive system in Gateshead do you

:

oh yes mm

:

it used to be a selective school of course but there aren't any selective schools in Gateshead now

:

yes yes it eh it was never a grammar school was it (unclear)

:

no it used to be a secondary technical school

:

eh so you eh you don't think that there's any eh any other job that you would particularly like to do eh other than this one

:

I really don't think so perhaps I think I've found my mate here

:

yes (unclear) eh now eh how old were you when you left school yourself please

:

fifteen

:

aye do you think eh do you think you were glad to leave school at the time or (interruption) (unclear)

:

no no I enjoyed school very much

:

mm yes (interruption) where did you where did you go to school

:

I was happy there Whitehall Road school

:

that's eh Whitehall Road Alexandra Road on the corner corner of (interruption) Whitehall Road and Alexandra

:

eh yes in fact th this school sort of took over from Whitehall Road

:

mm

:

you may remember that

:

mm yes that's right yes it used yes I used to know it as the central (unclear)

:

mm-hm yes it's changed name several times

:

I see yes now it's just a primary school (unclear)

:

yes because the buildings are very old now and eh it wasn't really suitable for a high school at all there weren't many facilities

:

yes eh have you eh had any further education since you left school

:

mm I went to secretarial college

:

yes was that as ehm as night classes or as a full time

:

no full time

:

yes but it was when you were employed in fact was it

:

no no

:

oh I see

:

no I went there straight from school

:

oh I see yes yeah yes eh and eh would you say that ehm looking back on your education you know as a whole eh would you say it had been fairly useful to you since you left school were you well in your job for instance

:

eh yes I think so of course eh working in a school has eh made me think that eh there could have been more contact with eh staff than there was eh I couldn't criticize at the time but I think you know looking back eh I think one could have been helped more personally

:

mm

:

eh you know w well I simply had lessons and that's all there was to it eh

:

yes

:

I think you know contact between the staff and pupils is very helpful (interruption) for one's future career

:

is this is this school pretty good from (interruption) (unclear)

:

yes I believe it is there's a good career service here

:

yes yes it seems to be from what I've heard about it like I have had a couple of friends who came here you know (unclear) eh how would you eh estimate the value of of of education well you haven't got any children yourself but you know for for children in general nowadays would you say it was eh very important you know secondary education

:

I think there are wonderful opportunities for all children now eh particularly in this school you see eh there are unstreamed classes it means that eh sheep from the (unclear) goats everyone has an equal opportunity and eh

:

yes

:

I think anyone with any ability at all can't really help achieving their full potential if they don't you know it's entirely their own fault and not the fault of the system at all

:

yes

:

everyone's helped tremendously

:

and this is presumably things have changed quite a lot since you were in school then (interruption) (unclear)

:

oh yes and I think eh for the good in almost every respect

:

eh (pause) would you s do you think eh that education is eh just as important for girls as for boys (unclear)

:

oh yes

:

yes eh (pause) (unclear) yes eh do you think that ehm that schools have a or should have a particularly important role in teaching ehm morality you know I mean they should teach eh or or do you think that you know eh the home is more important in this respect

:

I think the home is more important certainly I (pause) great believer in that I think eh that parents are absolutely vital I think you really do take a lead from them and not things you learn in school but I certainly think eh schools should help to (unclear) what's right and wrong as far as they can

:

yes mm what ehm what do you think that eh discipline's like in schools these days (unclear)

:

well eh Mr (NAME) b believes in free discipline he likes eh people to try and discipline themselves he also extends the same freedom to the staff I think it's a very vexed question discipline ehm I don't like to be severe on children but on the other hand they themselves you know seem to express a liking for you know quite strict discipline they they don't really dislike being punished for things th they know they've done wrong

:

yes

:

it's rather difficult to know where to draw the line with discipline

:

yes ehm (pause) eh yes g going back eh more or less eh to your own to your own childhood you know you were saying before that you eh did enjoy (interruption) your childhood very much down in Gateshead

:

yes I had a very happy childhood

:

eh what eh can you remember what what kinds of things you know that you used to get up to (interruption) and the kinds of games games you used to play

:

(laughter) well according to my mother I was quite a tomboy

:

mm

:

eh I was brought up mostly with boys I had two brothers and eh most of my cousins were boys

:

mm

:

and eh I remember liking boyish things eh used to play cricket and this sort of thing of course when you play with boys they don't make any allowances for you you have to sort of run and jump just as they do so eh I played boyish games I think

:

aye ehm do you remember these are just a few questions about you know childhood words and this kind of thing (unclear) ehm do you remember what you used to call eh a game where one of the ehm one of the kids chases the others to try to touch them you know and if you touch him then then it's his turn (interruption) (unclear)

:

tuggy I suppose eh I must admit my memory of my childhood is not terribly good (laughter)

:

is that somebody at the door

:

a cleaner I think

:

eh and ehm

:

excuse me

:

never had things like that to happen in the middle of interviews before

:

(laughter) but you always get interrupted in school and (interruption) I'm so accustomed to it i interrupted all day long

:

oh it's it's much much worse (unclear) I do most of these in people's houses you know so I have to deal with screaming kids and eh you know all this kind of thing

:

screams sound so much worse on a tape recorder have you noticed this (unclear) sounds like someone's being murdered

:

that's right yes and and and you know you have to interview blokes when they're eating their dinner (interruption) (unclear)

:

(laughter)

:

it's all good fun yes eh do you remember what you used to call eh w ehm you know ehm when you have to call a halt in a game for some reason did you have a word that you used to use then like did you sometimes cross your fingers and say (pause) did you have a word for that

:

eh can't remember I always thought my mother's memory f for things like that was much better than mine she'll remind me about things we used to do

:

yes

:

I think perhaps I don't want to remember

:

yes I think you have

:

I think the psychologists would make something of that

:

yes I'm sure the older people get the easier to remember their childhood (interruption) (unclear)

:

well I think perhaps they're not so class conscious or the l lack of snobbishness (laughter)

:

(laughter) yes it's almost as if childhood was a kind of sort of lower class thing you know like (unclear) eh now ehm could you tell me please eh h how you eh you know like to spend your spare time you know during the evenings (unclear)

:

oh I like the theatre I read a great deal I like to play tennis in the summer

:

yes

:

(unclear) quite interested in films

:

are you are you would you call yourself a regular theatre goer you know (unclear)

:

yes I'm very fond of the theatre a also the cinema I'm quite a student of cinema always have been

:

mm where ab whereabouts do you go to the theatre like People's and eh so on

:

eh not People's eh university theatre I go to quite a good (interruption) deal

:

(unclear) it's about the only place I know where you don't have to stand up in your seat to let people pass

:

(laughter)

:

mm and ehm so would do you eh would you say that you usually spend most nights of the week actually out somewhere or eh

:

well eh I feel very happy at home you know I'm not a compulsive goer out you know some people eh simply loathe staying at home I'm quite happy when I'm at home watching television or just talking to my family reading doing things round the home but eh yes I am very fond of the theatre and eh love to go

:

what eh what kinds of things do you like to read

:

oh eh I like biographies and (pause) like books about the Jane Austin period I like her novels and novels about the Regency detective stories eh read a lot of non fiction but I'm especially fond of biographies

:

yeah mm ehm d do you think (interruption)

:

oh and history too I'd forgotten about that read a lot of historical books

:

yes historical novels

:

no not novels

:

yes I see yeah

:

not awfully fond of novels but I actually yes think they might be dry but you know they're very interesting

:

y yes I well I think yes I think some history books are eh some some books that you read that are you know it's more or less like reading a novel you know you read (interruption) (unclear)

:

it is I I I d I'm not fond of modern novels

:

yes mm eh do do you think there are any eh any things in the way of recreation activities you know that you would like to have done but you've never got round to or you've never got the chance to do this sort of thing or would you say you were fairly (interruption) content with your life

:

ehm I eh think in later years I've had more opportunities for doing things for instance I always wanted to play badminton never really had the opportunity till I came here

:

aye

:

I think it's eh opened up some avenues for me at least from that point of view

:

yes but eh you would say you're fairly sort of contented with your life (interruption) (unclear)

:

oh I consider myself more fortunate than most

:

mm yes eh what ehm this is an interesting question what kind of difference do you think it would make to you if you know if you won a huge sum of money (interruption) (unclear)

:

we were discussing this in school today and you know in view of the man who won about ehm half million and I think most people are absolutely terrified of winning that amount I certainly would hate it

:

would you aye

:

I'm positive I'd give most of it away because I'm sure it's the only (unclear) would be happy I think eh a little windfall say oh two three thousand this sort of thing would please most people

:

yes

:

you could buy a car go for a super holiday or something

:

yes

:

and then go back to your normal routine I think most of us would be terrified if we lost our normal routine and our (interruption) friends

:

yes you wouldn't actually g give up work if you even if you if you didn't have to

:

no oh I think it's very bad for one really I do

:

yes

:

(laughter) we may grumble about it but I think it's probably best for us really

:

yes eh do you ehm do you watch television very much (unclear)

:

eh not a great deal I don't find it much worth watching eh I find mostly I tend to talk to the family a great deal I think we all do it tends to be on in the background doesn't it

:

yes it does (interruption) (unclear)

:

there's isn't much compulsive viewing really

:

mm there aren't many there's aren't many things (interruption) that you really go out of your way to watch for instance

:

no nothing that's really absorbing oh no I don't think so I eh think I watch mostly sport on television I'm very fond of practically every sport except wrestling I think I love football and cricket all sort of things like that tennis you know we watch Wimbledon solidly at home

:

oh yeah (unclear) I haven't got a telly (interruption) (unclear)

:

(laughter) about the only thing that really interests me is sport I think on television

:

mm yes it's quite a good thing to sort of have in the corner and you can watch it and make fun of all the things that are on (unclear)

:

I think that's the only thing I enjoy about television because I've noticed that when I'm alone I can't bare to watch it I don't like watching it I just like (interruption) to watch it with the family

:

yes it's much better if there's a lot of you (interruption) yes

:

so you can you know make jokes about it

:

that's right yes eh and eh these are just eh a few questions about some of your opinions on things eh what ehm what do you think that eh parents ought to do when their children misbehave you know how do you think they should check them

:

well first first of all try to understand the child why it does what it does

:

mm

:

I d I'm sure I don't know how I'd go on about punishing a child because I've never had any children I'm not much acquainted with small children but certainly try to understand them

:

yes rather than actually belting (interruption) them

:

well I believe in being firm with children I really do but kind too

:

mm

:

I don't think you can go very far wrong if you can use those two things

:

ehm and eh this is eh another question that we always ask everybody but you don't have to answer it if you don't want because some people don't eh which way do you vote

:

Conservative

:

do you ehm have you always voted the same way

:

yes I I used to think I was socialist but I've rather changed my mind (laughter)

:

yes

:

because everyone's entitled to change their mind about politics (unclear)

:

oh I see yes but you're not ehm are you would you describe yourself now as a floater or or as a (interruption) (unclear)

:

I I think most of us are I know my brothers float flirting with the idea of being a liberal

:

aye you mean most of your family or (unclear) most people

:

oh I think perhaps they have a socialist bent but we we're certainly not rabidly anything

:

yes yeah yeah d do you have any sort of very strong eh ideological alignment with well the Conservative party for instance or is it just

:

no not very strong ehm I'm certainly not a rabid socialist dislike many of dislike many of their eh policies

:

mm

:

I think m most of England must be like me because you know eh if the socialists win one election they lose the next one this sort of thing you know

:

yes it's eh (interruption)

:

very rare to be swayed by any opinions I think

:

yes eh yes at least (unclear) proportion

:

(laughter)

:

eh although most people when I ask them most people claim that you know there are very few people who actually claim they're floaters (interruption) (unclear)

:

oh well I think there (laughter) must be more of us than we imagine

:

yes I think there must almost everybody says you know that they vote one way they always vote that way and it's a traditional matter in the family for instance or eh you know something like that (interruption) (unclear)

:

oh well eh I dislike following other people's lead I wouldn't follow anyone's lead in the matter of politics or anything else make my own mind up about that

:

eh if we could just eh go on to talk for a bit about eh what what we are really interested in that's eh the way you talk you know and what you think about the way people talk ehm firstly do you think that you ever change the way you talk according to ehm different circumstances or different different people you're talking to for instance

:

I I think I probable have a telephone manner I think most of us do I've noticed everyone changes when they pick the telephone up (laughter)

:

yes that's true yes ehm but eh any other kind of things I mean eh how about eh your voice when you're here at work as a secretary and your voice at home when you're talk you know when you're just chatting with family watching the television (unclear)

:

that's absent minded professors absent minded headmasters

:

yes

:

you were saying did I speak differently at home

:

yes

:

I don't think so because my brother claims not to understand me sometimes

:

(laughter) yes certainly do you ehm would you say that your voice has remained the same all during your life or has it changed very much say since you were (interruption) young

:

it's difficult isn't it eh I remember when I was at school I was quite interested in drama and connected with that I had some elocution lessons it probably changed from that date I was very conscious of it then we drilled very conscientiously

:

yes so you it not since it's not really eh it's not really (interruption) a result of being a secretary

:

a natural development oh no I don't think so I think it goes back much further it goes back to childhood I think

:

eh do you what eh what do you think about eh local accents you know do you like to hear people talking in them

:

(laughter) well I dislike the way it's rather made fun of in other parts of the world you know it seems rather unfair that some accents are acceptable and ours regrettably is not it's always a source of amusement to other people (laughter)

:

yes it is I don't know what it is that makes some ac some accents eh (unclear)

:

well some are euphonious aren't they the west country you always think of sort of farming it's very pleasant and the Scots accent's always acceptable but of course ours and Birmingham and Liverpool are flat flat vowels and eh just unpleasant

:

mm yeah I think it might have something to do just with the places they're associated with you know when you hear a

:

possibly

:

Tyneside accent you think of a big ugly Newcastle but if you you hear Walter Gabriel you think of nice rural sort of eh (interruption) (unclear)

:

(laughter) true rolling pastures and that sort of thing

:

yes yes eh do you do you eh mm do you feel that you know if you meet somebody for the first time and and he or she talks more or less like you you know do you feel more more likely to get on with them you know eh closer to them or something like that because they talk like you or does it not matter to you at all the way people talk

:

I like to think I get on with with most people and eh how they speak doesn't (unclear) at all I think as long as we understand one another

:

mm

:

eh you possibly do find yourself talking down to some people say some parents come to school eh have to make sure that they understand you possibly eh speak to them a little differently you you don't like to talk down to them but I think possibly you have to and also to the children to some extent

:

ehm (pause) do do do you think that ehm if you well if you had any children or if there was I mean eh nieces and nephews or something like this eh do you think you would eh teach them to talk in a particular way or or would you just let them talk (unclear)

:

as long as they spoke reasonably well I certainly wouldn't want them to have an Oxford accent

:

aye

:

and I certainly wouldn't want them to speak in dialect I think it's too bad

:

no I think (interruption) (unclear)

:

but eh I don't object to a regional accent

:

you would you would you would pull them about say eh (unclear) I've faallen doon in the street and things like that

:

yes definitely

:

aye yes mm eh and eh you h how do you react to you know the sort of eh BBC accent say ehm you know Robert Dougal's voice or something like that do you think of that as being particularly particularly good sort of accent

:

yes I do admire people with particularly eh charming voices I think

:

yes you think he's got a charming voice do you

:

Robert Dougal yes I think most of the BBC people have it it it makes them very pleasant to listen to

:

yes

:

and some are particularly eh appealing

:

mm do you think it's mostly a matter of their sort of you know the personal the the personal eh aspects of their voice or is it the you know the kind of accent they talk in that you think is charming

:

oh I think eh the person comes out in the voice I don't think it's just the accent

:

mm yes

:

some people are irritating on television you know they way they accent almost very word I find that very irritating

:

mm

:

the actual accent may be good but the way they speak's rather irritating

:

I see yes yes but you can have you can have good good eh Oxford English speakers and bad ones you think (unclear) nice sounding ones (interruption) (unclear) (laughter)

:

I think possibly that's true yes

:

eh what ehm what kinds of things do you think you can tell from the way somebody talks you know again if you're presented with this character that you've never met before and you hear him talking eh do you usually guess things about him from the way that he talks from his pronunciation and that

:

well you first of all think where they come from don't you you think oh he comes from Yorkshire or Lancashire or whatever

:

yes are you very good at that by the way do you

:

I'm afraid I'm not eh possibly because I haven't travelled very widely I haven't lived in different areas of the country and eh I usually have trouble at one time distinguishing eh the Yorkshire accent from the Lancashire accent

:

yes

:

but probably (unclear) I'm sure there is a great difference

:

oh yes to them there is

:

yes

:

definitely

:

to us it sounds very much the same you think oh they miss their aitches off

:

yes that's right yes

:

at least we don't do that

:

(laughter) eh what other what other kinds of things after you know say I mean say you decide that he's a Tynesider what what else

:

I suppose you you (laughter) I do eh think how intelligent are they I suppose you you sort of grade their intelligence (laughter)

:

yes ehm what about eh what sort of job he does for instance would you would you be willing to hazard a guess at that

:

oh dear I think that would be very difficult I suppose you just roughly divide them into classes I I dislike this you know working class middle class but I think you inevitably do that

:

yes do you think you could tell the difference between say somebody who works in a factory and somebody who works in an office you know on the on the whole

:

oh yes I think so yes

:

mm eh when eh what w what would you say about my voice for instance from listening to it now what would you say where I come from for a start

:

well I suppose from the north although it's it's not (pause) I can't even grade the you know the North East Eastern accent terribly well my brother claims to recognize people who come from Sunderland I'm not awfully eh awfully good perhaps because I don't know anyone from there

:

yes but you would s I mean North Eastern would you say

:

yes I think so I think the vowels (pause) give away

:

mm ehm and you wouldn't be surprised to to learn that I came from Gateshead for instance

:

no

:

which is true (laughter) eh do ehm wh when you are in other parts of the country do people eh you know very often guess that you're from Tyneside

:

no no they don't

:

never at all

:

I wouldn't say never but on the whole they don't

:

mm it's (interruption)

:

only really one person said you know I came from the North East

:

(laughter) oh didn't know that

:

oh (laughter)

:

possibly did but I switched it off because you were eh when you went to answer the phone it might have been confidential of course

:

there's not much confidential here

:

(laughter) eh (pause) yes eh well now ehm (pause) (unclear) eh I would like you to do for me could you first just read that list of words please straight down

:

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

:

aye now just that one

:

dry size five jibe tribe lives mine type

:

mm ta ehm now eh I'm going to read out a list of words a and for each one I'd just like to know ehm firstly if you've heard of it before and secondly if you would ever use it you know they're all fairly local words you know ehm ehm bairn do you ever use that one bairn little bairn

:

no eh w first w w have I heard of it

:

mm

:

yes would (laughter) would I use it no

:

mm right eh bait

:

yes I've heard no I wouldn't use it

:

oh eh (pause) mm bullets for sweets'

:

(laughter) yes and no (laughter)

:

yes and no ehm boody

:

(laughter) yes and no

:

yes and no eh cree

:

cree

:

mm

:

no I haven't heard of that

:

no ehm it's eh like a pigeon hut you know

:

oh pigeon cree oh yes I have heard of that yes

:

(unclear) yes

:

ah yes I would use that I think it's a perfectly acceptable word as far as I know

:

yes yes eh fettle

:

fine fettle (laughter)

:

well yes or to fettle something

:

oh no eh to fettle someone no eh I wouldn't use it in in that sense (laughter)

:

eh gully

:

gunny

:

gully

:

gully mm eh no the not as eh (interruption)

:

breadknife or a butch butcher's knife

:

no I don't think I would use that I'm not really quite up with that

:

eh lowe

:

pardon

:

lowe

:

allow

:

no lowe

:

lowe

:

as in Jack Shine Your Lowe for instance

:

no I definitely haven't heard of that

:

no it's a light or a flame you know

:

quite obscure that one

:

mm eh mense it would be more to your mense to get some work done

:

well I've heard of neither sense nor mense but eh not in the sense you're using it

:

mm neither sense nor mense though as a word would you

:

yes

:

would you use that

:

I would think yes I think so (laughter)

:

mm eh parky

:

I have heard people use that but I had to eh ask them what it meant it means cold doesn't it

:

yes or fussy about your food you know

:

oh yes parky

:

parky mm eh varnigh

:

no

:

no (unclear) and mell

:

no I don't think so

:

mm eh knooled you know to be knooled

:

yes I've heard of that it means sort of henpecked something like that doesn't it

:

yes you wouldn't use it

:

no (laughter)

:

eh now eh more or less on similar lines I'm going to read out ehm a list of sentences which eh just for each one I would just like you to say whether you think you could use it you know that is eh not whether you think it's correct or not but whether you actually think you could say it if the circumstances arose

:

mm-hm (laughter)

:

see

:

(unclear) uh-huh uh-huh

:

if you can distinguish between the two eh eh he never gave me any

:

I think I possibly have eh used it although I know it's wrong

:

yes

:

that's what I think

:

eh do you not go there very often

:

I think I would use that yes

:

uh-huh eh they're useless them

:

no I I I I don't think I do that

:

yeah eh me and John went to the races on Saturday

:

no I don't think I would use that

:

eh I might could manage it

:

no I definitely wouldn't use that

:

eh you know my cousin that her husband died

:

no (laughter)

:

no eh with the wife being ill I had to stay in and (interruption) look after her

:

oh no I object to that crikey the wife

:

you see it's oh I see yes

:

(laughter)

:

what about the 'with' bit

:

what

:

do you ever say eh you know with eh with say with Mary being ill

:

oh no no I don't think I would use that

:

(unclear) you wouldn't say that yes

:

offends me (laughter)

:

(laughter) yes eh I'm going to stay with the son for the holidays

:

no

:

no ehm they go to the pictures of a Sunday

:

no

:

no eh here she had left her pram standing outside the shop

:

no

:

no eh can't he not do that

:

no

:

no eh would you mind stop talking

:

no I don't think I do that

:

mm h how would you say it (unclear) (laughter)

:

would you please stop talking I think I've often heard myself say that

:

mm yes eh do you want a cup of tea making

:

no

:

no eh you know him that used to work on the railways

:

no I definitely wouldn't say that

:

no eh he happened a nasty accident

:

no

:

no eh I wanted for to talk to you about it

:

no (laughter)

:

eh when did it happen you

:

when did it happen

:

when did it happen you

:

oh no

:

no mm I've got money belonging him

:

no (laughter)

:

no (laughter)

:

gets worse and worse (laughter)

:

ehm could you mind your head so as I can see out the back

:

no (laughter)

:

no eh I'm going to get some wool for our Pamela a jumper

:

no

:

no eh (pause) we've been waiting of a bus

:

no

:

eh I don't bother much about the television and that

:

no

:

no

:

(laughter)

:

eh yes I'm having to search through for things that might be true ehm where did you get it at

:

no

:

no eh never mind I'll manage but

:

no

:

no eh never the wonder I couldn't get it to work

:

no

:

eh (pause) they'd not seen it

:

no I don't think we use that negative here I think it's more common in other parts of the country

:

oh that's that's my impression as well

:

(laughter)

:

eh (pause) it's far too long this

:

no

:

no eh what is it he does for a living

:

no

:

eh just light the fire on will you

:

no

:

no (pause) that's what happens when you be naughty

:

(laughter)

:

no eh I doubt he'll have to stay in hospital for a long time

:

no

:

ehm (pause) we'll sharp get this done

:

no

:

no eh he's as Tyneside as what I am

:

no (laughter)

:

no ehm now eh just getting a little bit more complicated eh could you give me the opposite of you know I'm going to say a sentence and I would just like you to give me the opposite of it right

:

mm-hm

:

ehm they've seen that picture

:

they haven't seen that picture do you want me to use the exact words

:

yes

:

(laughter)

:

they haven't seen it okay ehm he's found it

:

he hasn't found it

:

yes ta eh we've finished our dinner

:

we've begun

:

eh yes that's a different kind of opposite

:

well (laughter)

:

and the same y you know the same kind of as op same kind of opposite as you did for the other two

:

oh we've (interruption) finished

:

w we've finished our dinner when I said he's found it you said he hasn't found it okay we've finished our dinner

:

yes ehm oh we haven't finished oh sorry (laughter)

:

eh he'd do it for you

:

he wouldn't

:

yes ehm I'll see you next week

:

I won't

:

yes eh he's coming tomorrow

:

he's not

:

yes eh ehm you're working late tonight

:

you're not

:

yes ta that's good eh mm well yes