Em, right, now we're going to talk about Christmas. Right, so, how, how d- how do you like to celebrate Christmas?

At home

At home (pause) [2 sec] mhm?

With the family

With the family

We have the same tradition each year

Oh, er what. What do you do? What do you (interruption) do?

(interruption) Put a Christmas tree up

Mhm

And then, you have your presents and (NAME)'s presents on the same spot every [realized with emphasis] year

But we sometimes go to church as well, we always go to church on Christmas Eve

(interruption) Yeah

(interruption) And when you were younger we used to go and see the houses lit up and we'd watch (pause) What do you watch? What do we watch? [chair creaks]

We watch (pause) We -- When you were small we used to watch The Snowman all the time

And the Father Christmas one, the one where he goes 'blooming [realized as 'bloomin'. Interviewer is attempting to mimic the way it is said in the film] Christmas'

'Blooming [realized as 'bloomin'. Informant is also attempting to mimic the way it is said in the film] Christmas', yeah, where the shark chases him

(laughter)

And now we watch the [realized with elongated vowel]

Polar

(interruption) Polar Express

The Polar (interruption) Express

(interruption) For the last five years, haven't we?

That's right, yes

Err, is Christmas the same as you would say as when you were growing? Like what were your, like, family traditions when you -- you were younger at home?

Oh, it was simil- similar really (interruption) they'd have

(interruption) Always have Christmas at home

Lunch at lunch time

Christmas Dinner

That's (interruption) right, with family

(interruption) Do you eat the same things at Christmas as (pause) as you used to eat? [computer beeps]

Well, no I eat more vegetarian things

(laughter)

But apart from that (interruption) yes it's about the same, isn't it?

(interruption) We have

More parsnips here

More parsnips here (laughter)

(laughter) Lots of Yorkshire Puddings

Posh chips

(laughter) Posh chips (laughter) What kind of presents did you used to ask for when you were younger?

I wanted an Everton strip (interruption) because that was

(interruption) An Everton strip

That was the team I liked at the time (interruption) because

(interruption) You liked Everton?

Because I had a trial there when I was at school there so I wanted Everton new colours. And [realized as 'an'] I got the, I remember getting the shirt and my Mum couldn't find the shorts till Christmas 'cause (NAME) and I used to get up at one o'clock in the morning [realized as 'mornin']

(laughter)

And a Fort, you got a Fort when you were (interruption) younger

(interruption) I got a Fort Apachi

A (pause) pardon?

A Fort Apachi

Fort Apa- (interruption) Apachi?

(interruption) And I once got a cowb -- A Full Moon cowboy outfit, with spurs on the bottom

(laughter)

(laughter) And I wore my wellies with my spurs on, and I couldn't walk for nearly two days after 'cause the spurs dug into my [realized as 'me'] ankles but I wouldn't take them off. And at the end of Christmas Day my [realized as 'ma'] Dad said 'you couldn't walk for the pain of the -- the spurs' but I wouldn't take them off (laughter) [informant breathes in deeply]

(laughter) And what about you Mum? What -- What were your best Christmas presents?

I used to like, er, my stocking

Your stocking? What did you used to get in there?

Oh, all -- all kinds of bits and pieces, you used to get em, the chocolate oranges, and [realized with elongated vowel] money and all sorts of things like that, and I -- I remember getting a Tiny Tears one year

What's that?

Tiny Tear -- and a Baby Maybe. It was er the -- they were dolls. Tiny Tears would cry, [realized with elongated vowel] and [realized with elongated vowel] Baby Maybe you used to have to feed and she would to turn her head away if she didn't like it and turn her head towards em (pause) a bottle of milk and turn her head away from (pause) a spoonful of food (interruption) she didn't always like that

(interruption) (laughter) didn't like that

And I had and I remember getting my rocking chair

Your rocking? Is that the rocking chair (interruption) that's in my room?

(interruption) Ercol rocking chair, yes

Is that the one I've go (interruption) t?

(interruption) Yes. That's the one in your (interruption) room

(interruption) Oh, is it?

That's been well used, yes. Em, I was poorly the year that that came, I got -- I got earache that -- that year. And we used to have crackers, like we have, but we would also sometimes get, say, a giant cracker or

(laughter) We had one of those this year didn't we? (laughter)

We did, and one year we got em, a little house and it had y- you lit the em (pause) chimney and it smoked and kind of there was em indoor fireworks and lots of presents inside, just like in (interruption) a cracker

(interruption) Yeah yeah

And another year we got choir boys and a similar thing happened

Yeah

Where there was fireworks so there was always s- something else like that that was we us -- used to look forward to

Did you look forward too? And did you go to church on Christmas Eve and like at Christmas time?

No, not always, we (interruption) didn't always go

(interruption) You didn't always go?

No, 'cause we used to be making sure that grandparents were sorted out as well so sometimes we would

'Cause did you have your [realized with elongated vowel] grandparents, like we used to have our Grandma to stay over?

Yeah because my, em, Grandad's an only child so we'd either go to their house on the Christmas Eve or they would (interruption) come to us

(interruption) Like, for an extra Christmas dinner kind of?

No, just a tea, just a tea, but sometimes they would come, generally speaking, they would come on Christmas Day as well

Mhm, mhm, and what about you, Dad? Who did you used to spend Christmas with? (interruption) Did you have?

(interruption) We used to spend it at home and then some years we used to go down to my Mum's sister's, they lived further down the village and we used to go there

Mhm

For Christmas dinner and then I got a little older I used to go (pause) have Christmas morning at home and then go down to my best-friend's for Christmas er (pause) dinner

(interruption) Really?

(interruption) Before we had you we used to go over to Grandma's and then go down (pause) to Aunty (NAME)'s didn't we?

Mhm, well I (pause) that was when I was small I used to do (interruption) that, then I

(interruption) Did Grandma used to make Christmas Dinner?

No

No

Well, (interruption) she did when I was at home but

(interruption) She just used to just

Yes, she used to stay at em

(NAME)'s or ours

Yeah

(pause) [3 sec] And er, what about other em (pause) like, holidays?

On Box- er, well the Christmas holidays, on the day after Boxing Day we used to go to the pantomime (pause) with you

The pantomime? Oh, (interruption) yes, yes

(interruption) Yes, because we used to do that when I was little we used to always go to the Theatre Royal, whatever was on there but we used to generally, although we've been to other pantomimes with you, we used to generally go to the one in South Shields at the Customs House and see the ones there and (interruption) f

(interruption) We used to get the ferry over

We did, yes, and before Christmas we used to often meet up with (NAME) and (NAME) and (NAME) and (NAME) and go and see a show

Mhm

We used to sometimes go to the Newcastle University Theatre (interruption) Or

(interruption) Didn't we go and see the Grimm's Fairy Tales one year?

We saw Babushka, was it Babushka? The Russian thing that was similar to 'Pictures of an Exbi- Exhibition' wasn't it? [realized as 'wannit'] Can you remember that? What was that called again? (pause) It was based on em (pause) The Promenade (interruption) wasn't it?

(interruption) Russian one

Yeah, yes (interruption) we did, we did

(interruption) The Promenade?

That was it was called The Promenade (interruption) part of the

(interruption) We did. The music's called that

Mhm

We used to go there a few years. We went to the Tyne Theatre

Mhm

Didn't we? Because you helped (pause) [2 sec] when Peter Beardsley (interruption) was there?

(interruption) Yeah, when I used to do work with [realized as 'wi'] Byker Grove (pause) [2 sec] Billy Fane was the comic actor in, Buttons or something [realized as 'somethin'] wasn't he? [realized as 'wasn'ee']

Yeah (interruption) We went a few years

(interruption) And he wanted to abseil onto the show, swing onto the show and abseil,

Mhm

So I used to set that up for him and give us all complementary tickets one year to co -- to do that, (interruption) I got them for (NAME) and (NAME) didn't I?

(interruption) Was (interruption) that the year?

Yeah (interruption) We went a couple of years there, yeah. A few years we went to the Tyne Theatre

And then er, (NAME) got invited up onto the stage to have a kick about with Peter Beardsley and he got sweets and everything

(laughter)

And we went to, [realized with elongated vowel] do you remember going to the Little Theatre at T- Tynemouth? And we used to go the pantomime there and we've been to the pantomime at Whitley Bay a few times as well, we used to just walk down to the Whitley Bay one

Mm, the Whitley Bay one?

Mhm, no? (pause) [2 sec] What kind of er, 'cause oh, was that the one that it was Fee (NAME) Fo Fum? The Fee (interruption) Fie

(interruption) No, that was. That was the one a -- at the church

(laughter) At the church? (laughter)

At the church-hall, yes

What happened there?

It was em Jack and the Beanstalk and every time they said 'Fee Fie Foe Fum' you us- used to say

(interruption) The Beanstalk grew

(interruption) Used to say, to say [informant whispers] they're, they're saying my name!

(laughter)

They've said my name again! (laughter) So you really enjoyed that

(laughter)

Yes, you did er nativities there as well on the stage they used to do nativities but they don't do that now, (interruption) they haven't done nativities for a long time

(interruption) Oh, was that at our church?

Yes, you were involved in the nativities

'Cause were you ever involved in nativities at school?

Yeah, we did them, we did (interruption) them at school

(interruption) At school

Yeah

But there, it used to be at the chapel at the top of the street, we used to have a piece, we used to have to say a piece, a (pause) prayer or something to say and you used to have to say that in front of all the congregation

On, Christmas Eve night? (interruption) Or just a -- a service

No

(interruption) Just, yeah, a service yeah

(pause) [3 sec] And what, how did you used to celebrate other holidays, like er New Year? How did you celebrate New Year?

We used to go to a friend's house, but I've never, we've never been out late night

You didn't stay up till twelve?

Occasionally, but er we've never made a big thing of it. We used to (interruption) go to a friend's, didn't we?

(interruption) We used to stay up till twelve but not much later than that

No

We used to see the New Year in

'Cause I used to climb all the time, your Mum never ever used to drank and I never used to drink much at all, [realized with emphasis] all the time I was climbing. I was just too bothered about being fit

Mhm

So (pause) [2 sec] and it used to make you feel ill

(pause) [2 sec] 'Cause em, we sometimes go to parties now don't we, like (NAME)'s house (interruption) where we

(interruption) Yeah, just a bit like that

Yeah

Where it's not too late but we see the New Year in and maybe have the tradition of, of somebody coming in (interruption) and being the first-footer

(interruption) Saying hello to somebody you don't know

(laughter)

Yes, yes (interruption) Auld Lang Syne

(interruption) And wishing them a very prosperous New Year

And you think, who are you? [realized as 'yuh']

(laughter)

I don't know you

(laughter)

See you in twelve month!

(laughter) Or perhaps never again

And sometimes we've gone away between Christmas and New Year, haven't we? We've gone up to Carlisle (pause) or

The Lakes

The Lake (interruption) District, yes, (interruption) we've taken the sledges

(interruption) Haven't we?

(interruption) Can you remember when we went to The Lakes one year to The Lakes between Christmas and New Year and it was feet deep outside can you (interruption) remember?

(interruption) Yes, we took the

In Ambleside wasn't it? [realized as 'wannit'] Can -- Can you remember when we had the sledges there

We took the sledges on. On (interruption) holiday, yes

(interruption) We've got a, a film of that somewhere haven't we of er. But er, I haven't seen that film for a long time. Can you remember we had footage?

Yes, that's right

From outside, I wonder where that is

Was that when (NAME) and I were there?

Yes

Mhm, (interruption) definitely, there was a swimming pool

(interruption) Where's

In the, er, hotel

Mm, I can't remember it

And then there was a bank side outside so we sledged outside, didn't we? We couldn't get over Kirkston Pass, it was just by chance managed to get over

(interruption) And

(interruption) It was closed after that, we got over and it was em

(interruption) Turn left down towards, [informant yawns] excuse me, we turned left towards em (pause) [2 sec] Windermere rather than going down the bank of Kirkston Pass [informant sniffs] and then turned back round to em Ambleside

(pause) [2 sec] And er, yeah 'cause er, do you remember that holiday, Dad, where er, when you t- took (laughter) (NAME) and I to Kielder (laughter) and we went on the bike ride? Can you jus- can you remember what happened on the horrible hill?

Yes, (interruption) because

(interruption) Tell me what happened?

'Cause your brakes went down the, I went down the hill first and I said 'keep your feet down and just keep your hand on the brake, gently' (pause) [1 sec] and (NAME) came down, you came down after and the brakes failed and it went zipping [realized as 'sippin'] down and crashed into the fence at the bottom (pause) and you went through the gap in the fence

(laughter)

And then the sign to the left of it when I picked you up and sorted the bike out was ha -- the sign said 'have some sense, don't wreck the fence!' (laughter)

(laughter) And you just drove (laughter) (interruption) straight through it (laughter)

(interruption) (laughter) Straight through it (laughter)

On the bike

(laughter)

How long had you cycled that day?

About, we'd cycled about, [realized as 'aboot'] about sixteen miles right around the lake. We'd be all the way up the North Haul Road and then back round to the Centre where we were (interruption) staying at

(interruption) Was that when you were staying at the Centre 'cause they had a pool there. And the -- They used to do Christmas events there

That's what we went up for that year

(interruption) Because

(interruption) We went two Christmases running

'Cause they had er an ice rink or something didn't they, outside?

Mhm, they did yes

(pause) [6 sec] Erm (pause) [3 sec] What is it, what, how, what do you work as? What do you both work as?

I'm, er, work for the Local Government

And what do you work as?

I'm a Civil Servant

And have you both had the same jobs for, like, your whole working life?

Yes, I have

You have?

I have always (pause) I was a (pause) m (pause) a fitter. And then I went to night-schools all the time from when I was sixteen (pause) for about fifteen years constantly I went to college [informant sniffs] and then I, I run all the transport fleet now.

Mhm

You -- You were just a baby when you went to get your em presentation, we had to go to the City Hall

Mhm

For the formal presentation, didn't we?

Mhm. You were just tiny, weren't you?

Did you have to make a speech or anything when you

No, [realized as 'nah'] (interruption) no it was a formal presentation from the Lord Lieutenant

(interruption) It's where you get your scroll

Of em, from Newcastle gave em, and the Chancellor of er, it was called the er University of Northumb- it wasn't called the University of Northumbria then, [realized with emphasis] it was Newcastle Polytechnic

Mhm

It was changing then, wasn't it?

Mm, it was just on the cusp of change, yeah

(pause) [9 sec] And [realized with elongated vowel] I used to work for a bus company

Mhm

And that's when I left school and I started my apprenticeship with them and I worked there for about five years (pause) apprenticeship and when I came out the apprenticeship I had to start working [realized as 'workin'] shifts and I used to work from half past five start (pause) on (interruption) early starts

(interruption) [deep intake of breath] Half five?

And [realized with elongated vowel] I used to finish at a half past [realized as 'ha'past'] four in the afternoon and you did that for [realized with elongated vowel] seven days one week and then you had two days rest

(interruption) Dear [realized with elongated vowel] me!

(interruption) And then you had five days on normal day shift which was eight till (interruption) four

(interruption) Mhm

And then you went on the back-shift from two till ten and you were expected to go in at twelve o'clock and work from twelve till ten

Your Daddy was a really, really hard worker, I mean he still is, but he used to get a lot of money for working shifts, em for a phenomenal (interruption) amount of money

(interruption) Mhm

And he used to get extra money for working for the BBC, he used to get paid money for playing football, didn't (interruption) you?

(interruption) What did you used to do for the BBC?

I used to do -- I worked on lots of drama, for going climbing all the, er and all the time I worked on those shifts I got I used to get four days off every ten days so that was like a long [realized with elongated vowel] (pause) break

Mhm

So Uncle (NAME) and I used to go climbing all over the place and (pause) I g- got a job, er a part-time job with the BBC acting as ad- Safety Advisor for em, period dramas, dramas and em (pause) [2 sec] Byker Grove, we used to go along for

Byker (interruption) Grove

(interruption) He's got his name on the credits haven't you on some of the programmes?

I worked for Byker Grove for about (pause) [2 sec] ten years

And that's when em they were just young weren't they?

Oh, Ant (interruption) and Dec

(interruption) When Ant and Dec, when Ant and Dec was (interruption) blinded

(interruption) Bef -- before they were really (interruption) famous

(interruption) I set up all the, er scene for when he got blinded, when he got shot in the eyes with the paintball

You s- you set you s- did that?

'Cause he was on a, he was on a wall and he had to look as though he'd been shot and fallen off

Mhm

And then we did a scene, we closed the new Redheugh Bridge all one Sunday

Mhm

And we had a parapet built there and he was, in the drama, the storyline was he was going to jump off the Tyne Bridge to do a bungee jump

One of Ant or Dec?

Yes

Yes

And, the blind one

Yeah

And that was his sponsorship in the programme he was going to [realized as 'gonna'] do that

Yeah

And he had to look as though he was jumping [realized as 'jumpin'] over the side and in the story he jumped before the team were ready to let him jump

Uh-huh

And then it had to look as though he was falling [realized as 'fallin'] uncontrolled

Yeah

But in the mean -- he had a shot so I had all the ropes so it looked as though he'd fell over the edge but he just (pause) hung over the side a little way

Yeah

And then the stunt man fell the rest of the way

Uh-huh

And it took all day to do (pause) [2 sec] about fifteen seconds of shot

(laughter) Oh no (laughter)

It was

But it was very dramatic

Your Dad used to be working, this, he used to do that during his holidays and

Mhm

And at the time as well he was working all week, Monday to Friday, and he would work a Saturday morning em, overtime as well, didn't you?

Mhm

And [realized with elongated vowel] (interruption) one

(interruption) I used to get ten pound for playing football

Mm

Ten pound a game

Oh, that was (interruption) quite a lot of money years ago, wasn't it [realized as 'wasn' it']

(interruption) Mm, that was, mm (laughter)

(laughter) I was nearly pushing Alan Shearer's earnings up (laughter)

(laughter) And then he used to er, there was one morning I was a -- fortunately home with you [realized with elongated vowel]

Mhm

Er, and we got a telephone call 'cause the Byker Grove Director expected him to be there and I was saying has, has he left? And I was (interruption) saying he had left (pause) [2 sec] but for work

(interruption) Oh [realized with emphasis] no

Oh no! (laughter) Wrong place!

We had (pause) So i- it was before mobile phones

Were (interruption) popular

(interruption) So, I rang work before you were had actually arrived

Mhm

So the were, he knew to ring me as soon as he got in

Uh-huh

But y- you weren't, you didn't have the right equipment with you and you weren't dressed appropriately, were you?

I had to blag it till I got (NAME) to come up with our climbing gear and send some runners off to go and buy two new ropes, but it worked out fine because the stunt man that was supposed to climb out of the toilet window on Byker Grove, (interruption) was an old building about four stories high

(interruption) Mhm

And he was supposed to climb out of the window like er, and represent one of the school kids and [realized as 'an' '] he was too scared to do it

He was too scared and he was a st- (laughter) stunt man? (laughter)

Mhm there was absolute bedlam because the Stunt Co Ordinator couldn't get him to do it, so I climbed out the window and showed him how to -- how to do it, and that got it sorted and, but they wanted to cut my hair

(laughter)

But you wore the right clothing didn't (interruption) you?

(interruption) Didn't, yeah, but I [realized as 'aa'] said 'there's no way you're cutting my hair!'

(laughter)

And then one afternoon we had to do a stunt up a tree, but the boy couldn't get up the tree (interruption) so I

(interruption) 'Cause he was scared?

Yeah, well he just got couldn't get up we had to winch him up in the end and he was just useless when

(interruption) (laughter)

(interruption) We got him up, he was just hanging [realized as 'hangin'] on so I had to come down get, put his clothes on [informant sniffs] and go up the tree and a sat up that tree for two and a half hours

(laughter) Oh no (laughter)

While the camera crew messed and took different shots and then ran round to a house to -- from the bedroom window so they could take shots from a different angle, 'cause they only used one camera but they'd maybe [realized as 'mebbe'] want about four or five different angles and dialogue shots, it used to take ages

You used to get home really late when he was working for Byker Grove and there was one day that when you were little that I was really concerned about him coming home because

Why?

I knew he would see the mini that it, that you and I had been in that day and it had been crashed

Oh no!

And it was on the ring-road left kind of (interruption) to the side

(interruption) What happened when you'd crashed it?

I didn't crash it

Did you (interruption) not?

(interruption) You're mum was driving it and someone pulled out the side road and crashed into the side of your Mum

So what, so what

(NAME) saw it and she -- she came over and (NAME) was there and she came

She (interruption) saw it

(interruption) Well, there was nobody there initially

The door and the wings and (interruption) that

(interruption) But the people behind (pause) were our neigh -- next door neighbours the people following my car, I was just going along waiting to turn right and it was

Uh-huh

Somebody from the left I -- I think had err put their foot on the accelerator rather than the brake and crashed into us and it was fortunate 'cause it was that week that

Uh-huh

I'd moved you from being in the passenger seat in the front

Mm

To being in the back and if you'd been you, you would have been injured if you'd s- been in the passenger seat at the front

Uh-huh

Em

It was a write off wasn't it?

It was

Did they have to (interruption) pay?

(interruption) (NAME) came. But they, the, lady who had been driving it denied it and she she ran off [realized with emphasis] em and then brought back

Her family

Her family who said I had been indicating (laughter) left [realized with emphasis] but fortunately the neighbours em (pause) [1 sec] had been following me and confirmed (interruption) that that hadn't happened

(interruption) No, mhm

Em, but I remember I got I got home (NAME) came after us 'cause she saw the the car because it was opposite because they hadn't been moved long

The insurance company agreed with us because when I went to report it, he said 'the people who have crashed into you [realized as 'yuh'] are the same, on the same policy who were, who were from the same insurance broker'

Were they?

Yeah and he saw through the story straight away and he says 'you won't have any trouble, it's definitely their fault' (pause) [3 sec] And then we got the salvage of the car, didn't we? And I er, repaired it.

Mhm (interruption) we sold it

(interruption) You repaired the whole car?

We just didn't feel safe though with that car again

Mm and then we sold it on to buy a new one

And did you get another mini?

And then, the person that bought it, he bought it for his (pause) nephew and they were delighted with it 'cause I'd painted it yellow

(laughter)

And he only had it two weeks and someone stole it (pause) [2 sec] from Jarrow

Really, from (interruption) Jarrow?

(interruption) Not far from where your er (NAME) lives, that's how I knew where it was 'cause I took it there

Really?

Can you remember that (NAME)? 'Cause he was really disappointed and he hadn't had it long he'd only had it two weeks

How did you find out that he (pause) it had been (interruption) stolen?

(interruption) Because (pause) [1 sec] 'cause I'd sold it to one of the boys at work and he bought it for his niece (interruption) because he

(interruption) Oh, one of the people at work?

Said it would be ideal for him for his first car and he parked it outside his house in Jarrow and someone had obviously saw the bright colour and thought 'that's good'

(laughter)

And er pinched it (pause) [2 sec] and he never got it back he never saw it again, so it's probably been sold down the country now, that, with a different registration number on it

Mhm, 'cause err, we had a car stolen didn't we? In the er Metro-Centre, didn't we?

Em, no,

We've had a couple of cars stolen; we had a mini stolen from Aunty (NAME)'s (interruption) school were we were at

(interruption) School, yeah (pause) where er an event

We'd got, we'd taken we'd taken friends

The red mini

To, er, it was a barbeque em at Aunty (NAME)'s school (pause) [1 sec] and on the way back they were in front and we were following behind and they were saying 'oh (NAME), your car's been stolen' and your Dad thought they were joking

Oh, they weren't [interviewer whispers]

No, and then em, the white em Cavalier wasn't it? [realized as 'wannit'] That got stolen at work that, and it was, went missing for about three, four weeks was there?

Oh, it was quite, it was longer than that

Was (interruption) it?

(interruption) 'Cause em the insurance was going through before we actually heard about that

And then s- someone had been away on holiday for a while and they come back and it, was it blocking their drive or was it, it had just been abandoned in a (interruption) street?

(interruption) The mini, the mini was blocking someone's drive

Yeah, but the, the white Cavalier was left in someone's street and an old lady had (pause) seen it there for a few weeks hadn't she and then she eventually rang the police (pause) It still had the number plates on didn't it? And it had been used somewhere (pause) Wooler ar -- area?

It -- It had been used down in London area, they could tell that. Th -- they knew whereabouts (interruption) it had been

(interruption) It had been, it had been, it had been involved in a robbery

Had it? A robbery?

Yes, they had er footage of it on film didn't they or a

(pause) [2 sec] How did you manage to get home then that night if it had (interruption) er you didn't have the car?

(interruption) Well, err I was at work and I just used a van for a while didn't I? [realized as 'ah'] but

(pause) [2 sec] Em, I'm going to ask you about what kind of, about your [realized with elongated vowel] voice, what kind of accent would you say that you had?

(pause) [2 sec] mine?

We've got Northern accents (interruption) we have

(interruption) I've got a Nor -- A lot of people think I'm from Durham, 'cause they think I've got a Durham accent

A Durham accent? Ho -- how do you mean a Durham accent?

I don't know, [realized as 'A dunno'] they, well, s- there's regional accents isn't there? There's people who are living [realized as 'livin'] in and around Tyneside have an accent, people who live in Ashington

(laughter)

Ashington [realized as 'Yashin'on'; here the informant is attempting to mimic the accent in Ashington]

(laughter)

They have their own (interruption) dialogue, dialect sorry

(interruption) (laughter)

Uh-huh

And em, Durham, and Sunderland have a s- specific (interruption) dialect

(interruption) As well yeah

And so did, does from Durham apparently but I would say I've got a- an accent (pause) [2 sec] w- w-

What, (interruption) what about you?

(interruption) There's to a point that everybody would know you were from the North

Yeah 'cause it's

But, I don't think your Mum's got an accent at all

No? Do you, do you think you've got an accent?

Yes. A Northern accent

And, do you think you could tell someone was from around here by their accent?

Generally speaking, (interruption) yes

(interruption) Yes

Why? How?

Because it's regional dialect and words that people use

Mhm

Are specific to this region

What words would you think were specific to here?

Canny

Canny. And what else?

Well, I don't think it's just the words I think it's the way

They're phrased

The phrases and th- I think (pause) there's a lilt in the way, yeah, they're said

And I think people shorten the words here, don't they, or shorten the sentences

(pause) [2 sec] Mhm (pause) Do you have the same accent as your friends?

(pause) [4 sec] Mm, I don't know, [realized as 'Ah dunno'] some are, some do it depends which

I think you adapt your accent to the friends that you're with

(laughter)

Do you really? Really d- do you, do you a- adapt your accents?

Well, (interruption) I, if you're at work you talk differently, if you're on the phone you talk differently

(interruption) Yes

And if you're at home or with your -- with your friends, if you go to a football match you talk differently, I don't know

(laughter)

We, we've both had to give presentations and I think you you're making [realized as 'makin'] sure you speak very clearly (interruption) so I think you adapt to the situation

(interruption) Yeah, you adapt

Can you feel yours -- do you consciously think that you're going to [realized as 'gonna'] adapt or do you just do it automatically? Do you not even realise you've done it?

I think you're conscious but your Mum and I both talk quietly

Talk quietly?

We do

Mhm

We just they can just tail off

Mhm

But when you get in a presentation to a (pause) [2 sec] wide ranging audience [informant yawns] you've got to project your voice and [realized as 'nd'] you've got to speak slowly and more clearly (pause) and you're very much aware that you have a regional accent

Mhm

Because er, I think it's very stereotypical 'cause they think especially if you're south of Birmingham if you're giving a talk, a lot of people think it's still Northern pit villages up here

Mhm

Even if there's not a pit in the country [realized with emphasis] any more let alone the region

(laughter)

They still have this i- image that the North is you [realized as 'yuh'] know a backwater

Mm

And yet y- the Northumberland coastline is the most impressive beautiful coastline in the country, isn't it?

(pause) [2 sec] Yes, there's been a lot of prominent people from the North, as as all regions, isn't there

So do you think that sound and how you sound plays a role in how other people would perceive you (pause) as a person?

Of course [realized as 'O'course']

Yes, (interruption) how?

(interruption) Absolutely, because it's entrenched

Mhm

You still have working class, middle class, upper class image of people. People are automatically pigeon holed or stereotyped by your accent

Because you've done interviews haven't you, Mum?

Yes

Do you, do you notice, do you -- would -- if somebody had a really Geordie accent would you em see them differently to someone who came with an RP accent?

Well, communication is included in an interview (pause) [2 sec] and it's (pause) [2 sec] people have to be able to make themselves understood

Mhm

And be able to hold a (pause) a conversation

Mhm

It shouldn't matter but it does. The ability to talk clearly and politely, 'cause where in the past when there was lots of jobs in manual trades where it wasn't important that you had conversation but today there's a lot of telephone (pause) [1 sec] type jobs

Mhm

(interruption) And er

(interruption) The people I, the people I'm interviewing are from the Highlands and i- islands of Scotland right down to Birmingham, Kingstanding right across to (pause) [2 sec] the East of England, Lincolnshire area. So I don't mind [realized with emphasis] if they've got a Liverpudlian accent or a Southern accent

(interruption) You wouldn't really

(interruption) But as long as

They're clear

Em, it does [realized with emphasis] need to be clear

Mhm (pause) [1 sec] so. But you wouldn't perceive them as being (pause) [2 sec] like of a different class for example?

No

No

'Cause everyone has to be treat fairly and equally

But if it wasn't in an interview then, in another situation

People make the wrong presumption because of accent

Do you think?

Yes

It's not just what, how you say it -- it's what you say

(pause) [4 sec] Accent is important to how people perceive your abilities, your education

'Cause would you say that your accent would, is the same

When Ronnie Campbell speaks in Parliament, when he actually bothers to [realized with elongated vowel] speak

(laughter)

Or when he does speak and you compare him to [realized with elongated vowel]

Who's Ronnie Campbell?

He's the MP for Blyth

(laughter) Right, ok (laughter)

When he speaks, people listen to his sound [realized with emphasis] first

Mhm

And not what his content is

Mhm

Whereas Cameron, they listen to what he says, and it's unfortunate that [computer beeps] but it's just the way life and it's how you portray yourself

Uh-huh, 'cause would you say that the way that you speak would you say that there is a difference between the way that you speak and the way that Grandma and Grandpa speak? And then the way that (pause) your [realized with emphasis] not my Grandma and Grandpa, but your Grandma and Grandpa speak? would you, could you

Some of those words may have -- be old-fashioned words that they may have used that are no longer used any more

No?

I think I speak similarly (pause) [1 sec] to Grandad. No, I think it's followed through really, hasn't it?

Yeah

But, some old fashioned words would have carried over, not carried over but

'Cause like, what kind of words would (interruption) you say?

(interruption) Like your Dad wouldn't use text now, would he? He wouldn't use that word, or a search engine would he?

No (laughter)

And they're new words, aren't they? He would have used a press button AB telephone exchange, wouldn't he?

(laughter)

Words that have gone, haven't they? Or use the sleeper-train

(laughter)

There isn't any more

(laughter)

Obsolete

Do you think that the way that language has changed -- 'cause do you think that (NAME) and I have a different way of speaking to the way you have of speaking

I think that you speak the same, but you might use different phrases because popularity of phrases change

The biggest change in our speech or how we write (pause) compared to what (NAME) and (NAME) do now is texting. That's a phenomenal change where er, all the words are abbreviated you have your own language and your own shorthand and I don't necessarily -- I think that's maybe dumbing English language down

Do you think so? (interruption) You

(interruption) Yes because I think some of the written words spill over from texts speak into, I just know when I receive e-mails I think 'What [realized with emphasis] (pause) is this about?'

'Cause err (NAME) and I use 'like' quite a bit don't we?

That's, yeah, I think that's that's a regional thing, I think that's North East

Mhmm

Like saying 'isn't it' when it's 'innit'? Isn't it [realized as 'Innit']

(laughter)

But your Mum's always conscious of that isn't she?

Are you?

Well, because she tells you [realized with emphasis] off for saying (interruption) 'like'

(interruption) 'like'

And 'isn't it' and 'isn't it' [realized as 'innit']

(laughter) Yeah (pause) right, er thank you very much for spending your time with me

Right