could you tell us first whereabouts you were born please

Gateshead

were you whereabouts

eh (pause) forty nine Windsor

oh in this very road

aye

and eh (pause) whereabouts else did you live you know how long did you live there

oh I've lived in this street all my life

have you oh just (pause) in the t in the two houses

no three three houses

is that eh is that because you like this eh this area a lot

well it's a case of where you could get a house (unclear) (laughter) wanted one

aye eh do you think it's a good place to live you know

oh it's all right there's worse places

aye yes ehm (pause) do you think you would ever (pause) be willing to move away from Gateshead you know

eh no I don't think so

no not (pause) to anywhere else in the country you know

no I don't think so eh all my b b b business is in Gateshead so (interruption) you've got to stop where that is

aye (pause) yeah yes you wouldn't what about you know if you got offered a rather better job somewhere else in the country would that tempt you to go do you think

it might but (unclear) doubt it (laughter)

(laughter) it would have to be a good bit better aye eh (pause) do you find that people from Tyneside are very different from people from other parts of the country you know (pause) in your experience

well there is places that're different (pause) a different way of going on not so so so sociable elsewhere

is that true do you reckon

that's what I've found like

aye people are more friendly up here then yeah (pause) eh so you've never really been away from Tyneside at all for for very long (interruption) periods

always lived on Tyneside

yes ehm (pause) what about your parents where were they born

Gateshead

both in Gateshead and they lived here all their lives uh-huh very local sort of eh (unclear) ehm (pause) and eh (pause) what was your father's occupation please

plumber

eh (pause) just to finish off the facts ehm how old are you at the moment

forty eight

(unclear) ta and eh do you own this house or rent it or

we're buying it

you're buying yes you own it yourself in fact yes I'm surprised anybody owns a house ehm (pause) is is your wife from Gateshead as well

yes

yes (unclear) do you have any children

three

what eh (interruption) how old are they

two daughters and a son

eh (pause) about how old are they

one's twenty two seventeen fifteen

yes do they all live here still (pause) eh (pause) whereabouts do you work at the moment

oh I work for myself

do you what eh (pause) what kind of business (unclear) you (unclear)

plumber

do you oh I see yes doing eh

just repairs alterations

yes fairly locally you'd say

oh it's all just locals see

yeah yeah ehm (pause) is there just you does the work or do you employ you know other people

no I've got an appre prentice that's all

yes yes eh have you been in this eh (pause) line of business all your life (unclear)

oh aye

yes you served your apprenticeship

aye since leaving school

is it yes ehm (pause) do you e enjoy your kind of work you know do you think it's

oh you've got to now

(laughter) you're sort of eh (pause) content work like (unclear)

oh aye

yeah (pause) what's eh (pause) what's it like being your own boss you know have you have you ever worked you've worked for somebody else presumably once upon a time like

aye once

do you prefer sort of being your own boss and sort of

well you can please yourself when you're your own boss

yeah eh (pause) ehm (pause) do you think eh if you were to change your job you know if you can imagine changing your job do you think you would prefer one that was ehm (pause) say that had more security to it or that or one that sort of paid a lot of money straight away you know (pause) what kind

well a one with more security

you're thinking that that that's pretty important in fact (unclear)

mm-hm

eh (pause) how old were you eh when you left school please

fourteen

mm do you think you were glad to leave school or not did you enjoy it

oh I liked school

hmm eh (pause) did you have any ehm (pause) you know further education after you left school did you (interruption) go to any

no

you didn't go to night classes or anything (interruption) like that as an apprentice

no

I suppose they did they didn't do it as much (interruption) then

well they didn't have it (interruption) then

as much then no no ta do you think eh you know looking back on the whole of your education like would you say it eh (pause) had been worth very much to you in your life you know since you left school

wey I could have made it bet bet bet bet if I'd went farther afield I could have had a better education

yeah do you wish you had in fact

well if I'd went to night schools and all that carried on at school wey I would have

mm and do you think it would be w do you think it would have been useful to you

oh yes

yes what about eh (pause) your own children you know have you e a any of them still at school

oh no no they've all (unclear)

they've all left have they yeah ehm how do you feel about kids staying on at school you know do you usually do you think it's a good thing for kids to stay on after fifteen you know

wey it pays them to when they get all their O levels A levels (interruption) and that

aye aye you reckon it's (interruption)

because you go for a job now that's the first thing they ask you

yes yes you reckon it's it's worth staying on rather than (unclear)

oh it's worth it staying on

yes eh (pause) eh do you think that's eh just as important for boys as for girls you know

oh aye equal

yes for both yeah ehm (pause) could you tell us please what eh what kinds of things do you like to do in your spare time you know when you when you've finished work and that what ehm (interruption)

wey gardening mostly

yeah whereabout w have you got an allotment like

an allotment aye

whereabouts

in Gateshead

up the road here

oh no round by the Co op

is it yes sort of (pause) all your vegetables and that (interruption) you grow them yourself very good

aye

is that where you've been all the time when I keep sort of

oh wey partly

uh-huh you seem to be a very busy man you know it's sort of

oh I'm always out

yeah yeah but do you go out ehm to pubs and that you know

oh aye I like to drink

very often you know quite often sort of once a week or more

no more than that

more than that yeah

yeah

eh (pause) what about eh watching the television you know do you watch television very much

oh no no

not particularly

(unclear) bother much

yes (pause) there's no ehm (pause) no particular programmes you like to watch is there

wey just sport of a Saturday afternoon

aye yeah (pause) is the television usually on you know I mean of a night time

it's (interruption) on from start until it finishes

it's never off (laughter)

it's on all the time is it

it's always on

aye but that's that's not because you're really sort of (interruption) paying close (unclear) to it like it's just sort of on

oh no it's just habit (unclear)

aye yes

speak the truth it's because I'm never out (laughter) I watch it

(laughter) I see yes yeah ehm (pause) do you think there's eh you know in the way of recreation activities like do you think there's any things that you know you would have liked to have done but you've never really got round to or you've never had the chance to do you know any things like that

no I don't think so

you're sort of pretty content with your (interruption) life as it it is let's say

I'm content with what I've done

aye yeah yeah what eh (pause) what do you think would happen say if you won the pools this week you know what eh (pause) what difference do you think it would make to you

(unclear) might not make all that much difference

(unclear) would you (pause) eh (pause) get a different house for instance (unclear)

oh most likely

aye yes

get a better house

whereabouts in Gateshead

aye in Gateshead

(unclear) but eh (pause) wouldn't sort of (pause) you don't think it would change your way of life very much you know

no I don't think so

still live more or less the same way

aye

yeah yeah what about your job do you think you would keep on doing your job

oh yes

yes

aye

yes eh (pause) these are just a couple of questions about eh some of your opinions on eh a couple of ordinary matters eh what do you think that parents should do when their children misbehave you know what kind of policy do you have about eh restraining them when they're badly behaved

oh they want checking

aye and how do you h how do you do that I mean

wey make them stay in that hurts more than anything

aye rather than sort of giving them a lacing like

oh aye

yes yes yes (pause) and what about you know say a young person of sixteen or so what eh (pause) what kind of control do you think their parents should have over them very much or

oh I think so

st still quite a lot in fact at that age yes bout eh would you want to sort of say what time they came in of a night for instance

oh aye they should still toe the line and do what they're told

yeah (pause) eh (pause) this is eh a question we ask people you don't have to answer it if you want you know because some people don't eh which way do you vote

Tory mostly

do you pr ehm (pause) you say mostly do you sometimes vote another way

wey for the for the c council in Gateshead Labour always win (interruption) so it wouldn't really matter

that's true aye (pause) yeah but eh (pause) but you do vote Conservative (interruption) pretty regularly (unclear)

oh yes aye

why do you think that is is it eh you know why do you vote that way

oh I just believe in them that's all

do you think ehm (pause) is it because do you think their party does a better job I mean do you think they run the country better

I think they do

is or is it because eh you know do you have any sort of belief in their principles or something like that knowing eh

no wey to me they are b b business people

aye

and eh I mean to say that to to to to run the country it's j it's j just like a business

aye yes yeah mm so you feel as if they know the job better (interruption) (unclear) aye yes

aye

right do you do you ehm (pause) do you usually vote every time you know I mean in every in every election

oh yes

the local election (interruption) as well as

(unclear)

what eh (pause) what do you think of the way this government's running the country you know do you have any complaints about about the present government

well they're all right the only thing I've got against them is the way they treat them when they're when they're on the dole and all the rest of it

aye

well it's t too easy for them

you think they give too much out do you

wey aye

do you think ehm (pause) do you think people would be more likely to work in fact if you know

well if they got less they would have to work wouldn't they

aye

it's too easy for them

mmm do you think it's eh (pause) do you think there's a lot of people who are sort of drawing the dole who you know could work but don't want to or do you think it's just a small number

wey divn't know I think there's about fifty percent of them now

do you yeah

I don't think anybody believes in working

(laughter) yeah yeah but eh but you do presumably you would still you would still work even if you didn't have to

oh aye

mm yes sounds as if you enjoy your job quite a lot (laughter)

(laughter)

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

oh when you're talking to different people I think you talk different

you do talk different aye what eh (pause) what kinds of people you know who do you talk different to for example

well I would say (pause) you talk different eh (pause) to anybody in the church

you mean to a vicar or somebody (interruption) (unclear)

a vicar or something like that you talk different to them to what you would to other people (interruption) (unclear)

aye

or anybody that's higher than yourself like you talk different

I s I see aye yes what ab ehm how do you think you're talking now you know do you think this is I fairly is this the way you normally talk say (interruption)

oh aye I always talk this way

to your family like this would be more or less the way you're talking now

aye

yes (pause) have you ever eh have you ever have you ever tried to make any permanent changes during your life in the way you talk you know have you ever eh (pause) you know (pause) tried to change it (interruption)

no I don't think so I've always talked the same

more or less the same ever since you were young like aye (pause) ehm (pause) would you say you like to hear people talking in local accents you know in ty in Tyneside accents

well it's all right when you're when you're talking to them but when you hear them on the wireless or the television (interruption) it sounds wicked

aye (pause) sounds terrible

murder

yes what do you think is that sort of because you you feel it's out of place on television or something or

well it just does

sounds as if you do (unclear) mm did you ever when your children were young did you ever used to correct them about the way they talk

well I don't think so

you ne you never used to sort of tell them not to say things like heed and

no well that's the way we all talk so

yes that's funny that because you know a lot of people correct their (interruption) kids about this

she'll not take any notice of them (unclear)

aye yes eh do you do you ever feel that eh (pause) if somebody talks like you you know say you meet somebody for the first time and they talk more or less the same as you do you feel as if you're more likely to get on with them you know do you have this feeling about people

oh yes I think so

yeah

you feel more equal to them (unclear)

yeah mm eh what about how do you react to other accents of England you know like Cockney accents or Liverpool accents do you like them

well I think I like the Scotch the best

do you

mm-hm

aye (pause) why is that any particular reason or just think it sounds nice

well I couldn't say I've always liked their way of talk

yes just just sounds nice

aye

eh (pause) you know the way eh the way the newsreaders talk on the television when they read the news out you know Robert Dougal or somebody like that

oh (interruption) aye

you know you can imagine the way they talk eh (pause) how do react to that sort of accent you know do you like that way of speaking

well I never take any notice of them

oh you don't you don't really have any feelings about it

no

eh do you know anybody yourself who talks like that

no I don't think so

you can't really think of anybody in your own acquaintance who talks very like that you know yeah it's eh (pause) yeah it's not anyway common (unclear) you don't f ehm (pause) do you think if you did meet somebody who talked like that what would you think about them anything in particular

no I don't think so

you w you don't find it a sort of very posh way to talk for instance

no wey no

no eh (pause) it's funny that you don't have any s you know eh any reaction to it at all you know most people either sort of love it or they hate it you know it's eh

aye

eh (pause) what eh (pause) what kinds of things do you think you can tell about somebody from the way they talk you know do you ever eh guess things about people from just their pronunciation and that you know

no I don't think so

no what about ehm do you think you could ever tell the difference say between a Tynesider who worked in an office and a Tynesider who worked in a factory you know what I mean

oh wey in a in an office they do eh (pause) they do talk eh (pause) just that b b b b bit better like

mm yes I think you know yeah I think you would probably be able to tell that (interruption) on the whole I think you would

oh aye

there's some exceptions like anyway eh (pause) what eh (pause) what kind of accent would you say I've got you know from what you've heard of us today

oh (unclear) just ordinary (laughter)

(unclear) do you think it's like yours or different

well it's a bit different like

mm-hm would you say I came from Tyneside

no I don't think so

you don't think so mm but it's mm yeah it's I do like you know

oh

I come from I come from Gateshead

from Gateshead

(unclear) I've lived in Gateshead all my life as well

aye but what part

ay

what part

eh Coatsworth Road

(laughter)

oh

(laughter) used to have a nephew (unclear) now so

oh

I mean I agree there there's a bit difference like between me and you you know but eh

oh aye

I would still have thought you might guess you know that I came from Tyneside

he reminds me of (NAME) your (NAME) the way he talks

mm

mm yeah I quite I quite often get that you know if he when I hear somebody I think ah he you know talks just like somebody else (unclear)

mm-hm even down to the beard (laughter)

oh I see yes it weighs my lower jaw down (unclear) eh (pause) can people usually tell that you come from Tyneside you know say

oh I think so

like if you're in other parts of the country or people you mm

aye

yes ehm (pause) has anybody ever guessed you came from Gateshead you know say anybody from Newcastle guessed you're from Gateshead

no I don't think so

mm it's not very common (pause) ehm (pause) eh eh (pause) now ehm (pause) I'm just going to read out this list of words you know which are all sort of fairly localized words like and I would just like to know for each one ehm whether you use it you know yourself and secondly whether you're familiar with it you know I mean some of them you might know them but you wouldn't actually use them yourself you know ehm (pause) aside for beside do you say that

who

aside

aside like

it's just aside the fire

aye

eh bairn

bairn yes

yeah eh bait

bait uh-huh

bonny

yes

yes eh bray

uh-huh for to hit

aye for 'to hit' you use it

oh yes

ehm bullets

bullets aye

yes you usually call them that

oh yes

eh clamming

clamming aye often

often yes eh boody

boody no I don't think so

have you ever heard it I mean do you know it

oh I've heard it before aye

aye but you don't you don't normally (interruption) use it

no

coin coin a corner

coin (pause) uh-huh

you use it

oh no I don't use it like but I've (interruption) heard it

but you've heard it (pause) what about 'fettle'

fettle (pause) aye I often say that

for what eh wh what what does it mean like what do you use it for

well it's how how how how do you fettle and all that how do you feel (interruption) oh aye

feel in good fettle age what about to fettle something do you use it for that as well

no no

you don't say we'll sharp fettle this (unclear)

no no

eh (pause) gully

gully

mm-hm

aye often

for a knife

eh

for a knife (pause) for the bread knife

aye mostly

yes yes ehm howk use it

no I don't think so

never use that for like 'to give somebody a good howking'

no

no ehm (pause) ken for 'to know'

no

no you never say do you ken him for do you know him

no

lowe

no

do you know what it means

what just lowe

lowe for a like

a lowe

uh-huh

oh aye a lowe

a flame or a light do you (unclear)

oh aye

right ehm (pause) mense do you say it'll be more to your mense to (interruption) get some work done

oh aye I'm often saying that

yes eh parky

parky aye

for 'fussy about your food' like yeah eh varnigh

no

never use it do you ever hear it no eh mell

aye at work

yes yes eh (pause) what about eh (pause) to be knooled do you use that

no

no have you heard it

na

no well eh that's strange well eh