Archive Interview: TLSG34

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Speaker 1:

interviewerTLSG34

Speaker 2:

informantTLSG34

Age Group:

31-40

Gender:

Female

Residence:

Tyneside - Gateshead

Education:

Left school at 15; subsequent secretarial college

Occupation:

School Secretary

Themes

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  Interview Transcript

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

in Gateshead

Speaker 1:

yes whereabouts

Speaker 2:

you mean exactly

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

(laughter) the street's been demolished now

Speaker 1:

is it

Speaker 2:

yes it's Devonshire Street

Speaker 1:

is it I don't know where that is

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

oh aye

Speaker 2:

quite near there

Speaker 1:

yes sort of behind there was it

Speaker 2:

yes

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes and where to

Speaker 2:

to Wrekenton

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

mm mm

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes (interruption) (unclear)

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

do you not

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes so you are fairly attached to this area then

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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)

Speaker 2:

oh I suppose like most people in the south east

Speaker 1:

would you

Speaker 2:

yes

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

that's right

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes it does (interruption) (unclear)

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

mm

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

do you

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

aye

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

they're both eh Gateshead born

Speaker 1:

Gateshead people as well (unclear)

Speaker 2:

mm

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

(unclear)

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

ehm I've always done eh secretarial work

Speaker 1:

aye

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

I haven't done any other type of work

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

yes I did work at the university for a while

Speaker 1:

did you

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

did you not

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

where did you

Speaker 2:

worked in the department of psychological medicine

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

I didn't find it very congenial

Speaker 1:

oh why was that do you think

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm (unclear)

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

very much so compared to any of my other jobs yes

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

oh yes mm

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no it used to be a secondary technical school

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

fifteen

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no no I enjoyed school very much

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

I was happy there Whitehall Road school

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm

Speaker 2:

you may remember that

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

mm-hm yes it's changed name several times

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

mm I went to secretarial college

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no full time

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no no

Speaker 1:

oh I see

Speaker 2:

no I went there straight from school

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

everyone's helped tremendously

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

oh yes

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

yes I had a very happy childhood

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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)

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

is that somebody at the door

Speaker 2:

a cleaner I think

Speaker 1:

eh and ehm

Speaker 2:

excuse me

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

(laughter)

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

I think perhaps I don't want to remember

Speaker 1:

yes I think you have

Speaker 2:

I think the psychologists would make something of that

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

(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)

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

(unclear) quite interested in films

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

(laughter)

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

what eh what kinds of things do you like to read

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yeah mm ehm d do you think (interruption)

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes historical novels

Speaker 2:

no not novels

Speaker 1:

yes I see yeah

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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)

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

aye

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

oh I consider myself more fortunate than most

Speaker 1:

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)

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

would you aye

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes it does (interruption) (unclear)

Speaker 2:

there's isn't much compulsive viewing really

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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)

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

so you can you know make jokes about it

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes rather than actually belting (interruption) them

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

Conservative

Speaker 1:

do you ehm have you always voted the same way

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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)

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes it's eh (interruption)

Speaker 2:

very rare to be swayed by any opinions I think

Speaker 1:

yes eh yes at least (unclear) proportion

Speaker 2:

(laughter)

Speaker 1:

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)

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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)

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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)

Speaker 1:

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)

Speaker 2:

that's absent minded professors absent minded headmasters

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

you were saying did I speak differently at home

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

(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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

(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)

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

possibly

Speaker 1:

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)

Speaker 2:

(laughter) true rolling pastures and that sort of thing

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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)

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

aye

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

no I think (interruption) (unclear)

Speaker 2:

but eh I don't object to a regional accent

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

yes definitely

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

and some are particularly eh appealing

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm yes

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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)

Speaker 2:

I think possibly that's true yes

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

oh yes to them there is

Speaker 2:

yes

Speaker 1:

definitely

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes that's right yes

Speaker 2:

at least we don't do that

Speaker 1:

(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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

oh yes I think so yes

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no no they don't

Speaker 1:

never at all

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm it's (interruption)

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

(laughter) oh didn't know that

Speaker 2:

oh (laughter)

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

there's not much confidential here

Speaker 1:

(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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

aye now just that one

Speaker 2:

dry size five jibe tribe lives mine type

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no eh w first w w have I heard of it

Speaker 1:

mm

Speaker 2:

yes would (laughter) would I use it no

Speaker 1:

mm right eh bait

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

oh eh (pause) mm bullets for sweets'

Speaker 2:

(laughter) yes and no (laughter)

Speaker 1:

yes and no ehm boody

Speaker 2:

(laughter) yes and no

Speaker 1:

yes and no eh cree

Speaker 2:

cree

Speaker 1:

mm

Speaker 2:

no I haven't heard of that

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

oh pigeon cree oh yes I have heard of that yes

Speaker 1:

(unclear) yes

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes yes eh fettle

Speaker 2:

fine fettle (laughter)

Speaker 1:

well yes or to fettle something

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

eh gully

Speaker 2:

gunny

Speaker 1:

gully

Speaker 2:

gully mm eh no the not as eh (interruption)

Speaker 1:

breadknife or a butch butcher's knife

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

eh lowe

Speaker 2:

pardon

Speaker 1:

lowe

Speaker 2:

allow

Speaker 1:

no lowe

Speaker 2:

lowe

Speaker 1:

as in Jack Shine Your Lowe for instance

Speaker 2:

no I definitely haven't heard of that

Speaker 1:

no it's a light or a flame you know

Speaker 2:

quite obscure that one

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm neither sense nor mense though as a word would you

Speaker 2:

yes

Speaker 1:

would you use that

Speaker 2:

I would think yes I think so (laughter)

Speaker 1:

mm eh parky

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes or fussy about your food you know

Speaker 2:

oh yes parky

Speaker 1:

parky mm eh varnigh

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

no (unclear) and mell

Speaker 2:

no I don't think so

Speaker 1:

mm eh knooled you know to be knooled

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes you wouldn't use it

Speaker 2:

no (laughter)

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

mm-hm (laughter)

Speaker 1:

see

Speaker 2:

(unclear) uh-huh uh-huh

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

that's what I think

Speaker 1:

eh do you not go there very often

Speaker 2:

I think I would use that yes

Speaker 1:

uh-huh eh they're useless them

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yeah eh me and John went to the races on Saturday

Speaker 2:

no I don't think I would use that

Speaker 1:

eh I might could manage it

Speaker 2:

no I definitely wouldn't use that

Speaker 1:

eh you know my cousin that her husband died

Speaker 2:

no (laughter)

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

oh no I object to that crikey the wife

Speaker 1:

you see it's oh I see yes

Speaker 2:

(laughter)

Speaker 1:

what about the 'with' bit

Speaker 2:

what

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

(unclear) you wouldn't say that yes

Speaker 2:

offends me (laughter)

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

no ehm they go to the pictures of a Sunday

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

no eh can't he not do that

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

no eh would you mind stop talking

Speaker 2:

no I don't think I do that

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

mm yes eh do you want a cup of tea making

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no I definitely wouldn't say that

Speaker 1:

no eh he happened a nasty accident

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

no eh I wanted for to talk to you about it

Speaker 2:

no (laughter)

Speaker 1:

eh when did it happen you

Speaker 2:

when did it happen

Speaker 1:

when did it happen you

Speaker 2:

oh no

Speaker 1:

no mm I've got money belonging him

Speaker 2:

no (laughter)

Speaker 1:

no (laughter)

Speaker 2:

gets worse and worse (laughter)

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no (laughter)

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

no

Speaker 2:

(laughter)

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

no eh never mind I'll manage but

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

eh (pause) they'd not seen it

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

oh that's that's my impression as well

Speaker 2:

(laughter)

Speaker 1:

eh (pause) it's far too long this

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

no eh what is it he does for a living

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

eh just light the fire on will you

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

(laughter)

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

ehm (pause) we'll sharp get this done

Speaker 2:

no

Speaker 1:

no eh he's as Tyneside as what I am

Speaker 2:

no (laughter)

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

mm-hm

Speaker 1:

ehm they've seen that picture

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

yes

Speaker 2:

(laughter)

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

he hasn't found it

Speaker 1:

yes ta eh we've finished our dinner

Speaker 2:

we've begun

Speaker 1:

eh yes that's a different kind of opposite

Speaker 2:

well (laughter)

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

oh we've (interruption) finished

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 2:

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

Speaker 1:

eh he'd do it for you

Speaker 2:

he wouldn't

Speaker 1:

yes ehm I'll see you next week

Speaker 2:

I won't

Speaker 1:

yes eh he's coming tomorrow

Speaker 2:

he's not

Speaker 1:

yes eh ehm you're working late tonight

Speaker 2:

you're not

Speaker 1:

yes ta that's good eh mm well yes

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