yeah, right that's brilliant (pause) OK do, I'll do the interview now

(cough)

all right so what are your names and how old are you?

(cough) me first? Er, (NAME), I'm twenty

er, my name's (NAME) and I'm twenty as well

all right fair, and er how long have you lived in Newcastle for?

well, I've lived just outside of Newcastle all my life since well, since I was born, I lived in a little village called Whitburn which is between er, Newcastle and Sunderland

oh right yeah

yep ah right well er, I just like recently moved here like centre of Newcastle, I used to live by the coast (pause) er West Monkseaton which (pause) it's almost like considered Newcastle you know so

yeah

even though it's like seven miles, so I'd say all my life I've lived here really

yeah so er in terms of em, living in the flat downstairs you just moved here

(interruption) yeah

(interruption) like a couple of months ago didn't you?

yeah

(interruption) August

yeah, I was living in Tenerife until the middle of August

oh right

and then moved in er

yeah

and joined (NAME)

(interruption) so you've em been in the city of Newcastle just a few months then?

yeah

right, fair enough er (pause) do you like it here?

em (pause) yeah to me it's absolutely spot on because I mean you've got absolutely everything you need in the surrounding areas, I mean we're only (pause) a fifteen minute walk from town, so it's much easier to get to university and things

yeah

er (pause) where I live back at home (pause) if I say wanted to go to university it would probably take us about forty-five minutes to get through here (pause) whereas now it's like a little five minute drive

yeah (pause) er d- do you like it here then (NAME)?

here, Newcastle?

yeah

no, it rains all the time

(laughter)

like, it's so bad it's full of charvers, it rains (pause) like (pause) like (pause) (tut) when you've lived here your whole life, it's kind of a bit

I'd prefer to be back out in Tenerife to be honest

(interruption) yeah exactly (pause) like

(laughter)

don't know I just when you've lived somewhere your whole life like I like change though like if I've been here twenty years I want to I want to go somewhere else you know

yeah

yeah

so how does it compare living in er Newcastle em to back home? Do -- do you prefer it here or do you prefer it back home?

I don't know, in terms of the people and I'm not just saying this 'cause I'm a Mackem but

(laughter)

I find a lot of Geordies very edgy on a night out and things so

(interruption) yeah

(interruption) edgy

edgy (pause) so I'd probably say I don't know (pause) for the area, the fact that em in Newcastle you've got absolutely everything that you could ever want, whereas I was from a little village outside of a town

yeah

so I mean I had a lot more fields and (pause) used to spend most my days playing football with my mates which was a right laugh, but moving to Newcastle it's like a lot busier city so

yeah

(interruption) it's always got something to do

yeah (pause) how about you (NAME)? Like how do you like it here like compared to back home?

I like it here 'cause like you can get to Newcastle in like ten five five ten minutes

yeah

(interruption) depending on how you get there but like (unclear) we play hockey in Whitley Bay

oh right

(interruption) and you can just go there like I live right next to well, near the ice rink (pause) and like it's it's just a hassle sometimes driving up and down the coast road like four, five times a week

yeah

I I mean it is closer to town so like when I go to Newcastle at the weekend shopping it's it's pretty good or if you go out on a night out (pause) it's like a fiver for a taxi instead of like fifteen quid

yeah

but like (pause) like some of like the stuff at home like I think it's just the hockey (pause) and I -- I live next to a beach as well so that's quite nice

yeah

not that it's ever sunny like but

(laughter)

(laughter)

when it was sunny we'd just go there

well yeah I used to surf when I used lived back at home and literally (pause) my house was like (pause) a three or four minute walk from the beach

yeah

so (pause) I used to be able to just get up at six in the morning and go surfing before college and stuff (pause) whereas it's just impossible through here

yeah (pause) so er, do you usually em, like drive into town or em you know about or do you just kind of drive about back home?

em (pause) if the car's free, and we're both going into town together or something

can't believe you said that

(interruption) then we'll

(interruption) can't say it like that

(laughter) no then we'll like (pause) we'll like drive into town (pause) but I mean if (NAME) needs the car if I need the car for something else, it's just as easy to jump the Metro it's just I really don't like public transport

yeah public transport's horrible in the morning

yeah so if I can avoid it I will but (pause) sometimes I've got to kind of do it

yeah, yeah (pause) em (tut) is there a particular name for people from your hometown? As in er you know, Geordies from Newcastle?

yeah (pause) em well I'll do (pause) I'll go first yeah?

what you?

well I live like, my little village is between the areas of South Shields and Sunderland

right

so people from Sunderland obviously get Mackems as a lot of people are aware (pause) em South Shields are known as Sandancers?

yeah

(interruption) I don't know where it came from originally but

(interruption) I've heard that yeah

so I live kind of in the middle of two so I could be, maybe a Mackdancer or

(laughter)

Sandem

yeah

(cough)

(unclear)

yeah I don't know 'cause like (pause) I I'd never really consider myself a Geordie, 'cause I'm not like 'why aye man know what I'm talking about?'

(laughter)

but like

(unclear) all over

'aye black and white' em

(laughter)

I don't even support like Newcastle like (pause) spoke to a load of Geordies and they're just like all        but

(laughter)

(laughter)

like rough like charvers basically a Geordie is a charver (pause) like (sigh) yeah, you know like (pause) just because you're from Newcastle doesn't mean you're a Geordie like if you're like rough as       

(laughter)

but

it's fine it's fine (laughter) no honestly it's fine

is swearing all right is it?

(laughter)

don't want to swear!

em (laughter) where were your parents born and raised?

em (pause) my mam and dad were both from South Shields they were around from different parts my dad was from Biddick Hall, and my mam was from Whitelees (pause) they're right next to each other but like that's the rough end of Sunderland and like

oh ok

(interruption) or sorry the rough end of Shields (pause) and they both hate each other, but my mam and dad came from like opposite sides and somehow got together so

yeah

it's almost like (unclear) South Shields

(laughter) but they're from South Shields anyway, yeah

em my mum's from Wolverhampton, and my dad's from Lincoln

ah

(interruption) so like it kind of explains why I don't speak like a Geordie does (pause) yeah

yeah (pause) em what about your em grandparents as well?

em my grandparents, they're both from Shields like my whole family is

(interruption) really all your family?

(interruption) like they've always been yeah

yeah

based in Shields (pause) em (pause) my dad grew up in Biddick Hall that's where my nan and granddad lives, and my mam's mam em she was from Shields as well so

oh right

I'm just a local Shields lad I suppose

yeah yeah

(laughter)

I don't know my dad's (pause) parents were I think from around Lincolnshire but I'm not sure if they're Lincoln (pause) it was like around I knew it was around that area

yeah

and my mum's parents (pause) I think (pause) was like, it was near I think it was Warwickshire (pause) like around there

yeah

I'm not too sure it's like, it's down South somewhere but it's not like (pause) (sigh) but it's above London so (sigh) I don't know, it's around that kind of area thing like Warwickshire, Nottingham kind of place

yeah, em (pause) are you both er studying at university then?

em, well I've just recently started my first year at Northumbria

right

em I'm doing a sport management course

yeah

which is a three-year course and so I've just started

ok

well actually I'm at college doing a degree there, like I'm in my final year now

yeah

and er, 'cause I'm a bit 'duh'

(laughter)

er so once I complete that it's just like an honours degree and so it's just Newcastle College so

yeah

it's actually it's run but Leeds Met, so like technically I go there but (pause) it's Newcastle College does it or something

yeah em so are you enjoying it?

em I am I'm actually like I'm proper loving university life at the minute being away from home, out on my own and

yeah

it's just like say on Monday night I went out and got like absolutely wrecked in town (pause) all day Tuesday I was really really hungover and ill (pause) and normally if I was at home I'd get wrong for like lying sleeping on the settee in the living room but

(laughter)

can do it downstairs by myself and nobody else is screeching at me bitching every now and then but

I never bitch at you

(laughter)

(laughter) er yeah how about you (NAME)?

(interruption) it's all -- (interruption) it's all right, I'm third-year now so it's like I've got to do a dissertation and assignments, it's kind of piling up and stuff (pause) but er I kind of enjoy it like (NAME) says, student life doing really nothing a lot of the time

(laughter)

and then like doing all your work at like the last couple of weeks

we've managed to convince ourselves that we actually do a lot though

(interruption) (cough)

like like

yeah

ah we've worked hard today let's just stay in tonight

yeah like we do nothing and then at the end of the week we're kind of like, 'can't believe that week'

(laughter)

(laughter)

like we'll pop into work about twice or something, like we'll go to the lecture you know

and then we cuddle

exactly (laughter) and then (pause) do it like we do like I don't know write about five hundred words and I'm just like oh, Jesus!

(laughter)

(laughter)

my fingers are sore (laughter)

yeah (unclear)

yeah is em is there anything you dislike about your course?

em (pause) I wouldn't really say dislike about the course er at university I think it's quite annoying when you get say stuck in a big lecture group or even in a seminar with a very poor like, standard lecturer

yeah

and to me it's just totally pointless if you say, get yourself out of bed, go down to uni and you're sitting in a big lecture hall and you've just got somebody at the front who has obviously been on the degree but doesn't really understand it and just stands there and like reads off a whiteboard and it's just like well

yeah yeah

that's the only negative side to my course really, it, I've got one or two lecturers like that (unclear)

(interruption) yeah so you -- you're enjoying the course itself? Just er

yeah I'm enjoying the course itself, I mean I've always been proper sporty from a young age like, involved in everything so (pause) I've always known I was going to go and do a sports degree at uni so

yeah

I'm quite pleased

yeah, er is there anything you dislike about your course (NAME)?

yeah I have to get up at like        nine o'clock on a Wednesday and a Friday and I go in and it's just like (NAME) said, some like little bloke just going like clicking his slideshow, saying it and then like you have to say like coding you have to copy the coding and stuff so like wh- I'll just lie in and do it in the evening

yeah it's as simple online yourself on Blackboard

yeah it's kind of like they're getting paid like how much a year? And then you have to go in like really early that's what gets me going in early (pause) and then like it's just some guy on (sigh) (pause) the PowerPoint

yeah

it's kind of like well, don't think I'll be back

(laughter) em what would like to do after like college and university?

(cough) I'm totally not sure (pause) I've been totally unsettled for the past like, years, I mean when I was a proper kid like young kid I was like oh I want to be a vet I want to be a vet, but then every single like, come two -- three weeks

(laughter)

I want to be a fireman, I want to be a police officer

yeah

(interruption) I want to be a physio (pause) I've just been constantly changing but

(cough)

I mean I'm not a massive fan of this country because it's expensive, it's cold, it's wet (pause) so, I don't know I'd like to get my degree, if I need experience get some experience, and possibly moved abroad, move to Canada, America, Australia maybe

(interruption) yeah

and just like, do something within sport, obviously that's the course I'm doing, whether it's like event management or, working for a big organisation like Nike or Adidas

yeah

I'm not too sure but, I'll worry about that in three years time when I do my degree so

yeah

er I think I'm I'm going to go do a masters I think at Northumbria, kind of like er (pause) something I don't know something I want to do

yeah

and then pr- probably move to like America like (pause) somewhere it's like California it's hot right

(interruption) oh we could live together?

I'm not living with you

(laughter)

right, yeah just somewhere warm, and sunny, and where there aren't charvers, and they're all friendly

em when you were when you were younger did you enjoy school? Er like er Primary School and you know High School?

I used to love it I wish I could go back now

yeah

(interruption) because (pause) er at the time, obviously you don't realise it until you leave and you realise just how bad the real world is when you've got like (pause) when you get to the age of sixteen you've got to get yourself a part-time job and you've got to worry about this and that and rent and phone bills and (pause) being a kid, it's just like it's not really just the school aspect of it just, having absolutely no worries, you can just go to school and go and play with your mates and stuff and it's just like (pause) at the end of the day so what, you can just do whatever you want

yeah

(interruption) whereas when you get to a certain age, you start to get a lot of kind of erm (pause) people get like a certain (pause) like you (pause) feel like how you should act just to like make other people happy

yeah

you think because you're this certain age you've got to act mature or whatever

yeah

but I don't

(laughter)

(cough) I kind of like, First School and Middle School, I was like a proper geek, like (pause) and like I had like two friends and I think (pause) right

(laughter)

(laughter)

and like I had proper like 'boomf!' hair, like I didn't bother you know like I'd not bother like high (pause) (sigh) I just like (pause) I was just a geek I spent all my time doing work and        and I was like

I can't believe I'm living with an ex-geek

an ex-geek yeah

(laughter)

like I made some friends in High School like (NAME) from hockey like, it's just like (pause) the more the more I got through high school the more priorities change like you'd like first like you'd say, I don't know do well at school and then kind of like you'd think oh well actually, you know try and make as many friends as possible like

(laughter)

actually buy decent clothes (laughter)

so what went wrong now?

what?

what went wrong with you now?

(laughter)

I'm living with you, that's what went wrong with me I'm living with        (NAME) Tulip

(laughter)

but er yeah then we got to like sixth-form and I totally bombed my A-Levels

(laughter)

(laughter)

God like I wish (pause) if like if I'd just stuck kind of like being a geek

yeah you see I was like that, well I wasn't a proper geek, but like at school I came away with like, four A-stars and like five As and a couple of Bs (pause) then I went er like college em college and had to do three years and I failed my second-year (laughter)

yeah

(laughter)

like, you know like when I got through High School I did good in my GCSEs and then my A-Levels just didn't happen and it's just like 'argh man!' and it's just like yeah, compared to how I used to be like a proper geek like I, I was the one that the cool kids picked on

(laughter) ah bless you!

(laughter)

I know I know I mean that's what

(interruption) I'm finding out so much about you in this interview

(laughter) em so di- did you have em many friends in school and stuff I mean like like later on?

yeah like once I got to sixth-form like I had quite a lot of friends, but like I suppose looking back now which really isn't the most important thing about sixth-form if young kids are listening

(laughter)

(laughter)

if I could go if I could go back to sixth-form now I'd be like, like I don't want friends

(laughter)

I want A-Levels

(laughter)

get out of Newcastle, argh!

(laughter)

I did I did have loads of friends

yeah I think when I was like even like from Primary School and Secondary School I, like, you can look around the playground you can see how people kind of like separate off, you've got like your skaters and (pause) the geeks like (NAME) and all his mates in the corner, and I was always in the kind of like (pause) the cool crew back at school like I was always like like (pause) like I had a big group of friends and stuff and we were like the ones who used to organise footy matches on the field and stuff and

(interruption) yeah

and yeah so I was always like quite popular, even though I don't really want to sound too big-headed but

yeah yeah

I always worried about my mates over like school work and stuff

yeah

(laughter)

(laughter) (cough)

em, what kind of a kid were you when you were growing up? (pause) you know were you yeah were you a bit of a trouble maker or were you a good kid?

em I don't know I like totally lived like two totally different lives, like my family used to probably think I was some little golden child and never done a thing wrong (pause) but (pause) I was totally different when I was out with my mates and like (pause) I was just basically the total opposite like I was a little rebel with my mates trying to be all cool and stuff, like I'd go out on Halloween and egg houses 'cause it was cool (pause) then I'd go home and go 'ah mam I had a really good night trick or treating'

(laughter)

that was like

yeah

yeah I was two totally different people

yeah (pause) how about you?

I guess I was the opposite 'cause I've only ever been trick or treating once

(laughter)

and that's when I was fourteen! No em as a child I don't know I was kind of good like (pause) I -- I don't know em I was like I went from like 'cause my parents were always trying to get us to play mus- musical instruments, so like I went from being like a little musical child like that had like trying to get us to learn like four musical instruments which is insane

did you fail them all?

no actually I was all right

what instruments did you play?

em piano, violin no the viola not the violin, the cello, and oh        there was another one

(laughter)

there was one other, it was just insane, oh em (pause) cello

I used to play the recorder

ooo!

back in Primary School I was ace at the recorder

em, oh God what was it? It was something, it'll probably come back, and then like I don't know I got into more sporty stuff like I used to really enjoy my cycling and like mountain biking

yeah

and then like I played tennis and squash, and then I started playing hockey at about fourteen, fifteen

yeah

(interruption) and I got totally into that and

yeah 'cause em b- both of you play hockey don't you?

yeah

(interruption) yeah well, just for the benefit of the tape em it's ice hockey not field hockey

ice hockey yeah

we're manly

(laughter) yeah

(laughter)

yeah so h- how long have you been doing that for then?

em I've only been playing ice hockey like em three year, I started playing I used to be like county football and county athletics, and then I had like loads of knee operations, got like three knee operations

yeah

on like both knees so now

(cough)

it was just like I got told I couldn't play football anymore, I couldn't do athletics, so I just started playing ice hockey instead

yeah

and I just picked it up quite quickly and really really enjoyed it so

yeah

just stuck at it, er (NAME) was different because see where I lived over in Whitburn, there's not a like ice rink for miles away

oh

so really when I was a kid and didn't drive there was no I could possibly play ice hockey

yeah

whereas (NAME) you live right next to the rink don't you? So

well five minutes kind of, yeah it's pretty much next to the rink yeah

yeah so you've been playing for six years or something?

sort of yeah well five I had to like I've just come from a, I had a knee operation (pause) I had to take a year out, ice hockey screws your knees like and er yeah so I had to take a year out so like even though I've been playing since I was fourteen sorry even fifteen years, so yeah it was really just because we live next to the rink

yeah

(interruption) and it's just like, oh shall we go and watch a hockey match and then it's like that looks fun, so it was much easier for me 'cause

yeah so wh- what got you into hockey JV?

em I started playing hockey well at first I just started I was working at the ice rink in erm Times Square, right beside the Centre for Life

(interruption) yeah

they always have like em a temporary ice rink which actually it'll be coming back pretty soon

yeah it's up now

is it up now is it? Oh ace

that little (unclear)

(unclear) (laughter) it's like it was proper ace, I had like a couple of mates worked there on year when I was only fifteen and they, they'd just turned sixteen and just got jobs working at the rink, and then the next year came back and got myself a job there, so it was like me working with my mates it was it was class, our jobs were just like to skate round and chat to girls and help little kids skate and stuff

yeah

em, and from that I met like some lads that used to come down regularly, em and then I got to be mates with them and then he was saying like 'oh we're hiring the rink out at Whitley Bay to play some ice hockey if you want to join us' (pause) that was you know (NAME) (NAME)? That's how I met (NAME) (NAME) and that's the first time that I started playing hockey, which was about, yeah about three year ago when I was like sixteen

(interruption) yeah

and, that was just like a mate saying 'oh come along you might enjoy it'

yeah

and just picked it up from there

em like back on the subject of when you were a kid, em, what kind of er things did you do to get into trouble?

em I remember one story which still makes us laugh, em (NAME) my best mate, you know the one who came through here?

hmm

em there was one night like this is like when we were really really really young, we were playing out in the street and like there were some empty milk bottles that were all empty and somebody had like put them out for the milkman to collect (pause) em my mate (NAME) he dared us to smash one and I was like 'no I'm not doing it no I'm not doing it, I'm not going to get in trouble'

(laughter)

but I ended up like smashing a milk bottle just I don't know why, just 'cause I was a lad and got dared to do it (laughter) and then like later on I went home and I got a knock on my door, and it was (NAME) my mate grassing us up to my mam (laughter) going '(NAME) (NAME) (NAME) just smashed a milk bottle!', I was like 'what you doing?' (laughter)

(laughter)

apart from smashing a milk bottle I was a pretty good child really, I wasn't too bad

yeah, em what about you (NAME)?

em I kind of went out my way to like, I didn't really try to get into trouble 'cause I had, like if I did something wrong I'd never tell my parents, like I did as much possible so that they wouldn't find out (pause) like I remember one time trying to like make sure they didn't know, but like when they did tell me off it was just like stuff like 'cause I always used to go away like on a bike and they'd be like 'dinner's at six!' and like you'd get in at seven, they're like 'ooo!'

yeah

ooo! Back of the hand, it's like (sigh)

yeah so like em

like breaking stuff I guess

yeah h- how were you em, how were you punished if you were naughty?

I don't know, my like (pause) mam and dad would never like, like proper strict towards us they would never go like 'oh you're staying in tonight, oh you're grounded', nothing like that

yeah

but it used to be kind of like, if you'd done something wrong they'd shake their heads at you and go (pause) 'not impressed' or like

yeah yeah

'you've let us down' (laughter)

(laughter)

that's like when they say that (pause) 'oh no!'

(laughter)

but I mean like they were never like heavy handed with us, never like g- grounded us for being naughty or anything

(interruption) yeah

yeah it's the same my parents didn't like, they didn't really ground us I don't think they liked doing it and stuff there was kind of like (pause) don't know 'for        sake (NAME), like (pause) you're an idiot'

(laughter)

right, 'you're going to end up in jail' or something like, just stop being an an idiot and it's like (pause)       

(laughter)

they wouldn't really tell us off (pause) yeah they would tell us off no they would but they'd just be kind of like with (NAME)'s parents like kind of just be like (sigh) think when you're a child they they've lost that little bit of respect for you and it's just like 'argh!'

yeah when they say they're disappointed

every time they go 'ah!' it's just one more little thing and it's like 'oh'

it's like when you say 'ah mam er can like, can (NAME) sleep over, can I have a sleepover tonight?' (unclear) 'if you want to', it's obvious you're not allowed but I mean (laughter)

yeah

yeah

I bet people's parents hate having kids (laughter)

so your parents weren't too strict then, that's all right isn't it?

no mine weren't at all (unclear)

yeah

I like my parents

and mine, mine were drunk half the time anyway

(laughter)

(laughter)

the thing was I mean there was like my mum'd be on the sofa like on her (pause) eighth bottle of wine (pause) and like my dad'd be at the pub so (laughter)

(laughter)

do you think em, do you think kids today have changed from when you were young?

yeah, they're all charvers, like they're all little       , I hate them

(laughter)

like, if I ever see one in the car I speed up

weren't you a little        though when you were young?

(interruption) no, I wasn't all right (laughter) until I got to high school

did you just admit on tape about trying to run kids over? (laughter)

(laughter)

yeah, right, yeah because right tell you what, outside where we live, right there's a little bench, and they all come here to sit with their -- with their hooded jumpers right, smoking their alcohol, no, smoking their cigarettes and drinking their alcohol

they have little rabbles around

and illicit substances that they're taking and they just like sit there in- outside the bench and make loads of noise (pause) listen to their R'n'B and their Hip Hop (pause) it does my head in

(laughter)

every night it's just like it gets dark it's just go somewhere else, and then one time right, we're like, this is still on the subject of what's wrong with kids right

(laughter)

we had the windows open and then you get one sticking, 'you all right, have you got a light?', it's like what you doing? Like sticking your head into our house

(laughter)

it's like        they always just come in sit down they think they own the place 'cause we live in a, 'cause Jesmond's quite well off

yeah

and they've always got lots of money so they're kind of like 'oh we want this, and this' and 'we have so much money' so

you see I don't know 'cause I think it's a bit like it's definitely 'cause obviously we -- we've moved places now

hmm

and, the kids over this end are totally different from where they are in Whitburn, well anyway this is like my point of view (pause) my little village, the kids are all just out playing footy and stuff and (pause) when you come to this like posh end with Jesmond they're obviously like private school children and

(interruption) yeah

(interruption) they're just like, they talk totally different (unclear)

(interruption) it's yeah t- totally different accent isn't it?

yeah

like I've noticed round here, yeah

yeah and er and I think every just like acts differently, obviously they've had a different upbringing to what I had over my end so

yeah like where I live there's not really like a private school nearby like the nearest one's like (pause) about a mile away, it's all public schools, and like the kids are so different it's just I don't know I think the kids who don't go to private school have got a bit more respect for people, whereas people who go to private school, I hope no-one listening goes to private school

(laughter)

right but like like, different sorts of people like just appear to be kind of like, they kind of think they own the place

yeah

it's just like calm down like

yeah, so you think it's completely different then? Like

well yeah I suppose you do you do get       

(laughter)

like definitely, but like I don't know, I mean there's more charvers down by like 'cause Whitley Bay's near where I live and that's just full of them, and that's just full of little kids bricking windows, er like yeah there's another exten- there's two extremes

yeah yeah

like the ones down here are obviously well behaved, it's just they're a bit up their own       

(laughter) yeah em do er do either of you have a er part-time job?

yeah, both do (pause) I work in Subway in Jesmond

yeah

and it's (pause) it's all right it's like I don't want to work too much 'cause I've got a lot to do like with dissertations and stuff

yeah

so it's a nice job which gives me enough money a week to like pay the bills

(interruption) yeah

(interruption) and obviously I've got my student loan for anything else

yeah

so it's kind of nice just to have like that little bit e- little bit of income, it's not challenging with either, you just stand there

(laughter)

it's just nice and easy it's local, you can sleep in and get there like dead early

yeah h- how many em, how many hours do you work a week?

em (laughter) yeah, well they've just got I used to work like like it was like start like (pause) em of like August September I think I was working like twenty thirty hour weeks 'cause they had no staff (pause) they've got like sort of more staff in, it's nice to work like sixteen hours

yeah

'cause like that way it's only like a couple of lunch times, you're not taking up loads of time

yeah, that's good

yeah you see well I worked at Subway with (NAME) em (pause) for all of September and a bit of October, then I've got myself a new job now and I'm working at Marks and Spencer's in town

yeah

em, the only reason I moved is because the money's much better in Marks and Spencer's compared to Subway

yeah

and, I preferred working at Subway 'cause it was a lot easier and it's just totally chilled out and relaxed, whereas Marks and Spencer's is like really strict

yeah

I mean, you get random pocket searches and if you've got anything in your pockets apart from just your pass you get like a formal warning and stuff

(laughter)

and it's just like oh sorry, I left a packet of chewies in there

yeah

and you get a formal warning for it because it's just, against policy and stuff

wow!

it is ridiculously strict, but (pause) it's like an extra two pounds an hour

yeah

which is quite a lot really

(cough)

like, I'm doing about thirty thirty-five well (pause) when I first started it was about twenty-eight thirty, but I've asked to knock it down now to twenty

right

just because, I don't really need to work thirty hours a week

yeah

I'd rather have like that extra day off

yeah

to do nothing, like today

yeah

er what was em what was your very first job that you did?

paper round

paper round?

paper round yeah

yeah, how was that? (laughter)

it was rubbish, you had to get up at nine o'clock on a Sunday, no ev- even earlier than that, it was like seven-thirty on a Sunday and you didn't have to deliver many papers though because (pause) like during the week like it wasn't that bad like during term time like with school you'd kind of go after school you know it'd be good you know 'twelve pounds woah!', twelve pounds a week (laughter) loaded!

(laughter)

but like em, like when it got to the summer holidays like whatever you're doing you'd have to come home to do your paper round and then go back out again and er that was just a pain in the        (pause) so er, yeah

em (pause) my first, well my first proper employment was like what I said working at the Centre for Life at the ice rink when I was sixteen

yeah

but before that I had another job I was working as like a referee, like Sunday League football

oh right

em, when I was like fourteen I was the youngest referee in the country

wow!

I was like one of like, I basically like sat like you had to do a six week course

yeah

and do a little test, and the exam was like a couple of days after my fourteenth birthday and you had to be fourteen to do it

right

so I was like, the youngest that you could possibly be a referee, so I was like when I was fourteen I was refereeing like under-twelves and under-elevens and stuff

yeah

and I really really enjoyed it, and (pause) it would've been so easy for us to keep on going, like you can put in for like promotion and stuff

yeah

you start at like level eight, which is just like your basic like Sunday League teams and stuff, but when I like knacked my knees I stopped doing that (pause) but a friend of mine started after me (pause) I'm not like picking on him but he was a worse referee, like I was a lot more confident I'd been doing it longer

yeah

and he's now like gone down to a grade five he's been b- (unclear) like eight times, and within the space of three years he could referee in the Premiership

wow!

when he's like twenty-three, and that's like a hundred grand a year

yeah

and plus then like bonuses on top of that and stuff, so

yeah

so that would've been an awesome opportunity for us but

I was going to say do you regret that em not carrying on

(interruption) definitely because, if I'd stuck it I mean, when you're a kid when I was fifteen -- fifteen -- sixteen, I was getting paid like fifteen pound for refereeing an hour football match which is like an insane amount of money kind of thing if you do like three matches a weekend

yeah

and, I don't know em it was a really big opportunity I kind of missed, like missed out on not doing it but, because of my knees I had a couple of operations then kind of like (pause) I started working in a restaurant and they wanted us to work Sunday mornings so I was like yeah, no problem

yeah

(interruption) and just lost touch with refereeing but

yeah ah right em so I mean you've mentioned er like the ice hockey go- like what other hobbies do you have?

em well I haven't been doing it since I moved through here but I've still got my wetsuit and a body-board and everything and I would like to like surf and

yeah

one of my best friends from back over home, em (pause) his dad is the owner of Hartlepool Mariner

oh right

so, we used to spend like every day of the summer just out on speedboats like wakeboarding and jet-skiing and, everything else that comes with it and I used to love doing stuff like that (pause) apart from that, I still follow my football, I'm a massive Sunderland fan (pause) and (pause) football, ice hockey

yeah (pause) how about you (NAME)?

er well I don't know I've only just really got back to sport after, 'cause I wasn't allowed to do any sport for a year, so like hobbies (laughter) I'm going to sound like a right sad act here but

(laughter)

like probably going to the gym is like the only thing I'm able to think like

(interruption) yeah

(interruption) four -- five times a week but I used to play like before my knee operation I had like, like I want to get back into all this stuff like golf, running, er tennis, squash (pause) hockey which I've got back into (pause) em, that's about it (pause) football, not like serious just kicking about with your mates you know

yeah

other than that, there's no other really good sports

yeah

(laughter)

(laughter) it's true

s- em so y- you're both into football er s- so you're a Sunderland fan and

(interruption) Man-U

(interruption) you're a United fan, how come you support United?

like my whole family like m- my granddad, like my granddad's dad did, my granddad did, my dad did, it's just a kind of thing like I just got brought up supporting Man-U

yeah

(interruption) my dad was like 'do you want to support Newcastle?', I don't mind but I was like 'nah, Man-U'

who'd want to support Newcastle?

yeah they're        it's just like no

yeah if you're brought up with it then

yeah it's not my fault my team's good so

(laughter)

it's always        out of but if they're too good you can't win can you?

so em does everyone in your family like support the same team?

em (sigh) (pause) things like my aunties and uncles and stuff em like my uncle's a Newcastle fan (pause) but my immediate family like my sister my mam and my dad we're all like our whole house is like a kind of Sunderland household

yeah

em (pause) but, the rest of the family (pause) is kind of split between the two because there's some that live closer to Newcastle and support Newcastle, and some that live in like my area support Sunderland kind of thing so

yeah

'halfy' half

yeah (pause) h- how would you describe em the support of Newcastle and Sunderland in the region?

em up here it is like it's ridiculous I mean you don't realise it till like you're living up here probably (pause) just how fierce like the rivalry is

yeah

(interruption) em the passion up here around football is, it is ridiculous, like everybody's either Sunderland or Newcastle you're not like 'oh I don't mind'

yeah yeah

it's just like

(interruption) (unclear) Sunderland

but yeah you're not like (pause) you were like, you know what I mean

I've got a Sunderland top

(interruption) if someone asks about Sunderland and Newcastle you're like you're either you're one of the two

yeah I'm Sunderland

(laughter) but yeah everybody's really passionate at following the football like with it so, yeah (unclear)

(interruption) yeah

I think some levels like (pause) you're both Sunderland fans aren't you? It's a bit sad how like if you go into town or something you get like these Geordies like 'aye        game

(laughter)

I don't understand it, like they get like (pause) the Newcastle fans like (sigh) they just get        jumping about all over like the pool thing like it's just like (pause) what's the point? Like can't (sigh) I don't know it's good it's good that you're passionate about something but

yeah, so you so you think there might be just like too much passion?

I think 'cause then like you're always hearing about people beating up the other fans and stuff

yeah

it's like well (pause) yeah I don't get it it's just

that's not just in this region I mean you get that all over

(interruption) I know I said I said it happens everywhere, I'm just saying over here it's really exaggerated like (pause) I don't know it's just like I suppose like I suppose it's like Celtic and Rangers is probably worse, but like I think sometimes it's just like, take a step back calm down (pause) come on

(laughter)

I mean I have to slip this in now after you mentioned er about the Newcastle fans talking about that, do you reckon ere m that could be- er because some Newcastle fans are deluded?

yeah, they are the most deluded fans in the Premiership

(laughter)

no honestly right, they win one match and then just at the pool table when I was playing pool like 'ah yeah Champions League football, Premiership' you know it's like you won one game, it's like they've got these        we're going to become kings of the world and go to the moon and stuff'

(laughter)

it's just like (pause) no you're not because New- right (unclear) listen to this (pause) Newcastle are always going to be        out anymore

I think they're all a bit stubborn and just like

yeah

they've got their mind set on one thing like the fact that they reckon that Kevin Keegan is a God, because (pause) ten year ago when he was first at the club he'd done all right

yeah like yeah

(interruption) and now they think he's a God

yeah

he comes back, fails and like (pause)        off again (pause) and they're deluded like 'ah he's gone it's king Kev' but well no he walked out on you twice now, why? How's he your king?

they've all got like this fixation on Alan Shearer, like and it's just like (pause) (sigh) ok he's good, like he does like a lot of money gave to charity and stuff

our addresses aren't going to be on this then if you want to like (laughter)

(laughter)

we get like thirty people come round (laughter)

(laughter) we've just like I don't know, all this interview we're just ripping the Geordies

I think they're a bit er, just not realistic (pause) they refuse to accept anyone else's point of view as well

yeah

yeah they do like they kind of go 'well you know you know you won but you were lucky' they're like 'ooo! No no no' it's just like all right then

all right em

(cough)

er let's see er what has been em your scariest experience in Newcastle? (pause) like since you've got here?

er

(interruption) have you had any or i- if not em what's been your (unclear) experience?

(interruption) you can't live in Newcastle twenty years and not have a scary experience, em (pause) scariest experience

my scariest experience, I'll go first would probably be em

(interruption) oh (interruption) yeah

driving home from an ice hockey match with (NAME), in (NAME)' car (pause) and just like you know just the bottom of our street there when you walk up to the Metro line and there's like a little bridge (pause) and there's a massive give way sign but he doesn't see it and just goes racing over and then he crashes (pause) and like he's just an idiot, (NAME)

yeah

but my scariest moment would probably be like (pause) a fatal car crash (laughter)

yeah

(laughter) that I nearly had like last week but I've had nothing major

(interruption) bu- (interruption) em

no (unclear) or anything

scariest moment quite recent (pause) em me and my dad got tickets 'cause we're Man-U fans but like er just so stupid, 'cause many of the pubs are obviously Newcastle fans you had like well you can sit in our seats, and it's when we won like five -- six-nil last season and my dad had a beat on something like, in the twenty-fourth minute a goal will be scored by Man-U, and they scored in the twenty-fourth minute and he won like I don't know about two hundred quid, so like in the middle of about twent- like 'cause there's like that stand there's like twenty thousand people, he just goes like the once like 'cause, Man-U fans are up there like there's no way like, they're not sparsely kind of like put like around the r- like they're all all Man-U fans are up there apart from me and my dad, and like they score and my dad jumps up and goes 'yeah we        sake

(laughter)

and they were just like 'oi do you know who's', 'cause this is a Newcastle fan, 'do you know who's back there?' like some bloody brothers or something who are notoriously like (pause) scary and they're like 'oh going to        like get beaten up

yeah

well it was pretty scary!

(laughter) yeah em like that car crash would you d- describe that as a em like near death experience?

well, driving anywhere with (NAME) 'cause he's one those lads that just actually he's a retard, so you kind of get used to it (laughter)

for        sake, don't use the word

well sorry he's a bit (pause) of an idiot

yeah

and he just doesn't concentrate I mean there's been loads that he's been driving like, looks the total wrong way pulling out of a junction, and like why you looking that way? The cars are coming this way (laughter) and he's like 'oh oh oh yeah'

(laughter)

so I mean you've got like quite a few of them so I've probably had quite a few near death experiences then

(interruption) (cough)

yeah

(interruption) but

em while we're on like the serious topics em where were you em when you hear about nine-eleven?

em

'cause that's usually something that you know

(interruption) yeah well I remember that 'cause I got in from school 'cause if had happened in the afternoon about two o'clock, and I finished at (pause) half-two threeish, got home and I'd never heard of the World Trade Centre, like obviously like I'd nev- like you might have seen it in pictures like you're looking at the New New York skyline, like I don't know and then but you never knew (pause) like wh- what it was

(interruption) (unclear) and stuff

(interruption) like like I put on the news and there's like planes flying into the World Trade Centre and it's just like where? And it's like New York, but I remember yeah I'd just come home from school came home, like flicked through the TV it was on every channel

yeah, I would've been the same em I remember, sitting in like my art class back at school and used to have the radio on and there was something mentioned about it but it didn't seem like a big deal oh there's been a hijacking oh (pause) some planes (unclear) all right, and then straight after school I had a football match, so I went to this football match em j- I didn't get home till about half-five -- six o'clock and then when I went on it was like every single channel like the first thing (pause) all I wanted was to like, all I wanted is to watch Blue Peter or like the cartoons but

yeah like Grange Hill

aye breaking news on every channel so

yeah

yeah I remember having a football match and just going home and it was like

(cough)

watching it on TV after it'd all happened kind of thing

yeah em right on er in t- in terms of like being a student em cooking's quite a er big thing (pause) h- how are you finding it, cooking for yourself?

right, right like I'm an all right cook when it comes to the sticking stuff in the oven and heating it up right and like at most maybe I'll like, put some cheese on it and that's my way of putting like, like sprinkling some cheese and just like on a bit of chicken and put it in the oven is my version of cooking, but like my parents don't my mum like just cooks, like just        like but she tries

(laughter)

like when I have five meals was nice like ten out of ten for effort love but come on like, might as well just not bother but like I just like when I moved out I though well you know finally I'll get to eat some food like that I want to eat you know so like my mum forced me and (pause) whatever it was on me and I thought sort of like 'cause (NAME) moved in after me my first like couple of weeks was just like like veg. kind of like boiling veg and cooking meat or whatever and then I thought well (NAME) -- like, I knew (NAME) from hockey, I just thought you know smokes weed, does nothing, but

(interruption) (laughter)

like I literally though the last thing he'd be able to do was cook, like honestly and it turns out he's a he's an absolutely amazing        like

oh cheers mate! (laughter)

like honestly it's so nice having like 'cause we had like a Sunday roast the other week

oh nice

it was the most amazing thing I've ate in a while

(laughter)

like honestly it's just that's what cooking I don't I like, I do the dishes basically or I boil the veg, and then, (NAME) like will probably make lasagne or something he just (pause) he's        it's amazing

(laughter)

(laughter)

well, I'm all right I guess (laughter)

(laughter) so em d- do you like -- like cook together then, most of the time?

em yeah well we always like, if we're both in the house we'll always eat together

yeah

we normally eat the same stuff anyway it's just like we we I think

we do eat pretty well for students like students you'd think like what what pot noodle

(interruption) beans on toast

yeah

(interruption) beans on well you eat sausages and beans and        don't you?

yeah

but like we usually just like we try to eat healthily

yeah

(interruption) because obviously (NAME) is very er, conscious of

(laughter)

(laughter)

but em so like yeah like if like there's a big meal and like (NAME)'s got stuff to prepare and like I'll be like oh well I'll help you with the veg now

yeah

or I'll like

(interruption) I mean like, last year my mates like had their own flat in Sunderland they're all like the year above me, and I used to go round to their house and every night they're like 'oh we'll get a pizza we'll get a kebab, ah we'll call in for a takeaway', and I expected that but like university life to be like but I wouldn't really want to do that

(interruption) too much of that food yeah

and, like we've done quite well

yeah

we always eat together, we go shopping say we do it together go to Morrisons or to whatever

yeah

and we'll just buy stuff that we both like

yeah

and sometimes we

(interruption) we do buy the same stuff though (unclear)

(interruption) I was going to say are there are there like cer- are there like set meals that you have and stuff during the week? You know em

it's just like well, not really it's like we don't know what we're going to cook if we've got nothing in the freezer it's just like

(interruption) pasta, pasta pasta pasta

yeah we'll do some pasta, yeah we'll do some pasta but em (laughter)

(laughter)

er no we don't have to like it's like we'll go and like 'cause like th- the one student element of our shopping is if there's something on offer we're like right, we'll have that so

(laughter)

you go and a -- like get your freezer or fridge but buy in like twos, like 'cause you know like you always get buy one get one free or two for a quid you'll find twos, twos or threes of things

yeah

because it's on offer it just kind of like makes sense

yeah (pause) ah that's good em right er talked about have you ever met or seen anyone famous?

er yeah

em yeah qu- quite a few times I mean em being referee I was refereeing at Sunderland Academy and met the likes of Kevin Ball quite often, Niall Quinn

really?

anyone who (laughter) anyone wonder who Kevin Ball is?

everyone knows who Kevin Ball is!

they'll know Niall Quinn anyway

but em I mean I met a lot of people through refereeing, em I've done a lot of like working for the Youth Sport Trust

oh right

it's like it's been like quite a lot of volunteer work, but I went up to em the UK Games in em Glasgow, about three year ago now, and (pause) like one night we were all just like sat around, we were in like the kind of staff area the management team, and like I was just sat around at the table with Kelly Holmes just like chatting to Kelly Holmes and stuff

wow!

so it was like proper surreal

yeah

(interruption) what about Ricky Hatton?

oh Ricky Hatton as well erm, when I was out in Tenerife over the summer, em I was mate- well, I went out drinking with Ricky Hatton and like that's like th- the picture on the front of my phone like now

wow!

and he was just an absolute wreckhead

(laughter)

so we we got absolutely wrecked together in Tenerife it was pretty cool

(interruption) yeah fantastic

it's (unclear) really you just don't understand how normal they actually are

yeah

like you always think oh you're talking to Ricky Hatton oh he'll be totally different but, he was like a total normal lad

yeah

just constantly just like on a session

em I've met like 'cause I used to work at St James' Park, and like I had the I've met like Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand (pause) and Alan Shearer he was like I walked past him I haven't really met him, and just some other footballers

yeah

no-one really I don't really I don't know like Newcastle there's no celebrities is there? Like Anthony Hutton from Big Brother used to go to the same gym as me that's just I think that's just oh that's about as good as I can get

(interruption) I -- I forgot to tell you my mate on the sports club punched him the other night

yeah you told yeah

(interruption) really?

yeah, apparently like he was trying to crack like Anthony Hutton from Big Brother was trying to crack on to his bird and then

(interruption) wasn't that er that lad from hockey? (pause) that was that lad from hockey

oh wait yeah wasn't I? Off my course

(interruption) yeah yeah yeah

oh yeah, a lad from ice hockey one of his mates ended up punching him in Blu Bambu or something

ah right (laughter)

(laughter) that's my favourite day my friend punched Anthony Hutton

yeah, em (pause) do you er do you speak any other languages? (pause) i- if not is there any that you'd like to learn?

em I speak, I wouldn't say very well, but I can speak Spanish (pause) only because like I've done it all my GCSE and stuff

yeah

and then I was living in Tenerife for three months I was just surrounded by a constant like

yeah

so I -- I can get by speaking Spanish but (pause) I wouldn't really say I was fluent in it

yeah

em well I don't know 'cause we always used to go abroad on holiday and stuff when I was young (pause) so like I know French, I know a bit of German like we I did it as a G- I should know a lot 'cause I did it at GCSE, but it's just (sigh) kind of forgot most of it so I used to be quite like good at German but I hardly know anything now

yeah

and I've been the last two summers I've been to Spain quite a bit and I used to know no Spanish, so I know a little Spanish, but I would like to learn Italian (pause) like I don't know it but I would like to 'cause I want to go there one day but

you not seen Peter Griffin?

could grow a moustache (pause) oh man

(laughter) just grow a 'tache and you're (unclear) for the time

yeah

do you em do you ever feel that you have to like er alter your accent at all when you're speaking to people?

em

(interruption) i- i- if you do what kind of situations are they?

yeah it's usually when I'm trying to like if you're out in town, like 'cause (cough) I -- I don't think I sound like a Geordie 'cause like not like 'here man what're you talking about? Why aye like' th- they're (sigh) that's the only time I ever change my accent is to talk like a Geordie (pause) and I don't think I do it that often because you sound like a right       

(laughter)

er no I don't think I ever change my accent

yeah

although people always like

you see I -- I totally do, like I speak totally different say, when I'm on the telephone em (pause) I've got a total telephone voice

yeah

(interruption) like I always speak like dead clearly

yeah that's 'cause you sound like you're from Sunderland that (unclear) all like

aye well it's like I thought like aye aye I can't do it like but when I'm on the telephone it's like I do speak totally totally different

yeah

I -- I -- I remember when I was younger because I got bullied for not sounding like a Geordie like (unclear) 'you little posh boy, y- you don't sound like a Geordie'

ah (laughter)

(interruption) so like when I was younger like I remember one day in school I tried like, aye aye well you know what I'm talking about like (unclear) it's like (sigh) oh        it

I never realised you were a geek and got bullied at school

(laughter)

yeah I (unclear) but it's horrible like like I -- I only did that once I don't really like changing the way like it's made you really I don't think I should change

yeah (pause) s- so I mean for someone that didn't em know the North East would you say there's like, many differences between the regions and stuff em o- of Tyne and Wear?

you see it's absolutely like it was totally ridiculous, when I was out in Tenerife obviously you're meeting people from all over, constantly every single day (pause) sorry (pause) and em (pause) you pu- I need to do it it's just (laughter) em yeah like I used to get people like em walking down the road and I'd go up to them like 'all right guys where you off to? Fancy coming for a drink?' whatever, and every time 'are you a Geordie? Are you a Geordie?', I was like

yeah

(interruption) no no I'm a Mackem I'm from Sunderland, 'are you a Geordie?', and like, everybody totally confuses the two and to be fair I can understand why (pause) but when you actually like (pause) like come to the area you totally find that it's like a totally different dialect

yeah

like you have the Newcastle fans just like 'gan 'oot doon toon' and all this

yeah

whereas Mackem's just like 'why aye like' it's just like

that's just the same thing

it's not but it's not (laughter) it's totally different like, you'd never hear anybody saying 'gan 'oot doon toon' in Sunderland

(interruption) maybe

yeah s- so it's like yeah like pronunciation or something?

yeah well I mean

yeah

I was actually like quite interested in like where dialect comes from and stuff, and (pause) with like the Newcastle, the Geordies

(interruption) I'm the geek and you just said that (laughter)

sorry like mate (laughter) mostly it's actually from like Scandinavia like 'gan' and 'oot' and stuff are all like obviously words over there

oh right

and it was like when the Vikings came across and, conquered like all the North East and that's where like ours originates from

wow! (laughter) wouldn't have thought that

'gan 'oot doon toon' is all like Scandinavian

(interruption) yeah yeah so you you -- do you em notice all the differences as well I guess?

I don't really spend that much time in Sunderland, like no offence to them but there's nothing like I -- I used to I've been to a couple of Sunderland matches, 'cause like (pause) I don't know why but I started supporting Sunderland and er I knew this lass who played for like the first team of the women's, and she always used to get us tickets you know, and it's just like (pause) you don't really notice 'cause for a, for me it's th- there are maybe some differences but

yeah

I think when when if you speak to people like down South they'll just like group it into one like the North East accent

(interruption) yeah yeah

and I think it's only if you're from the area you'll know like the finer details of the differences

yeah it's just like how we would say, all Cockneys sound the same but they totally don't there's North London is totally different to South London and

(unclear)

yeah it happens all over I suppose but just

yeah

(interruption) a few mint ones out in Tenerife like a girl would come over 'cause like I don't know why but girls love the Geordie accent (pause) so like girls would go 'oh are you a Geordie?', I'm like that 'aye'

(laughter)

lads would go 'are you a Geordie?', 'no I'm a Mackem'

(laughter)

so

yeah