Well how would you compare it to London then?

I've just says it

I know but like the people particularly

Oh the people are arrogant in London they don't speak to you

Oh they're better in Newcastle

Um

They don't th- they just ignore you. I mean you go up and say hi and (pause) er hi. (laughter) I mean you go up to a Geordie and say hi they'll say (pause) at least they'll answer you.

Yeah

Well some of them will do if they're (interruption) Geordie

(interruption) They're a lot friendlier I'd say

Oh yeah I mean how do you find us? I mean you come from. (interruption) Blackburn.

(interruption) Manchester. Yeah

Manchester way

Yeah

How do you find us Geordies to you?

I think it's like a more of a community up here I think everyone's just -- I think you're all nicer (pause) than a lot of people down south

Mm-mm. It's probably because we are. It is a slower (pause) oh I mean smaller -- it is a smaller area you see

yeah I think

But if you were you to say would compare us t- to the Mackems. Sunderland. There you'll find a different er story

I don't think it is (NAME). I don't think there is, I know Mackems. They're (interruption) canny lads

(interruption) I work with them

Well I work with Mackems

(interruption) (unclear) and people from Jarrow

I -- I think (interruption) th- th- they're just as good I -- I mean yo- yo- you're -- you're talking about like de- distinguishing between the Mackems

Yeah I'm talking about in football terms.

Ah

In football (interruption) terms

(interruption) In football terms er we're -- they're at each other's throats

Well just find that

But in if you were to go over and talk to them normally if they didn't know what you were they'll talk to you

Yeah

And we'll -- and they'll talk to us I mean

So is it -- because I'm aware of it but I didn't -- is it a massive rivalry or?

No

No

Er

It all started from football

Yeah

(interruption) Yeah football was the rivalry in this area

(interruption) (unclear) realised possibly as Hooligans that's all it is (interruption) that's all it is

(interruption) The rivalry wouldn't have survived without the football that's all it is.

Yeah

So there -- like there was a match just last week when we were away (pause) Newcastle beat Sunderland five one.

Oh yeah

Now obviously because that happened there was trouble in Newcastle.

Um

With -- with supporters, and put it this way they were supporters who were not at the game, they were supporters who were drinking all day in the pubs (pause) what caused the trouble

Yeah

You see that's what it (interruption) was silly people

(interruption) The saying -- the saying actually started actually the saying Mackem (pause) actually didn't come from football (pause)

No

Mackem came from ship yards

Yeah

'Cause we used to say 'you mackem (interruption) we brackem'

(interruption) We brackem

That's right 'mackem and brackem'. Yeah

They used to say 'they mackem' because they had a massive ship yard same as we did

Um

They'd send them away for the finishing and we used to brakem. So 'they mackem, we brackem' that's what they used to say

Um

But we don't get called brackems we get called the Geordies

No man (interruption) Mackem is a nickname

(interruption) Shut up

Yes I know I know

Brackem that's it. So what would you call that as a Geordie?

What?

That

What!

That!

A table

It's not a table? It's a cheble! (interruption) That's a cheble!

(interruption) It's a table!

No a (interruption) Geordie says cheble

(interruption) Geordies say cheble!

Cheble?

A cheble

Cheble

That's what we call them cheble

Cheble for table

Ok (laughter)

Get your feet off the cheble

What would you say stairs then in (interruption) Geordie?

(interruption) What's a stairs?

Stairs

No in Geordie

In (interruption) Geordie!

(interruption) What would you say?

Stairs

Get up the (pause) no get up (interruption) the dancers

(interruption) Dancers

That's right

Get up the Dancers

Dancers Ah that he knew. The dancers

Dancers

Dancers

Because you walk like dancing up the stairs (pause) up the dancers

(laughter)

er (interruption) what

(interruption) Get yourself up the dancers

Dancers yes (laughter)

(laughter) And the blanket show

The blanket show that's bed

The blanket show

Get yourself to the blanket show

Oh! (laughter)

And get yourself some council pop

Council pop is water

Is water (pause) (interruption) Council pop

(interruption) Council pop (pause) water

Oh right ok (laughter)

(laughter) And pasties

Pasties

Is your feet

Is your feet

Your feet!

Yeah pasties

Go and wash your pasties

(interruption) Go and wash your pasties

(interruption) Go and wash your pasties

Why! (laughter)

Because they look like a pasty

I think it stemmed off years ago when they used to make them shoes didn't they were shaped like pasties man

(laughter) Ok em

(laughter)

How (pause) has Newcastle changed since you were like were children?

Oh they've changed a lot. I mean (pause) I remember that th- when I was a kid they were building ships at er Swan Hunters

Um

Swan Hunters doesn't exist now

Swanners?

(interruption) Swan Hunters

(interruption) Swan Hunters

(laughter)

That's Wallsend

It's Wallsend

It's Wallsend (unclear)

It's where the wall the roman wall ends. That's where it stops.

(laughter)

Oh

But also I remember the old er when I was a kid obviously round Trinity Street, North Shields

Um hum

Em wandering around there the old flats and everything (pause) now I come back and they've got flipping (pause) if I go out I would get lost because obviously th- there's just the difference of the (pause) what you used to know has totally changed completely now

Yeah

Yes they've got new houses on but totally different

Um

I mean the design and everything. I mean you go out to a shop yous buy some sweets for about a penny

Yeah

And you've got loads of sweets in your hand for a penny or two pence but now you it -- it's cost you about ten pence for two sweets, fifty pence for a Mars bar

(interruption) I know!

(interruption) Used to cost used to cost about five pence or a Mars bar.

(laughter)

(unclear) realised possibly as tuppence for (interruption) a

(interruption) Yeah but you've got to remember y- y- y- your livings went up as well you know you're going -- You're going back to the days back to the days when people had nothing

Do you know my parents

(unclear) that was years ago nine pound (interruption) nine pound when I was a little girl

(interruption) My parents could have bought a house no my parents at Cullercoats could have bought a house for just under two hundred pounds (pause) brand new (pause) on the cliffs of Cullercoats it's now worth two hundred and fifty thousand.

Yeah I know that but what I'm saying to you is you've got to go by the increase in (pause) then like -- like five pound I remember working on the fish quay for thirteen pound a night all night (pause) getting th- the fish off the boats

Um hum

Right (pause) Now that doesn't sound a lot of money but then (interruption) that was

(interruption) Then it was

That was a lot of money

Yeah then (interruption) it was

(interruption) (unclear) (laughter)

(laughter) (interruption) That's what I'm saying that was -- that was a fantastic wage in them in them -- in them days. So now the equivalent to that might be two hundred quid you know what (interruption) I mean

(interruption) Yeah

It -- It was big money in them days

Oh yeah

So n- now when you're talking about a penny's worth of sweets and that right

(laughter) Yeah well

(laughter)

Howay I mean what can you buy for a penny?

(interruption) Well you can't now

(interruption) But you can still you can buy a penny sweet

Yeah one

W- Well

(laughter)

(laughter)

You could buy a penny dainty!

The only thing that I think what -- what's destroyed totally the North East is the decline of all the ship building

Yeah

Yes

Because this is a ship building industry

Yes

It always (interruption) was

(interruption) The royal navy ship (pause) what's now been scrapped

It always was

They were famous for their royal navy ships been (interruption) taken over

(interruption) And if you buy -- if you get Jimmy Nail's CD

(laughter)

Right (pause) He actually sings the songs in Geordie

Yes

And it's call- and they're all River Tyne songs

Yeah

About the cobblestones and

The Blaydon races

Er he doesn't sing that no he sings about ship yards

(laughter) (interruption) The Blaydon races

(interruption) About the Blaydon races!

The Blaydon races sorry

The what did he call it t- t- they're all about the ship yards declining and everything

Right

But it's really good

I didn't know that

Well it's really good. It's fantastic in fact he made it

It was Lindisfarne

Lindisfarne with the (interruption) fog on the Tyne must have heard of that one

(interruption) Fog on the Tyne yeah

Lind. What? Lindisfarne?

Lindisfarne (interruption) Fog on the Tyne

(interruption) Fog on the Tyne Oh mine oh mine the fog on the Tyne is all mine (pause) heard of it?

(laughter) No but that was very good!

(laughter)

(laughter)

It's Lindisfarne it's a famous (unclear) well it's still there now isn't it wh- where his daughter used to (unclear) didn't she

Didn't he yeah didn't she

And er they're all great singers they're Geordie singers but that's what the sort of songs what was it we she hall have a we -- we (interruption) we

(interruption) We shall have a fishy on a little dishy

(laughter)

Well I know that one (laughter) it's on the advert

(interruption) Yeah

(interruption) 'When the Boat Comes in' (laughter)

(laughter) Well that one -- years ago they made a big film up at North Shields and it was called 'When (interruption) the Boat Comes In'

(interruption) 'When the Boat Comes in'

Aye

That was James Bolam

That was on the cable not long ago

Yeah yesterday

Which is the one with the two er characters on em (pause) when at the end?

Oh

Of the last one they go out on a big ship at the end one of them goes out on a ship at the end going out to sea and the other ones left in Newcastle what was it em. Two characters man. What was it? Er was (interruption) it Jimmy Nail

(interruption) Was James Bolam in it?

He might have been. What -- what was it called? (unclear)

The Likely Lads!

The Likely Lads, aye

Ah the Likely Lads

The Likely Lads that -- that was it

That was -- most of that was actually made. I don't know if you'll even remember them but they were actually called 'The Three Sisters'

That's right

They were 'Three Sisters' they were built. Yo- You're too young

(unclear)

They've been pulled down on the Coast Road

They were like big flats. Massive and they were called 'The Three Sisters'. B- you know because they were built right next to each other. That's -- that's where that's where that film was actually made most of that film.

They had -- they had a spell when there was a bit of a film down in Whitley Bay in a big white house down there (pause) and I had to sleep the night and there was supposed to be a ghost in it and everything

Oh (laughter)

You know the big white house with the big window at the front? It's still there to this day? Yes

So what about the actual city itself like the centre? Has that changed a lot?

Er yes we now have a Metro in it

Yeah (laughter)

Em (pause) It -- (interruption) it

(interruption) Do you ever use it?

Yes we've -- sometimes I mean I mostly drive but when they actually built the Metro in Newcastle er it took a lot of em road closures and things like that because they had to actually dig it underground.

Yeah

And they had to put all different things in I mean even -- even -- no I remember Northumberland Street (pause) going down there and used to get the buses coming down. Northumberland Street

Um

Now you don't get a bus coming down at all be- before it's all (interruption) (unclear)

(interruption) Pedestrianised

But between er between five o'clock and nine o'clock in the morning you'll get Lorries going up.

What Northumberland street?

Yes. Delivering

Really!?

Yeah I used to do it I us- used to deliver there that's how I know. I used to deliver (interruption) er

(interruption) I can't even remember com- we didn't really go to Newcastle (interruption) actually

(interruption) We couldn't we couldn't afford the bus fare to Newcastle

We didn't go. W- We just hung around Whitley Bay, (interruption) Cullercoats and Tynemouth and North Shields

(interruption) We just went round Whitley Bay and that

What's part of Newcastle area if you know what I mean it's like a big outlying space

Yeah

So they're still Geordies but just a bigger space

Actually anything North I -- you know I keep telling people this. Anything north of the Tyne is Geordie. Anything south of the Tyne is not.

That's right. I told you (interruption) that

(interruption) So soon as you get over the bridge. The Gateshead people think they're Geordies they aren't

They're not

They live south of the Tyne

What are Gateshead people? (laughter)

Over the bridge?

Hmm

That's Gateshead. Gateshead

So they not have a name?

It's -- it's just -- just Gateshead. Then you go into Sunderland port which are Mackems then you get the Sand Dancers

(interruption) The who?

(interruption) South Shields

Sand dancers

South Shields

Which are South Shields. You know you have the saying like who hung the monkey. (interruption) Have you heard of that saying?

(interruption) That's Hartlepool

What!

Do you not know them sayings? Wh- Where's that one from like?

Hartlepool

Hartlepool

Umm

What happened is in the war they found a monkey on the -- on the beach in Hartlepool. True story. And they thought it was a German spy

I thought it was French

No no. Well German it would have been a German spy

Oh all right

Anyway they hung it. They hung the monkey thinking it was a German spy because that it that -- now we've got the saying now when you see one of them you wind them up by saying who hung the monkey. (unclear) (unclear)

It's a famous saying

(unclear) You know I mean but and that's what like the Mackems that's their nickname then you've got the sand dancers, North Shields we're called the Dainties

The Dainties?

Aye the Dainties

It's 'cause we used to always. North Shields were famous for little dainties sort of like a little toffee

They're like little toffee.

Ah

Toffee. It was ca- and they were called the dainties

Now there's one for you. What would you call sweets?

(pause) Er. Sweets?

We call them bullets

Bullets!

Bullets

That's quite (laughter)

Go and get yourself some bullets

Bullets. Go and get some bullets

Go and buy some bullets at the shop

Yeah

Where's that come from? Just

It's ju- don't know must just be (interruption) Geordie

(interruption) Nah I think it came from (pause) 'cause

(interruption) Black bullets was one of. Black bullets

The black bullets they're shaped like a bullet you used to get for the old guns. You know the round bullets you used to put the thing in

Yeah

Go and get some bullets

Yeah I think (interruption) that's where it came from

(interruption) You see you know that saying you're on your tod

Ah I've heard that. We say that yeah

We -- well my dad used to say can you go to the shop to get some bread

Bread aye

What's 'breed'? Bread?

Bread

Bread

Stotties

Stotties. Stotty cakes

Yeah Greggs

Yeah Greggs

(laughter)

I went to South Wales couple of years ago in fact a while ago you cannot even in London you cannot buy (pause) Pease Pudding.

Pease Pudding aye you canny buy that

Pease Pudding is like (unclear) Newcastle I don't know why

What is it?

Pease Pudding is made of peas but it's yellow

It's yellow

Yellow?

Yes because I think what it is is I mean (interruption) it's split peas

(interruption) It's yellow split peas

It's split peas made of

Yeah

Don't tell us you have never tasted Pease Pudding?

Well (pause) I don't know because I've had it -- I might have had it in granger market

Were going to have to get some Pease pudding for Sunday for her

(laughter)

Pease Pudding (pause) Pease Pudding is lovely. You normally to get it on

(interruption) Ham

Ham

On a ham sandwich

Yeah Ham sandwich with Pease pudding (interruption) on

(interruption) I think was actually I think it was actually made first in -- in -- in Newcastle

Is there any other regional foods I should know about? (laughter)

Em

Fish and chips

Fish and chip is one thing. Fish and chip is famous in the north east. Yeah

You know -- I mean a lot of people like black pudding

Um

Ah I don't like black pudding

Tripe

Ugh

Tripe

Really?

Ah I love tripe

Ah tripe's disgusting

I used to get my mam to bring it to hospital for me

Yuk

It's lovely

I think it's a load of tripe (laughter)

(interruption) It's lovely. It's a load of tripe (laughter) that's where that saying came from

(interruption) We used to make Pan Haggerty

Pan Haggerty?

Pan Haggerty

Pan -- No

Em

That's just corn beef and potato and onions

And carrots

I used to call that (interruption) em

(interruption) It's called -- you take your corn beef slice your onions

Yeah

Boil your b- boil your tatties in a little pan

we used to call that bubble and squeak

No that's mash tattie

Oh right

Is that

Bubble and squeak is actually a Sunday dinner

Yeah (unclear)

Aye (unclear) that's bubble and squeak

So I'm as- tatties is potatoes? Yes?

Yes

That's Right

Right ok

Tatties

Tatties

Tatties

Ok

Go and get some tatties

Tattie tatties

Tatties

Tatties (laughter)

Go and get your tatties (laughter)

(unclear) I don't know

His mam used to say 'pananas' (interruption) go and get some

(interruption) Pananans aye (laughter) Yeah that's -- only. I -- I don't know why she said that

I think someone took the mick out of her and she (interruption) was

(interruption) I think it was one time it was pananas I said mam it's bananas! (laughter)

(laughter) She'd say (interruption) go and get pananas

(interruption) go and get pananas

Yes

Well you've got to remember you know I mean in -- in my case I mean my mam brought nine people up when I -- when I -- when I -- when my first early school. I lost all my early learning

Yeah

Um

From the age of about four of having my accident

Um

I was in hospital. When you were -- in them days the school in- these days the school would not get away with what they did them days

No

Because the ones who needed the help most of all and I'm by no means thick but I did lose a lot of my early schooling

Um

But in these days if anybody was like (interruption) that they would actually get more help

(interruption) (unclear) -- when -- when did you actually go to school?

(interruption) In them days they didn't. They actually pushed you to the back of the classroom

Pardon?

Um

What time did you actually start go- going to the lessons -- to school wh- what did you?

Well I -- I went to a special school, I went to a school called Wood Lawn School

Oh yes I know it yes I know it yes

Well there was two. There's one there before that

Aye South Ends and Wood Lawn

South Ends which was mentally handicapped

Yes that's the one I was going to be sent to if I wasn't going to brush up on my ideas

Yeah if you're slow you got sent in there

I was I was going to get sent there

Well all right (laughter)

(laughter) (interruption) You had the mentally handicapped and you had the physically handicapped

(interruption) Our (NAME) -- my brother went there.

But -- but -- but everyone that went to them (interruption) two schools

(interruption) He got hit by a bus -- by a car

Basically they were for one reason or another and that was that they were behind in their schooling

Yeah

Well my reason wasn't because my mental thing it was because

You were slow

No -- no it was because when I was born I was born deaf (pause) you see

Really?

And they didn't know?

Well my mam actually dropped a pan behind us and I didn't flinch

(laughter)

(laughter)

On his head!

(laughter)

(laughter)

It wasn't on my head (pause) (interruption) It wasn't in my head!

(interruption) With a big caste pan! (laughter)

(laughter) It wasn't on my head ok! It wasn't

Rock a bye baby

(laughter)

(laughter)

Are you going to listen? (laughter)

(laughter)

Anyway she dropped a pan on me (pause) no not on my head (laughter)

(laughter)

No she dropped behind your head (pause) (interruption) And you never flickered

(interruption) She dropped a pan behind my head ok and em and I just d- didn't move and she got a bit worried said er (NAME) er he hasn't. I dropped a thing and he just hasn't flinched so she started clapping her hands like that and I wasn't moving

Um

So obviously she picked us up and she took us to the doctor (unclear) specially one we had he said ooh he canny hear his ear drums aren't formed

Really?

My ear drums are like that so I had to have them separated. And I had grommets put in my ears and I was at a very young age

Um

So I was going back and forward to hospital for the first (pause) seven year (pause) up to my

Seven!

Yeah seven years going back and forth up to hospital em right up to em high school I think I was fifteen when I started learning to read

Um

And write (pause) so I was in the middle -- middle of my of my high school thing and I used to remember going into em English classes (pause) and everyone's there having a thing and then suddenly em teacher says right (NAME) (interruption) you're going to your class'.

(interruption) So what school did you got to?

So even though I was in my class, I had to go to my class and all the kids say where's he off to watching going 'ah he's got to go to his to see someone' and I had to go out the corridor down the thing, into another room and there was a bloke there and I would have to put earphones on first, have the noise test first

Yeah

So they dropped blocks I don't know what the blocks were for but I had to drop the blocks in this flipping (unclear) every time I heard a noise then I would have the cards I'd have to read the cards from a distance and everything

Reactions things like that and then. I would have to have a book and I -- I mean talk about a fifteen-year-old having to read a baby's book

(unclear)

(unclear) (laughter)

Well yeah I was

(unclear) (laughter)

Which school did you go to?

I went to Preston high school

Ooh how posh toff toff

(laughter) Yes it was (laughter)

(laughter) How did you go all the way out there from North Shields?

Because I lived in Charing Grange

Did your family pay for you like?

No no

(unclear)

How did you go there then?

Because it was the school I got sent to (pause) from White House

White House

White House (pause) White House

Rough as anything

It is now

Horrible school that. Yuk

Was then and all

Yeah well (pause) From what I heard of it was th- q- quite (laughter)

Right. Next question

Well how was -- how would you say school is different then like to now was it a big difference?

Oh (laughter) oh well put it this way in school if you did something wrong you got caned for it and I mean you got caned

Really?

Yes

Ooh aye. (interruption) with a leather strap

And I know (interruption) because I was in my junior school for (pause) actually swearing at the head teacher

(laughter)

I didn't swear at the head teacher but I ended up getting caned for it now I mean it hurts. Em you get bullied a lot teachers just ignored everything what happened they didn't bother you

Um

Now you go to school you can get into trouble just for bei -- well what is it (pause) I mean

I think one of the (interruption) biggest

(interruption) You can get in trouble just for touching someone

I think in them days right they had faults as well right because the simple reason is right all right you did get the cane and you did get things and that right but bullying did go on in them days lots got bullied but but

Aye I did

I did

Aye but -- but a lot of people did get bullied but ye- normally sometimes when you get bullied you got to be careful because nor -- believe it or not some bullies become bullies yeah some people who get bullied actually become bullies

Yeah I agree with that yeah

Right. But what I'm saying is right these days I think it's probably (pause) Worse (pause) not for the students but for the teachers

The teachers

The teachers

Because the teachers have no authority what so ever

No

They get no control

They've got no control over the kids now

Right they get threatened. They get threatened by the parents of the children

That's right

They just get no respect what so ever fo- for teachers

In the days when I was there. You said something to the teacher you were cringing because the teacher would raise their voice or he would raise his voice and you'd be cringing. Now (pause) you can swear at the teacher and the teacher's cringing

Yeah but what I'm saying is that's -- th- they did have th- there wasn't. It went from one extreme to completely opposite which it shouldn't have done. They should have learnt by that era they should have put like things in place properly instead of giving teachers no authority over the kids sort of thing you know what I mean

Um

They didn't they didn't (interruption) (unclear)

(interruption) So did you go to a school like that?

What (pause) like?

Like (pause) where

No I went to a grammar school

(interruption) OH

(interruption) Oh I say I went to (interruption) grammar school toff toff toff!

(interruption) Grammar school toff toff

(laughter)

(laughter)

It was a bit like that yeah

Was it?

Yeah it -- well no nothing ever happened

Was it an all girls grammar school?

No (pause) it wasn't (interruption) it was mixed

(interruption) Oh so it was mixed so you're not that posh then

(laughter) No. Did you do the same subjects like now then or was it?

I did English, maths em science, art, environmental studies, social studies

Vinon studies?

Vinal -- environmental studies

Oh environmental? What's that?

That is -- environmental is actually the area

What did that do for you in your life?

Nothing

Zilch

Zilch you're right

(laughter)

It -- what is it -- it -- it's a bit like gardening and things like that environmental stuff and so er

So is it like biology? (pause) No?

Well that's the posh word for it now

Oh ok

Shall I tell you what we used to do at school this was your every morning when you got to school. Nine o'clock you walked in the classroom in the hall you got a big spoonful of malt

(interruption) Malt?

(interruption) Of what?

Malt

Malt?

It was like a horrible treacly stuff

(laughter)

Brown. Shoved in your mouth

Ugh

Right. It was like it (pause) you (pause) Like (interruption) it was

(interruption) Like castor oil

No It was like -- like a treacle. (interruption) Like Malt (pause) you got that shoved in your mouth

(interruption) No -- no do -- do you know if you mix like Horlicks

Yeah

It's like that (interruption) it's like that stuff but brown

(interruption) It's like that stuff but brown

Why?

It's well it's 'cause it's supposed to be good for you. Malt

We used to -- we used to get bottles of milk!

Sometimes -- (interruption) Sometimes

(interruption) It's disgusting! Wait a minute. You used to get that stuck in your mouth right. Then you used to get a glass of chocolate. Like a cup of chocolate

Then you get sent to bed if you were tired

Then you went to bed

Yeah. That's at nursery

The hall -- we all had our beds in the hall

Did you sleep at school?

Yeah

Yeah in nursery

Yeah yeah I used to get out of bed tired from home go to school (laughter) and go back to bed

(unclear) Yeah (interruption) for the first four the first four years of school like

(interruption) You used to fall asleep on your desk

(laughter)

They just weren't interested because it was a special school

Um

And because it was like a special school for people who had lost like a lot of the- their beginning of their education right (pause) basically I think the teachers must have said well there's not a lot we can do for these (laughter) you know what I mean

They must have been sitting there saying oh (interruption) (laughter)

(interruption) (NAME) was called Man Friday

They called me Man Friday in school because I was never there on Friday

(laughter)

Yeah he used to have long weekends off!

(laughter) Man Friday

You used to have Monday off (interruption) and used to have Fridays off (unclear)

(interruption) But -- but it was wrong because what they should have done as my teacher as a teacher if -- don't get me wrong I liked my teacher but as a teacher he should have been looking at my work (pause) right and he should have been saying 'by this is terrible this' right and I should have been given private tutors which you would get today

Um

Yes

In them days you got nothing like that it was just

Oh I can't be bothered go on just get out of my sight, sit in the corner with your dunce hat

Luckily -- luckily when I left school I was always very handy with my hands and I could er

That's why I learned wood work and things like that at school so when I left I could go back to work

Not much good a plumber though are you?

(unclear)

(laughter)

What?

I built -- I built the kitchen downstairs

No you didn't build it!

Yes I did yes -- you built it (pause) You built it I plumbed it ok

But the plumbing (interruption) was

(interruption) Anyway my er measurements were slightly wrong on a particular tap and er

One of the taps looks upright it's like the -- tower leaning -- it's like leaning like that it's supposed to be upright like that but it leans like that

And it still doesn't go right

We call it the like leaning tower

I keep going oh I should put that right

It is all right!

It's no good (unclear) you don't (interruption) even

(interruption) It gets more and more (interruption) (unclear)

(interruption) The funny thing is now I -- I work in the plumbing place where I could put it right no problem (laughter)

When?

Yes when (laughter)

When the crow flies

Er so in your community (pause) do you socialise within it or?

No

No

I m- mean it's very d- dangerous to c- communicate in my area

Why is it a rough area?

Oh Very rough. Very very rough

I'm the opposite (interruption) because

(interruption) There is em

Well the rough end (unclear)

There's a lot of kids around who are honestly (pause) they know me they know not to mess me -- with me

(laughter)

That's only because

Shoot them with a water pistol (laughter)

My cousin (pause) er my cousin lives down the road and obviously says do you -- that's my my cousin please don't er mess with him or you'll

Yeah

What -- what will happen?

So they don't touch us you see. So obviously what happens is they

Are they bad?

They are bad. I mean you get other people who just keep themselves to themselves I do know me next door neighbours and the ones further up we get on quite well but in my street (NAME) hasn't been there but in my street is one sides posh

Um

What's our side (pause) the other side looks like Beirut!

Oh

That's your side?

No that's the other side

Oh right

(laughter)

Opposite my house I have a burnt out house what's been there for two year

Really?

Yes. A burned down house

He burnt it out

No I did not burn it out!

(laughter)

Just did the plumbing in it! (laughter)

(laughter)

(laughter)

And the electrics

I mean when you wouldn't want to buy a house on my street when there's a burnt out house that's what I mean (pause) it's unbelievable

Did you do the electrics?

(laughter)

It was the electrics that actually caused the fire

Ah! And you did them didn't you

No

on the fiddle (laughter)

On the fiddle

So on the community thing. No we don't the only way we get community round Newcastle is actually here at church

Yeah

You see what I mean?

We were raised in the Meadowell

I used to

In the what?

Meadowell. The Ridges

Meadowell (pause) Meadowell is Meadowell we say (interruption) that

(interruption) You must have heard of the riots? The Meadowell riots?

(interruption) The ridges

(interruption) No. What happened there?

What happened was there was two lads who were joy riders

Um

And they were being chased by the police down er coast road

Um

They turned off towards em the Tyne Tunnel but they were going such speed and the coppers followed them that they lost control of the car and smashed into (pause) a lamppost

Um

Because they died. It caused a -- a tension in the Meadowell because they were well known in Meadowell it caused a tension that 'oh the police have killed these two lads by chasing them'

Oh

And literally everyone wa -- ringleaders and everything built up all these gangs and they went down smashing things, burning things even went to the police stations start throwing rocks at police stations and fire bombs and everything and

Really?

Yes yes there was a big (interruption) riot down in Meadowell

(interruption) The lad was called (NAME) (NAME)

His dad came to this church for a while

Hmm

We called him (NAME) (NAME)

Yeah your mate

Yeah w- well he was a good friend

Yes he is

Right what happened was h- his son was a ram raider (pause) and what he used to do was he used to was ram raid shops and grab all the stuff in the car things. What happened was the police actually rammed them off the road (pause) because they were going they were actually scared that he was going to endanger lives so as he came to the slip road they pushed him off, anyway that's what happened. They burned to death in that car.

That's right. The car exploded

Really?

Yes

It was absolutely horrendous (interruption) they were only seventeen and eighteen

(interruption) He was only seventeen

It was it was

Seventeen ?

(interruption) seventeen and nineteen

(interruption) Well because the riots started in the Ridges it also triggered off riots in here in the West end of Newcastle

Um

Y- yeah copy cats

That's what it is I used to -- I used to live in North Shields at the time

There was a lad there was a lad called (NAME) (NAME) who actually instigated most of the riots. Actually he -- he got quite a bit of time for it

Yeah

Him -- him and his friends

That that's community there

You know funnily enough the Meadowell never had money spent on it but after them riots right (interruption) they got millions

(interruption) It was -- flipping was millions spent on it yes

Yes. It just goes to show you that sometimes because they got nothing I mean all -- all the -- all the em (pause) the Asian people that were running fish shops and everything right

Yeah

They they all had to move out it was just absolutely horrible I mean I'm talking about police (pause) when I -- I went up Shields about three weeks later I ended up with smashed ribs and everything didn't I?

Smashed ribs why? What happened to you?

Coppers

No, what happened -- what happened was with when the riots were going on anybody who was in the Meadowell or they knew to live in the Meadowell we had actually moved out of the Meadowell then when -- when the police saw me because I mean when I was younger I had a bit of a rep and things like that gangs and stuff like that.

Umm

When they saw me in there they basically came over and said you were involved in that now listen and everything

They were picking on a lot of people

Basically they smashed my ribs in (unclear) did the police and I had a go to hospital

The Police did?

Oh oh aye

Yes yeah

Oh really bad

Yeah

Really bad (pause) they smashed ribs.

The police didn't care who (interruption) they were attacking they didn't care

(interruption) Oh they didn't care who you were. It was a terrible place the Meadowell. On our street in Meadowell was called Briarwood

That's right

They had a sign at the top and a sign at the bottom and it used to say (pause) right trespassers would be eaten

Eaten!

(laughter) It were rough

Yes but -- I -- I used to be a post man and I used to deliver down the Meadowell

Run through it

And, I r- exactly

(laughter)

I did. And I remember every gate used to have a dog in it and it didn't used to be a friendly dog it used to be these flipping Pit Bull Terriers or these blooming Rottweiler's but oh it was a horrible place it was

But don't get me wrong right it was only a minority of people that were bad not the majority 'cause there is a lot of decent people

Yes

It doesn't no matter what area you go to you can get your run down areas even where you live there'll be run down areas so it's only a minority that's the trouble

Yes

The council came -- her sisters is a councillor and what happened was they actually came up with the bright idea that we'll put a lot of bad people and we'll ship them round and put them into good areas and hopefully the good area would change them and they'd start acting sensible

That's how it started

It didn't it had the opposite effect

Yes. Try to change (interruption) their reputation

(interruption) In the good area everybody wanted to move out. (laughter) So it wasn't a good idea after all.

How did they stop it then?

Sorry?

How did they stop?

They still haven't stopped

They haven't stopped

Really?

i- it's s- still going

It's just more quite

It's quite -- it's a lot -- it's a lot more quite now than what it has been

It's just cameras and that's only because of the cameras

The cameras aye the cameras

When -- When did it happen then?

The -- the riots?

Oh

Yeah. I've never heard of them!

Nineteen eighty something was it? Nineteen eighty?

(interruption) Eighty, eighty-five I reckon

(interruption) You ca -- can get it on video

Nineteen eighty, eighty-five?

eighty-five? eighty-five yeah something like that

Are they still going on?

(interruption) No no

(interruption) The riots are finished

Oh right I was going say

(interruption) No the riots are well finished I mean they lasted about a fortnight

(interruption) It might be more than that our (NAME) I think little (NAME) was er (interruption) nine

(interruption) I mean quite literally they were trying to shoot the helicopters out of the sky and everything with they made rocket launchers th- the Meadowell

Just because of one (pause) incident?

Nineteen ninety-one

(interruption) There was something else that actually was happening down there

(interruption) It would have been nineteen ninety-one!

It wasn't just that that was that was that was the final (interruption) er

(interruption) Was that also the same time when the IRA blew up the -- the p- petrol dumpster?

That was the sleeper wasn't it that was er what do you call him he used to live beside where your dad lived

That's right he used to live round the corner aye that's right because we knew him quite well and er

I thought you would have

Well we only knew him by name we didn't know who he was

(laughter)

You look that sort of person

Is it an hour yet?

No (laughter) Next one

Em so are you Newcastle supporters?

Wahey man! I support them -- Newcastle all my life

Doesn't have a clue who the players are like

Now I don't I used to. I used to work at Newcastle as a ground steward for two and half year

This lad has had

Yes I know I've had jobs

I'll tell you what -- why. One of the reasons -- one of the reasons I've come here tonight is so I want to tell these about you. Go on I love that story

What's that?

The post man and the woman (laughter)

Post man?

And the woman

What woman?

For the parcel

When you went to the door

The what?

Was it a lie was it?

What's that?

(interruption) You said you went to the door and she was wearing a nightie or something

(interruption) When she came to the door with her nightie on!

Oh! Not on tape no! (laughter)

(laughter) I'll tell you off the tape.