[speaker001:] and you switch it on before they arrive.
[Lil:] Yes.... Mm.
[Clarence:] Yes, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. But no it, it doesn't bother me. I don't mind you know on camera, I don't mind being on video, anything.
[Lil:] But in fairness to your friends Larry, you can hardly
[Clarence:] Warts and all.
[Nev:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Oh no no.
[Lil:] do that and then
[Clarence:] I know
[Nev:] You've got
[Clarence:] I can't see Mike and Robin making [LAUGHTER] a cake [], can you?
[Nina:] No. No but
[Clarence:] Not, no no no. Robin necessarily but... just temperaments
[Nina:] I don't know but well I remember going out... shopping and when I came back you'd got
[Clarence:] Jill.
[Nina:] you'd gone out. No they were, they were all of them there.
[Clarence:] Were they?
[Nina:] Nan and I were out shopping. When we got back
[Clarence:] Mm?
[Nina:] ... it was christmas shopping I think.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Anyway... you'd been out and bought one of those m packets of m cake mix.
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Oh it would be ready mixed, yes [].
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Well... and they'd made little buns. [LAUGHTER] They were very nice really....
[Clarence:] Oh it's a tribute to the
[Nina:] The state of the kitchen wasn't. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Well... that'll be a tribute to the manufacturer, sure. Mm well I rem
[Nina:] And Robin and L and erm... Carol doing that er cabbage... cabbage
[Clarence:] Oh that revolting
[Nina:] That was horrible.
[Clarence:] That was terrible.... I remember Jill though. I don't remember the mix but mm I don't know that, I vaguely remember now, yes but
[Nina:] Oh they were all there
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] because we'd gone out, I think it was the christmas shopping we were doing on our own.
[Clarence:] Was it?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm. Yes I've got a hazy recollection but. Mm.... Jill'll remember. But she was a lot younger surely, Jill? And she'd be a bit
[Nina:] Oh she'd be young, erm
[Clarence:] Younger than them I mean.
[Nina:] They weren't, oh they were younger than Carol Caroline and erm Ken.
[Clarence:] Mm mm mm.... Mm.
[Nina:] But then... look at Chris. He must have been interested in cooking, mustn't he?
[Clarence:] I don't Chris
[Nina:] No I think the young fellows today are more because of course they go into the flats don't they?
[Clarence:] Mm well that's true of course.
[Nina:] I remember when Mike and Robin went into their flats I... spent quite a long time with them
[Clarence:] Yeah I know. Mm. Mm. Mhm.
[Nina:] Showing them how to do simple dishes.
[Clarence:] Mhm.... But erm... quite frankly I can't see myself ever getting... given the same sort of circumstances.
[Nina:] Well n no.
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] I can't either. [LAUGHTER] Knowing you I []... no it's laughable.
[Clarence:] Yeah....
[Nina:] Can't imagine you meeting me with a nice cooked dinner and a... a cake [LAUGHTER] made by yo your own fair
[Clarence:] No I
[Nina:] with a candle on [].
[Clarence:] No.... Use a soldering iron or a blow lamp or something, not [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]... Burnt toast.
[Clarence:] Ah no, it's not really burnt, it's the way I like it though. Must admit technically
[Nina:] Well it used to smoke. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Well yes technically speaking I suppose it is burnt but... well done I
[Nina:] Well it doesn't taste very nice.
[Clarence:] I can't agree cos I, that's how I like it.
[Nina:] And the s Well you used to scrape some of it off because it was all over the
[Clarence:] Oh if it gets really charred I know but
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] if it's really charred that's a bit
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]...
[Clarence:] Certain degree of grey blackness even but...
[Nina:] And how d'you get toast... charred so that you've got to scrape it off but it isn't burnt? Oh I [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Well leaving it that little bit too long, you know.
[Nina:] ...
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Remember Ro Robin coming home... I don't believe it, burnt... burnt toast [] from an electric toaster. I don't know how he does it. [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] I don't know. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER]... Mm.... Oh well.... Doesn't feel like Sunday does it?
[Nina:] No.... I've not seen any more sight of that heron.
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] I don't, I think it was just a flash in the pan.
[Clarence:] I don't think, well.
[Nina:] I don't think... I'm certain there's not
[Clarence:] I think it's much to do about nothing quite honestly.
[Nina:] I do....
[Clarence:] I mean it may well be that we have to resort to some sort of er
[Nina:] Well I don't feel like having a plastic heron. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Well I mean how do all the rest of the pond they've not all got bloody herons, plastic herons perched on the side have they?
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] Plastic
[Nina:] But you know d'you remember me going round the corner and seeing that erm...
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] pond with all those plastic ducks on?
[Clarence:] Flipping ducks on it. Yeah I know.
[Nina:] That might have been some... deterrent of some description.
[Clarence:] I don't think so somehow. That was just
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] but I'm n I'm certainly not having little plastic ducks
[Clarence:] Art nouveau.
[Nina:] and... little gnomes about.
[Clarence:] Mm.... That's interesting er... that erm... comment Steve made about the... postcard. And the bird of prey silhouette, you know? I can
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] believe that being... rather effective.
[Nina:] Well actually I have read about the heron that er I think was it... I'm not sure that
[Clarence:] What the plastic [LAUGHTER] plastic heron?
[Nina:] Oh yes.
[Clarence:] Mm.... Mm.
[Nina:] No way. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Mm.... But that silhouette business, that could work you know.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] I can see that working.... Birds of prey.
[Nina:] Well... really when you think, it's only the same way as... er laying the hose amongst your flower beds. For cats.
[Clarence:] Oh the snake you mean? Yeah.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm... I've still to have that proved to me to be honest. It's a damn great snake
[Nina:] Well I have.
[Clarence:] isn't it? If you think about it.
[Nina:] Yes. Well I think... well, you know when we used to leave ours across the, the lawn there?
[Clarence:] Mm, yeah.
[Nina:] Well S
[Clarence:] Cat didn't bother.
[Nina:] Samba no he
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] Well he did a he did for a bit.
[Clarence:] Are you sure?
[Nina:] Yes, I've watched him sort of er... warily
[Clarence:] Waiting
[Nina:] walk round. But then he got so used to it that he didn't bother.
[Clarence:] Mm, yeah. That's what I mean. It may, if it's any effect at all it's very short lived I think.
[Nina:] Mm. I don't think pepper's a very useful deterrent. I've sprinkled loads of
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] pepper round.
[Clarence:] One shower of rain and you've lost it anyway.
[Nina:] Mm....
[Clarence:] I'd have thought.... Mm....
[Nina:] I think the only deterrent is putting... netting or something over it but er
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] you can't put netting over your whole garden can you? It's silly.
[Clarence:] No no.... We'll have to watch that pond though... leaves next year.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Well this year of course.... Mm....
[Nina:] Well I can't really see what you can do, only have netting over that when the leaves start to fall.
[Clarence:] Well yes [cough] I could be a little bit more erm... atten [cough] attentive to the damn thing couldn't I?... We need to sca scrape quite a lot of that out but erm... not all by any means.... See a certain percentage have blown in I think off the grass and if I had some sort of a
[Nina:] I was just er yeah. I was just gonna say that.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] I think our problem here is it gets so windy with being on the corner.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.... Yeah....
[Nina:] D'you want any more tea?
[Clarence:] Oh yes please. But I think... mm... mm.
[Nina:] That was a silly question wasn't it?
[Clarence:] It was unnecessary wasn't it?... oh yes I'll want a bit of a hand then. With... the top window
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] I've left it with two screws holding it at the moment. As we did, painting the outside yeah.
[Nina:] Yes. I it won't blow out though?
[Clarence:] No not at all. I'm gonna hold it while you take the two final screws out.
[Nina:] Oh I see.?
[Clarence:] [cough] Yeah. [cough] Cos it's almost impossible to get at it.... [cough]...
[Nina:] It won't erm... I think
[Clarence:] What?
[Nina:] once you've got the window done it won't be too bad will it?
[Clarence:] You mean the whole frame?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] And the opening light?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] It won't be too bad, will it?
[Nina:] Oh I mean, what I mean is you've not
[Clarence:] Well there's not a tremendous amount of burning left. There's only... one skirting board [clears throat] and the pipe cover.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] The casing round the other cupboard.
[Nina:] Mm....
[Clarence:] And that's it I think. And possibly the edges of the cupboard doors, I don't know.
[Nina:] Yes, they're not very brilliant.
[Clarence:] No.... Mm certainly want cleaning up. I may end up taking them off completely though. [cough] I think that may be easier to do [cough] rather than do them in situ, you know?...... [sigh]
[Nina:] Are you going to have a piece of cake?
[Clarence:] Oh yeah. Mm.
[Nina:] He's done this in two... and then sandwiched them together.
[Clarence:] What two cakes and put them together, he's?
[Nina:] Yes. Well I used to do that.
[Clarence:] Mm.... [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] It's quite good though.
[Clarence:] Mm. I'm trying to remember, did they have any, the kids?
[Nina:] Erm
[Clarence:] I know they cut some for them but... [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] It's a wonder Caroline didn't. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] She usually stuffs doesn't she?
[Clarence:] Mm. Well yes....
[Nina:] Mm. Did Jill say what time Caroline's appointment was?
[Clarence:] No. Er well... not to me she didn't.
[Nina:] No well. She pro she might have done to me but I can't remember.
[Clarence:] In the afternoon.... They seem very confident they'll be back in time don't they?
[Nina:] Twenty five to four to meet... young
[Clarence:] Yeah. Pick him up at twenty five to four....
[Nina:] There's a heck of a lot of burning off when you come to think of all the burning off of paint we're going to have to do.
[Clarence:] Oh god I know. You're telling me. [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] But then
[Clarence:] Where possible I'll sand down obviously but there's... there
[Nina:] Yes but usually
[Clarence:] won't be many places I'd have thought.
[Nina:] There isn't. It's
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] Cos it's been piled on so
[Clarence:] Yeah. I can't get over that screw in the woodwork.
[Nina:] I know!
[Clarence:] Good god. I've seen dust before but... and bits of fluff and rag and stuff but I've never seen a bloody, and a nail... damn great screw!
[Nina:] Well it's the same as the, the way they've papered the walls round. They've just papered over things. You know?
[Clarence:] They've papered over, [LAUGHTER] I know []. I know. Mm.
[Nina:] It wouldn't have been, if they'd had any furniture in when we, when we first got in... I wouldn't have been surprised to see it painted round there as well. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Oh the you mean? Oh aye.
[Nina:] mm.
[Clarence:] Mm.... Mm.... No, coming back to the [clears throat].... I would prefer to keep it in natural wood if we can but
[Nina:] Oh yeah.
[Clarence:] all those splodges of white... are putty.
[Nina:] Are they?
[Clarence:] Mm. Unfortunately....
[Nina:] And there's nothing at all you can cover them with?
[Clarence:] Well... except to take them out. Scrape the bits of putty out...... and put some... filler in that will accept stain.
[Nina:] I think that'd be better.
[Clarence:] Mm. But that's a [LAUGHTER] fairly long [] job though.
[Nina:] Er yes, but I mean it it... it would be worth it....
[Clarence:] Mm.... See it won't accept stain anyway... with that varnish on.
[Nina:] Well I don't like this colour stain anyway.
[Clarence:] Well I don't.
[Nina:] It's a nasty colour.
[Clarence:] You can't burn that off though. It's dust.
[Nina:] You couldn't
[Clarence:] What?
[Nina:] just give a dab of paint over? A dark paint.
[Clarence:] It'd stand out a mile wouldn't it?
[Nina:] Would it?
[Clarence:] Well... perhaps not as... obviously
[Nina:] Well if you did it with a small brush?
[Clarence:] Well it would still stand out wouldn't it cos it's a different colour? Mm. Not as
[Nina:] You don't
[Clarence:] not as obvious perhaps as the white but
[Nina:] That's what I mean.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.... But I'll have to get rid of all that varnish before it'll take any other stain.
[Nina:] Mm. See what it's like....
[Clarence:] I... what it's like when?
[Nina:] When you've got rid of the varnish.
[Clarence:] Mm. I may have to use varnish stripper. Get a kind of varnish stripper for it.
[Nina:] Well it might be better than erm... doing it any other way because
[Clarence:] I don't think it'll burn off....
[Nina:] No I'm thinking of the fumes....
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER]... After all the other fumes I don't think that'll matter.
[Nina:] After what?
[Clarence:] After the fumes of the paintwork, I don't think that'll...
[Nina:] Won't that be worse than?
[Clarence:] No. Not as bad as. No no.
[Nina:] Oh.... Cos I remember when you did twenty seven.
[Clarence:] Mm. Ah well that was a varnish paint.
[Nina:] That was quite
[Clarence:] That was a varnish paint.
[Nina:] And that won't, that'll just be... stain?
[Clarence:] Varnish. No. It is a stain varnish....... In other words varnish, with a stain added to the varnish before you apply it.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] As opposed to staining the wood and then varnishing it with
[Nina:] Oh I see.
[Clarence:] relatively clear varnish....
[Nina:] Mm.... Once we've got those tiles off at the bottom there
[Clarence:] Mm?
[Nina:] well we might as well paint
[Clarence:] Well I think, I mean they're very nice, it would rather, I'd prefer to, it would be nice to have... tile there to break it, but not those damn things and they certainly won't come off and go back....
[Nina:] They're a bit messy aren't they?
[Clarence:] Mm.... One two three four five six seven eight, twenty four. Two dozen.... Mm....
[Nina:] How many did we get in the pack?
[Clarence:] The pack. I don't know.
[Nina:] I think it was twenty five.
[Clarence:] I really don't know. Oh it varies, the pack doesn't it?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Think it is twenty five actually. pack anyway.
[Nina:] But erm... finding the right tile.
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] In any case you don't want them all the same do you? I think we're better off just snapping it off. Wonder what state the wall's in?
[Clarence:] Doesn't really matter all that much. I'd skim over the plaster anyway.
[Nina:] Mm. Be a right mess won't it?
[Clarence:] Mm.... It's highly probable I'll finish up skimming anyway.
[Nina:] Mm I was just thinking that.
[Clarence:] mm.
[Nina:] I mean the way, what have they done here?...
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Well what have they done anywhere?... Mm.
[Nina:] Well they ran short of tiles or they ha they wouldn't be bothered cutting. I bet
[Clarence:] That's more likely the case. Mm.
[Nina:] One two three four
[Clarence:] Twenty four.
[Nina:] five six seven eight...
[Clarence:] Twenty four on this front face wasn't there?
[Nina:] Yes, there was three more there.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] So that ma er in any case they'd of got... some of it being the two colours.
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] It looks quite effective.
[Clarence:] Oh it's quite effective if it's done correctly, yes.... As it is now it's bloody awful.
[Nina:] Have you had some cake?
[Clarence:] Er no I'll give it a... miss right now thankyou. I'm a bit full from my sandwich.... No I I'll enjoy it more later on. No no.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Cup of tea would go down like a bomb but
[Nina:] you've not eaten it....
[Clarence:] Possibly yes. Mm. Mhm.... I meant to ask, oh... Aha aha.... Pardon? Right.... [cough] Right. [cough]... [cough] Pardon? Er oh yes, yes I have actually....
[Nina:] Let's put this cake back in its tin....
[Clarence:] I'll have a cup of tea then bash on with my window then I think.
[Nina:] Well the sooner it's finished
[Clarence:] Well, yes because it is at least dry today.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] But erm... It's gonna make a hell of a racket sanding down afterwards you know.
[Nina:] Well it can't be helped.
[Clarence:] No it can't be helped, no.... I'll probably have to get some medium grade paper too.... Cos I've got a lot of gr fine and coarse but...
[Nina:] with us making a row won't they?
[Clarence:] I can't think that all that much goes through you know, to be honest.... Obviously
[Nina:] Yeah well but by and large we've not
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] really been on their wall have we?
[Clarence:] No that's what I mean.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] When we start down here [].
[Clarence:] Some of the heavier banging and the, the high pitch... high frequency erm... noises like me drill and erm...
[Nina:] Just keep it down to erm
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] a minimum keep
[Clarence:] Yeah yeah.
[Nina:] not do it late, just keep stopping before it gets too late.
[Clarence:] Well exactly what we have been doing.
[Nina:] Cos it is annoying isn't it, you know?
[Clarence:] Oh yeah....
[Nina:] But there's not an awful lot you can do is there? I mean if we had a firm of workmen in they'd
[Clarence:] They'd still do, yeah.
[Nina:] they'd make [LAUGHTER] more noise [] wouldn't they?
[Clarence:] Oh rather more noise, yeah.
[Nina:] But erm
[Clarence:] And the clatter of tea cups. [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] But then I was... meant to mention, ask Rachel if she'd seen the photograph cos Mike didn't know... about the two photographs that er Rachel and Louise have taken.
[Nina:] Mm. Have I given yours, has yours got sugar in?
[Clarence:] I don't know. I really don't know....
[Nina:] I'm not sure whether that has ha I can usually tell er I've
[Clarence:] Well you claim to be able to.
[Nina:] No I think it's, I can normally, yeah.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] Mm.... I'm glad I found out what that is.
[Clarence:] Yeah. What the hell's it called, a what?
[Nina:] Erm
[Clarence:] Something anemone wasn't it?
[Nina:] Anemone blander
[Clarence:] Oh yes?
[Nina:] [reading] February to April. Requires f the first to flower is A blander. February to April. Requires full sun as flowers close in shady conditions.
[Clarence:] Mm will it get it there?
[Nina:] Grow it in the rockery... or naturali naturalize it in grassland [].
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] That sounds like it.
[Clarence:] Well it looks like the illustration doesn't it?
[Nina:] Well it looks li yes. It does.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] Mm can go by the leaves, I thought the leaves look like it too.... Well we look like getting, if it spreads
[Clarence:] Has it... yeah
[Nina:] as much as it has there we look like getting.
[Clarence:] Has it got the same number of petals on it?
[Nina:] Yes, it... similar, yes. It's di, that's di, they differ.
[Clarence:] Oh yeah. Not just the colour and the number of...
[Nina:] ... Well I'm not sure but I'm not going out to count them. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Well it's.... I would have thought.... Must get some rose fertiliser you know too because erm... I don't suppose the original plants have been fed for generations, literally.
[Nina:] Oh you mean for those ramblers? Yeah.
[Clarence:] Yeah. Well those ramblers and all over the place, mm.
[Nina:] Mm. It looks to me as if it's going to blooming rain again.
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] I'm fed up with this weather.
[Clarence:] Well it's a good general purpose fertiliser isn't it?
[Nina:] Yes.... What was the other one?
[Clarence:] Growmore
[Nina:] Growmore. No.... Erm
[Clarence:] You're the gardening expert.
[Nina:] No I think it was the rose fertiliser, they said use it for the tomatoes as well.
[Clarence:] Yeah that's right, yeah. Ah! That was right erm... it was the tomato fertiliser wasn't it, that was quite good for something?... As well, er you know as well as the rose fertiliser.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Yes, they can use rose fertiliser for tomatoes.... But also tomato fertiliser [LAUGHTER] apparently is useful for [] I don't know.... Look it up at the end of the book.... Incidentally what's this er... operation that Jenny was on about? Er not Jenny, Josie... was on about this morning that... er Jenny had?
[Nina:] Caesarian.
[Clarence:] Oh she had a caesarian did she? I was forgetting she had a caesarian.
[Nina:] Yes course she has. That's probably why it's
[Clarence:] Of course.
[Nina:] taken her to get... on her feet.
[Clarence:] Of course, good god yes. I was thinking it was knit one purl one on the stitches you know, but... mm. Of course, oh yeah.... Oh yes.... Yes it was on the radio this morning about that erm... it is in England somewhere I think... [LAUGHTER] a woman's given birth to a fifteen pound [] some ounces kid.
[Nina:] Oh dear me.
[Clarence:] Good gracious. Tremendous size that is isn't it?
[Nina:] Mm. Yeah.
[Clarence:] Mind its weight, I don't know about the size but... mm.... We seem to have a tremendous lot of seagulls don't we? Over that playing field there.
[Nina:] Well it's being so windy isn't it?
[Clarence:] Yeah well I, no I'm generalizing throughout the year.
[Nina:] Well we're not that far from the sea are we?
[Clarence:] Of course not, that's true. Yeah.... Mm. Oh yes but I mean they... they seem to concentrate pretty well round these playing fields for some reason.... blackbird there.
[Nina:] Yeah I know. the way they land.
[Clarence:] Yeah it's interesting to watch the different birds, the different methods of landing. Some are quite accurate. The others are a bit sprawling those blackbirds I think.
[Nina:] Mm the.
[Clarence:] Yeah.... caw caw caw [LAUGHTER]... That looks like an old one to me doesn't it?...
[Nina:] An old fella [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Yeah. Well not an old fella necessarily....
[Nina:] I'm still sort of puzzling... what the best thing, best thing to do for that hedge down there. Cos we can't er... until we get... it cleared all the way along it... although, it seems to change. If you look
[Clarence:] Hang on. What seems to change?
[Nina:] The hedge.... If you look from here
[Clarence:] In what way does it ch?
[Nina:] Well if you look from here
[Clarence:] I'm looking from here.
[Nina:] And then you go along.
[Clarence:] I'm going along.
[Nina:] By the time it gets to that... all that rubbish that we're going to shift.
[Clarence:] Er y oh yes, there in front.
[Nina:] Well then if you look it... tends to change to a different variety trees.
[Clarence:] Oh it does there. See what you mean. Yes. Yeah
[Nina:] I don't
[Clarence:] it definitely does change doesn't it? Mm.
[Nina:] I don't know what they are, but one of those trees has little catkins on it. Very poor.
[Clarence:] Yes.
[Nina:] So it obviously
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] I'm not surprised [] they're poor.
[Nina:] I know I know.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] But erm... it wants the roots... clearing
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] and feeding and
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Mhm.
[Nina:] It's a shame though to let them die because th they're... I like to have a, a different... I don't want it all the same. It's boring isn't it?
[Clarence:] Oh you're getting back to the privet hedge and suburbia aren't you?
[Nina:] That gives interest, especially
[Clarence:] Same
[Nina:] into the corner.
[Clarence:] Mm that's why I don't want to clip that erm bottom hedge too cleanly....
[Nina:] No but I think
[Clarence:] Lop it down. Yes I agree. Lop it down but erm
[Nina:] I think we need to, for th this time round... because it'll soon get, you know
[Clarence:] Take its own
[Nina:] .
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Yes maybe you're right.
[Nina:] But I do think for now we're just going to have to cu chop it down.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] It's going to get worse and worse if we don't....
[Clarence:] Have to keep our eyes open for a decent er path cutter, hedge cutter you know?
[Nina:] Yes. I looked in the paper to see if there was any.
[Clarence:] No there weren't.
[Nina:] They're very expensive to buy aren't they?
[Clarence:] Oh new they are certainly yes.
[Nina:] Yes, and you want a double action one?
[Clarence:] Preferably. Not essentially.
[Nina:] I, I wouldn't think that erm... like the different length of the blades. You don't want a very big one.
[Clarence:] I don't think you need the, think it's a twenty four is it? no.
[Nina:] I would think they're more trouble than they're worth unless you've got
[Clarence:] Yeah. They could be.
[Nina:] a great big
[Clarence:] Mm. Oh and you'd have to be that little bit more careful too.
[Nina:] Mm. Yes exactly.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] . I think that's what
[Clarence:] And again, unless the motor is fairly hefty
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] it could conceivably be easy to burn the motor out. Because it's doing more work isn't it?
[Nina:] I don't.
[Clarence:] Mm well in theory. A bigger area, bigger length. You're cutting more at the same time.
[Nina:] Yeah I was looking at the petrol driven ones.
[Clarence:] Good god.
[Nina:] I know. [LAUGHTER] That's what [] I thought.
[Clarence:] Stone the crows. Cor.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] It took me breath away so
[Clarence:] Good gracious me.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] No no.
[Nina:] Just how
[Clarence:] What?
[Nina:] much... erm... how much can you cut with those as opposed to having... needing... the erm, the other ones that are used for trees. Erm
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Chainsaw []?
[Nina:] chainsaw. I couldn't, forget the word. The chainsaw.
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Oh they'll take er do a fair amount of work but erm... I think, certainly as far as the hedge is concerned
[Nina:] Well I know that.
[Clarence:] Yeah hang on. Hang on.... In a well established hedge like that
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] I would think er the loppers, if the erm... hedgecutter won't tackle it the loppers will
[Nina:] Yes but what I was thinking more
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] is the rest of the, round there... round at the side there.... I mean a lot of the... you know when we start getting rid of all the rubbish down that side?
[Clarence:] Er I wouldn't like to put er erm a hedgecutter through that erm that bush there. That's a little bit too heavy for it.
[Nina:] Which bush?
[Clarence:] Well the one... where the hedge terminates and
[Nina:] Mm... well.
[Clarence:] That dead looking e well dead
[Nina:] No. No but would it do to, I mean you're going to have a lot of the... stuff that we chopped off
[Clarence:] Yeah....
[Nina:] to put to, if we're getting a trailer and getting rid of it all.
[Clarence:] Yeah. Yeah.
[Nina:] You're going to have to cut it down still further into smaller pieces aren't you, to get as much as you can in the trailer?
[Clarence:] Oh I see what you mean, to cram on the trailer. Yes. Yes yes.
[Nina:] Will a hedgecutter do there or will you have to u revert to erm... a chainsaw?
[Clarence:] Er... combination of both I should think. I, well I'm not too concerned about that anyway. I can use the loppers. If we were doing it seven days a week, fair enough, you'd probably need a chainsaw but... anything, the loppers or the handsaw.
[Nina:] Oh handsaw? Oh that's hard work.
[Clarence:] No. No no no no not the really not the thick ones
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] But erm
[Nina:] Well I was just thinking of taking the work out of it. Mm it's one hell of a lot of work
[Clarence:] But you see we don't really need a chainsaw do we?
[Nina:] No I wouldn't say so normal but er there's quite a lot to
[Clarence:] No.... No. No. To hire one possibly for a specific specific job but
[Nina:] I wonder how much they are to hire?
[Clarence:] Not very dear.
[Nina:] Oh aren't they?
[Clarence:] What erm chainsaws?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] I think... last time I looked at the hire list, price, price list
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] I think about... five six quid a day something like that, they were last year. Mm.
[Nina:] Oh that's not bad really.
[Clarence:] Oh it isn't bad if you've got a lot of erm chainsaw work to do. That can be done in a day you know.
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] Mm.... Now whether that's erm... including all the protective clothing or not I dunno.
[Nina:] I don't know.
[Clarence:] There might be a different charge for that but
[Nina:] Er did you... think any more about the er... rubbish clearance that was, they were advertising in the paper? I mean what d'you think?
[Clarence:] Oh the... twelve quid's worth wasn't it? Was it twelve? Sixteen.
[Nina:] Sixteen quid for one load. What's a load? [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] What is, well yes. Anything that'll fill a skip, it'll be a skip.
[Nina:] Skip.
[Clarence:] And I suspect that'll be the smallest skip, I don't know.
[Nina:] I would imagine so.
[Clarence:] Did it say from? What did it just say?
[Nina:] No I think it just said sixteen pounds a load and I
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] thought mm I wonder how much a load is. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Well yes, it's probably the smallest skip.
[Nina:] But it'd save a lot of hard work if you got rid of quite a lot of it.
[Clarence:] See I don't see erm... them shifting very much for that because by the time you've... got a bloke out... paid his wages, paid for the... the erm... skip shifter, transporter you know.
[Nina:] Well if this is a skip. It might just be a trailer.
[Clarence:] It might be a trailer. It might be an open back lorry, you know.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] A lorry?
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] Well we could get rid of qu [LAUGHTER] I doubt it whether they're going to shift that []
[Clarence:] Well, you know mm.
[Nina:] I doubt that.
[Clarence:] But again on a costing basis I mean hourly. How long is it gonna take a chap to load loads?
[Nina:] Yes but I'm thinking I mean there's so much to do here Larry, you er... you know, you're not a young man any more. You can't er do too much.
[Clarence:] Er I had noticed. Yes. Yes. Yes.
[Nina:] It's no good wearing yourself out if you can get anything done
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] I was worn out already. What are you on about []?
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] You know what I mean.
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] I'm knackered. Mm.
[Nina:] But it makes sense to me to have a little bit of help.
[Clarence:] Oh I'm not adverse to having... bit of help
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] you know of the right sort. No no no, no no no, no Erm
[Nina:] You're usually pretty independent.
[Clarence:] A little perhaps but er... I mean you can have people that are more damn trouble than they're worth can't you? Quite honestly.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Spend your time watching
[Nina:] Well you know the, all the stuff that you've got... at the side where
[Clarence:] Ah well that's straight on the trailer, yeah.
[Nina:] Is it?
[Clarence:] Well more, more or less, yeah. One or two things I'll be keeping but most of it... it's just straight, that's why it's all piled up ready to go.
[Nina:] Ah but I wasn't just meaning on the concrete bit. I was meaning on the soil. There's loads and loads of what you trimmed off the.
[Clarence:] Oh that's not rubbish that's just erm off the trees isn't it?
[Nina:] Well it's still got to be got rid of hasn't it?
[Clarence:] Chuck it over the fence and it'll go straight in, more or less straight in the trailer won't it?...
[Nina:] It'll be just like you [LAUGHTER] to get your trailer and your car down there when er [LAUGHTER] arrive and.
[Clarence:] Oh highly probable. Sod's law, yes.
[Nina:] I know [].... I can't get over the fact that, that all
[Clarence:] What?
[Nina:] all through the winter we've had daisies all over the grass....
[Clarence:] Oh yes you mean the fact that they've been in flower? Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] You don't usually see daisies do you?
[Clarence:] I honestly don't know Nina. I don't know.
[Nina:] Mm don't think it's dry enough to cut the grass is it?
[Clarence:] Oh I w, no I wouldn't do it today. No, crikey no.
[Nina:] No I don't think so. It doesn't look very promising.
[Clarence:] No.... Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] It makes it hard work doesn't it?
[Clarence:] Oh yes.
[Nina:] Have to do a bit at a time.
[Clarence:] I'm going to investigate, see if I can't do a conv I don't think for one minute I will but it's possible... do a conversion... er into erm... the box type. Cos that way all the... or most of the cuttings at least, go into the box wouldn't they? It's possible.
[Nina:] Oh it might be more trouble than it's worth.
[Clarence:] It might be. It might sound a bit potty but utilizing that small vacuum cleaner [LAUGHTER] and cutting the erm []
[Nina:] Ah don't use
[Clarence:] No?
[Nina:] No I, I prefer using it just as it is quite frankly.
[Clarence:] Well i it's not a big thing, it's only... you know what I mean don't you? That yellow and green one?
[Nina:] Yes I know what you mean but I don't fancy you messing about with the... grasscutter.
[Clarence:] No
[Nina:] Cos I find it... if there's anything else attached to it...
[Clarence:] It depends which mounting. Keep the centre of gravity low... and there'd be no problems.
[Nina:] No I don't, I can't agree with you there.
[Clarence:] Mm. Maybe not, no.
[Nina:] No, leave well alone.
[Clarence:] Mm... [whistling]
[Nina:] don't you? And then you just make a mess of what you've already got.
[Clarence:] It's quite possible but erm... [whistling]
[Nina:] Mm but I, I mean I can use it as it is now but anything else on to it I would find it difficult....
[Clarence:] [whistling] Well I'm gonna bash on with the erm
[Nina:] Right, are you ready for the window yet?
[Clarence:] Well er yes please. We can do it now then.
[Nina:] Well I'll come and do that then
[Clarence:] Okay. Right.... And hopefully by... teatime I should have got the burning done.... Right, away we go. What's it called... ling
[Nina:] Ling.
[Clarence:] Mm.... Is this the rather uncovered one then?... To erm
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] We never did... we didn't used to see much of it when we lived up in Manchester.
[Clarence:] No that's what I thought yeah. Mm mm.... Mhm.... Mm....... Mm...
[Nina:] We'll soon be able to plant the er... radishes... leeks and... spring onions.
[Clarence:] Mm. Yeah.
[Nina:] We'll have to get a gro-bag.
[Clarence:] What, to mix with the soil or?
[Nina:] I need er oh no. No I meant er not for that, for er
[Clarence:] Oh I see.
[Nina:] re-potting the tomatoes.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] They're getting to the stage where erm I shall have to prick them on.
[Clarence:] Prick them out. [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah.
[Clarence:] Prick them out! How on earth d'you remember that, prick them out?...
[Nina:] It's a tedious job. But it's worth it.
[Clarence:] Well not really.
[Nina:] I wonder how Jill's are doing?
[Clarence:] Mm dunno. Not a clue it's
[Nina:] Ours will need staking but hers won't.
[Clarence:] With being bush things you mean?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] What were they like, those ones we had before? Grew
[Nina:] Which ones?
[Clarence:] Well the ones we grew previously..
[Nina:] What were they like?
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] What d'you mean?
[Clarence:] Well... edible wise?
[Nina:] Well you ate them didn't you?
[Clarence:] Oh [LAUGHTER] definitely [] I know that but were they pleasant, unpleasant? Rather nice or... run of the mill or?
[Nina:] Oh they were those little ones. Little sweet ones.
[Clarence:] Oh that's right. Oh yes I remember those. Mhm.
[Nina:] They were, I liked those but I can't remember what kind they were.
[Clarence:] Mm.... What were those... go on.
[Nina:] D'you remember growing some bush ones though? A few years ago?
[Clarence:] No I don't frankly, no.
[Nina:] And they came out, they looked like peppers. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Mm. Oh... that's right.
[Nina:] And they weren't very brilliant at all.
[Clarence:] I remember growing those on the [LAUGHTER] roof of the shelter. What were those? Ordinary tomatoes were they?...
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Moneymaker
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] These aren't Moneymakers. I'm not going for Moneymakers.
[Clarence:] Any particular reason, or
[Nina:] Well
[Clarence:] they won't do well?
[Nina:] because erm when you listen to Gardeners' Questions
[Clarence:] Mm?
[Nina:] they advo... you know advocate to put different ones in so
[Clarence:] Mhm.
[Nina:] I looked for something different. Well if you don't try them you never find out do you?
[Clarence:] Mm.... Change of weather's... turned the place into a hive of activity hasn't it?
[Nina:] Pardon?
[Clarence:] The change in weather, you
[Nina:] The weather? Oh yes....
[Clarence:] power saw, power drill. Lawnmowers. Strimmers.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Brings us out in our thousands doesn't it?
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] The front looks better though.
[Clarence:] Erm... oh yes, yes it does.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] That chap's making a good job across the way you know.
[Nina:] Which one?
[Clarence:] Round the corner....
[Nina:] Doing what?
[Clarence:] Well he's just rendering the... the house.... He's a builder fair enough but... nevertheless he's doing a good job. The erm... lives next door to... Anna?
[Nina:] Lisa Anna?
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] Yes they look very nice don't they? Those er...
[Clarence:] Last two houses?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Oh yeah.... Mm.... Mm chap round the corner... young fella, what maybe in his... late twenties perhaps... a rather seedy, scruffy looking bloke...
[Nina:] Mm?
[Clarence:] keeps saying hello, I'm not completely sure where he lives. He seems to know me cos he erm... when we've been out and... big smile, hello you know?
[Nina:] Oh?
[Clarence:] He may be somebody's father or a kid's father, I don't know.
[Nina:] Mm.... When did they do their little run then?
[Clarence:] Who?
[Nina:] Lisa.
[Clarence:] Oh my god I don't know what... erm... oh well it was toward the end of the week wasn't it? Yeah.... Was it Thursday? Oh Wednesday it was going to be.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Wednesday, that's right w [LAUGHTER] weather permitting Wednesday [].
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] ...
[Nina:] It's taking them long enough to
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] come round for their er [LAUGHTER] spoils isn't it []?
[Clarence:] Mm. Well apparently they've got to have the loot in tomorrow.
[Nina:] Oh.... [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Or by tomorrow anyway.... the boy?
[Nina:] Mm. Well ask him [LAUGHTER] the next time you see him. They don't come for the fifty P's now do they?
[Clarence:] No. No. It could well be the meters have been changed to erm twenty P.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Probably have.... I did the lawn twice. Once one way, cleaned it up... and then did it the o opposite way. With the grass being so long, you know?
[Nina:] grass wasn't it.
[Clarence:] Oh it was, yeah.
[Nina:] We, we'll have to be feeding it
[Clarence:] Mm
[Nina:] too soon.
[Clarence:] oh this year definitely....
[Nina:] I'll ask Carolyn what it is that she uses on hers because hers gets rid of the weeds as well.
[Clarence:] Oh I know it's a combined fertiliser and weed killer.
[Nina:] And I can't remember what she said it was.
[Clarence:] The only weeds we've got to get rid of really are those erm... are they dandelions?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm.... And I doubt whether it can get rid of dandelions.
[Nina:] Mm she said it does.
[Clarence:] really?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Oh. Was it we went to?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] With your mother I mean.
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] Hawthorn Cottage or something....
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Hawthorn no [] Jasmine House. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Jasmine House, well... Jasmine House. mm.... Oh did we go... oh go on
[Nina:] I don't know what... pardon? I don't know what kind of jasmine it was. [LAUGHTER] Jasmine nudiflorum [].
[Clarence:] Yeah. Well christ well [cough]... Mm.... What's on the magic tonight then?...
[Nina:] Haven't looked....
[Clarence:] Apart from The Bill that is you know....
[Nina:] You're joking.... It's Monday not Tuesday.
[Clarence:] Oh my god so it is. Do you know I could have sw... is it Mo is it Monday? Oh yes of course it is. Good grief.... [LAUGHTER] Oh well.... Mm. I suppose that politics will be mentioned....
[Nina:] We don't go to the school to vote, I was asking Josie.
[Clarence:] Oh where do we go?
[Nina:] The erm... village hall apparently.
[Clarence:] The village ha oh that place where they had the erm... used goods sale?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Well I presume that was it.
[Clarence:] Mm. That is the village hall, yeah. Mm.... Oh [LAUGHTER]... Mm.... It's logical when you think about it cos being a small community
[Nina:] Mm....
[Clarence:] you'd be able to cope quite easily there wouldn't you?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Why disrupt the school and... shift stuff.
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm....
[Nina:] She was saying
[Clarence:] Mm?
[Nina:] she doesn't know... what she's going to vote, she can't make her mind up.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] I've never been so indecisive as I am this time....
[Clarence:] Well I'm quite decisive really. conservative again.
[Nina:] Are you? Well I'm not struck on on Neil Kinnock... Oh Paddy Ashdown'll
[Clarence:] As far as I'm... Paddy... no but the party
[Nina:] never get in.
[Clarence:] No no no no. That's why people won't vote er a lot of people won't vote for them.... Cos they're considered a wasted vote aren't they? But erm... you're voting for a party not for a character.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Although I don't know, look at Maggie.... Yeah I mean she... for a bit she was the party wasn't she? [LAUGHTER] Old bossy boots herself.
[Nina:] Mm.... Well she did quite a lot of good in the early days didn't she?
[Clarence:] Well she appeared to have done yeah, mm.
[Nina:] ... Well she put a stop to a load of strikes. We were on we used to have these
[Clarence:] That was on the way anyway.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] If she hadn't done it somebody else would have done.... It's a pendulum business isn't it?... No union, downtrodden workers and so... create the unions and... swing the pendulum. Mm....
[Nina:] I think people were fed up with the strikes Larry.
[Clarence:] Well... that. Even some of the strikers.
[Nina:] Mm....
[Clarence:] I mean you've got no choice have you?
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] If your union came out you were out. [LAUGHTER] One out, all out [].
[Nina:] Mm they... and they had those... the three day weeks when the electricity was off.
[Clarence:] Oh yes, that's right. I'd forgotten about that. Mm.
[Nina:] of problems.
[Clarence:] Mm. Was really wasn't it?
[Nina:] Mm....
[Clarence:] It seemed that Smith has got a better... image than... the present chancellor hasn't he?
[Nina:] Mm. John Smith?
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Yes....
[Clarence:] Pity he couldn't, doesn't come over better. He may be quite an able chap.
[Nina:] Mm?
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] He probably is. I s don't suppose
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] he'd of got where he is.
[Clarence:] No. Exactly....
[Nina:] Mm... I can't understand why people want to be in politics.
[Clarence:] Power. Mm.... Why do people want to be on the stage?
[Nina:] Mm I know....
[Clarence:] Why do people want to be vicars and things? [LAUGHTER]... In the public eye....
[Nina:] What did Ken say, little Ken say he wanted to be?
[Clarence:] Erm...
[Nina:] It wasn't an engineer?
[Clarence:] No no no.
[Nina:] Erm...
[Clarence:] Something to do with growing things?...
[Nina:] It wasn't an accountant was it?
[Clarence:] No no no. It was something to do with growing things. That sort of came over quite strongly.
[Nina:] Oh no that was his second choice.
[Clarence:] Was it?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Are you sure?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Oh.... No I... growing things. Still...... [LAUGHTER] I don't suppose he'll be [].
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] Kids very seldom are are they?
[Nina:] No they're not....
[Clarence:] Oh Major I bet he wanted to be right from being a kid, wanted to be prime minister. [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] Ken's got a very retentive brain hasn't he?
[Clarence:] Very?
[Nina:] A retentive memory hasn't he? Very
[Clarence:] Oh extremely yeah. Like his father....
[Nina:] He never forgets a thing does he?
[Clarence:] No. Steve doesn't. Mm.
[Nina:] When you and I went up to to look after them?
[Clarence:] Yeah. Mhm.
[Nina:] I mean he was only a... tiny wasn't he?
[Clarence:] Oh crikey yeah.
[Nina:] . You couldn't fool him, we used to play hide and seek and you couldn't fool him.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Oh he's a very bright little boy but
[Nina:] Mm....
[Clarence:] You can't really relax with him can you?
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] He's switched on
[Nina:] Mm. It's a shame isn't it?
[Clarence:] Mm and they shouldn't be... can't, rather it can't be down to lack of... contact I wouldn't have thought.
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] In part I suppose it's due to... erm... complete contrast of lifestyle between Jill and Steve's way and our way.... Could be.... She was just like an automated... programmed doll, oh god. Poor kids can't help it of course but
[Nina:] No she's such a nice little thing
[Clarence:] Oh she's a nice little kid, yeah. Pathetic really to see her wa waving like that....
[Nina:] I always want to cuddle her. Press the wave switch now, plonk you know.
[Clarence:] Aah! Mm. Oh well.... She may change quite a lot, on the surface anyway.
[Nina:] Oh she has done already hasn't she? She's better than she was.
[Clarence:] Oh indeed yes. Yes. Certainly has. Mm.... I mean it's most unnatural for a child not to be... chatting away in the presence of grandparents isn't it? [LAUGHTER] Unless the grandparents are a couple of weirdies []. Perhaps she thinks we're two weird, no I'm weird anyway.... Could be right....
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Could be right. [LAUGHTER] Yeah. Yeah.... It's not a bad evening now is it?
[Nina:] No.... Have you seen a weather forecast for?
[Clarence:] No.... very brief this morning I think. We were due for better weather today which we've had.... And then I think more rain tonight. But as the girl in the... post office said erm... it's usually different here than the weather forecast which is probably is, the gulf stream It's not too bad finding [cough] where you want to go
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] when it comes to looking for x-ray or path lab or whatever it is... but finding your way out.... Very seldom they have continuing... er continuity [cough] of markers saying exit, you know, or this way out.
[Nina:] Wouldn't it, it's stupid that
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] isn't it? You can't get out quick enough can you, usually?
[Clarence:] Not short on the emergency exit signs, but yeah exactly. Mm.... I mean once you've got in. But once you've gone down and turned left then turned right and gone ahead
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] It's like a labyrinth [LAUGHTER] you know [].
[Nina:] I know. Certainly if you've not been before.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Exactly.... I asked somebody the way out [LAUGHTER] and she offered to show me []. Mm.
[Nina:] Oh!
[Clarence:] Oh yeah, cleaner, mm....
[Nina:] Well Carolyn, when Carolyn was working at Witham Withamshaw
[Clarence:] Mm?
[Nina:] she said it was very lonely at night when you were walking down the corridors.
[Clarence:] Yes I remember you saying. Oh it would be of course, yeah.... Mm oh it would be. It's quite a, it seems at least quite a pleasant hospital. Quite a pleasant atmosphere.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] I shouldn't imagine they have the problems that they do at erm Withamshaw and
[Clarence:] oh no, they won't of course. Oh no.
[Nina:] And do you remember the...
[Clarence:] What?
[Nina:] when Carolyn was working there they had this intruder.
[Clarence:] Well they're often having intruders, go on...
[Nina:] I can't remember all the details. There was quite a to-do about it in the paper.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] I, I know Carolyn said that they... in the end
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] they refused to work on their own
[Clarence:] Oh that's right I remember. Yes yes. Yeah.
[Nina:] because they were so way out. There was no way
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] that they could have summoned help or anything else.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.... And di didn't she have to leave?
[Nina:] Pardon?
[Clarence:] Didn't she ha well, to get from A to B... didn't she have to leave the building somewhere?
[Nina:] Yes. Yeah.
[Clarence:] Yeah I thought so. Mm.... They're not too bad here but at Witham Withamshaw it'd be a... [LAUGHTER] different kettle of fish altogether [].
[Nina:] Er yes.
[Clarence:] Mm.... Mm.
[Nina:] Mm because... do you remember when we had to go and collect her? That night.
[Clarence:] Yeah. Erm... hang on.
[Nina:] It was very, there's some very lonely lanes there.
[Clarence:] I remember going late at night. Were we collecting her?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Were we really? Mm.
[Nina:] she was in the flat. And she'd passed out in the phone box....
[Clarence:] I remember that happening but...
[Nina:] And that's when we went to collect her there.
[Clarence:] And that was Withamshaw?
[Nina:] That was Withamshaw yeah.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Er sh yes they were in er where were they living? The flat then, they weren't... they didn't have the house.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. You said....
[Nina:] And she'd only just gone to the end of the road to phone... Ken was working away.
[Clarence:] Oh yes, that's right. Mm.
[Nina:] Wasn't he?
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] And Nicky wanted to, it was only... a cock's stride down the road. Andrew was in bed and she just whipped out so Nicky could say goodnight to her daddy.
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Oh yes, that's right []. Mm.
[Nina:] Oh dear. What a performance. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Mm.... Yes, you get so used to having a phone at home don't you?
[Nina:] Mm. It's very handy. Having to go to the end of the road, well it's daft now. That's if you can find one working.
[Clarence:] Not too bad here from what I've seen.
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] No but I mean in Manchester it was shocking wasn't it?
[Clarence:] Oh well!... It was a very pleasant surprise if there is one working.... Mm....
[Nina:] You know I was just thinking
[Clarence:] Were you? Jolly good.
[Nina:] That well... Lil and Nev going up on the mini break
[Clarence:] W tomorrow is it they go?
[Nina:] Yeah Wednesday to Saturday, yes.
[Clarence:] Mm go on.
[Nina:] I'll bet they hear of these mini breaks through the wh I can't remember
[Clarence:] She probably
[Nina:] her name.
[Clarence:] Was it Carol? No it's not Carol.
[Nina:] No. No it's
[Clarence:] I don't know what her name is but... I know the one you mean. The travel agency girl?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Young woman, yeah.
[Nina:] I wouldn't be surprised.
[Clarence:] Probably. Mm.... Mm.... I'm wondering what... made them change their mind... over the er knock through into the garage.
[Nina:] Well I suppose they thought it was a bit too much. I mean the place they've got there, it er it would mean
[Clarence:] Oh I'm not sugge
[Nina:] that them decorating
[Clarence:] I know.
[Nina:] the whole lot again wouldn't it?
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Oh no way.
[Clarence:] Yes but surely they thought that through before they got to the stage that... I mean even with the mortgage
[Nina:] Well that's probably why they've decided against it.
[Clarence:] No.... Before [cough] they got to the stage of asking for quotes because Nev had moved all his tools and tackle and stuff... to clear it.
[Nina:] Had they actu actu really had a quote?
[Clarence:] I don't know. I really don't know.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] They were due to get one. Any time.
[Nina:] They might have had one and found out what [LAUGHTER] it was going to cost and were decided against [].
[Clarence:] Possibly.
[Nina:] They're having a mini break instead.
[Clarence:] Oh possibly... again i it's just possible actually that... the construction of the bungalow didn't lend itself properly well to... knocking through.
[Nina:] Well I think... oh well it's so beautiful I mean as it is in there, they don't need anything doing to, I mean
[Clarence:] Well
[Nina:] they've got it nice. They've got it... so they don't get s sort of minimum... you know?
[Clarence:] Labour.
[Nina:] Yes. So I shouldn't imagine that erm... I mean once we've got through this one I'm blowed if I'm going to do it
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] just for the sake of doing it. [LAUGHTER] It'll have to really need it before we start again [].
[Clarence:] Well mm. Oh yeah I know. But they, they are a little bit inclined to what shall we spend some money on next, aren't they?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] [cough] Mm.
[Nina:] Well if it's there fair do.
[Clarence:] Oh! Fair do, I know but er... it's up to them what they do with their money I know but... mm....
[Nina:] What's happened to the rest of the paper Larry? There's only half of it there.
[Clarence:] Well which paper?
[Nina:] The Telegraph. Last week's Telegraph. There's only one
[Clarence:] I haven't the faintest idea.
[Nina:] sheet there. Just one
[Clarence:] One sheet?
[Nina:] Well one... section.
[Clarence:] Oh. [LAUGHTER] I don't know []. I haven't the faintest idea.
[Nina:] It's just disappeared.
[Clarence:] I haven't moved it at all. Not knowingly anyway.... No.... It's possible I've used it but I don't erm... don't recall. Never had an occasion to use, well the only time I've used a newspaper as far as I know... this afternoon when I emptied the bag. And that was
[Nina:] Because we were going to phone up
[Clarence:] Yeah I know.
[Nina:] the piece at... with the
[Clarence:] Yes.
[Nina:] housing in.
[Clarence:] Yes for the er
[Nina:] We were going to phone up and that seems to have
[Clarence:] the two bungalows yeah. Mm. It is incidentally. It's where I thought it was.
[Nina:] Is it?
[Clarence:] On the left hand side and erm... it's... pretty near the main road.
[Nina:] Mm. Oh I know where you mean.
[Clarence:] Oh you do?
[Nina:] I think I do anyway.
[Clarence:] The area.
[Nina:] Mm. I thought it was on the main road?
[Clarence:] It is on the main road.
[Nina:] Oh I see what you mean, the front's pretty near the main road? Would that bother them do you think, being so close to the main
[Clarence:] I don't know Nina. I haven't the faintest idea.
[Nina:] Cos it looks quite a decent... reasonable bungalow. I wonder how much they want for it?
[Clarence:] I d I could only glanced at it as I drove past cos the traffic was... moving fairly quickly for the lights there you know. But
[Nina:] Mm. I bet the layout's something similar to that one we saw... further.
[Clarence:] Probably. There's not much of a difference between
[Nina:] No, it looks the same shape somehow doesn't it?
[Clarence:] No. Mm, yeah yeah.... [cough] fairly tight.
[Nina:] But that, they're, the one that
[Clarence:] [cough] Sorry, go on.
[Nina:] we went to er look at, four of them, in the middle of er the three.
[Clarence:] Oh yeah. Where Whereabouts was that?
[Nina:] There was four... four it was in the middle. The girl that works at the garage,sh next door to that.
[Clarence:] Oh not a bungalow, a house you mean? Sorry, yeah.
[Nina:] A house. Well that one, I mean everybody said oh... that's too near to the main road so if that was too near to the main road so will this one be.
[Clarence:] Well did Carolyn say that? I can't remember.
[Nina:] No Dawn said. Neither can I.
[Clarence:] Well Dawn thought it was. I certainly thought it was. But then
[Nina:] I know. I didn't.
[Clarence:] I don't like traffic noise.
[Nina:] It w yes it, I'd, it wouldn't have bothered me that.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] But it, I can quite see that it would bother some people.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm....
[Nina:] But it's not as if it's a main road like
[Clarence:] Oh crikey, no.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] in Manchester is it []?
[Clarence:] Oh no. No.
[Nina:] There you could complain but I, I wouldn't say you get that much traffic at night.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.... Certainly not at night you won't get a lot, no. Erm
[Nina:] Well you wouldn't notice during the day. You don't notice the same. It's when everywhere's quiet. And you're trying to sleep.
[Clarence:] Yes but it's noises you don't notice, if they're continuous then they become
[Nina:] That's right. True.
[Clarence:] Yeah. Mm....
[Nina:] Still...
[Clarence:] I mean that's one of the beauties here wasn't it? It's so peaceful, so quiet.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] There's no noises to get used to really.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Apart from the birds and the bees and the
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] sycamore trees.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] And Sambo [].
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] And Sambo flying around yeah [].... No he just crawled under the door... sort of glare, glare at me and then scootled, shooted past, you know. [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] Why?
[Clarence:] Shot I should say.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Shooted past [].
[Clarence:] Shooted past. He shooted past as well as shot past. [LAUGHTER] Mm.
[Nina:] I wonder why?
[Clarence:] I don't know because he he's never really been frightfully keen on me, that cat.
[Nina:] Maybe it's probably has a rough working idea it's you that put the fountain on today. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] I doubt that very [LAUGHTER] much indeed. Get on []. No. No.... No I try to him but you know but er
[Nina:] He's lovely.
[Clarence:] He's alright. He let me sort of tickle him and god knows what but er... he's pretty wary for some reason.... It may well be of course that father was a bit er... all dog and no cat sort of person, you know? I dunno.
[Nina:] Mm. The they're both, they're all in lovely condition aren't they? Beautifully cared for.
[Clarence:] Oh yes. No argument about that, yes. Good nick
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] and well fed and...
[Nina:] Yes.
[Clarence:] Mm. [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] Mm.... Now we've decided not to do that little built up wall affair at the front
[Clarence:] Hang on. Oh there, yes. Yeah.
[Nina:] it erm... we won't need to be bothered quite so much about getting paving stones. Or stones, suitable stones to build will we?
[Clarence:] Well we won't be needing so many that's for sure, no. I want some for the... [LAUGHTER] erection []... at the side of the pool there.
[Nina:] What?... Oh there.
[Clarence:] To take the waterfall. Mm. It's only gotta match the existing er
[Nina:] Well how many do you want? I mean don't you want to put it on bricks?
[Clarence:] Not bricks as such, no.
[Nina:] just...
[Clarence:] Cut some of the paving stones
[Nina:] I see.
[Clarence:] to roughly brick size
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] and use that. As I have done with that erm
[Nina:] Well how many will you need?
[Clarence:] collection... Pardon?
[Nina:] You won't need that many for there.
[Clarence:] Not no no no no no. Not an awful lot, no. I can pad out with sto with er brick where it doesn't show. It'd look a bit odd with bricks though, I think.
[Nina:] Mm. True.
[Clarence:] Oh yeah.... And then we want matching slabs really don't we?
[Nina:] Yes. That'd be nice actu to have erm something you could sit on there.
[Clarence:] Mm.... Wonder what do they do with old gravestones when they've er
[Nina:] Ooh I hate to think.
[Clarence:] when they've abandoned the graveyard.
[Nina:] Well they seem to be there for... er you know when they did all that erm... levelling at erm... Southam Southam cemetery?
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] I wonder what they did with them then?... They just flattened it didn't they and and. It's a bit much when you come
[Clarence:] Yes, they made it so it could be
[Nina:] to think of somebody paying a fortune for a
[Clarence:] Yes.
[Nina:] gravestone and then they come along and flatten it.
[Clarence:] Oh there must have been some sort of arrangement, I don't know. To, to cope with that though.
[Nina:] Well quite a few of them
[Clarence:] Well bear in mind a lot of them were very old ones and there are
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] probably no nearest and dearest left surviving.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] True....
[Clarence:] I seem to remember... papers... about that.... Erm... that removal or disposal or alteration of the... any creation around the grave was erm... can be done at the discretion of, of the
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] parks authority or whatever it is, yeah.
[Nina:] It was better really when they'd done it
[Clarence:] Parks and cemeteries, yeah.
[Nina:] wasn't it? It was much neater.
[Clarence:] Oh yes. Both in... far more pleasant to the eye
[Nina:] Oh yes.
[Clarence:] far neater and er... oh yeah. [LAUGHTER] They can get more bodies in too [].
[Nina:] Ooh!
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] Shall we change the subject? [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] No I... ha!... No I just had a thought because there must be stacks of old grave gravestones around. Some of the marble they... cracking... cracking bit of, yeah I know.
[Nina:] No they... yes they are.
[Clarence:] Should be for the price they charge too.... Ridiculous forking out a fortune.
[Nina:] I wonder how many [LAUGHTER] I wonder how many people have now got them as hearths? Now this marble er this kind of marble hearths.
[Clarence:] Yes you've got, yeah. Yeah that's a point. That's a point.
[Nina:] I don't like that thing we've got there.
[Clarence:] I think they're rather thicker than that, the damaged gravestone. Mm.... When you think of all the. Go on.
[Nina:] Mind you it it's... indestructible really isn't it?
[Clarence:] Oh
[Nina:] Once you've got it down.
[Clarence:] I wouldn't say indestructible, but I know what you mean, yeah. Yeah. Yeah very very longlasting, yeah. Depends on the quality of the marble too doesn't it?
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] Obviously.... No I was gonna say, when you think of all the money that's spent... with these very elaborate... er headstones... erm creations showing... angels looking down on them, plonking at their harps and god knows what. They look quite nice from one point of view but er... fifty seventy eighty hundred years later... what the hell does it matter? You know?
[Nina:] Mhm well I suppose it does to some people.... We've got to decide what to do at our fireplace yet haven't we?... Ooh... what a problem.
[Clarence:] Well if we get some [LAUGHTER] headstones it'll be different [].
[Nina:] If... you know if you, pardon? [LAUGHTER] If you take
[Clarence:] Cor.
[Nina:] the top off, the wooden part
[Clarence:] Er yes. The mantelpiece?
[Nina:] Yes.
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] Do you think it'll... it's sort of cut so that the er it fits on top of the brickwork?
[Clarence:] That one is I'm pretty sure, yes. Yeah.
[Nina:] Do you think it'll look... still look cock-eyed, the brickwork?
[Clarence:] Yes.
[Nina:] Mm. Mind you it won't matter if we erm... will it?
[Clarence:] Oh no that will....
[Nina:] Fancy building, I mean that must have been done when, when the house was built.
[Clarence:] No. No no, it's not original that. No.
[Nina:] the original one then?
[Clarence:] You can see where the original fire surround was.
[Nina:] Oh.
[Clarence:] Look at the plaster work there behind it, above it. Mm.... And where's the hearth... different hearth isn't it?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Yes, that's right.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] I'll be glad when that's done. It's going to be a big job really.
[Clarence:] Mm.... No I should imagine it's a typical sixties, late sixties erm... well early sixties... er tile surround, you know?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] It's not [cough]
[Nina:] When you look there's, there's... really there's only this room
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Go on.
[Nina:] to remove the paper.
[Clarence:] Erm
[Nina:] Er the the the two rooms, like the big room... and the bathroom
[Clarence:] And our bedroom.
[Nina:] Oh there's not much to move in
[Clarence:] There's in there, no.
[Nina:] in the be because I think
[Clarence:] Not, no.
[Nina:] the paper that's in the... wardrobe alcoves?
[Clarence:] Yes.
[Nina:] Well if that's firm it'll erm be washing over there won't it?
[Clarence:] Lick over. Oh yes. Yes it's good enough there.
[Nina:] Well there's only the little bit on the breast of the er... the chimney breast type of thing
[Clarence:] There's between the two... yeah yeah.
[Nina:] that needs removing.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] And that was, that came off quite easily on the other wall.
[Clarence:] Yeah.. Mm.
[Nina:] There's not that much to do so this is the main one really. And the bathroom.... Mm.
[Clarence:] For wallpaper removal? Oh yes. [cough]... I need to see how those steamers work, how well they work.
[Nina:] Well, they must work fairly well because erm
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] well Joan and Clive were saying they did them.
[Clarence:] Yes and Derek... remember, next door?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] And Terry, he said. He hadn't used one before, and he was a bit cackhanded.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] So they must have been pretty good [].
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm. Nice just to
[Nina:] Carolyn was saying that a friend of theirs down the road... she... hired one
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] and finish [LAUGHTER] she didn't know where to stop []. And she it was so quick. Yes it was very efficient.
[Clarence:] You mean it was working so quick and easy? Yes. Yeah. Yeah.
[Nina:] And erm... she was very impressed.
[Clarence:] Oh.... Do you remember the old days when it was standard practice to put one... paper on top of another?
[Nina:] Ooh! How many pa
[Clarence:] With the overlap.
[Nina:] I know. How many papers did we move
[Clarence:] You know? [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] off the er
[Clarence:] Oh god I don't know.
[Nina:] the old. [LAUGHTER] Oh about seven. Oh dear [].
[Clarence:] Yes. Yes it probably was. Yeah. Mm.
[Nina:] What a job. It was a heck of a long way up there as well wasn't it?
[Clarence:] Yeah. But do you remember the borders? The edges I should say at the, at the roll?
[Nina:] Mm. Yes. I do.
[Clarence:] They used to have little marks to line the paper up when you hang it.
[Nina:] Oh?
[Clarence:] Yeah. Down the
[Nina:] Can't remember that.
[Clarence:] Exactly. Down the edge
[Nina:] Mm?
[Clarence:] the name of the manufacturer and possibly the... say the model like the... that particular paper's... erm category... name. But it had... at about oh eighteen inch intervals, something like that? Little marks, sometimes an arrow... sticking out. When you, when you put the next roll on you married up the arrow.
[Nina:] Oh.
[Clarence:] Yeah. Mm.
[Nina:] I remember cutting out when you used to have to cut all down your rolls of wallpaper.
[Clarence:] That's right.
[Nina:] And do you remember [LAUGHTER] when you had to cut all your borders out []?
[Clarence:] Yeah but don't you remember when they had that erm... erm... semi-perforated edge on it? And you knocked it on the edge of a table?
[Nina:] Oh yes. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Things have changed a bit.
[Clarence:] Yes. I don't quite know why they put that edge on in the first place.
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] Unless it was, in those days, they didn't have the shrink wrap stuff did they?
[Nina:] I think they used to overlap them one edge didn't they?
[Clarence:] Oh didn't th I was just thinking yeah.
[Nina:] That's right.
[Clarence:] Oh it was standard to, yeah a standard practice job that, yeah.
[Nina:] To overlap. Well you could always see the join.
[Clarence:] Oh yes of course.
[Nina:] And the joins they've put on this wallpaper here they stand out
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Oh god [].
[Nina:] about a mile don't they? [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Well this particular paper, you... you've got to be very care
[Nina:] I don't like it.
[Clarence:] otherwise it crushes... very easily.
[Nina:] Mm. I don't like it.
[Clarence:] Mm.... No. It's not my favourite by any means....
[Nina:] We'll have to go and be having a look at... at erm
[Clarence:] What?
[Nina:] choose a paper for the room where we're doing now.
[Clarence:] Yes, there's a bit more plastering to be done yet.
[Nina:] Not a lot though is there?
[Clarence:] Not a lot, no. I want to skim that corner, ceiling and the top of the wall.... Erm
[Nina:] And strip all the little
[Clarence:] and there's also there's a... usual crack between the plasterboard and ceiling over the door and a little crack running down to the door.
[Nina:] Is there?
[Clarence:] yeah. It's worth doing.
[Nina:] Oh yes.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] And do it properly. Well
[Clarence:] Mm. Oh yes. And there's all the burning off and... mm. [cough]... And also I want to, while the... carpet's up, investigate the run of the cable. So it's
[Nina:] And have you any idea yet?...
[Clarence:] About?
[Nina:] Where the cable runs?
[Clarence:] Yes. Yeah, yeah.... I think it's a spur coming off... that runs into the er... But I don't think it's a proper imme immersion heater circuit.
[Nina:] You're joking?
[Clarence:] Well it doesn't have to be.
[Nina:] Should it be? Oh.
[Clarence:] No it doesn't have to be. No no no. No. No.
[Nina:] There's a... a mark on the wall, you know where the switch is... where you switch the pump on and off?
[Clarence:] Er... yes.
[Nina:] Well there's a mark on the wall. Something's been on the wall that was round.
[Clarence:] Yes. That would be erm... the junction box.... Mm.
[Nina:] Why would they need another junction box there then? Cos there's one down at the bottom.
[Clarence:] To feed I s would suspect the immersion heater. Mm.
[Nina:] Oh.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Well what have they taken it off for then? Oh they wouldn't need, they wouldn't... mm.
[Clarence:] Because y you, when you have your cable up to the junction, hang on up to your junction box
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] and from the junction box to the actual immersion heater itself
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] you have erm [cough] a heatproof cable called er systaflex I think it's called.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Yeah. Er... it's sort of a white, braided stuff that goes over.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Heat resistant.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] So you'd need a junction box to erm connect the
[Nina:] Well you know how they've... you know where the pipe comes out of the... cupboard?
[Clarence:] Hang on. There are a lot of pipes.
[Nina:] No, the the pipe that I w I think [LAUGHTER] supposedly leads to the radiator.
[Clarence:] Erm
[Nina:] And it comes down under that little
[Clarence:] do you mean the one with the pump in?
[Nina:] Yes.
[Clarence:] Oh that pipe. Yeah, yeah.
[Nina:] By the wall, and it
[Clarence:] Oh.
[Nina:] comes into that little erm... ooh the sort of semi... skirting board thing.
[Clarence:] Erm
[Nina:] That stands away from the wall....
[Clarence:] offhand I can't say yes I do but
[Nina:] Well it it's flat and then it comes down. You've got your skirting board
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Flat and then it comes down [].
[Nina:] It houses... pipes.... And it's
[Clarence:] Oh you you mean in the room?
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] Yes but I mean which pipe you mean, no.
[Nina:] Well I don't know the pipe. I haven't seen the pipe have I?
[Clarence:] Oh it's in the... oh sorry, go on. Carry on.
[Nina:] No. This thing... but er er the pipe comes from the... cupboard. You can see it
[Clarence:] If there's a pipe or pipes cupboard yeah.
[Nina:] I dunno but it... you can see it coming through
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] and it... into that housing
[Clarence:] Yeah. Yeah.
[Nina:] and then it comes right round to the radiator
[Clarence:] Yes I know, yeah.
[Nina:] and goes right to that wall doesn't it?
[Clarence:] Yes. Yeah yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
[Nina:] Well why would it need... if that, if... it does that, when it gets to the radiator
[Clarence:] Oh it's not just for the radiator.
[Nina:] Oh. I see
[Clarence:] It's the hot water to the tap in the kitchen.
[Nina:] Oh I see.
[Clarence:] That's right, yeah.
[Nina:] As well. Well what I was looking at this afternoon... was your radiator... comes through the floor. And yet all these pipes are here. Why isn't... why... wouldn't they take erm... your radiator pipe... the water, the pipe that feeds the radiator?
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] Why wouldn't it come through... that little housing? Instead of coming under the floor?
[Clarence:] Well again that's not original is it?... The central heating... system is er... a later addition to the house isn't it?
[Nina:] Oh.
[Clarence:] And those pipes were where the circs where the, the... where the pipe run to the hot water tap in the kitchen. And to the bathroom.
[Nina:] Oh.
[Clarence:] Mm.... And quite probably the cold water supply to the bathroom too.... Mm.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] And I think... not the kitchen, that's on the rising main. Cos your stop tap is... underneath the er
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] sink top there.. But that one there is er... [cough] fed, I'm pretty sure... from... the, yes it is.... Yeah because the pipe goes up there. Mm.
[Nina:] Oh yes of course. It goes right through to the bathroom doesn't it? That's it.
[Clarence:] And, if you think about it, there's a header tank... in the loft.
[Nina:] Yes.
[Clarence:] the cold water from somewhere.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] So it'll come from there... across the ceiling
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] across the ceiling... up through the erm... cupboard
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] into the l into the loft and.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm. So you'll have the hot water pipe... to supply the hot tap
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] taps.... And the cold water feeds by the er header tank in the loft.
[Nina:] Mm. Well why wouldn't they take them underneath the floor?... They could of, couldn't they, up there?...
[Clarence:] Yes they certainly could. But at the time of building I think it was... just continued practice from the victorian days to run it round on the top. Mm.... Pretty sure.... There has been, or appears to have been, a hole in the wall that's been plastered up rather badly but... above that housing, that cover
[Nina:] Mm?
[Clarence:] on the... bathroom wall
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] the wall separating the bathroom from the spare room
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] from the back bedroom... in the bottom there's been a hole about the size of a pipe
[Nina:] Was there?
[Clarence:] about three quarter pipe, yeah.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Or fifteen mil twenty two millimetres yeah.... Mm.... [whistling]...
[Nina:] I think I'll wash up and then have a cup of tea.
[Clarence:] What a good...
[Nina:] What time is it?
[Clarence:] [yawn] time we had a... wash up and a cup of tea I think. It's... two and a half minutes to six o'clock. Or eighteen hundred.... Oh the news. Let's see if the queen's dead.
[Nina:] Pardon?
[Clarence:] Where's the new oh is that the news?
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] See if the queen's dead. Oh yes I noticed yeah. Well
[Nina:] The only thing I only I don't know all the names of some of the people.
[Clarence:] Oh I wouldn't know any of them....
[Nina:] But... apart from that it's not a very difficult one.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] Let's have a look what's what.
[Clarence:] Is it based on the contents of... of rather the erm
[Nina:] Yes. It is.
[Clarence:] people on the box?
[Nina:] It is.
[Clarence:] Oh crikey, [LAUGHTER] I w definitely wouldn't know [].
[Nina:] Pardon?
[Clarence:] I definitely wouldn't know, no.
[Nina:] Oh you would.
[Clarence:] up my nose it's erm... quite erm
[Nina:] I know. I went in there and I thought something was burning. Don't let me forget there's a cake in the oven will you?
[Clarence:] Not a bun but a cake. Right....
[Nina:] You know what I'm like. I forgot it completely last week.
[Clarence:] Well what time... do I remind you?
[Nina:] Remind me at half past... half past if I don't remember myself.
[Clarence:] Half past six?
[Nina:] Yes.
[Clarence:] Yeah. Well it's quarter past six now.
[Nina:] I know what it is now but
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] I'm quite capable of forgetting in about five minutes.
[Clarence:] Mm. [LAUGHTER] Well it wouldn't take me that long [].
[Nina:] Oh dear. [LAUGHTER]...
[Clarence:] Quite a bit more today anyway.
[Nina:] Oh well yes.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] It's a hard slog [LAUGHTER] isn't it []? I wish we'd got a bit further really but it's hard work.
[Clarence:] There's a lot of work. But we, we're getting there slowly. Mm....
[Nina:] Let's have a look and see what's what.
[Clarence:] you see the doors are different, quarter inch difference in size.
[Nina:] You wouldn't, I wouldn't have thought that. the same.
[Clarence:] No it didn't surprise me cos they usually... no, they put the casing up, the door casing.
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] And then the chippie erm... cuts the door to fit. it, you know? Very seldom you get it a perfect fit when you
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] just it in.... Fortunately it is the right way round.
[Nina:] Mm. I don't think they, I would have thought that everything was more or less
[Clarence:] Well it is more or less.
[Nina:] spot on
[Clarence:] No. No.
[Nina:] size. When the houses were built at the same time and
[Clarence:] They possibly are today. Erm... a lot of stuff's factory er
[Nina:] Is that the sort of job that er Ken would be doing?
[Clarence:] On the building site, yeah.
[Nina:] Oh.
[Clarence:] Mm. Yeah.
[Nina:] Mm.... Did you hear Josie was saying about er
[Clarence:] What?
[Nina:] ? He's busy on this building project now but he doesn't know after.
[Clarence:] Oh she said a few days ago about some bungalow or something he's... he's helping to build. He, he's a brickie isn't he? Yes that's right.
[Nina:] Yes.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] Whereabouts?
[Clarence:] I haven't the faintest idea.
[Nina:] Oh.
[Clarence:] Not the faintest....
[Nina:] So it... they, he'll be worried if... oh mind you er... anything in the building trade is a bit iffy isn't it? I can't see Ken
[Clarence:] yeah.
[Nina:] getting a a job really, can you? Certainly not now.
[Clarence:] I'd have thought he's going to find it extremely difficult down here to find a job.
[Nina:] Because I don't
[Clarence:] Of any sort. Never mind just in the building trade.
[Nina:] Yes, I don't think he'll rush down. But he's so used to being.
[Clarence:] Well he's got all his mates. And he er I don't think he's got the confidence to.
[Nina:] No. I don't.
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] And then again he's getting older, I mean
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] it's more difficult as you get older.
[Clarence:] See I did see there's that place erm... erm... oh it's going, it's... Tearscross direction.... Erm
[Nina:] Erm
[Clarence:] they advert
[Nina:] ?
[Clarence:] Well, they advertise in the paper every week.... Advertise carpenters and joiners. But
[Nina:] The thing is er where he is now
[Clarence:] Mhm.
[Nina:] er when, mind you he's been in his job for a while now.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] But I mean... when the jobs have finished... he's always
[Clarence:] Well he
[Nina:] managed to get on to another one pretty well straight away.
[Clarence:] See hang on no no no. The job's been never finished... never will be finished... with the corporation on it. It's amazing. [LAUGHTER] Specially there [].
[Nina:] No but I mean, I don't mean wh I don't mean where he's been working for the corporation, I mean... before when he's had these various jobs and they've finished and he's had, you know, the job's finished and they've had to go somewhere.
[Clarence:] Oh the shopfitting and mm mm mm. Mhm. Mhm.
[Nina:] He's always been... quick at picking another job up
[Clarence:] Oh to be fair to him, yes he has. He's been very quick at that.
[Nina:] But as you get older that's not so easy is it?
[Clarence:] No, precisely. No. No.
[Nina:] And he might not find it so easy here. Cos there's so many more people in pretty much the same trade....
[Clarence:] I would have thought so. Yes. I would have thought so.
[Nina:] Mm. And it just isn't commonsense to commute
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] to Manchester is it?
[Clarence:] Oh he'd never do it. It's ridiculous.
[Nina:] Mind you, the only thing that I was thinking of, do you know when he was commuting...
[Clarence:] Ah.
[Nina:] that firm he was working for
[Clarence:] Yeah, can't
[Nina:] to Sw was it Swansea?
[Clarence:] It probably was Swansea area. I think it was, yeah.
[Nina:] Yes it was Swansea area.
[Clarence:] Go on.
[Nina:] He seemed to like that, although he did get fed up with it.
[Clarence:] Ah yes but it was quite a different run you see Nina. That was motorway nearly all the way.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] And he could do it in... less time.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] It was a straight run. There was no driving involved. You just point the car in the right direction... press the pedal and you're there.
[Nina:] It was still a long way.
[Clarence:] It's a longish way but erm... for Ken it's not quite the same as erm... the A roads and B roads and
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] oh no.
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] Cos he doesn't really like driving.
[Nina:] No he doesn't.
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] And it is a bit of a tedious journey.
[Clarence:] He'd never do Mike's job. Well [LAUGHTER] he'd never do Mike's job anyway but
[Nina:] Oh no.
[Clarence:] you know, the driving side.
[Nina:] No but Mike enjoys it doesn't he?
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] He covers a a rattling... big area.
[Clarence:] He's got a big area to cover, Mike... if you think about it.
[Nina:] He seems to enjoy the job doesn't he?
[Clarence:] Seems to yes. Mark you he wouldn't crack on if he didn't. No he wouldn't say very much about.
[Nina:] Well... no I don't suppose so.
[Clarence:] No. No....
[Nina:] But goi reading between the lines, you can usually have a a rough working idea
[Clarence:] Oh yes he obviously likes it better than when he was at er at that erm what do they call themselves?...
[Nina:] Oh I can't remember now. Erm oh well you see
[Clarence:] Mm. Oh a hi fi firm.
[Nina:] he doesn't l like being tied to the bench does he?
[Clarence:] Oh no. He'd sooner be out.
[Nina:] And I think I think he does his job well anyway.
[Clarence:] I'm quite sure he does his job extremely well, yeah.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] So all is well.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] It, it's a sha I feel sorry for young married couples these days.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] It's very hard going isn't it?
[Clarence:] Oh yes. Mm. Oh yes.... Well Go on.
[Nina:] Mm. I was gonna say something, I've forgotten. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] As is my wont.
[Clarence:] Well you usually mm....
[Nina:] Mm but I can't see, I don't think Carolyn would have much difficulty....
[Clarence:] Er no I d particularly... in view of her experience
[Nina:] Cos... yeah
[Clarence:] I don't think she would.
[Nina:] Exactly.
[Clarence:] Quite as much anyway.
[Nina:] No I don't.
[Clarence:] She might have to wait a wee while but I think she'll get on, yes.
[Nina:] I think so.
[Clarence:] And possibilities for Carolyn
[Nina:] Yes.
[Clarence:] came now. I don't... we may be completely wrong. But as far as this exchange business is concerned.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] You'd never get erm... you'd never get an exchange.
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] I don't think we operate that scheme now.
[Nina:] Larry have you got any books out from the library?
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] That needs taking back?
[Clarence:] No, no.
[Nina:] I was just looking at that, going right off the subject but er that Uri Geller? I bet that's interesting?
[Clarence:] It's er moderately interesting so far, yes.
[Nina:] Yes. I wouldn't mind reading that.
[Clarence:] No I thought you might. That's one, another reason I got it out from the library. Erm it rabbits on quite a lot up to now.
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] About all the er astonishment, amazement... the English press and public and the Swedish press and the public and the American press and public, you know? Push push push all the time.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Erm
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Yes well of course you can only assume that what he says is correct. He's quoting various... er authorities on the subject. I've only just started the damn thing really.
[Nina:] How did he er y... how did he first find out that he w he had this...
[Clarence:] Well he that's why he wanders on a bit. Erm keeps giving little bits... erm... It was when he was a child apparently, he claims to have been aware of it, you know? Mm.
[Nina:] A ch as a child?
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] How young? How old?
[Clarence:] Oh that I don't know.
[Nina:] Oh it doesn't give any particular age?
[Clarence:] Mm.... He admits to wanting to be a showman, you know?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] A film star and god knows what.
[Nina:] Oh well [LAUGHTER]. Loads of children do that don't they?
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] It doesn't mean to say it always comes off. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Mm. Well let's see what I've got to do here. I've nearly finished this one but.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Let's have a look. What's number one?
[Clarence:] You certainly shoot through the first few ch chapters of that anyway.
[Nina:] Yes.
[Clarence:] Oh yes. Lot of repetition. In effect.
[Nina:] What's an ongoing topic?
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Politics [].
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] In five....
[Clarence:] Is this based on... TV then or?
[Nina:] Well you... pretty much, yeah.
[Clarence:] Oh well.
[Nina:] Not erm well a lot of, lot of it is.
[Clarence:] It's probably their own quiz game then is it? Or... panel game or
[Nina:] Yeah er no I don't think that is.
[Clarence:] Mm? Oh. I can't think of any... TV quizzes or panel games or...
[Nina:] Well that er that's not.
[Clarence:] You don't think it is?
[Nina:] I don't think so, no.
[Clarence:] And you haven't got any of the letters?
[Nina:] No. [LAUGHTER] I'm afraid not [].
[Clarence:] Oh. [yawn]
[Nina:] eleven across. Oh, this Arthur played Alf Garnett's pal.
[Clarence:] Oh, I wouldn't know. Oh English, I do know. Oddly enough.
[Nina:] English? Oh that's it.
[Clarence:] Arthur English.
[Nina:] That's it. Because I've got some in, oh
[Clarence:] Oh yes, yes.
[Nina:] oh aren't you clever.
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Well not really, no. It's just that I happened to [].
[Nina:] I know. [LAUGHTER] Erm I've got G and I in so that's Arthur English, of course, of course.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] I could not think.
[Clarence:] Good grief. [LAUGHTER] and all that jazz.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Oh we might have a... a flash of.... Oh.
[Clarence:] Oh.
[Nina:] Who was the author of The Darling Buds of May? I don't suppose you know that.
[Clarence:] H E Bates.
[Nina:] Was it?
[Clarence:] I think so.
[Nina:] Bates. That's right I've got A T in. Oh I've nearly finished it.
[Clarence:] Steer away from bloody television and we might still have a fighting chance.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah [].
[Clarence:] Mm. [cough] Mm....
[Nina:] I don't suppose Al you know Albert Square's yuppie
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] I haven't the faintest idea.
[Nina:] I think that's something to do with Eastenders. Albert Square.
[Clarence:] Oh I'm certain it is. Yeah. Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] Erm... five down, what's that? Oh that's that ongoing topic. It's, oh no I've got two in. Something something E something E....
[Clarence:] Still think something, probably it's [LAUGHTER] about something []... but probably tied in with the er... erm
[Nina:] nineteen across.... Art programme. It's A something E something something
[Clarence:] Hang on.... The first letter is A?
[Nina:] Yes.
[Clarence:] Oh it's not the South Bank Show then. Erm... A something E something?
[Nina:] A something E something something. [LAUGHTER]... [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Mm. Depends how desperate the need is.
[Nina:] ... Have you finished with this?
[Clarence:] Yes thank you.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] They'll think we're always blooming eating [].
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] puddings.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Oh dear.
[Clarence:] Well let's face it Mm. The broom.
[Nina:] The broom, yes
[Clarence:] Erm
[Nina:] different coloured broom.
[Clarence:] Oh for the back? Yes.
[Nina:] Yes. I think erm... we'll have to have a trip to St Ishmal's for that.
[Clarence:] Probably. Where else could we go?
[Nina:] Erm well we do
[Clarence:] Other than that er rather expensive
[Nina:] Well what I, I do like about St Ishmal's is the way it's laid out and
[Clarence:] It's laid out but the plants look healthy and they're kept in healthy conditions.
[Nina:] They do. Yeah.
[Clarence:] Mhm. To me that Dingle place
[Nina:] I wasn't very struck on that.
[Clarence:] I wasn't at all struck, no....
[Nina:] No I wasn't.
[Clarence:] There were all weeds growing among the plants they're selling.
[Nina:] Messy.
[Clarence:] Yes, messy. And it wasn't just the messiness, I don't mind that, but
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] They weren't looked after.
[Nina:] cos you... it was difficult to find... the things that you w you want... oh I don't know, it was just
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] it didn't erm didn't appeal to me somehow.
[Clarence:] No....
[Nina:] But erm I remember when we got the original broom that we've got in the garden now, the golden one
[Clarence:] Yeah. Where did we get that?
[Nina:] We got that at St Ishmal's.
[Clarence:] Did we? Mm.
[Nina:] And erm... they're sort of labelled, you know what, it gives you this picture of what you're buying as well.
[Clarence:] Oh yes. With most of the plants it does, yeah.
[Nina:] Yes cos I want to get the particular one I want
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] to go next to the...
[Clarence:] Well obviously, yeah.
[Nina:] you know, for the effect and erm
[Clarence:] For the for the contrast, yeah. Mm.
[Nina:] I want to know the height
[Clarence:] Mhm.
[Nina:] it's going to grow
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] I think it's er... I think it'll look nice there.
[Clarence:] It should look quite attractive.
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] It might be a bit of a job erm... keeping them separate. growing into one another.
[Nina:] But I don't think so.
[Clarence:] No?
[Nina:] Oh no.
[Clarence:] Oh.
[Nina:] Well, it doesn't really matter.
[Clarence:] Oh that's alright then. Good.
[Nina:] Because I mean they don't sort of grow out, they grow up don't they?...
[Clarence:] Yeah, but they do grow out a bit too. I mean the one at twenty seven
[Nina:] Yes I know but not enough... it wouldn't really matter if... that, a little bit of it.
[Clarence:] No no. No no no no.
[Nina:] cos that's the idea.
[Clarence:] Mm I suppose so, yeah. Mm.
[Nina:] Did you see, you know this last gardener's...
[Clarence:] Gardener's World? I haven't really looked at it, no. I glanced very briefly at it but
[Nina:] Where it had er a broom garden?
[Clarence:] No I didn't see that.
[Nina:] Oh let's have a look and see if I can find it. And I thought
[Clarence:] Some er excellent photography there you know.
[Nina:] I know....
[Clarence:] Mark you, most of
[Nina:] There's a primula
[Clarence:] There's a what?
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] I think that's what they call a cowslip now.
[Clarence:] I've no idea.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]...
[Clarence:] Saturday or Sunday?
[Nina:] Saturday.... You know where I've put... you know down the bottom end of the garden,th that little bit of digging?... To shape the ga er where the grass is? Right up in front of the sweetpeas?...
[Clarence:] Erm... the left or the right?
[Nina:] Right down at the bottom there by the apple tree....
[Clarence:] Do you mean where the daffs are going?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Yes. Oh yes.
[Nina:] yes but... on the side.
[Clarence:] Oh there you mean, not at the bottom, at the side.
[Nina:] Where I've just dug.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Where I've just dug there. And I said I'd put sweetpeas?
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.... Yeah?
[Nina:] I was wondering whether to... put some... fuchsia.... Because I've got some fu
[Clarence:] Haven't we got some towards this end?... Perhaps
[Nina:] Yes we've got got s I've got loads in, in flowerpot, in these big containers. And I
[Clarence:] Oh I see.
[Nina:] I'm just stumped where to put them.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] I don't want to keep them in containers.
[Clarence:] If it's an evergreen, no it's not is it?
[Nina:] Fuchsia?
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] No. Mm....
[Nina:] No, they die down
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] Most of the ones that we brought seem to have erm
[Clarence:] Survived.
[Nina:] Survived. Which I'm glad.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] Because we've got some nice ones. And then those that Karen brought us, they were nice.
[Clarence:] Yes. Yeah.
[Nina:] Got some lovely ones.
[Clarence:] Mhm....
[Nina:] Well I thought they'd be... protected by the fence.
[Clarence:] Yeah.... Mm....
[Nina:] Wouldn't have much room for sweetpeas though would I? I don't know though, they'd grow up behind wouldn't they?...
[Clarence:] Yes. Course they will, yeah. Mm.
[Nina:] The only problem being cutting the hedge.
[Clarence:] Pardon?
[Nina:] The only problem being cutting the hedge.
[Clarence:] Cutting the hedge?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Oh yeah.
[Nina:] But
[Clarence:] But how often do you have to cut that sort of hedge then?
[Nina:] Not a lot.
[Clarence:] Not like a privet. Mm....
[Nina:] if I can find... erm... I can't... I remember Carolyn bringing that, you know that little er the anemone?
[Clarence:] No?
[Nina:] And we didn't know what it was.
[Clarence:] Er all I can remember a lot of plants coming.
[Nina:] Yes well
[Clarence:] But I can't remember
[Nina:] I remember that... in a little pot... down there and... you know they were labelled? She put the labels on.
[Clarence:] Oh yes she did, a label mhm.
[Nina:] Well I'm sure I remember the anemone blander
[Clarence:] Mm. I don't know. Oh I see
[Nina:] And I think I planted it...
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] and it nothing s, it didn't seem to survive.
[Clarence:] Mhm.
[Nina:] And I was reading about the conditions. Maybe with erm... erm putting fertiliser on them... you know
[Clarence:] Mhm. Mm.
[Nina:] erm
[Clarence:] Mhm.
[Nina:] I think it and it's come up
[Clarence:] Ah!
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Well, good o.
[Nina:] It looks quite pretty now but it could be quite.
[Clarence:] Well.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah, true.
[Clarence:] Mm.... I've come across a bit of architrave by the way. Quite apart from
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] . Erm.... So I can use that as an experimental piece.
[Nina:] Where?
[Clarence:] , there's stuff... come to think of it it's the one in the hall. The doorway that's bricked up. Yeah.
[Nina:] Oh of course. I keep forgetting there was a doorway there [LAUGHTER] when we arrived [].
[Clarence:] Yeah. That's right. the architrave from there.
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] Erm... it's exactly the same varnish stain as this.
[Nina:] Is it?
[Clarence:] So I can muck about on that piece before I... tackle it in here, so... mm. stripping goes.
[Nina:] Oh I see what you mean. To to er see
[Clarence:] Without staining, without what?
[Nina:] Mm that's true. To see if w what colour we can get that we like instead of this?
[Clarence:] Yeah. Yeah. That's right.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] First of all... what's the best stripping medium. Whether it's gonna be gentle heat, whether it's gonna be... varnish stripper? Paint stripper? What the hell.... And then see the... go on.
[Nina:] Er w do you have to strip it?
[Clarence:] If we want to change the colour. Unless we're going to use a varnish stain as such. But it's very, and it looks a bit crummy, that stuff I always think.
[Nina:] Ooh [LAUGHTER]. Ooh well I don't know,
[Clarence:] Mm. See look at
[Nina:] It's a big area.
[Clarence:] Pardon?
[Nina:] It's a big area to strip. Why, wouldn't it
[Clarence:] Well it's only what... erm the architrave... the arch there... this side, that side and that one there.
[Nina:] Well I mean if you had it sort of darker, wouldn't it stain darker slightly?
[Clarence:] Well as I say you can't stain varnished wood Nina.
[Nina:] Oh.
[Clarence:] You can put a varnish stain on. Varnish stain but erm... In... in this particular light now I can see... where they've put on thick blodges that run down.
[Nina:] I know, it's terrible isn't it?
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] I wouldn't think that was a professional job.
[Clarence:] Oh what was? I don't think.
[Nina:] But... well originally what would they have done with it? When it was built?
[Clarence:] Oh no I don't think, I don't think it's from square one. It probably would be varnished from square one but that's not the original varnish.
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] Shouldn't think, no. I doubt it very much indeed.
[Nina:] shocking colour isn't it?
[Clarence:] Yes it is. And do you know the old bog door, it's the same colour as next door's. Or was I should say.
[Nina:] Was it?
[Clarence:] The same yucky blue, yeah.
[Nina:] Was it?
[Clarence:] Mm. So... if you look at the... next time you're in the loo
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] where the handle was, look where the blue... shows. And that's that was the original colour.
[Nina:] That w do you think that's what they did originally?
[Clarence:] Yeah. The original colour, yeah.
[Nina:] Mm when it was built?
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] blue didn't they?
[Clarence:] It might of course have been a more acceptable blue when it was put on because it changes
[Nina:] Do you remember that er flat that Lil and Nev er went into?
[Clarence:] Oh goodness.
[Nina:] Before they
[Clarence:] Oh down here?
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] Where?
[Nina:] They've not been in a flat
[Clarence:] Oh Prestwych
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] Yes.
[Nina:] Well when, yes where they rented when they sold theirs
[Clarence:] Yeah, yeah.
[Nina:] and were waiting for their other house up here to be finished.
[Clarence:] Paid a fortune for the damn. Yeah.
[Nina:] Well... [LAUGHTER] that was all blue, do you remember []?
[Clarence:] No. I only remember one
[Nina:] Because when I... when I went to see Lil
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] er spent the day with her
[Clarence:] Yeah yeah.
[Nina:] and I hadn't seen the flat before, and the first thing she said to me [LAUGHTER] wherever you look in here it's blue. And it was too.
[Clarence:] Was it really?
[Nina:] Yes. Er it
[Clarence:] Well how do you mean? The paintwork was blue?
[Nina:] Everything, yes. Paint, decorations, everything.
[Clarence:] What?
[Nina:] Well n
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] not every not every exactly everything but
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] as you got, went into the flat you got an overall... picture of blue.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] Everywhere you looked was blue. I find blue a depressing colour even though I like blue. I mean I
[Clarence:] Well it's isn't it? Blue for depression and red for excitement and
[Nina:] Yes but
[Clarence:] What's a calming colour?
[Nina:] For a decoration in a home I don't like blue.
[Clarence:] No, no.
[Nina:] And yet young Nicky's gone for blue. Blue
[Clarence:] Well it's a change from black that. [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] Well yes they've got the black furniture you know
[Clarence:] They've got the furniture of course, yes. That's true. Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] Some of it looks nice, but... I wouldn't like
[Clarence:] Well it'll... die the death eventually won't it? I mean the stripped pine really horrible....
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Isn't it?
[Nina:] Yes, well I think... I think it's overdone.
[Clarence:] Course it's overdone.
[Nina:] I like a bit but
[Clarence:] It's blooming cheap half of it. It is cheap.... Er no it isn't cheap.
[Nina:] cheap.
[Clarence:] God no.
[Nina:] I wouldn't say that....
[Clarence:] Cheaper than
[Nina:] It's a bit glaring to me. I find it so, it's not as mellow as I like.
[Clarence:] No, it's not.. It's usually crummy wood. Badly assembled....
[Nina:] Well it [LAUGHTER] depends how much you're going to pay for your furniture [] doesn't it really?
[Clarence:] Well I mean the one that er that er thing, what is it?
[Nina:] They paid a lot for that didn't they?
[Clarence:] It's it's rubbish, that thing.
[Nina:] Is it?
[Clarence:] It's rubbish. Absolute rubbish. It really is cos
[Nina:] Mm. I'm not struck on
[Clarence:] they moved it out when we went on one occasion cos... was the carpet wet or something? I don't know. They moved it out for something reason so... I had occasion to look at it more closely.
[Nina:] Oh.
[Clarence:] I thought, I was looking at it before, I thought mm.... Anyway... it drew my attention to it and I thought god god.... Mm... it might be fashionable but phoo... Incidentally I wasn't far out with th the age of our friend across the road was I?
[Nina:] No. No.
[Clarence:] Twenty four. I thought he was about that. Mm.... Bit like Eric's place in a way....
[Nina:] Oh never! Wonder how he is.
[Clarence:] Mm well no. Not in that se pardon?
[Nina:] I wonder how he is
[Clarence:] Eric? I don't know I wonder.
[Nina:] and whether he's still going. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Oh probably, yeah.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Probably [].
[Clarence:] Floating with his beer every afternoon, yeah. [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] He's a funny old stick wasn't he?
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] Wonder whether he got anywhere with the? Seemed to make a beeline for his place didn't they?
[Clarence:] Mm. Most probably he got waffling on in the Royal Oak and that.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Gave the impression I think. Mm.... I can't see our friend er what was his name? The chap that bought our house?...
[Nina:] Oh... god
[Clarence:] The probation officer anyway
[Nina:] .
[Clarence:] .
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] [cough] Erm... I can't see him... him getting very... chummy with Eric can you?
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] No.
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Nor Eric getting chummy with []...
[Clarence:] No. Well he'd try, initially. He did try.
[Nina:] I know.
[Clarence:] Oh yeah.... Mm. He's a soft touch for everybody else.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Mm.... Mm.... He always meant very well though, Eric, in a lot of ways. He couldn't help being a simple soul could he? [LAUGHTER] Simple soul. [].
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] No. No.
[Clarence:] Mm.... He used to swear blind he saw his mother standing at the end of the bed.
[Nina:] He... Eric did?
[Clarence:] Yeah. He'd seen his mother sat at the end of the bed... ages after she was dead, you know.
[Nina:] Oh
[Clarence:] Oh yeah.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] Yeah. He was quite genuine. He wasn't mm.... Mm I think that was when his had auntie died, he'd seen his mother.... When his auntie died?
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] Oh that's going back a bit isn't it?
[Clarence:] I know yes. Oh yes.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] He didn't see [] his auntie as well then? [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] No I don't think so. I don't know I'm sure but he never mentioned it anyway.
[Nina:] I don't remem erm his... I don't remember his mother.... Only
[Clarence:] [sigh] I've got a very hazy, but I could be confusing it... her with one of the other relatives
[Nina:] I think... she was ill when
[Clarence:] Was she short, dumpy... podgy sort of thing and?
[Nina:] Well no, I don't know. I don't remember.
[Clarence:] Oh I, neither do I.
[Nina:] What did?
[Clarence:] Auntie
[Nina:] Oh auntie was only small, similar to to Eric. Well about the same size as nan really.
[Clarence:] Yeah.... So it could have been his auntie, his mother... I don't know.... I wonder if John and... John and er mm
[Nina:] Liz.
[Clarence:] Liz have moved yet.
[Nina:] Well we thought they had last time we went. Do you remember?
[Clarence:] Oh yes, I vaguely remember that but I, whether they'd actually moved or not I don't know. Mm.
[Nina:] I wonder what had happened to the stool.
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Which stool []?
[Nina:] Th do you remember... er who was going to, oh I don't... it was the store that Robin made.
[Clarence:] Oh the tall stool Robin made? Yes yes.
[Nina:] Yes. And Rob and... John and Liz were... hanging on to it... somebody was going to pick it up weren't they?
[Clarence:] actually.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] I've forgotten [].
[Clarence:] I don't know! It was a state of chaos then though wasn't it?
[Nina:] Well [LAUGHTER] I wouldn't like to move, we are not moving again [].
[Clarence:] Oh god no.
[Nina:] No way.
[Clarence:] Never again. [LAUGHTER] Well if we do we'll wait another sixty years anyway.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Mm.
[Nina:] Oh what an upheaval.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] I don't know how people can... move from one place to another. Do the place up then
[Clarence:] Well
[Nina:] move over to another place. Oh heck, no thank you.
[Clarence:] it depends on a lot of factors really doesn't it?
[Nina:] Mm [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Or a lot of factors come into it.... Age group... finances desire to move... for a variety of reasons, erm... [sigh]... permanently regarded house in the first place, you know?
[Nina:] Mm I mean like in Jill's case, Jill and Steve
[Clarence:] Yes, that always struck me as a bit odd, yes.
[Nina:] I it's a big upheaval every few years isn't it
[Clarence:] Yeah. Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] to have to do it with your job?
[Clarence:] Yeah.... Mm.
[Nina:] And it's worse when you've got children to cope with as well.
[Clarence:] That and the obvious school problem too with the kids, yeah.
[Nina:] Mm. I don't think it's good for them moving them about from school to school do you?
[Clarence:] No it can't be.... Well I don't know about that, I mean with some schools it'd be a good idea to get them away from it.
[Nina:] Well [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] And some areas, in fact. I mean... really desirable to move away from there wasn't it?
[Nina:] Er well that's true.
[Clarence:] Mm. And privately it would be no bad thing to move away from where they are now. I mean, well they're gonna have problems wherever they go, but... the... on erm... a different estate... different type of estate, they wouldn't have as many problems would they?
[Nina:] Mm I don't know so much.
[Clarence:] I don't think so. Not as many....
[Nina:] I've found out how to get rid of the cat scratching.
[Clarence:] No... another idea? What is it this time?
[Nina:] No, it's not my idea. Apparently you can get
[Clarence:] No, no?
[Nina:] pellets of... er lion dung [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Oh I, yes []. Don't you remember erm
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Oh dear [].
[Clarence:] somebody on Gardener's Question Time answering that?
[Nina:] I didn't know you could get it in pellets.
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Well either did I but []
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Yes
[Nina:] Although although inoffensive to people, cats dislike... the scent and avoid
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] For obvious reasons, yeah [].
[Nina:] Mm. We'll try that.
[Clarence:] Yes.
[Nina:] Materials cause no ill effects to plants [LAUGHTER] soil or your own pets.
[Clarence:] Mm.... How much er [LAUGHTER] []?
[Nina:] It doesn't say. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] lions obviously, well. [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] Oh hang on, yes it does. [reading] The lion dung pellets come in a handy sealed plastic bag inside a box with instruction. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] One kilogram contents are enough for about... thr thirty metres... square
[Clarence:] Good god!
[Nina:] square metres, [] I know, [reading] and will last for roughly three months... in average weather []. Oh gee whiz. [LAUGHTER] Be a bit potent.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Price per bag is eight pound... oh it's eight... eight pound ninety nine
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. [LAUGHTER]...
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Open container with care.... And stand back []. [LAUGHTER]... No it would, it wouldn't necessarily pong.
[Nina:] No it says it... it it's inoffensive to people.
[Clarence:] Mm mm mm.... [LAUGHTER] You can take it two ways, it'll probably get up and bite you [].
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]... I'm still looking for me broom.
[Clarence:] Was it broom?
[Nina:] Yes I think
[Clarence:] Oh yes, yes.
[Nina:] I'm sure it was in here somewhere.
[Clarence:] The name of that particular species is in there though. What do you want?
[Nina:] Er
[Clarence:] The colour or something?
[Nina:] Can't remember what it said underneath it.
[Clarence:] Well er won't it be in the other one, catalogue.
[Nina:] Yeah, I think it was in this one.
[Clarence:] I seem to remember looking at it in the other one.......
[Nina:] I forgot we sent for erm...
[Clarence:] Oh yes, your free giftie.
[Nina:] free gifts. Mm.
[Clarence:] Oh yes. It'll arrive no doubt.
[Nina:] ago since we sent it. Oh it's not long is it?
[Clarence:] Not for that sort of er thing, no. They're certainly not quick.... And they probably haven't... if they get five hundred... certain number and five hundred thousand you know?
[Nina:] Mm....
[Clarence:] It's not worth looking on the box for the news because it's, they'll be nothing new....
[Nina:] I can't find it.
[Clarence:] Mm.... Mm no doubt you will eventually....
[Nina:] These rolled houses are they
[Clarence:] these?
[Nina:] Rolled, what they call a rolled house.
[Clarence:] What on earth is a rolled house?
[Nina:] It's a kind of a, a type of mini greenhouse. greenhouses and frames er... the prices!
[Clarence:] Oh no no.
[Nina:] It takes your breath away. A tiny little thing of the size of a tomato house.
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] Fifty pounds.
[Clarence:] Well it's a bit like these victorian wheelbarrows and things aren't they? Yeah solid. How much were they? About seventy five quid or something stupid like that. They're not as good as the. Lot of weight in themself.... Bound to go rotten eventually. Mm.... Well they're trendy so... I suppose it's the usual afternoon run to Leo's is it?
[Nina:] Pardon?
[Clarence:] Usual afternoon run to Leo's?
[Nina:] Oh yes.
[Clarence:] Yeah I suppose we want... Mm. Am I not supposed to be going somewhere tomorrow to... to enquire about something or...?
[Nina:] Oh I know what I meant to ask you. When we go erm
[Clarence:] Ah.
[Nina:] no er we haven't said anything about it before I only
[Clarence:] Oh.
[Nina:] thought about it when I was reading the property thing... it might be er while I'm in Leo's
[Clarence:] Oh yes. The estate agents? Mm.
[Nina:] .
[Clarence:] [cough] Yes I think their office is near the erm near Iceland. Think that's it.
[Nina:] And there's two houses here... oh i it might be an idea, although I wouldn't mind going in and having a look.
[Clarence:] Yeah. You can have a look.
[Nina:] But usually by the time I come out of Leo's [LAUGHTER] I'm dying to get home [].
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] W well let's get off er early, soon as we can.
[Clarence:] We always do though. Don't we?
[Nina:] Mm.... What time is it? Oh I know what I need. I want to go in Boots, anyway.
[Clarence:] [yawn] Oh yeah.
[Nina:] So I don't... so where is?
[Clarence:] Well I'm not t... is the address there? . I think it's on High Street....
[Nina:] Mm I can't see it....
[Clarence:] They don't sh give the address? Oh good god.
[Nina:] Oh here we are. Er
[Clarence:] Oh.
[Nina:] yes,.
[Clarence:] Ah. Yes by the number I er it is, I'm pretty sure where I thought.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Going in to, or rather going up High Street in to High Street from the erm Freemans Way, you know? It's... this side of... Iceland on the right. Mm.
[Nina:] Oh it's near Iceland?
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] Yeah. Oh er it didn't register. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] Well there's these two here. There could be some more. And it'll soften the blow [LAUGHTER].
[Clarence:] There's no... there's no price on there I presume?
[Nina:] No that's just the thing.
[Clarence:] Ooh!
[Nina:] It's a stupid habit, not putting the price on.... People must lose sales for that.
[Clarence:] Well it's possibly at the request of the vendor you know.
[Nina:] I know they do. But what I'm saying is people
[Clarence:] Oh yeah I know.
[Nina:] a lot of people, if they're, alright... if you want it, you're interested, and you're interested you'll find out. Fair do's
[Clarence:] Course you will.
[Nina:] but... not everybody will bother like that.
[Clarence:] Oh no no no.
[Nina:] You do tend to skip by if there's another one that you think oh well
[Clarence:] Course you will. Mm.
[Nina:] I I I'm
[Clarence:] Oh I won't bother with that cos that'll be too expensive, or whatever, yeah. Oh quite, mm.
[Nina:] Er yeah I think
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Or possibly
[Nina:] I don't see the point because you can pick up the phone and find out if you want anyway so
[Clarence:] Yeah. Yeah.
[Nina:] it's just silly.
[Clarence:] Where are those two? Are those
[Nina:] Johnston
[Clarence:] Oh, St Peter's Road one is it?
[Nina:] Er it doesn't say. I don't think so. Er the St Peter's Road one only had two bedrooms didn't it?
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] Both these have got three....
[Clarence:] Are you sure that isn't... I think they were agents as well for one round the corner. In Cromwell... Mm....
[Nina:] Well... oh, this one l... this... there's one that does look like the one on... St Peter's Road.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] But it's er... three bedrooms. Well I'm sure they the one you s
[Clarence:] Can I have a look?
[Nina:] There look.
[Clarence:] Okay.
[Nina:] Erm
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] I'm sure the oth the St Peter's Road one only had two bedrooms.
[Clarence:] No, that's not the er... unless it's another handling agent cos that's not the photograph
[Nina:] Well they won't change the bedrooms will they? One's got three and one's got two. Can't be the same.
[Clarence:] No of, no. Oh I don't know. I don't know.
[Nina:] . Unless it's a misprint.
[Clarence:] Well... misconstruction about the use of a room more likely but... where's me other windows? Can't see with these damn things.... [reading] Most attractive detached bungalow [] blah blah blah blah blah... Come to think of it I don't think it is that one.... I don't think that's the one on St Peters.
[Nina:] You don't?
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] It's a similar
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] shape and... Did it have two chimneys?...
[Clarence:] Yeah. It did....
[Nina:] Well we'll get a few... and then
[Clarence:] It's, it's not in this week then, that one?
[Nina:] No it doesn't seem to be. At least I, I didn't see it.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] I might of missed it.
[Clarence:] Yeah that's possible. Ouch! This other one in Johnston will be fairly pricey I think.
[Nina:] Erm I have the
[Clarence:] This white one.
[Nina:] feeling it could be.
[Clarence:] Mm. Eighteen foot lounge job....
[Nina:] Well it's, isn't it lounge... stroke dining room?...
[Clarence:] Fitted kitchen, dining room.
[Nina:] Oh.
[Clarence:] Mm.... Mm....
[Nina:] You know that little row... of cottages... by The Windsor?
[Clarence:] Erm
[Nina:] Near The Windsor....
[Clarence:] I can't visualize them to be honest, no.... No.
[Nina:] Oh.
[Clarence:] Oh, one or two of them were they? I can remember one quite clearly that absolutely... dog rotten window frames.
[Nina:] That was at this end one that er Josie was talking about today.
[Clarence:] Cottage?
[Nina:] Well not cottage erm er terrace.
[Clarence:] Oh. Mm... vaguely....
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Is that the one that's going up er but the auction. Thirteen was it, she said? Or sixteen? I'm sure it was thirteen actually, yeah. It may have been, it may have been sixteen.
[Nina:] Mm. She said it was nice.
[Clarence:] Mm. It can't be much for sixteen.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] No you wouldn't think so [].
[Clarence:] Coo not today. [cough] No.... It may be of course it's on, on auction because they can't get a mortgage on it.... It may be too bad for a mortgage.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] It could be. Mm....
[Nina:] You know when we were looking originally?...
[Clarence:] Down here you mean?
[Nina:] No... before we came to be looking down here.
[Clarence:] Oh.... Ah.
[Nina:] When we were er
[Clarence:] North Wales?
[Nina:] looking in North Wales, and round there.
[Clarence:] Yes. Oh yeah. Yes I do. Yes.
[Nina:] Er... why people were buying cos the house boom was on then wasn't it? You couldn't
[Clarence:] Oh buying unseen you mean?
[Nina:] shocking isn't it? Buying without seeing?
[Clarence:] Oh! I know.
[Nina:] You can't fathom people would be so crazy.
[Clarence:] I couldn't. You just have to be a fool. That people could buy a property unseen, well you know, it's ridiculous. And the price
[Nina:] I wonder how many w [LAUGHTER] It's a pig in a poke.
[Clarence:] I mean just when you think about it they... they were actually following estate agents when they went out to value a property.
[Nina:] I know.
[Clarence:] Gee, god.... But now I mean [LAUGHTER]... what a difference. Mm.... I find it a bit hard to believe what said about being... the boom's coming ba not boom but... picking up. I don't
[Nina:] I'm not so sure Larry.
[Clarence:] I don't know.
[Nina:] Well, look Carolyn's had three... to look
[Clarence:] Well
[Nina:] three potential.
[Clarence:] mm very. Mm.
[Nina:] Actually one's, there's only one turn I think that's rotten. If you make an appointment you should jolly well go and see it. Or at least pick the phone up and say erm you know
[Clarence:] Sorry, no. Even if.
[Nina:] Yeah exactly.
[Clarence:] At least let them know you're not going.
[Nina:] Yes.
[Clarence:] For one reason or another, yeah.
[Nina:] It's not fair.
[Clarence:] Mm. No no.
[Nina:] Erm
[Clarence:] Never forget that girl in that bungalow we saw. [LAUGHTER] Was it the one []?
[Nina:] No,.
[Clarence:] With the
[Nina:] Yellow radiator?
[Clarence:] With the yellow radiator. That's right.
[Nina:] Bright yellow [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] She and dog muck all down.
[Nina:] Ooh!
[Clarence:] But I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She was quite a young girl wasn't she?
[Nina:] She was a nice girl.
[Clarence:] Oh yes. Yes.
[Nina:] She was nice.
[Clarence:] Mm.... She knew damn well we weren't interested didn't she?
[Nina:] Oh yeah.
[Clarence:] She must have done. She was sort of half apologetic
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Aah. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Wonder whether she sold it? I suppose she did....
[Clarence:] I presume she must have done eventually. Mm. Er and a husband was a teacher er a lecturer
[Nina:] Oh we saw some
[Clarence:] wasn't he?
[Nina:] I know we saw some... tripe didn't we?
[Clarence:] And that one we saw.... You walked in the front door and you [LAUGHTER] quickly walked out the back door []. [LAUGHTER] Oh strewth.
[Nina:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Well exactly, yeah.
[Nina:] No thank you.
[Clarence:] Mm. Still.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]...
[Clarence:] I suppose we might have had one or two lucky escapes there didn't we?
[Nina:] We did!
[Clarence:] By not buying up there.
[Nina:] Well not really. We just wouldn't have even entertained it.
[Clarence:] Well I certainly wouldn't, but I know somebody else was getting a bit fed up but [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] Ooh. Well, how many did we look at?
[Clarence:] Quite a few.
[Nina:] Mm....
[Clarence:] We certainly travelled around didn't we?
[Nina:] Yes we did. Mm.
[Clarence:] Yeah when I think that's... mm. We clocked some miles up.
[Nina:] And actually some of the... areas on the outskirts of Prestatyn were quite nice. Before you got actually into the town. No, but erm
[Clarence:] Not bad. Not bad, no.
[Nina:] not... nothing to compare with this.
[Clarence:] Not compared with down here I don't think. No.... It still had a north of England feel about it you know. Didn't it?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Yeah....
[Clarence:] It was a big improvement on Manchester, fair enough, but er... mm.... I can accept, of course
[Nina:] When you come to think of some of the houses though in... in Wiggenshaw where Carolyn is now
[Clarence:] Yeah, yeah.
[Nina:] there's some... really nice houses.
[Clarence:] Oh the properties themselves. oh yes, indeed, yeah. Mm. Mm. Mm. The comical thing is... one of the comical things is... there's quite a lot of money go into some of those corporation houses you know?
[Nina:] Oh I know. Well look at Carolyn and Kenneth. Since
[Clarence:] I know.
[Nina:] they've bought theirs they've made it beautiful. It really is nice inside.
[Clarence:] Yeah what about the income going into the house?
[Nina:] Yes but I mean when families grow up and... children start going to work... and as Carolyn was saying
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] theirs, while the family were at home
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] was a bit cramped.
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] But when they... now they're all
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] they don't want a big place.
[Clarence:] No they don't need a big place. No. Ooh... with all the space heating, carpeting, decorating.
[Nina:] You wonder where they
[Clarence:] furnishing
[Nina:] they put everything don't you at first when you go up there [LAUGHTER] all the family there.
[Clarence:] Well.
[Nina:] Storing this and that and oh no.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Mm.... It's jumping about I know but I wish we could hear from Robin. It'd be nice wouldn't it?... Yeah photograph or something
[Nina:] Er well it'll soon be Liz's birthday. Erm I'll tell you, talking about birthdays
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] I must get a card, it's Ken's birthday soon. Twenty fifth
[Clarence:] Hang on. Which Ken? Big Ken?
[Nina:] Big Ken.
[Clarence:] Oh well li
[Nina:] Not little Ken. His bir
[Clarence:] Oh yes yes
[Nina:] birthday's near christmas isn't it?
[Clarence:] Er when is his birthday?
[Nina:] Twenty fifth of.
[Clarence:] Is it really? Oh. And how old will he be?
[Nina:] Erm... forty s
[Clarence:] Poor old codger. [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] Forty six.
[Clarence:] Is he as old as that? Good grief.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah he'll be moaning. He does not like growing old. Do we er any of us []?
[Clarence:] Well I don't think anybody does. I mean...
[Nina:] Oh well good. You can't do much about it can you?
[Clarence:] Remember Percy across the road? Not wanting anybody to know he's seventy four,
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] It's usually women that don't want you to know.
[Clarence:] Well exactly. I was quite surprised. For a farmer too, ex farmer I should say, yeah. Mm.... By god he's got some stuff
[Nina:] I
[Clarence:] Ooh.
[Nina:] Erm... I tell you what tickled me when, years and years ago when Alec was alive, remember old Alec?
[Clarence:] Oh I [LAUGHTER] can't forget Alec []. Go on.
[Nina:] I went into the stores and [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] and there he was boasting about... his age and
[Clarence:] Oh yeah, Mm. Did he?
[Nina:] but he was getting on.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] I mean er... he looked every bit, he looked a lot older [].
[Clarence:] Yeah [LAUGHTER] he looked older than he w he looked older than he was, yeah [].
[Nina:] Oh dear, I thought
[Clarence:] Never guess how old I am.
[Nina:] I know. I'm getting older [LAUGHTER] I won't go boasting about it cos I'll look every inch of what I am [].
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] You, you can just about grow old gracefully
[Clarence:] I don't know you, no no.
[Nina:] and that's it.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] graceful if you tried to really, yeah.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Alec....
[Clarence:] Mm.... bloody handlebars on his bike.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] It's [LAUGHTER] handlebars up his sleeves isn't it? He said I don't know. put his legs [].
[Nina:] How did he get them like that?
[Clarence:] I do not know. [LAUGHTER]... Mm....
[Nina:] It just goes to show what booze can do doesn't it?
[Clarence:] Oh well.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] He was a sitting target for Mike though wasn't he?
[Nina:] Oh I think he enjoyed it.
[Clarence:] Oh strewth! [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] I wonder er I do wonder whether erm
[Clarence:] G er go on.
[Nina:] Mi Mrs 's still there. It's a shame.
[Clarence:] She probably is.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Erm...
[Nina:] Well she'd not had much of a life had she?
[Clarence:] Not in her later years, certainly not, no.
[Nina:] Well she wasn't very well when she started
[Clarence:] ?
[Nina:] Well David was only small.
[Clarence:] Was he?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Oh I thought he was at school, you know, bigger boy at school.
[Nina:] No erm sh when she first started erm
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Dave was only little. A toddler I think.
[Clarence:] Oh! Really?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Oh well, mm.
[Nina:] Well. He was pre-school.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] Maybe not just a toddler but he was pre-school.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] And it's funny... isn't it how... erm a child is motivated mentally. I mean he... he said he would be a doctor when
[Clarence:] Oh yes. Yeah.
[Nina:] to make his mummy better.
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] Years ago when she first started.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] And see he finished up being just that.
[Clarence:] Well th that was... incidental. Er things got that he could make his mother, the other way round.
[Nina:] Well he said when I grow up mummy I'll
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] I'm going to be a doctor and I'll make you better.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Aah I thought that was lovely.
[Clarence:] Y yes. Yeah. Mm.... Mm.... [cough] damn paint and stuff, cor strewth. Ooh.
[Nina:] I'm sick of burning paint. [LAUGHTER] I don't know about you [].
[Clarence:] Oh I'm doing it outside tomorrow definitely.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Oh... weather permitting.
[Nina:] It's one of my pet hates, burning paint. Burning paint, plaster and cement. Ooh!
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] And Artex. And I don't know in which order [].
[Clarence:] There's a lot there's a lot more paint left to burn. Good grief.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] It's a worthwhile job though, isn't it?
[Nina:] Oh well y we need to do it and there's one job
[Clarence:] Mm. Unfortunately it's
[Nina:] I'm not looking forward to is doing down the stairs.
[Clarence:] See that back door, had it been... applied well, the paint I would have just rubbed it down.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] If it had been like our... door, the existing door... it would have stood rubbing down... flatting down and er then.
[Nina:] Well... [LAUGHTER] you can use our existing door then [].
[Clarence:] No, bloody likely, oh no.... too much to repair it.... Yes, it's a thought that.... I wonder.
[Nina:] Wonder what?
[Clarence:] Well... where it's been hacked about
[Nina:] Yeah....
[Clarence:] I'll see if those handles will fill that hacking about.... They might....
[Nina:] Well what about the... edge?...
[Clarence:] Well that I would have to fill of course, obviously but
[Nina:] I know but
[Clarence:] that's not too ba oh no no no
[Nina:] Well what's the point?
[Clarence:] Pardon?
[Nina:] Well what's the point? It's a bad door isn't it?
[Clarence:] Mm the rest of the door isn't too bad is it? Okay. Hm.... Mm. I'll have a look tomorrow.... No the leading edge I can fill in alright.... To save the
[Nina:] What with?
[Clarence:] Variety of things. Finish off with timber. I could erm... and... save the lock er well the... yeah the lock.... Mm.... Mm.... It might.
[Nina:] I doubt it.
[Clarence:] I dunno.
[Nina:] I'm just thinking of all the hacking about. It seems rather extensive to me.
[Clarence:] It may have gone too far, they may have bashed away too much.
[Nina:] I think they have....
[Clarence:] We'll see.
[Nina:] And what will you do with the other side?...
[Clarence:] Which other side?
[Nina:] The the, where it fits in....
[Clarence:] Hang on. No how do you mean the other side?
[Nina:] The the door jamb itself....
[Clarence:] Oh well I've got to do something with that anyway. Haven't I?
[Nina:] Will you have to replace it?
[Clarence:] N no, no no. Cut the bad stuff out and er put the new timber in and shape it... to fit the existing door casing, architrave and
[Nina:] Well won't it show?...
[Clarence:] It won't scream anyway.... I mean short of replacing the whole door casing which I'm not going to do... yeah....
[Nina:] Mm. Oh what a mess everywhere isn't it?
[Clarence:] Yes. Hm.... I'd forgotten Josie saying it was er you know it was a wardrobe. Made the wardrobe, ha!
[Nina:] To be honest I thought it was this other bloke who.
[Clarence:] No according to Josie it was. Cos erm I think she or... was it Yvonne said to me perhaps I'll find me hillbilly... lend me er... yeah... Or perhaps. [LAUGHTER] Something like that anyway []. All the rough, rough sods in... oh strewth. [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] Ooh.
[Clarence:] Terrible.
[Nina:] I mean when you get splinters out of it
[Clarence:] Yes.
[Nina:] that's going a bit too far isn't it? [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Yes. Yes. Oh yes. Mm. Mm.... [LAUGHTER] And that's when you're being careful []....
[Nina:] I mean fancy putting your clothes next to a thing like that.
[Clarence:] [cough]
[Nina:] Anything delicate.
[Clarence:] Mm.... Incidentally what er arrangements er... if any, have Mike and... have Mike and Dawn made for this er summer?
[Nina:] How do you mean?
[Clarence:] Well wasn't Dawn saying about they're going to go to France this year or something?
[Nina:] Oh [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Well this is
[Nina:] When was that?
[Clarence:] When they were here I think.... Oh of course, yes. Obviously... Mm.... Mike has to inform the company obviously if he's taking the car... out of the country, you know.
[Nina:] Yes.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Mm....
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] Oh you know, do you remember Yvonne saying that that plant down there was a money plant and I didn't know what it was called? A money tree.
[Clarence:] Aha! I recognize a bit, yes. Go on.. Why?
[Nina:] The first... I'm just reading... about
[Clarence:] Mm?
[Nina:] Well the first houseplant I ever bought was a money tree.... An attractive succulent.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Well that's it.
[Clarence:] Well a succulent with the leaves being
[Nina:] Well I know it's a succulent.
[Clarence:] dark green glossy
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] I could have told you that in the first place [].
[Clarence:] Well what did you s
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] But what I'm sa I didn't know the name of it.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] Apparently he said he's... now where is it?
[Clarence:] Who is it?...
[Nina:] Ooh, I've just read it.
[Clarence:] Mhm.... Read on....
[Nina:] Ah!
[Clarence:] Go on.
[Nina:] It I've lo it says here [reading] I've looked with envy at... at other people's money trees in full flower []! So how big do they
[Clarence:] Full flower?
[Nina:] grow and when do they flower? I didn't know they flowered.
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] I wonder what sort of flowers they have? [reading] Although my plants have although my plants have never been inclined to follow suit.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Still I'm a patient sort [] he says.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] [reading] pest attack, over watering and they will surely survive
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] er to relegate a sickly specimen to the is an act of carelessness and sacrilege []. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Well I didn't know that erm...
[Clarence:] Look it up in Titmarsh's book. Mm.... About the flowering.
[Nina:] I don't remember that.
[Clarence:] You've looked it up in the Titmarsh have you?
[Nina:] No because it isn't in the Titmarsh.
[Clarence:] Really? Oh.
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] Well I couldn't find it.
[Clarence:] Fount of all knowledge isn't flowing, mm.
[Nina:] Well he can't cover every flipping plant can he? He does very well
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] I think he's very good really.
[Clarence:] Mm.... Unless it's under it's ge generic name is it? [cuckoo clock] Hello our friend, ooh ooh. Mm.... That's squeaking and creaking isn't it? When you come in. Good afternoon. Just a spot of information with somebody. Ooh out of breath from this hill.... Erm... bungalow in St Peters Road. Ah, thank you. Can you... give me the particulars?
[speaker001:] Yes certainly.
[Clarence:] Yeah.... yeah. It's the one right bang on the main road?
[speaker001:] Yeah that's the one.
[Clarence:] Yeah. And anything else... up to about forty five-ish. From about thirty five [LAUGHTER] to forty five []. Thirty five a snatch back or the... repossession type thing I suppose.... one of my daughters is er
[speaker001:] What er sort of area?
[Clarence:] Oh. Preferably Johnston... er but it really doesn't matter. It really doesn't matter to be honest with you.
[speaker001:] How many bedrooms?
[Clarence:] In saying that hang on, no, hang on.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] Do you want it, do you want a bungalow?
[Clarence:] It isn't, well yes. Not necessarily, no no a house would do. Er Milford
[speaker001:] There's
[Clarence:] Johnston... Arford Not way out, you know?
[speaker001:] Mm. That's quite nice. How many bedrooms?
[Clarence:] Preferably three but two... get by with.
[speaker001:] There's a new development in Johnston, that one.
[Clarence:] Oh that one ye oh yes, I know. We know that er yes when we were looking.... Yeah.... Mm. Thank you yes. Okay....
[speaker001:] is fifty six thousand you see.
[Clarence:] I thought it was going to be, yes yes.
[speaker001:] Do you want the details anyway?
[Clarence:] Yes please. Yes just in case. One never knows.
[speaker001:] You never know. There we go.
[Clarence:] One never knows. Thank you. I thought it would be
[speaker001:] Erm
[Clarence:] Well that's the asking price....
[speaker001:] How, how many beds did you say?
[Clarence:] Preferably three but not essentially. Two er one, if it's a two bedroom they're into the caravan outside. For the spare bedroom, usual thing.
[speaker001:] Mm.... cottage which quite nice. Lower Thornton That's actually gone, been reduced now to
[Clarence:] Where the hell's that?
[speaker001:] Lower Thornton As you er approach... you know the Horse and Jockey Milford?
[Clarence:] Yes we do, yes.
[speaker001:] You turn right.
[Clarence:] Yeah. Oh which way are we approaching it?
[speaker001:] And.
[Clarence:] From this end or?
[speaker001:] From this end, yeah.
[Clarence:] Yeah, go on. You turn right
[speaker001:] You turn right and you go down it and you'll see a sign for Lower Thornton.
[Clarence:] Oh thank you, yes.
[speaker001:] It's down there. That been reduced to forty four thousand
[Clarence:] I see, yes, yeah.
[speaker001:] been reduced. Do you want me to write that on?
[Clarence:] Please yes. Thank you....
[speaker001:] Excuse me please. Sorry.
[Clarence:] I'm so sorry.
[speaker001:] Thank you.
[Clarence:] knock and shove me [LAUGHTER] but I always get in the way [].
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] There you go.
[Clarence:] Thank you. Right okay....
[speaker001:] Erm
[Clarence:] Well my wife and I have only been here, living here ooh just over twelve months now so we don't really know the
[speaker001:] You don't know the area, no.
[Clarence:] Not frightfully well, no.
[speaker001:] Oh, where are you from?
[Clarence:] From Manchester. Been
[speaker001:] Oh whereabouts?
[Clarence:] Chorlton or Chorlton cum Hardy if you want the full glory. Don't tell me you were too?... Whereabou
[speaker001:] I used to I used to l live in Stockport
[Clarence:] Stockport. Oh or what have you yes.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] Did you indeed?
[speaker001:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Road or...?
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] I know. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] move down in October.
[Clarence:] Did you really? Good gracious. And of the two places
[speaker001:] Mm?
[Clarence:] of the two places, where would you sooner be?
[speaker001:] Here.
[Clarence:] . Should have come here what
[speaker001:] I think you need to I think you need to really... of been somewhere else before
[Clarence:] Yes, I accept that.
[speaker001:] to realize, you appreciate.
[Clarence:] Yes. Y you're absolutely right there. You really are. Yes.
[speaker001:] Cos er you feel as... you ju people moan about this sort of area... they just don't realize how.
[Clarence:] Mm. How many think of the credit column. Precisely.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] Well our milkman, to be honest with you, it got to the stage where he wouldn't collect milk at night... to collect the cash at night. No. In.
[speaker001:] Yeah Chorlton can be... Chorlton's on the border of erm... oh god
[Clarence:] Stretford
[speaker001:] Yeah there's Stretford isn't there? No but what
[Clarence:] Mollyrange Stretford, Mollyrange er
[speaker001:] Molly Mollyrange. That's the bit isn't it?
[Clarence:] I, I can remember Mollyrange sixty years ago and it was a very very different place, between you and me it really was.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] Mosside wasn't too bad sixty years ago but now, good gracious.
[speaker001:] Well you wouldn't dare leave your car parked.
[Clarence:] Oh no! Oh the wife and I went... around Mosside the day after the riots there and, do you remember the riots? Perhaps you don't.
[speaker001:] No.
[Clarence:] In the coloured area. They were smashing shops and burning cars and what
[speaker001:] Oh yeah.
[Clarence:] You could feel the atmosphere when you were sat in the car.
[speaker001:] Mm. Well we
[Clarence:] Disturbing.
[speaker001:] It was that bad that we went... when I bought my house in Manchester
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[speaker001:] we went er round Mollyrange to get to you know the
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Oh yeah []. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] the erm... that good place that sells secondhand er or damaged erm
[Clarence:] Range Warehouse
[speaker001:] Range Warehouse, that's it yeah.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[speaker001:] Very good.
[Clarence:] Mm. Very good
[speaker001:] And er
[Clarence:] value for money, yeah.
[speaker001:] thing is that you know we were at w [LAUGHTER] we, actually we got lost [] and were asking directions. People people were running away from you.
[Clarence:] Yeah. Yes. Yes. Yes. I know.
[speaker001:] I mean it was so funny because it was
[Clarence:] Yes. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] a sunny day
[Clarence:] Yeah, and yet... mm.
[speaker001:] and... and yet you know it was a sunny day. Nick had his sunglasses on, he must have looked a bit touched. [LAUGHTER] we just stopped and bloke
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] one woman, sorry, that literally ran away from us. They completely ran away. It was unbelievable.
[Clarence:] Yes I can believe it, yes. Yeah yeah. Well the the really?
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] There's a friend of my wife and I she's, what age is she now? Well at the time she was in her... very late thirties, schoolteacher.... And she bought a house in Mollyrange. I didn't know about it, I didn't even know she was looking for one then.... Er we saw her one day she said oh I've got the keys by the way. I said oh, keys for where? You know. Oh I've got a house in. I said oh, whereabouts? [LAUGHTER] One side of the road there were three brothels and [LAUGHTER] on the other side there were four []. She was a schoolteacher. She'd no idea, very innocent, very er church, you know? Oh yes, father was a parson and
[speaker001:] Mm.
[Clarence:] she lasted there about six months, that was all. Mm mm. Yeah.
[speaker001:] Cos it's er it's weird really, it's like a good ar good area and bad areas.
[Clarence:] Oh it's very patchy. But it's interesting, Mollyrange, if you draw a line down the centre... Pakistanis on that side and Jamaicans on that side. Seriously. Seriously.
[speaker001:] So what made you want to move down here?...
[Clarence:] Well we've wanted to move for twenty five years possibly. But you know how it is, it's family ties and kids growing up and... then they grow up and have families of their own, then you get tied to the ch grandchildren or what have you. I've been pushing for a long time but erm... down here? Well... I have a brother-in-law living in Stainton He's lived there, he retired there some what, ooh fifteen years ago, more than that.... He'd been pressing me to come down here for a long time. When I used to bring my wife
[speaker001:] Mm.
[Clarence:] drive down... drop her off at in-laws. Cup of tea, turn the car round and go back. I couldn't stand the bloke at the time. An ex Manchester lion board of directors, very very full of himself.
[speaker001:] Mm.
[Clarence:] He'd been used to having chars and minions running round him. Took him a while... now he's a very nice chap.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] Took him a while to calm down. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] But now yeah... it took him a while to calm down but he's a very nice fellow now, very nice chap. And erm... we searched over north Wales first of all but phew no thank you. Extension really of Manchester in a way, north Wales.
[speaker001:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm. Then we er... got a letter from... ah my daughters, one of my daughters... one of my many daughters... married to a coastguard in Milford.
[speaker001:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Erm... she spotted a house in the paper, sent it up. I said oh come on, we might as well go down and have a look.
[speaker001:] Mm.
[Clarence:] And we went down, liked it and that was it. Mm.
[speaker001:] Been down here ever since. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] And regretted that we hadn't come before.
[speaker001:] Yeah. Oh well
[Clarence:] Oh seriously.
[speaker001:] at least you're here now. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Yes. Yes.
[speaker001:] Right, okay.
[Clarence:] Right. Thank you very much my love.
[speaker001:] If you fancy viewing any of them just give us a call.
[Clarence:] Oh indeed yes, that's right.... Well I'll... concern it with my daughter first of all naturally.
[speaker001:] Mhm.
[Clarence:] Cos I d I hate wasting, I remember when we were selling ours, the time wasters, the people that had no intention of buying.
[speaker001:] There's actually one there, Magic Cottage that's quite nice.
[Clarence:] A magic cottage? [LAUGHTER]... Did I hear right? M A... G I C, magic?
[speaker001:] Magic. Mm, it's called.
[Clarence:] Good gracious.
[speaker001:] Erm... there you go. Again it's fifty four so, but you never know.
[Clarence:] Well you never know, yes exactly, yeah.... Oh you've got a pretty picture for it? Oh it's just come in, obviously yeah. Mm. Obviously just come in.... That... reminds me. When we bought our house, thank you. Thank you very much indeed. Erm... we had the original full blow up
[speaker001:] Mm.
[Clarence:] from the estate agents. And erm... we sent it to well one of my other sons in Australia there and he was thrilled to bits. oh you did very well with your photography. I thought [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Yes. Just too late I see. Never mind I'll come
[speaker001:] Oh well never mind you'll... come back later
[Clarence:] I'll come back later. Thank you very much for your time love.
[speaker001:] Bubye.
[Clarence:] Bubye. Bubye.... [LAUGHTER] Forgive me smiling but... does everybody do that, fall over the step there? Same as me. There's [LAUGHTER] not much of me but.... Erm what if anything have you, erm these are enquiries I'm making on behalf of my daughter. Anything from about thirty five to forty five.
[speaker001:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Two bedroomed, no? Round Arford, Johnston and Milford
[speaker001:] Yeah we've got quite a few actually.
[Clarence:] Have you?
[speaker001:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Good good good good good. Thank you. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] Erm
[Clarence:] I never realized it's first time... price.
[speaker001:] Shall I just... give you out a load and
[Clarence:] Give me out a load, yes. And we can browse and...
[speaker001:] Yeah there's quite a lot actually in that price range of homes.
[Clarence:] Are there really? Oh
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Oh look at that, thank you.
[speaker001:] ...
[Clarence:] Very well oiled runners on those er
[speaker001:] Yes.
[Clarence:] drawers haven't you? Bit too much
[speaker001:] They get a bit carried away actually.
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] That middle drawer over there keeps coming out all the time.
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Mind of it's own job, yeah?
[speaker001:] Yeah we've got a poltergeist
[Clarence:] Yeah yeah. Funny I'd just been saying that, just been reading a book... allegedly written by erm Uri Geller, you know the
[speaker001:] Oh yeah?
[Clarence:] and he claims to be er... able to move things and do the poltergeist stunt, you know?
[speaker001:] Yeah?
[Clarence:] Mm. [LAUGHTER] Claims to be....
[speaker001:] Yeah I've seen him... on the telly
[Clarence:] Oh yes, yes.
[speaker001:] They reckon if you concentrate with him you can do the same
[Clarence:] Indeed yes. He claims that's been done. Exactly. That's right, yes. Some people can, yeah. Mm. Well, yeah. In his last chapter in the book he claims he did a... a beam me up scottie business and Yeah exactly, yes. That I find a little bit hard to believe. One minute he was shall we say in Arford, next minute woof, he'd shot to Johnston through somebody's window? Oh! [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] Yeah I know.
[Clarence:] Yes exactly. Mm.... That is pushing it.
[speaker001:] ...
[Clarence:] Think think think, she says. Think.
[speaker001:] Yes. Is Haycastle too far?
[Clarence:] Er I I don't know Johnston frightfu er... Johnston! I don't know er... only be a matter of
[speaker001:] Mind you that's the other direction to Johnston.?
[Clarence:] Well possibly, I don't know love. She might.
[speaker001:] Erm
[Clarence:] Erm... Well she might well do.... You've given a goodly little pile here.
[speaker001:] Well there's quite a few.
[Clarence:] Yeah.... Mm.... A niece of mine living in tells me that it's picking up slightly, the property market. Would you agree with that or... I find that hard to believe.
[speaker001:] No.
[Clarence:] Mm. No I don't think so, no.
[speaker001:] Not really, no. It's
[Clarence:] No, no.
[speaker001:] People are holding off now cutting back
[Clarence:] Mm. And, exactly, yes, yes. Quite, yes. Yes, yeah. [phone rings]
[speaker001:] There is some property moving but
[Clarence:] Mm.
[speaker001:] nothing exciting really....
[Clarence:] Do you want to ditch me and grab the phone before it...
[speaker001:] Erm I'll give you those
[Clarence:] Alright, thank you. Yes. Marvellous. Good gracious.... Yes... a goodly pile. Quite a wide range.
[speaker001:] Erm
[Clarence:] Erm... erm...
[speaker001:] Would she be willing to?
[Clarence:] Oh indeed yes. Yes.... Yes.... You're going to an awful lot of trouble for me love.
[speaker001:] That's alright. No problem at all. There you go. I think that's about it that price range.
[Clarence:] Fine. Thank you very much indeed....
[speaker001:] Basically all of them are... you know modernized. That one needs
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] a new kitchen. It needs tidying up but you can see that the price
[Clarence:] And the stuff ripping out the front. Oh I hate those things, personally, but still, there we are. Matter of, exactly yes.
[speaker001:] I agree with you.
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] There we are []. Thank you. Er yes, I s suspect they must have paid a lot of money to have that done too.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Well, yeah. in that case, yeah.
[speaker001:] ?
[Clarence:] Er... at this stage I don't think so to be honest with you because
[speaker001:] can give us a ring.
[Clarence:] Well exactly, yes, she can give you a ring erm... or I could give you a ring for that matter erm.... expensive business for her, phoning from Manchester,. [LAUGHTER] Yes... yeah erm... no there's little point just now, go on then... she's thought of something else.... Oh. Ooh.... There's enough to keep me going for the week there isn't there?
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah [].
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER]... Forgive me for saying so but the lighting in here is appalling, you... don't you get headaches?
[speaker001:] Sorry?
[Clarence:] Don't you get headaches from
[speaker001:] Yeah, now and again.
[Clarence:] Yeah I thought you would. Terrible light that.
[speaker001:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Doesn't help with the dark ceiling, that soaks it up doesn't it?
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[speaker001:] Well we're gonna be expanding into next door... erm
[Clarence:] What when the property market picks up?
[speaker001:] Well... well we're gonna do it anyway cos we just haven't got enough room
[Clarence:] Oh I see. Oh yeah. Mm.
[speaker001:] market really.
[Clarence:] Really? Is it really? Good gracious me. Mm. Mm.
[speaker001:] Erm I could
[Clarence:] No sorry. Go on, yeah.
[speaker001:] give you a form if she wants to take it and fill it in, right?
[Clarence:] Fine, thank you. Yeah, I can post it to her.... Give her a tinkle and er... yeah.
[speaker001:] Well that'll save....
[Clarence:] Mhm.... Yes.
[speaker001:] If she wants to go on the mailing list, just cut that bit off and fill that in and post it on to us.
[Clarence:] Fine thank you. Well yes exac thank you, because my wife writes to her practically every week
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] and she can bung this in with the er
[speaker001:] Yeah. I mean a letter doesn't
[Clarence:] Well yes. Quite, yes, yes. Thank you my love. Fine. Yes indeed. Thank you.
[speaker001:] It's cheaper than phoning isn't it?
[Clarence:] Aha. Yes it is. Mm.... Right. You can get back to you're er whatever you're getting back to. I dunno. [LAUGHTER] Pretending to be busy.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] Or are you busy?
[speaker001:] Well I'm drawing lines.
[Clarence:] Drawing, oh well!
[speaker001:] Marking out boundaries.
[Clarence:] Ma oh! It's getting more and more important as it goes. I'll try not to fall down the step when I go. [LAUGHTER] Thank you my love.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] Goodbye.
[Clarence:] Bubye.... Loads a money.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] It isn't
[Clarence:] Mm?
[Nina:] it's the bill, it's the milk bill [].
[Clarence:] Aha!...
[Nina:] I want to change another ten pound because with not getting two fivers
[Clarence:] Yes.
[Nina:] er so I thought oh I'll change that when I go in to er... the greengrocers.
[Clarence:] Oh are we, have you have you been to Boots? By the way.
[Nina:] Oh lord, no.... [sigh] I don't think that's really important.
[Clarence:] Are you sure?
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] I think
[Nina:] Erm
[Clarence:] thirty six... erm... thirty six... this expires at... half past four. That can't be right, this.... Expires at sixteen thirty six?... God it's erm
[Nina:] what time is it
[Clarence:] Well it's only fifteen thirty five now so... Oh it is two hours you get for the er that's right, it's not an hour and a half, it's two hours you get isn't it?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] It could be right. Yes. It is right in fact.
[Nina:] So we're okay?
[Clarence:] Yeah we're okay, if you want to. I, we can
[Nina:] Er ooh
[Clarence:] Hang on, hang on, hang on.... I can run the car round the other side of the car park.
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] So it's less to walk [].... And walk from there.
[Nina:] Well that's a good idea.
[Clarence:] Why not?
[Nina:] Er I thought we were going to...
[Clarence:] Well... somewhere else High Street. Hang on.... Pardon? Where will I go in there?...
[Nina:] Well erm
[Clarence:] Well you want to go to this other car park for... Boots don't you?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] Yeah.... And we've got how long?... Three thirty
[Clarence:] Oh you're alright.
[Nina:] So we've got another hour?
[Clarence:] Yeah, it's two hours. There we are....
[Nina:] Are you staying here?
[Clarence:] Oh yes [LAUGHTER] I haven't got the strength []. It's not my idea of a
[Nina:] Then are we going to the pa wallpaper shop?
[Clarence:] Yes. High Street, yes.
[Nina:] Oh okay. Okay well there's no need to lock up.
[Clarence:] No. No no. No need to lock up....
[speaker001:] Out of interest... I couldn't help but notice you book erm Yes?
[Clarence:] a P reg. Erm... do you find most of the old cars, more old cars than newer cars?
[speaker001:] What don't pay?
[Clarence:] Yeah. Yeah. Just out of interest. Purely.
[speaker001:] Well er not really I think.
[Clarence:] Oh.
[speaker001:] We find er E like the newer cars like er the big cars don't pay. You know what I mean?
[Clarence:] Oh that figures. That figures.
[speaker001:] You know what I mean? Like er
[Clarence:] Yes exactly.
[speaker001:] like a B M W er or a
[Clarence:] Yes exactly.
[speaker001:] jag.
[Clarence:] It's.
[speaker001:] That's right, yeah.
[Clarence:] Exactly. [LAUGHTER] Yeah.
[speaker001:] But er
[Clarence:] No it must have been just coincidence. I no noticed the
[speaker001:] What we what we do really don't want, what we really hit hard... is the, like this one here now who haven't got a ticket on.
[Clarence:] Oh I see, yes. At all?
[speaker001:] Yeah it's
[Clarence:] Mm.
[speaker001:] Well th there's two of us going round
[Clarence:] Mm.
[speaker001:] but er we've got different ideas on how, like... like I myself
[Clarence:] Mm?
[speaker001:] if they've paid... it's fair enough. Now if it
[Clarence:] And they're a little bit over, yeah.
[speaker001:] now like, like... now like this one hasn't got a ticket you know it's
[Clarence:] At all. Mm. Mm.
[speaker001:] That's right. But er... the way I look at it... if he's which is not too long, what I do, what I normally... we give a half an hour er or
[Clarence:] Oh that's very
[speaker001:] what I do, I give an hour.
[Clarence:] Do you really?
[speaker001:] Oh I turn away and you know if he's paid
[Clarence:] Er yes, yes.
[speaker001:] But what I, what I don't like... this one pays
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] and you've got a brand new car who hasn't paid.
[Clarence:] Exactly. Yes. Yes.
[speaker001:] You know? I i it's... you know?
[Clarence:] Yeah, they can well afford to and er
[speaker001:] If you can afford a new car you, you
[Clarence:] Exactly, exactly.
[speaker001:] can afford... you can afford twenty P or ten P or whatever it is.
[Clarence:] Yes, yes. Yes. Exactly yes.
[speaker001:] You know? Oh the person who'll come back now, I'll cancel it.
[Clarence:] Oh I see. Will you really?
[speaker001:] You know? Oh yes.
[Clarence:] Oh that's very good.
[speaker001:] As long as long as they're tidy and they're not er bad mannered about it.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Mm. Yes quite.
[speaker001:] You know?
[Clarence:] Yes, yes.
[speaker001:] Er... and of course that's fair enough
[Clarence:] Mm.
[speaker001:] but er if they come back and say look I was gone to get change. Fair enough as long as they come back and they put a ticket on.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[speaker001:] But er... when I'm gone it's too late.
[Clarence:] Oh indeed, yes, yes of course.
[speaker001:] But if er if they come back and they're tidy enough
[Clarence:] Mm.
[speaker001:] you know.
[Clarence:] It must be quite a boring job though?
[speaker001:] It is. Yeah yeah.
[Clarence:] Yes. Yes.
[speaker001:] Well not really we've got one, and we've got a big multi- storey car park.
[Clarence:] Oh I know the multi-storey, yes.
[speaker001:] You know? That that takes ages to walk round and of course
[Clarence:] Yes.
[speaker001:] and then we go to the top.
[Clarence:] Yes, yes.
[speaker001:] High Street bank.
[Clarence:] Oh do you really? Do you really?
[speaker001:] We go there. We go to.
[Clarence:] Oh I see. Oh well yeah.
[speaker001:] We go to the station. We've got loads to go round, you know?
[Clarence:] Ah. Oh no I assumed it was just here and.
[speaker001:] Oh no no no no no no. We go round
[Clarence:] I see, yeah.
[speaker001:] I mean I'm, I'm here now and I'll go away and then the other bloke may come round later again. You know? just go round
[Clarence:] I see, yeah. Mm. Mm.
[speaker001:] in circles.
[Clarence:] In circles. [LAUGHTER] Yes.
[speaker001:] But erm
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] then we go back to the office then for an hour and people of course will come in then and say why are you booking me but
[Clarence:] Oh yeah yeah.
[speaker001:] But er... if they... they come back to their car and they're tidy enough.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[speaker001:] As long as they don't start
[Clarence:] That's reasonable. Yeah, oh well
[speaker001:] swearing and
[Clarence:] Yes. Yes, quite, yeah.
[speaker001:] Well we're told to just, just walk away. It's not worth arguing.
[Clarence:] No.
[speaker001:] You know?
[Clarence:] Oh no no no.
[speaker001:] It's er... if they come back and they say I'm sorry I'd gone
[Clarence:] Mm.
[speaker001:] gone to get change like that fellow there now, he was worried... that I'd book him over there.
[Clarence:] Oh! Because
[speaker001:] You know, and I I, and of course He came back and he... and he bought a ticket. You know, so
[Clarence:] Mm.
[speaker001:] th that's fair enough. You know?
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Mm.
[speaker001:] But er
[Clarence:] Mm.
[speaker001:] this one now has got no ticket on, so
[Clarence:] Ah yeah.
[speaker001:] If he'd of come back while I'm here, well...
[Clarence:] And give a reasonable explanation or be pleasant about it and
[speaker001:] Well y y... Well that's right, yes.. You know? You know?
[Clarence:] Yeah. Right. Mm.
[speaker001:] But you you you go up to some of them and there's ooh this and that.
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] I think you'd get more than a t parking ticket looking at it for M O T wise if he get pulled.
[speaker001:] Oh yeah ah well it's... cost them ten pound now see?
[Clarence:] Yes, exactly. Yes. Ha!
[speaker001:] twenty P.
[Clarence:] Yes. Yes exactly. [LAUGHTER] Right....
[speaker001:] ...
[Clarence:] Can I borrow your writing device? Lovely, thank you....
[speaker001:] Twenty one twenty three please.
[Clarence:] Right, thank you.
[Nina:] and it needs holding up.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Yeah.
[Nina:] And it was all in a bunch, so I've had to sort of unhook it. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Oh I see what you mean, yes. Yeah yeah.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.... I think though this afternoon. Big success, yeah. I'll empty the pockets and then
[Nina:] Be decisions decisions.
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Decisions. Oh. [].
[Nina:] Have you done with your plate?
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] Right. [LAUGHTER] We're eating again [].
[Clarence:] Er yes.... Well it's the only time we get... chance to talk at the moment isn't it?
[Nina:] I know [LAUGHTER] yes [].
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] And then with Lil and Nev away. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Well that's true, yes. Yeah.... You could get twenty four hours continuously with Neville couldn't you?
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Oh well I'll say [].
[Clarence:] God strewth.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] lovely isn't he?
[Clarence:] yourself. [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] Have you seen this? it's nice.
[Clarence:] What, what is this? No.. Ooh.
[Nina:] Bring your thing with you. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Bring me thing with me. [LAUGHTER] Easily carry that....
[Nina:] Perhaps it could be next door, could it?...
[Clarence:] No I don't think so.
[Nina:] You've not left anything upstairs have you?
[Clarence:] No no. It smells like burning. Mattresses or [LAUGHTER] blankets, the carpets []
[Nina:] Well it's not here. We've not got anything burning.
[Clarence:] No. I've not had a blow lamp going this morning at all.... It's probably come in with the door being open.... It may even be the school you know?
[Nina:] Oh of course.
[Clarence:] Burning some rubbish in the er
[Nina:] It could be, yes.
[Clarence:] in the incinerator thing they've got there.... Cor it really pongs doesn't it?
[Nina:] Mm it does.
[Clarence:] Mm.... Many different types of smoke... and pong. Wood smoke, when you're camping is
[Nina:] Oh it's nice isn't it?
[Clarence:] it's, exactly. Yeah yeah.
[Nina:] Remember when we used to take the pressure cooker when [LAUGHTER] we went out []?
[Clarence:] Oh yes. Yeah, well it was worthwhile wasn't it? Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] Neck of lamb. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] And everybody else was eating sandwiches. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] That's really org [LAUGHTER] yeah. Jolly good.
[Nina:] Nice.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] I never use that now do I?
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] But I wouldn't get rid of it, because just in case. It's erm
[Clarence:] We went camping again? Well that's not very likely!
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] I don't think so []
[Clarence:] No thank you.
[Nina:] No but you never know.
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] I do. I'm not gonna go [].
[Nina:] I don't mean camping I mean
[Clarence:] Oh I see. Yes.
[Nina:] You know? It might come in handy.
[Clarence:] No I know what you mean. Yeah.
[Nina:] I made jam in it....
[Clarence:] Yes I have a hazy recollection of that.
[Nina:] It was quite nice really. So that was
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Yes. Yeah.
[Nina:] it cut the cooking time down.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] It was quite easy.
[Clarence:] Mm.... Seems an awful long time ago in some ways, you know, camping.
[Nina:] Well it is! [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Yet other ways it doesn't Nina.
[Nina:] Mm....
[Clarence:] The erm... difference in cer some things can seem a long time ago and some are... relatively recent.
[Nina:] Mm. Yes I wonder what
[Clarence:] It doesn't really seem all that long since our lads in shorts, you know?
[Nina:] It doesn't.. For [LAUGHTER] god's sake Larry [].
[Clarence:] And there they are thirty nine. No no seriously
[Nina:] Best look forward, not back.
[Clarence:] Oh I know. Yeah....
[Nina:] It's a pity that this house
[Clarence:] Oh.
[Nina:] is erm
[Clarence:] Which ones did you heave, by the way?
[Nina:] Oh, only the ones I knew she wouldn't have. Er economy seven.
[Clarence:] Oh my god, yeah.
[Nina:] Erm terrace
[Clarence:] Well hang on, no. You didn't put a definite no on economy seven did you?
[Nina:] Well they were terraces.
[Clarence:] Oh well fair enough. No I'm talking about economy seven in case you heave
[Nina:] Well I think that
[Clarence:] any more
[Nina:] Yes she did.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] She wants gas cooking.
[Clarence:] She prefers er... far prefers gas cooking I know, but
[Nina:] You, I think you'll find she won't... even contemplate cooking by electricity.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] I doubt that very much.... What's this one? This looks, they look like Barratts. It's an end... terrace. This one.
[Clarence:] Mhm.
[Nina:] It looks very small. It's an end terrace. She wouldn't rule out an end terrace but
[Clarence:] Ah is that the one... the Barratt type place?
[Nina:] Well I... yes.
[Clarence:] Yeah well
[Nina:] Well that looks like a Barratt type as well doesn't it?
[Clarence:] Yes. Exactly, yes. It's the same estate isn't it? It is yeah. The same address, same area.
[Nina:] Yes, it is.
[Clarence:] Yeah. But there's quite a difference in price if you notice.
[Nina:] Forty two for this.
[Clarence:] And thirty something for that. Thirty seven I think it was, something like that. Could be wrong.
[Nina:] Yes it is but I think this is the one... erm this is...
[Clarence:] This is... this is, this is
[Nina:] Erm... wait a minute.
[Clarence:] Mhm.... I don't like either, to be honest with you, but there we are.
[Nina:] Oh I don't dislike them but it's not one that
[Clarence:] Well if you weigh that other one up... the end one.
[Nina:] . This, which? This one?
[Clarence:] Yeah. There wouldn't be room for the caravan to start with.
[Nina:] I thought there would.
[Clarence:] No I don't think so, no. Yeah.
[Nina:] I think you'd find there would.
[Clarence:] No. I don't think there would be.
[Nina:] That's... well it looks like it to me.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.... Full stop. That'd be it.
[Nina:] Just let's read what it says.
[Clarence:] Mm. No room for a garage. No... parking a car is there?... From what I can see of it....
[Nina:] Mm. style entrance door which opens
[Clarence:] Oh yeah.
[Nina:] to the entrance hall.
[Clarence:] It's erm... important to remember by the way
[Nina:] What?
[Clarence:] Well some estates, not many of course, but some estates have got... a no go area for caravans parked don't they?... Mm. I don't think we're likely to meet it here to be honest with you but yes you do get it.
[Nina:] Ah well there's a caravan parked round the corner.
[Clarence:] Well I'm just saying [LAUGHTER] I just said that [] we're not likely to get it here.
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] But erm... it would be a damn sight safer down here wouldn't it? It wouldn't get vandalized, broken into... scratched, bashed or whatever....
[Nina:] Grounds, here we are.
[Clarence:] Tell me, the
[Nina:] Lawn, just a mo.
[Clarence:] Mm. Go on.
[Nina:] [reading] Property stands within established principally lawned garden []
[Clarence:] Yeah I read it. Yeah.
[Nina:] shrubs, trees
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] Privacy from the roadway which is what she would like.
[Clarence:] Depends what you mean by privacy of course, but go on.... Privacy or privacy as they seem to say these days, don't they, sometimes?
[Nina:] Well I say privacy. [LAUGHTER] I don't know [].
[Clarence:] carry on saying it whether it's right or wrong. Same with... controversy and controversy.
[Nina:] Controversy.
[Clarence:] I know, I still. It's a real controversy though.
[Nina:] Yeah I
[Clarence:] Controversy. God, you've got me at it.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] You see?
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah.
[Clarence:] How easily you can change. Good gracious me. Did you notice this morning on the box, the er weather girl?
[Nina:] No I didn't.
[Clarence:] She uses controversy and er
[Nina:] Did she?
[Clarence:] Our friend... what's his name, Mike is it?
[Nina:] Yes
[Clarence:] Yes. He did the... accidental I'm sure, controversy.
[Nina:] Oh.
[Clarence:] Mm. And she
[Nina:] It's it's easier to say for some reason or other and yet
[Clarence:] Well it is for us because we've always been saying it. But I don't see any reason why it should be easier.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Controversy, controversy. It's just accent on the...
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm.... Fed up with... plaster up me nose and
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] I'm fed up with this stage altogether.
[Clarence:] Oh strewth, yeah.
[Nina:] I'll be glad when we get it cleaned and we can start the actual
[Clarence:] There's quite a lot of it to do yet.
[Nina:] decorating bit.
[Clarence:] Well we're... it's... it's the er... first principles, prepare your surfaces isn't it? Which we're doing.
[Nina:] Oh I know that.
[Clarence:] No. But that's the... mm. Well we've finished the burning off... in there.... Yeah so that's one pong gone. [LAUGHTER] Very largely gone []. It still lingers on a bit though.
[Nina:] Oh yes.
[Clarence:] There's not an awful lot more filling to do, but there is a bit of course....
[Nina:] Erm... not plaster there's no more plastering is there?
[Clarence:] I sincerely hope not. No there's no more plastering. No.... No.... Just filling now. Imperfections you know? Joints and, stuff like that. And that, it's a pity about that but... I'm leaving the damn thing
[Nina:] Oh, yes
[Clarence:] Fancy putting boss white?
[Nina:] You know what they say? Never trouble trouble.
[Clarence:] Oh I know. If it works leave it alone, but
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] I'll say [].
[Clarence:] erm... on balance it's best left on and to just
[Nina:] Well it is really
[Clarence:] Yes.
[Nina:] if we can get away with it.
[Clarence:] Oh yes. I'd far sooner take it off and do a proper job but... well...
[Nina:] It er well it's easier isn't it, really? But on the
[Clarence:] Well
[Nina:] other hand, you might have problems with it leaking if you take it off anyway, so
[Clarence:] Well that's a p yes exactly, yes. Cos
[Nina:] No, if you've got to
[Clarence:] and I've got to scrape out all that horrible boss white. Cos it goes rock hard that stuff, over the years you know?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Boss white.
[Nina:] I wonder whether it was leaking in, when they... put it in in the first place?
[Clarence:] Do you mean that's why they used boss white? Possibly. Yeah. Mm.
[Nina:] Well let's not erm ask for trouble because there's [LAUGHTER] more than enough to do without having [].
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Oh quite, yes. Mm.... Have you noticed that by and large, not all the time of course but... I should say that eighty percent of the time birds face that way?
[Nina:] No I've never noticed which cos I'm
[Clarence:] Mm. Cos see that pigeon is now.
[Nina:] Oh yeah.
[Clarence:] In the tree, yeah.... Mm. By far the majority of the time.
[Nina:] It looks like a picture doesn't it sometimes? With those trees.
[Clarence:] Oh god, yes. Yes.
[Nina:] I've never seen so many perch in one tree.
[Clarence:] Mm. Facing basically west, aren't they?
[Nina:] Mm. That's true.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] Look at that pigeon
[Clarence:] pardon?
[Nina:] sat there.
[Clarence:] Yes. Yeah....
[Nina:] The windows are filthy outside.
[Clarence:] Mm. You don't often get one pigeon though do you? There's usually at least two of them.
[Nina:] Well you usually have two together don't you?
[Clarence:] Yeah, exactly. Yeah....
[Nina:] Ooh that door! [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Yes that was getting on my wick that door, yeah.
[Nina:] Shut up door!
[Clarence:] Mm.... I was bunged up before I started this. bunged up now....
[Nina:] I wonder who... I wonder who chopped and vandalized all those daffodils round the corner??
[Clarence:] Well... and the fact that it was just their garden, and as far as I can make out it was simply that garden, it would suggest that she's fallen out with some kids or... something like that or somebody and... yeah.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] I mean why pick on one garden and systematically
[Nina:] Well they probably thing, yes but cabbages? Fancy taking cabbages!
[Clarence:] I don't think they'd been actually taken from what I can gather.
[Nina:] Well what did they do to them? Oh just cut them?
[Clarence:] They slashed them about, yes. Cut them all.... Mm.
[Nina:] Peculiar thing to do.
[Clarence:] Oh according to Josie, I really don't know about all the cabbages, it might consist of one or two. Funny business, yeah.
[Nina:] Oh it's a shame though isn't it?
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] All the time you spend waiting for the blooming things to grow [].
[Clarence:] That's Yvonne's mother isn't it? Yeah.
[Nina:] That's right.
[Clarence:] Didn't Yvonne say she can be an awkward old devil?
[Nina:] Oh I don't know.
[Clarence:] Mm. So I sh yes. She's probably fallen out with some kid or other.
[Nina:] You can't be sure of that.
[Clarence:] Oh no no no no no.... If there'd been a trail of destruction down the road, then fair enough, but
[Nina:] I couldn't er... go and vandalize something, I mean a thing like flowers.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] They're so nice that
[Clarence:] Well we think so. Obviously there's others that don't think so, but... not everybody thinks so.
[Nina:] Well a lot of people like, I mean most people like flowers don't they?
[Clarence:] Yes.
[Nina:] Whether you grow them or not's a difference but most people
[Clarence:] Yeah, yeah. Oh true, true. They're not an ug ugly thing.
[Nina:] like them.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] And I couldn't go and vandalize something that was nice.
[Clarence:] No. No.
[Nina:] There's some peculiar minds some people have don't they?
[Clarence:] Oh yeah it's very small beer really isn't it? Compared to some of the dodges they get up to....
[Nina:] It is really.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] Have you decided whereabouts you're going to put that light at the front?
[Clarence:] Light? Er well no the, well at the front. Other than that, over the door area somewhere, I don't know exactly.... I might stick it on a flying lead and wander around with it for a bit... and see where it's best.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] But I've got a rough idea where it'll go anyway.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] of course is cable running to it... providing it with power. I'll probably run it from the garage.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] About the easiest source.
[Nina:] On the corner I think would be perhaps a good idea, do you think?... Between the garage and the house....
[Clarence:] Do you mean the return? If you come from the front of the house going towards the garage, that little bit there? There's two feet or something.
[Nina:] No. I thought you were going to put it facing the front.
[Clarence:] I am, yes. Well what do you mean then, the corner?
[Nina:] On the co on the front of the house at the corner.
[Clarence:] Yes, you mean literally on the corner? The apex of two
[Nina:] Yes.
[Clarence:] Well I'd have to make something to mount it on to go right on the corner but
[Nina:] Well I know that. Well wherever you put it you're going to have to make something to mount it on.
[Clarence:] No. No. No. No.
[Nina:] Why?
[Clarence:] It'll screw drive... on to a flat surface. Brickwork. Yeah. Certainly it will. Yeah. Mm....
[Nina:] How high up are you thinking of putting it?...
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Above a vandal [].
[Nina:] How high [LAUGHTER]. How high is the one we've got at the back?
[Clarence:] Well so you've got to get up a ladder to get at it.... Er up a step ladder I mean, not a...
[Nina:] I think about, above the number.
[Clarence:] I'd thought roughly speaking in that area, yes but
[Nina:] Er yes, well somewhere there.
[Clarence:] Ah well that would illuminate the er... see if I put it fairly close to the actual corner at the front side, going down towards the garage. Close to that corner, still lighting on the front face but
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] then a percentage of light will go round the corner. Well cos lights don't go round corners but
[Nina:] What about on the garage above what about on the garage?
[Clarence:] No.
[Nina:] No?
[Clarence:] No that would throw the front door into shadow wouldn't it?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm....
[Nina:] Well above the number then. Cos you're nearly, you know, more or less on the corner there anyway aren't you?
[Clarence:] Mm like I say that would be... mm....... Oh that way I can then get a decent cable run I think to the garage. For feed, you know?
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm. Well that's the easiest bit,. To the circuit, yeah.
[Nina:] What's that then? [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] That is. It will be helpful though, having a light there.
[Nina:] Oh yes.
[Clarence:] Because at night, you get a percentage a a
[Nina:] Yes you do.
[Clarence:] degree of light I should say from that... street lighting, but not an awful lot.
[Nina:] Not the same, no....
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] No it is handy having the light.
[Clarence:] And for people coming in, going out for the step.
[Nina:] Yeah.
[Clarence:] whatever, you know? Mm.
[Nina:] ...
[Clarence:] It'll be a quite sufficient... spread to, to cope with the er... entrance to the garage I mean, you know? Mm.... I still think two rows of erm pavers... stones inbetween's the best bet for the front you know? To put there. There's only one problem
[Nina:] You mean to the garage?
[Clarence:] Well the approach to the garage, yeah. The drive.
[Nina:] Like Mike's got at, in their
[Clarence:] Er yes. Yes. Exactly. Yeah. The usual thing, yeah.
[Nina:] Well you get a erm
[Clarence:] You get a what?
[Nina:] You get a lot of weeds where the chippings are.
[Clarence:] No, not if you put sodium chlorate down. Nothing'll grow then. Good grief.
[Nina:] The thing is if you...
[Clarence:] If you what?
[Nina:] erm... I'm just thinking if, like when anybody comes to stay
[Clarence:] Yeah. Yeah.
[Nina:] and you run the car, or somebody runs the car... the other way
[Clarence:] Up the sides, yeah. Yeah?
[Nina:] Well then you're going across, you're not staying st er you're not on the pavers are you?
[Clarence:] No, well that doesn't really matter. I mean the erm... in fact, there's only one fairly tight... path you can follow to get the car in. Into the side.... If you think about it.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] It'll be worth putting a couple of pavers on there just to cope with the track of the pa er the wheels going in.
[Nina:] Oh wouldn't that look a bit odd?
[Clarence:] Not necessarily, no. No. [LAUGHTER] I don't mean put down like bloody tramlines [].
[Nina:] [LAUGHTER] What, like I have down the garden there? [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] A railway line in. No no.... Actually it's quite attractive
[Nina:] A walk you know walk
[Clarence:] that actually.
[Nina:] Well it is but it [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] I was looking at it again this morning. Yeah.
[Nina:] I thought that. [LAUGHTER]
[Clarence:] Ooh hark at her! [LAUGHTER]
[Nina:] Yes. Well I think some of the bricks could... when you decide wha which you're going to use and which you, mm.
[Clarence:] Well they want stabilizing a bit yeah and er
[Nina:] I'll... get some of those bricks up and put the stone things down cos they look better.
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm. Mhm.
[Nina:] As long as I can get, walk along and get to all the plants there. What do you think of that? I'd definitely think about moving those other pavers at the bottom. There we were the steps are.
[Clarence:] Oh lifting them you mean? [yawning] you mean? Oh god [].
[Nina:] Yeah. That would make th give it a better erm
[Clarence:] Yes. Yeah.
[Nina:] I don't see any reason for that, to be quite honest, why they've done that?
[Clarence:] Well there was at the time obviously. Cos do you remember there was that erm... monstrous... creation I should say erection, [LAUGHTER] erection [] for erm
[Nina:] Oh I know that. Well there's still some of those stones at, underneath that.
[Clarence:] The foundation, exactly. I know, yeah.
[Nina:] We've got to move those before we grow anything. I've put some of the bricks over one side, so that'll eliminate getting rid of one side of them.
[Clarence:] No, I'm not with you.
[Nina:] Well where I've put me bricks... they're
[Clarence:] Yes.
[Nina:] on top of some of those... stones that are underneath.
[Clarence:] I'm with you now.... It's fairly deep eight inches down, the bricks?
[Nina:] I know.
[Clarence:] I know I went quite a way down.
[Nina:] You did.
[Clarence:] I mean honestly you'd have thought they were building a ruddy house there wouldn't you?
[Nina:] I wonder what they did it for?
[Clarence:] That's only er I don't know. It's the same with the... greenhouse
[Nina:] It was a right monstrosity that thing wasn't it?
[Clarence:] They'd have had a nine inch [LAUGHTER] thick erm... solid concrete... path in the centre. Who the hell
[Nina:] I know!
[Clarence:] wants that? In the middle of the co
[Nina:] Stupid.
[Clarence:] er of the greenhouse.
[Nina:] Talking about stones, we'll have to have a trip up to the erm that er... yard to see if. You know when we went to see about the flagstones?
[Clarence:] Oh there? Yes, yes.
[Nina:] I've not seen any... there's not been any more in erm... workmen in. It's a good idea that, going up there.
[Clarence:] Well... [yawn] oh dear. I've kept... my eyes open when we're going through Harford
[Nina:] No sign?
[Clarence:] and there's no signs of work. Mark you... it wasn't a brilliant day was it? So
[Nina:] No it wasn't.... Well we just have, must have just missed them.
[Clarence:] Yeah. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah.... Cos those were definitely new ones, ready for... placing in.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] A, a pile of stones. Oh yeah....
[Nina:] So the old ones they'd have taken back to that yard place wouldn't they?
[Clarence:] Well no. No no, no.
[Nina:] What do they do with them?
[Clarence:] No, straight to the tip.
[Nina:] Well that's the place that
[Clarence:] That's not the tip.
[Nina:] Where we went?
[Clarence:] Yeah. That's not the tip.
[Nina:] Well which was the tip?
[Clarence:] You've never been to the tip.... I don't think, no you've not.
[Nina:] Oh.
[Clarence:] It's erm... Tearscross way. You know the quarry? Well... the quarry area anyway, the same road.
[Nina:] Oh so I've never
[Clarence:] You can approach it two ways. From erm...
[Nina:] I thought it was there. They had a lot of stones there
[Clarence:] No no no.
[Nina:] didn't they?
[Clarence:] That's just bits they've had on various trucks. Lorries and things.
[Nina:] Oh.
[Clarence:] No, no....
[Nina:] Oh I see.
[Clarence:] No no. The tip is where I went. The first time I went... I followed the route recommended by Peter? Peter... which on a map looks quicker but it isn't cos it's a winding
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] country road... single track in a lot of directions.
[Nina:] Do they just heave the bricks? They just heave them? They don't
[Clarence:] Apparently yes.
[Nina:] sell them off or anything?
[Clarence:] No. No they don't they just... they stick them on to
[Nina:] Mm. They'd serve our purpose very well there
[Clarence:] Mm. Mm.
[Nina:] because there's such an awful lot to do.
[Clarence:] Mm.
[Nina:] We could bring them right... well the two that are down there could come
[Clarence:] Yeah.
[Nina:] It would save you a lot of cementing wouldn't it?
[Clarence:] On indeed it would, yes. It would.
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] Mm.... I'll be giving that mixer a caning this year though.
[Nina:] Pardon?
[Clarence:] I hope to give the mixer a caning this year.
[Nina:] I hope [LAUGHTER] you do too [].
[Clarence:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah []. Mm.
[Nina:] wondering what to do next.
[Clarence:] Mm. Oh yes, yes.
[Nina:] When you come to think of it though it's s... to me it makes sense [LAUGHTER] to start at the top where we have done [] and work your way down doesn't it?
[Clarence:] In some ways it is... sensible, yes because you're carrying muck down.
[Nina:] Well of course you are.
[Clarence:] Yeah.... I mean down, when we've done down here we've pu god... been putting mats down and lord knows what to
[Nina:] Mm.
[Clarence:] oh yeah.... Mm.... But the erm... ceiling rose... and preferably the light switch... could do with replacing.
[Nina:] Oh I know the ce oh the ceiling rose, they're horrible those old things, aren't they?
[Clarence:] Mm. Well the, the lighting switch isn't so clever either.
[Nina:] No.
[Clarence:] And before... I put too much back I want to have the floorboards up to clear