[Nancy:] erm... you wouldn't believe the computer Nasha's got, it's absolutely amazing. I mean
[Gill:] Mm.
[Nancy:] They've got
[Gill:] Thank you.
[Nancy:] and they've got everything from like
[Jemma:] I might eat, no I'm not eating that's
[Nancy:] That was wonderful Jemma. Absolutely wonderful.... They've got so many c like he said it is really like... science and all that... [LAUGHTER]
[Gill:] We've got my old one.
[Nancy:] Is this your old one?
[Gill:] No it's both of them... Visa....
[Nancy:] Is that you?...
[Gill:] That was er I'd just got back from work.
[Nancy:] What, what work?
[Gill:] I was working in the British High Commission... in er Nigeria.
[Nancy:] Really?... You look so different. You look like a
[Gill:] I just look very smart.
[Nancy:] You look like a very different person very
[Gill:] Why?
[Nancy:] You just do, your your hair's different and it makes you look completely different. You want to see mine, you wouldn't even recognize me on my passport, I've got two pictures right
[Gill:] I think I've seen it. Look at my old pictures when I was thirteen... and I was er... I refused to cut my fringe. [LAUGHTER] I used to hide behind my fringe.
[Nancy:] Who's that, Lisa?
[Gill:] Yeah.... You're gonna die!
[Jemma:] [LAUGHTER]
[Gill:] You've seen that loads of times.
[Jemma:] Yeah I know but it's so funny.
[Nancy:] Your hair's really dark.
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Nancy:] Where was that one taken, in Nigeria?
[Gill:] No that was in, that was when I was at home, in Essex.... [singing] and you would be f [] I can... I can remember
[Nancy:] You've lost a lot of weight haven't you?
[Gill:] that photo being taken. Me and my dad went to
[Nancy:] You've lost a lot of weight.
[Gill:] Southend airport to get it done.
[Nancy:] Really?
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Nancy:] You look like somebody I know there,
[Gill:] I love the way that pass both passports are sealed together, look at the seal, I think it's brilliant.... Well look in the insi on the inside of the front cover, no the inside of the other cover... no of... that one...
[Nancy:] Oh.... Oh yeah... ooh really nice, it's real authentic isn't it?
[Gill:] Really British, I'm pissed off about the European passports
[Nancy:] Oh I know. I'm gonna have to get one next time, a Europeaney one.
[Gill:] Yeah mine, mine runs out in nineteen ninety seven.
[Jemma:] Well luckily, oh mine's, mine's not gonna run out
[Gill:] Two thousand and one yours runs out.
[Jemma:] Yeah....
[Nancy:] You're older than my sister...
[Jemma:] Really?
[Nancy:] My sister was born er... thirteenth of June sixty nine.... That looks a lot like you there.
[Gill:] That's Dave's birthday, thirteenth of June.
[Nancy:] Really?... Have you got any stamps?
[Jemma:] No cos I only got it this summer cos my other one was nicked, my other one which had all my really nice visas in it, which I was really
[Gill:] I ordered mine from Nigeria. And a few others. I love that passport. This passport is just fucking excellent, I love it. Well yeah, just because of the... stamps in it and stuff, like real memories and s things. Oh shit you've lost yours totally?
[Jemma:] Yeah it was nicked. Stolen. Gone.
[Gill:] Oh you would have thought though they'd send it back. Do you know what I mean? I mean that's so stupid not to send it back.
[Nancy:] Where was it stolen from?
[Jemma:] Well these, these these are the kind of people who nicked my address book which was sitting on my seat and which looked quite nice which wasn't in my bag, they nicked that....
[Nancy:] Where was it stolen from?
[Gill:] But that's so pointless cos it's got all the addresses, your addresses in it.
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] It's such a tossy, you sure it wasn't in the bag?
[Jemma:] Yeah I'm absolutely positive, I remember leaving it on the seat. It was stolen from my car, my car was broken into...
[Gill:] How long did you actually leave the er... how long were you away from the car for?
[Jemma:] Erm well it happened some time between about... two and six
[Gill:] It was a bit silly to leave your bag on the front seat though.
[Jemma:] Yeah but we were sitting in a er we were in a cul-de-sac in a nice area
[Gill:] Yeah you don't think do you? You don't think at all. Mind you, my mum was telling me, on Christmas day, right, Christmas day! Erm... you know that Georgian house on my road on th my side of the road, up the road? Looks way out of place. Well not as way out of place as a British Telecom building would look but, it looks quite [LAUGHTER] erm looks quite out of place [], but erm this massive great obnoxious Georgian building... erm... was broken into on Christmas morning right? They picked the lock [LAUGHTER] on the house, the front fucking door []. All the people were in bed in the house, woke up in the morning, the front door was wide open, the video and T V had gone, and the stereo.... And so they pi they we came into the house when everyone was asleep. That would freak me out so much, you just wouldn't feel safe in your house ever again would you? Cos equally a rapist could pick the lock and come in and, and... do you know what I mean? Er you'd just feel... I couldn't believe that, thought fucking hell. So my dad's having all the locks changed. [LAUGHTER] Stepped up the security in our house. Outrageous.
[Nancy:] stepdad?
[Gill:] No stepped up the security [LAUGHTER] in the house [].
[Nancy:] [LAUGHTER] Oh []
[Gill:] Hey Nance, Nance, Nance, Nance, you know you were telling me that you thought someone had died... at work?... I, I [LAUGHTER] sort of heard [] Debbie and Chris talking the other day, and I might have got it totally mixed up, but I reckon, I heard Chris saying... that, well basically what I gathered was that Andy might have a different father to Chris and it was Andy's father that's died, right? Cos Chris was saying things like oh his, yeah he's been to the funeral and erm he's all of a sudden found that he's got loads of cousins he didn't even know about.
[Jemma:] What, so he did, he didn't
[Gill:] But I wonder if I wonder if Chris and Andy, cos Chris and Andy's half brother is Steven who's Debbie's husband, I'm wondering if they knew that... they had different fathers. Cos they don't call each other they're half brothers....
[Nancy:] Maybe... yeah. Well Andy's, look how Andy's got ginger hair.
[Gill:] Mm. Chris is dark and sort of like totally, doesn't look anything like Andy. Not even one similarity. Totally like
[Jemma:] And what, they're supposed to be half brothers are they?
[Gill:] No they're supposed to be brothers.
[Nancy:] But I reckon they've probably lived like brothers from a young age. Cos look how much
[Gill:] Yeah, oh yeah.
[Nancy:] older Chris is than Andy as well.... Well he isn't that much but he's a good nine years. Nine, ten, eleven years older than Andy.
[Gill:] So maybe they did know....
[Nancy:] Yeah I reckon they did.
[Gill:] And just sort of like did, just called people
[Nancy:] Or Andy may er Andy, Andy may be adopted or something like that.
[Gill:] Yeah maybe. But it's just strange that Steven's called their half brother and they're called brothers. Do you know what I mean?
[Nancy:] Well maybe, yeah, but maybe Steven... is er is a half brother through a third marriage erm... at a later stage to when they... his mum er they're er Chris' mum may have remarried, who Andy calls mum, erm remarried when Andy was... you know, fifteen and Chris was twenty five and then they, and Steve was o old as well, Steve was quite... however o however how old Steve is, he
[Gill:] So then he'd be a stepbrother.
[Nancy:] Oh. mixed up.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] Maybe we don't know. Maybe we're just gossiping. [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] Maybe we're just damn fucking nosy.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] [LAUGHTER]
[Gill:] It was funny cos I could hear them talking and I was really sort of like
[Nancy:] So obviously then, I reckon it must be his dad... and that's obviously why Andy saying oh look your dad's died
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Nancy:] Cos Chris doesn't seem that bothered really, does he? Maybe he wouldn't know him.
[Gill:] Mm. Maybe Andy didn't know him.... And he just went because it was... his father's funeral.... But then why would he have to go to the morgue for an identification, he wouldn't know what he looked like.... Maybe he's next of kin.... [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] [LAUGHTER]
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] [LAUGHTER] Stop it [].
[Gill:] Aren't we nosy though? Aren't I nosy I mean....
[Nancy:] I better go
[Jemma:] Right, good luck.
[Nancy:] Yeah.
[Gill:] You bloody lay into them.
[Nancy:] Yeah I will, I'm gonna stand my ground.... Yeah, definitely. I will, yeah. Well it is, it's money innit, we're talking about now?
[Gill:] Don't forget about the deposit.
[Nancy:] Yeah, right.
[Gill:] [mimicking] Yeah, right []. [LAUGHTER]... I love this song.... I haven't listened to it for ages....
[Jemma:] what I've nicked today?
[Gill:] Oh yeah.
[Jemma:] Not bad eh?
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]...
[Jemma:] Well
[Gill:] [singing] He said I'm not fighting for you any more and the queen as she seen his face some days before []...
[Jemma:] Jane wants me to send her a postcard....
[Gill:] [singing] up here on the hill []
[Jemma:] lot of people I work with actually.
[Gill:] Who er so who's this Jane person then?
[Jemma:] Jane's like another she's really nice
[Gill:] Who you just got on with.
[Jemma:] really, really friendly with me, yeah.
[Gill:] The thing is though there's so many people who are sending postcards won't send her one.
[Nancy:] See you later.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] See you Nance.
[Nancy:] I'll be back soon hour and a half relax
[Gill:] Right.
[Jemma:] Alright
[Gill:] Bye.
[Nancy:] See you later.
[Jemma:] Good luck.
[Gill:] Good luck. [LAUGHTER]... I'm having real problems with things like... people asking me what accents people have got.... Cos what'll fug people out, I mean what's your accent? What would you say your accent was?...
[Jemma:] Southern.
[Gill:] That's what I put.
[Jemma:] No it's Je Jersey.
[Gill:] I put south. But it's not Jersey, Jersey is all
[Jemma:] No.
[Gill:] [mimicking] like this innit []?
[Jemma:] Well it's not, it's just like... er I dunno, I can't do it.
[Gill:] I've said I've got Essex, I've said Frank's Oxford
[Jemma:] [mimicking] alright my cocky [] [LAUGHTER]
[Gill:] Oh really?
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] A bit countrified though.
[Jemma:] Very countrified, that's a real rural thick Jersey accent though. [mimicking] Alright my cocky. How you doing eh []
[Gill:] [singing] like a fan... secret planet []... Wonder if I'll fill up a whole book, there's no chance I will. [LAUGHTER]...
[Jemma:] to do tomorrow. Right....
[Gill:] Driving
[Jemma:] Right.
[Gill:] Bank.... I tell you what you could do, which would be useful for me as well
[Jemma:] Erm...
[Gill:] [singing] and you are never revealed... on your battle field []... would be to erm phone up Trailfinders... or S T A, I think I might've asked S T A, and find out which would be the best card, which would be the best card to have.
[Jemma:] Right.
[Gill:] You know whether it'd be Visa, Access or whatever.... [singing] as an honest man []... You know some time we've got to decide what we're gonna do when, as soon as we get to Thailand and where we wanna go first. Cos we won't wanna stay in Bangkok for that long.
[Jemma:] No, no, we don't want to stay in Bangkok for... any time at all, no.
[Gill:] Get out straight away
[Jemma:] Erm
[Gill:] after a day or two.
[Jemma:] I reckon we should head up to actually.... Or shall, we could ask Jim about it. The thing about... thing about if you go down the south of the islands they're so nice, it's very hard.
[Gill:] No I think we should do the north first, then go down to the south to meet Frank and Dave.
[Jemma:] Yeah, yeah I, I reckon that's a good idea....
[Gill:] [singing] order was heard... still waiting for her word []...
[Jemma:] And what was it asked to do? Mm
[Gill:] Yeah. I'll get mine done er after work tomorrow....
[Jemma:] We need quite a few don't we?
[Gill:] Three....
[Jemma:] Three for each don't we?...
[Gill:] Oh I don't know, I think, I don't know.
[Jemma:] Well three for the application forms, that's one oh right, making three.... Not a bad little list to do is it?... I might do some shopping as well, get some food....
[Gill:] It's a bit stupid to have all these doors open you know? Thing is we want to listen to, shall we go in my room? [LAUGHTER] [sigh]... I'm really, really, really changed dramatically from not eating very much to scoffing my face at every single available opportunity.
[Jemma:] Really?
[Gill:] Mm.
[Jemma:] I'm alright
[Gill:] It might just be today though.... Can I have a light?... [singing] left it all [] Do you still wanna go to the pub later?
[Jemma:] I think, yeah,...
[Gill:] Twenty to nine now, shall we just go for last orders or something?... Go about ten or something.... Yeah Judy seems to be finding her job very boring actually.... [singing] []. Apparently she's just pumping in er... like addresses and stuff into a computer. They're graduates. [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] quite good today actually, we've got erm Pat... who is like erm... who is, I think she's like the personnel in charge of I know that she's in charge of personnel there
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] she's quite good and she said well you're intelligent, you can do this for me and she had me doing this like phone calls ringing people up and
[Gill:] Mm.
[Jemma:] and
[Gill:] Brilliant.
[Jemma:] And I, it was good, I was actually...
[Gill:] Actually recognized.
[Jemma:] that I did have a brain and I was capable of doing things even though it was
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] very, anyone could do it, you know
[Gill:] Well thing is that I mean a lot of these jobs, I mean er yeah... they recognize that, I mean a lot of them... yo they think you're as thick as shit and treat you like you're as thick as shit just because you're doing a thick as shit job... but you know they can't necessarily give you more
[Jemma:] Yeah I
[Gill:] more er... they can't necessarily give you more er... erm... [LAUGHTER] don't suppose you want to get me a cloth do you []?... More erm responsibility cos you have to be trained for it. Or know what you're talking about on the phone maybe.... Lovely, thank you sweetheart. Ah! [LAUGHTER]...
[Jemma:] the fact that she's, she's intelligent as well erm she, you know, she's gonna s she knew that I didn't know what I was talking about so she said right you look,yo you look er you, you ask them about this, this, this and this and they might say this to you, so I knew what, if they asked me, I knew what I was talking about rather than
[Gill:] Yeah....
[Jemma:] being completely lost....
[Gill:] Mm.... [singing] Yes she's gone, gone, gone []
[Jemma:] The only thing is my back has started to go.
[Gill:] Why? Slouching around?
[Jemma:] Sitting at a desk. It really is hurting a lot.... Never mind....
[Gill:] So how much money will you get for the three days' work you've done?
[Jemma:] Erm... I'm not sure really. Wait and see.
[Gill:] Yeah....
[Jemma:] going to cash my giro today as well you can only cash it at one of your local
[Gill:] How much is it?
[Jemma:] Sixty three quid.... But that's for two weeks.
[Gill:] Oh yeah, yeah I suppose so.
[Jemma:] Cos it comes in, it seems a lot cos it always comes in one big lump.
[Gill:] Did you sort out Housing Benefit ever?
[Jemma:] I sent it off but I haven't had anything back. I sent my rent book off as proof of the fact that I was... of what the rent was
[Gill:] Cos you might get a big fat juicy cheque for that.
[Jemma:] The thing is, I was thinking right, is it'll probably happen when I'm, if come through, it'll probably happen while I'm away.
[Gill:] Yeah but what you could do, Nancy will be really responsible about things like that, you can say to her if a big fat Housing Benefit cheque comes for me cash it and put it in my bank.
[Jemma:] But will she be able to do that? Won't I have to countersign it or something first?
[Gill:] No....
[Jemma:] Yeah but I think on the back of the giro there's a thing where you have to countersign it saying I authorize so and so
[Gill:] Mm.... Get her to forge it.... They won't ask for any, any... do you know did you, were you there when Darrel was talking about that woman in the Post Office? Cos I w he was, he was in the Post Office one day and he saw this old woman and she'd just cashed all her giros and this bloke just nicked it... in the Post Office. Just grabbed her handbag and ran off with it.... Sort of stood there watching her cash the giros and then nicked her money.... An old woman. I mean she's probably not got any money. I think that's outrageous.... Well I don't mind, well I mean this is a horrible thing to say but I don't necessarily mind people robbing from the rich... but when it's poor people robbing from the poor, it's a really wank off, really wanky thing to do, you know, I just think it's disgusting....
[Jemma:] Well you can understand it when somebody poor robs someone who's rich, but when someone who's poor robs someone else who's poor it's just...
[Gill:] I've written Darrel a letter you know and er
[Jemma:] Have you posted it?
[Gill:] No it's down there, and in it... er I wrote it last night actually when I was feeling pretty fucked off so it's probably a bit out of order but I wrote to him and said erm... tt Josh has been round this evening asking questions about what's happened with his money... erm... and I think you're really out of order.... Thing is that he's in er he's in such a pickle, he's doing what... I can understand him doing it cos I'd do it, he's kind of just putting it off... having to sort it out.... But I said to him look Josh isn't exactly well off at the moment, he needs the money or... what he bought so... [sigh]
[Jemma:] cos I mean I get... er talked about it and I know about it and that kind of thing and I that Darrel
[Gill:] I'm not saying anything because it's none of my business as far as I'm concerned
[Jemma:] No.
[Gill:] it's between them.
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] No....
[Jemma:] I mean Josh is alright, I mean Josh will understand, if Darrel said to him look, this is the situation, Josh would understand... to a certain extent.
[Gill:] Yeah.... I'd quite like to know how much... like how,wheth what Darrel actually ran away from, I mean he owes so many people money.
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] Well not,n actually that's not necessarily true, he owes his land he owed his landlord loads of money, I'm not sure whether he actually got round to paying him off. [sniff]... What would you feel like listening to?...
[Jemma:] Erm...
[Gill:] Something in the same vein?
[Jemma:] Yeah....
[Gill:] I know what I feel like listening to, it's just whether or not I can find it.... I quite lis like Tapestry.... Carole King.
[Jemma:] Yeah....
[Gill:] Mm it's a case of remembering what it's on the side o aha!... Have you done that, I, I saw a tape in your room the other day, erm... lovingly compiled in Berkshire... [LAUGHTER] it was like a... it was like a tape in a box like
[Jemma:] That's Josh's.
[Gill:] Oh what, who taped him that?
[Jemma:] Erm oh I dunno, a friend of his.... Erm Martin
[Gill:] What sort of music is it? Oh really? He's the one that got busted at the [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] erm... it's, it's a kind of... dancey kind of... hate the word but raveish type music but a bit mellower.
[Gill:] Mm.... Bit like that System Seven tape?... Of Simon's.
[Jemma:] Yes, yeah. Oh did you, you recorded that did you?
[Gill:] Mm.... It's good actually, very good.... I really like it....
[Jemma:] Yeah. I'm, I'm gonna go up and see him before we go....
[Gill:] Simon?
[Jemma:] Mm.
[Gill:] I am wondering actually what I should do about Helen. See now I, I would like to speak to her to check she's alright. But in doing so I'd be telling her that I knew that it had happened and therefore that Simon had talked to me.... Or that I would have to say oh Simon told me, and I don't think that is a very good thing to do really.... Cos she'd ask me how I'd know. It wouldn't be a case of oh Si Helen I've heard on the grapevine... would it?... Tell you who I might phone up in a minute [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] Yeah?
[Gill:] Vanessa.... And not
[Jemma:] Vanessa and Dangerous?
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] And Dangerous yeah []. And not tell her that I know and wait for her to tell me.
[Jemma:] That... what are, are they, what are the, the you know
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] They're fucking engaged []...
[Jemma:] Oh she didn't! What
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] That's what I mean. But if she says something to me about it... I mean if she says something to me about it I'm not gonna act surprised I'll say oh yeah I've heard....
[Jemma:] Who told you?
[Gill:] Liz.... What should I s er what should, would you be honest?... I mean I'm not gonna say look I hate Dangerous, I think he's an absolute wanker and how can you marry someone who's uses the nickname Dangerous for fuck's sake.
[Jemma:] cos you could, I mean if if she asked you about it, you know, you could just say well... honestly I'm quite, I didn't think you were the kind of person who'd go for... I know, I know that... thing is I mean I can see, I can see that she's going for him because...
[Gill:] What I might actually do is say well I re if she does actually a I mean what she'll probably do is say... oh have you heard about me and Dangerous, and I'll say yes. And she'll say... and that's all I'll say. And I'll say yeah, yeah I've heard.... And then if she says something like well what do you think I might just say well... I haven't really talked to you very much about the way that you feel about Dangerous so I don't really know... erm... Dangerous, what a fucking stupid name! And then if she says well... and, and then I might say but I just would imagine that you'd have a lot more to do with your life before you thought about settling down and getting engaged to someone.
[Jemma:] And also someone like him because I mean, I mean er obviously he, he seemed like a, I mean I'm sure he's a nice guy... er I mean when it comes down to it he probably is a nice guy, he's probably nice to her but it's just the fact that he is so restricted in his views and...
[Gill:] It's also the fact that I know for a fact, I know for a fact that she's very frightened of his temper when it happens. I know she is. Cos she's talked to me about it. I mean there's been a couple of times that he's really lost his temper with her and erm... and, and really flown off the handle, badly. And I reckon that he's the sort of person who would turn into someone that would hit someo hit his... his woman, because he takes her for granted enough as it is, and that, I reckon that's how wife battering starts because the husband starts taking the woman for granted so much
[Jemma:] Mm.
[Gill:] that, then starts taking their anger out on her
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] and, and... if she's already scared of his temper and they've not even... lived together, well they have lived together for quite a while actually... so I mean it's not like they don't know each other but... once they're married and they've been married for a couple of years I reckon, and he starts thinking of her more as a possession sort of thing... I can, I can really imagine
[Jemma:] I can just imagine
[Gill:] him starting hitting her.
[Jemma:] I can imagine him being one of these, these, these er husbands who just want, who want, who will want to go out with the lads... on his night out and will get, you know, he's a, he's ste I can imagine him being one of these stereotypical husbands who goes out, gets pissed, comes back, who wants the dinner on the table and
[Gill:] Mm. I can imagine it going in that dir yeah that way. It won't be like it for a couple of years.... But he's not the sort of person that'll say ah... yeah we've been doing this for a little while, why don't we just take off and go somewhere and fuck it, fuck it, let's just go and do something together... he's the sort of person that they would settle down into this safe little life and, which wouldn't actually be that safe for Vanessa, it'd be very... very... you know, much what Dangerous wants to do. But I, I can understand why she'd want to marry, why she'd want to do that, cos she hasn't ha well had an awful lot of... brilliant times in her life since she left Nigeria. Nigeria was what kept her alive. She hated living in England.... But I don't understand why she hasn't just earned the money and gone off somewhere.
[Jemma:] Yeah but they're gonna, it's such a hard thing to do. I mean
[Gill:] Especially by yourself, she doesn't know anyone she could do it with.
[Jemma:] Yeah and, and if you could, I mean the thing is, if you're, if er, if we didn't have each other to go off with... erm it would have made everything for us a lot different, I mean okay we're lucky we're in a situation where we do know a lot of people who are, who are like- minded
[Gill:] Mm.
[Jemma:] and we could maybe find someone else to go off and do it with
[Gill:] Though it would be a case of finding someone else to go off with and not just sort of like, I mean we mentioned it years ago.
[Jemma:] Well I remember when we first met we wanted to go and do a dissertation together didn't we?
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah! Oh can you remember [] walking around the streets of France... saying yeah let's go and do our dissertation somewhere. Yeah....
[Jemma:] Funny isn't it how we meet people, how you can know them for ages then you just sort of talk to them, or once you start talking to them you realize that you've got
[Gill:] An awful lot in common, yeah.
[Jemma:] in common. So much in common.
[Gill:] Yeah.... Yeah....
[Jemma:] You know I'm, in some ways you know I'm so glad I've never had like... well before you know it used to bother me that I'd never had a long-term relationship and that...
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] erm... because it's something other people have and now, now I'm quite happy with myself and... feel a lot more sure about the way I think and what I want
[Gill:] Mm.
[Jemma:] erm it doesn't bother me in the slightest because I know that... I would prefer maybe to be on my own... than to be restricted by someone.
[Gill:] Yeah because the other thing is that although... erm... you might have all these sort of high flying ideas about what you wanna do and you don't actually feel tied down by a relationship, actually... you do live your life thinking well... can't really do that because I wanna be with him.
[Jemma:] Mm....
[Gill:] It's just a different choice.... You might not necessarily feel stuck in it, but it does make you stick around.
[Jemma:] You can get, you get yeah you can get tied into it without realizing it.
[Gill:] Yeah.... Yeah definitely. It just makes leaving that much harder.
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] It makes like doing anything that much harder.
[Jemma:] Yeah....
[Gill:] Definitely. [sniff]... Mm.... [LAUGHTER] What []?...
[Jemma:] No I was just worrying that I always thought that I would never ever like... come across anyone who I thought that I can even vaguely click with but I just realized that I can... and it's just quite a nice feeling....
[Gill:] Have you er have you spoken to Pete yet?
[Jemma:] No I've been thinking about that actually, I must...
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] You've been saying it for so long [].
[Jemma:] Well I know, I b I, I was thinking before I'll wr I, I should write to him but now I, I'm... I'm getting towards the stage where I want to write to him.
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] Cos you can't just write to someone, you have to want to write to them really.
[Gill:] Yeah....
[Jemma:] Cos I'm thinking about it now, I mean... it was totally my fault, it was, cos I wanted a relationship he seemed, he seemed
[Gill:] Alright.
[Jemma:] he seemed like, he, he, I looked at him, right, and I looked at everything about him and I thought... that is the kind of guy I want, which is true, but it wasn't the guy....
[Gill:] Yeah....
[Jemma:] And he never, we never really... we never, we never discussed things, you know, we talked, we never discussed things really.
[Gill:] Mm.
[Jemma:] I never felt like... I never felt animated talking to him, you know if you talk to someone you get really, you really get animated and
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] we always, we always get like, you know, a buzz off it or whatever but
[Gill:] Oh you do get a total buzz off it
[Jemma:] Yeah
[Gill:] I reckon. Especially if it, especially if it's someone that you're snogging... as well.... I do love this tape, I really love it. Janet gave it to Frank for Christmas.... Ha! [whistling]... [singing] make it... and I just can't take it []
[Jemma:] No I'm so, I'm so lucky I've met the people I've met, you know, so lucky.... I really am.
[Gill:] Yeah, I often think that actually.
[Jemma:] I really am realizing it now. And if I hadn't met the people I've met, I think I'd've been a very frustrated person... cos erm, even though you can think of something,un unless, if you have other people you can go, if you say to somebody you could say, oh God, you know let's do this and this and this, or I think, really think this or this and someone else goes... yes I do
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] as well, I agree with you
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] you're like... I am right, even though you know you are it's like reinforcing your ideas.
[Gill:] Also it's kind of er... even if you er sort of different people don't, I mean a lot of people don't discuss as much as we do.... I've really, really, really realized that. Most people don't actually... go into things as deeply as we do. We've er oh it's, it's all to do with this sort of special thing that we found.
[Jemma:] It is, it is true though.
[Gill:] Definitely. I don't, I don't know anybody... that I, I've... I mean I've never seen a group, I mean you see it on films every [LAUGHTER] now and then you know [], a group of people that really, really spark one another off, like in The Big Chill and all the things like that... but erm... I've never seen it before. Not, not to the extent of what we've got.... Not as permanent.
[Jemma:] My brother actually, Michael has been very good... he still sees erm... cos he's always friends with... and they're really good friends. I mean it's not, it's not the same kind of thing that we've got, it's a different kind of relationship cos he's a different kind of person
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] but erm it's good that he kept up with everyone, they are really good friends and he can really rely on them, they're all really decent
[Gill:] Mm.
[Jemma:] really decent people, all, all decent blokes....
[Gill:] That's a really lovely jumper, is it new?
[Jemma:] Erm
[Gill:] Have I seen it before?... I don't think I have.
[Jemma:] I got it in the summer... erm but then for some reason I decided I didn't like it. I it's nice but it's a bit, it's a bit erm impractical, it looks, it look it's not as thick as it looks,
[Gill:] Oh really?
[Jemma:] I mean
[Gill:] It looks very thick.
[Jemma:] Well feel it, it's not....
[Gill:] Oh it's cos it's this new velvety stuff isn't it?
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] Oh this new velvety stuff []....
[Jemma:] talking about things and things like everything from the universe erm
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] [LAUGHTER] we, because we covered it, and er []
[Gill:] He's fucking mad, Simon, he always makes people think and talk about these mad things that they probably wouldn't talk about that often.
[Jemma:] Yeah. He's fucking excellent, he sparked me off... erm... shit what was I saying?
[Gill:] Oh I don't know, I can't really remember.
[Jemma:] Rewind the tape. [LAUGHTER] Rewind the tape [LAUGHTER] rewind the tape, let me hear it [LAUGHTER] I'll remember []
[Gill:] Erm... no I went away for the weekend this weekend and er... made four ta tapes of me and Frank in the car driving around from er we went to erm... Oxford first... then we went to Bournemouth, then we went to Winchester and then we went to Cheltenham,. And [LAUGHTER] there's all these []
[Jim:] Cheltenham's nice isn't it?
[Gill:] Yeah. We went to see this bloke called Tom... he wasn't there, he was... erm...
[Jim:] A bloke called Tom...
[Gill:] Er er
[Jim:] Do you know this bloke called Tom?
[Gill:] Oh yeah, he's lovely.
[Jim:] I know a bloke called Tom who lives in Cheltenham, he's called Tom.
[Gill:] Oh no, mine's called
[Jim:] No?
[Gill:] Tom.
[Jim:] Oh.
[Gill:] But you must have met him, he's been up here a couple of times.... You might have met him vaguely. Erm... but er
[Jim:] It sounds like a very familiar name, ask him if erm... ask him if er any of his relations went to Cheltenham Junior School cos there was a bloke with that surname at my school and it's not a very
[Gill:] What school did you go to?
[Jim:] Cheltenham Junior School, the junior school at the college, and it's not a very erm... common name
[Gill:] Did you know a bloke called er... you didn't go to the kind of big school though?
[Jim:] No, but I might have known him because he might have been a junior.
[Gill:] What big school did you go to? [LAUGHTER] Do you know a bloke called Nick []?
[Jim:] Yeah, yeah
[Gill:] You do?
[Jim:] Yeah.
[Gill:] [scream] Really?
[Jim:] [LAUGHTER] I thought that was him on the photo, was it? Is there a photo of him in there somewhere?
[Gill:] There's a photo of him in there.
[Jim:] Yeah, I thought that was him. I looked at it the other day and I thought I must remember to ask. I didn't know him very well but, yeah, anyway... [LAUGHTER] he erm
[Gill:] Oh!
[Jim:] Yeah he and I, he, he
[Gill:] That's two people that I know that you know.
[Jim:] he, we shagged the same bird me and Nick, not on the same times but oh... I went out with her after he went out with her.
[Gill:] Oh what at school?
[Jim:] This, this man-eating girl.
[Gill:] What was her name?
[Jim:] Helena.... I can't er I dunno actually, I'm not sure if it was him, he had a friend called Rob... and he was a blond beautiful boy as well and they were both blond beautiful boys together sort of thing
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jim:] so it might've been Rob that went out with her, but I dunno. But I didn't know him very well but er he was, you know, seemed alright like... I've got nothing bad to say about him.
[Gill:] Yeah.... Yeah I know he was alr I, I only knew hi I knew him in Nigeria.... And er
[Jim:] That's right he always used to come back with kaftans and stuff
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jim:] not kaftans,
[Gill:] Yeah I think he lived in Kenya before he
[Jim:] Yeah.
[Gill:] and er... yeah what were we talking about before we found out?
[Jim:] [LAUGHTER]. Oh before?...
[Gill:] We were talking about Tom?
[Jim:] About being a surname of someone who went to... my junior school.
[Gill:] Oh right.... Er
[Jim:] It could've been him, you never know.
[Gill:] like, oh it might have been!
[Jim:] I mean
[Gill:] his parents live in Cheltenham so it could've been. He went to Rugby after that though.
[Jim:] it's a very it's a very erm... uncommon name so it must have been him or one of his relations.
[Gill:] And he doesn't have any brothers.
[Jim:] Cousins. Ask, just ask him, it might've been him.
[Gill:] Mhm.
[Jim:] ... dunno....
[Gill:] Yeah cos you know erm as well.
[Jim:] yeah I must do....
[Gill:] Ha ha... ha ha... ha ha... erm
[Jim:] he's got a fucking limp as well, what's he gonna [LAUGHTER]
[Gill:] You're joking? Is that a I thought he was a collector or something.
[Jemma:] Yeah I didn't know he was head of
[Jim:] [LAUGHTER] []
[Gill:] Well he's, he's not very, oh he's alright, he's not very chatty though is he?
[Jemma:] The other guy was really friendly actually, he was alright the other guy.... He was...
[Gill:] what, the new one is?
[Jemma:] No the old tall, that tall one. Yeah.
[Jim:] Bit like Dirty Den, a bit
[Jemma:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER] []
[Jim:] Yeah. That's why you saw him so often.
[Jemma:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah []... I'm glad you're having a party.
[Gill:] Yeah I am as well.
[Jemma:] Something to look forward to....
[Group Of Unknown Speakers:] ...
[Jim:] Don't you have to... can you get it back?
[Jemma:] I hope so, I don't know.
[Jim:] I'm su well I'm sure you can.
[Jemma:] Yeah....... Did you erm put down, you know it says purpose... of proposed address? Did you put down my olds' address or did you?
[Jim:] ...
[Jemma:] And so your occupation profession is, is student is it?... I put graduate
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] and then I put, in fact I put erm office clerk cos that's what I am. Bit better than saying filing clerk.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] I put waitress. [LAUGHTER]...
[Jim:] busy at lunch time.
[Gill:] Oh it was mad time. I earned quite a lot of money though so... Oh I was in a really good mood, I woke up this morning in a really good mood, so I kind of danced into work
[Jim:] [LAUGHTER]
[Gill:] and then er... had quite a nice time....
[Jim:] And what was it like working for stockbroker?
[Jemma:] It was alright actually, I was surprised I thought they would be complete jerks but they are okay. They're erm yeah alright people....
[Jim:] Yeah. Yeah.
[Jemma:] It wasn't, it was not like quite quiet time, you know, but they said and apparently it can get no cos it can, apparently it can get like that, sort of all yelling and shouting and... and the first day I was there I was s sitting there sitting and stuffing envelopes
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] [LAUGHTER] and then suddenly from the other end there's this like, cos we, it's like a big room, it's the other end of the room all the dealers there, and er [LAUGHTER] anyway [] and er and suddenly I hear, and then someone's like saying... talking, they're all, somebody's like mi microphone and starts talking to them about er what's happening in the market, things like that blah blah blah blah blah, and this means blah blah blah blah so watch out for blah blah blah and I thought it's like living in a different world, it's amazing.
[Gill:] Are they all really young?
[Jemma:] No they're a real mix actually. Most of them aren't er there's, there's a couple of young guys and they look a bit like, you know,bi bit like jerks really
[Jim:] Yeah I know.
[Jemma:] but er... the ol the other guys seem alright.
[Jim:] I worked for a, for a like a, it's a money brokers in, in London but exactly the same stockbroking, and it was exactly like the film, you know, they had this, they had this room, like they had one of those long rooms as well you know with all the desks and computers and stuff but they had this one enclosed off room where all the dealers sat round this massive like circular console type table, and like they were all under thirty but like overweight, all c driving Porsches and taking coke and shit like this and right they just, they got into the office at something like six in the morning... like I'd get in at nine and I'd be, be wandering around they'd just have their trousers open, shoes off,
[speaker006:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jim:] and stuff and they'd be shouting down they were all like, they were all real East End barrow boys... and, and just, it was exactly like the film, just talking talking talking all the time on two phones and like, and like [LAUGHTER] I was just so scared to go in there [] because I, if you do anything wrong they just shout immediately.
[speaker006:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jim:] You know, and they're like swivelling around on their chairs, it's unr unreal.
[Jemma:] Ah this isn't, isn't at all like that.
[Jim:] But erm
[Jemma:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jim:] Yeah th but I must admit it wasn't like that all hours of the day, they had, they just had massive lulls when they all just sort of sat there and playing like computer games and just did nothing.
[Jemma:] Yeah. I think also where I was wasn't like the main trading bit, I think it's
[Jim:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] like the research department.
[Jim:] Yeah.... I should imagine it could get quite frantic anyway.
[Jemma:] Yeah, I know th th th there's three floors of it and I was, I was on like the bottom floor so...
[Jim:] It's quite interesting though sort of thinking
[Jemma:] Yeah
[Jim:] that all the stuff's being broked around, whatever it
[Gill:] Yeah I know, that was when I went out
[Jemma:] [LAUGHTER]...
[Group Of Unknown Speakers:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jim:] Erm do you have to have a membership?... Gill
[Gill:] What?
[Jim:] to get to get into the s... [LAUGHTER] You wouldn't know.
[Gill:] I'm never sure, I don't, I don't know. Phone them up.
[Jim:] Cos I was gonna ask you about that, I wondered like, I wonder if your sister could like... find out for us. Cos like I mean how did, is your sister a member of?
[Gill:] I don't really, I don't think so. I think
[Jim:] Cos I presume you must be able to get an application form from somewhere
[Gill:] Oh yeah yeah I would imagine so but I w er maybe it's... maybe you become a member if you go to a few of their and they get to know your faces or something and then you apply but I don't really know. I would imagine that you'd go in with, you know, a member.
[Jim:] Yeah
[Gill:] I imagine that if you were a member you can, you can get in a lot easier and a lot cheaper.
[Jim:] Yeah.
[Gill:] Yeah.... There was quite a good?
[Jim:] Yeah
[Gill:] Yeah. institute, I heard that erm... that John Taylor out of Duran Duran had bought the institute
[Jim:] Yeah he did.
[Gill:] and that er he was er... cos er [LAUGHTER] last week there was supposed to be one of these big like rave things on and it was cancelled at the last minute.
[Jim:] shut down by the
[Jemma:] What the institute has?
[Jim:] Yeah.
[Gill:] Really?
[Jemma:] What, because of what? Because of drugs?
[speaker006:] It's just that, it's just that night though, the actual... was still open but
[Gill:] Yeah but I heard that John Taylor was he wanted to get rid of the raves in there but And er the all-nighters have been stopped because of it.
[Jim:] Oh it may have been all-nighters but this
[speaker006:] It was.
[Jim:] this club Yeah. Yeah he told us
[speaker006:] He, he told us that they've
[Group Of Unknown Speakers:] ...
[speaker006:] Either that or they're gonna shut down.
[Jim:] Shame.
[speaker006:] ...
[Jemma:] Yeah are you going?...
[Jim:] Yeah, definitely....
[Gill:] Are you going to go to the erm one?
[Jim:] Yeah.
[Gill:] ... Craig is really isn't he?
[Jim:] Yeah. And tell Craig that erm, excellent.
[speaker006:] Yeah they're quite, they're doing quite well these people, I dunno who they are but they're doing quite well. Got good, good guest DJs anyway.
[Gill:] Yeah.... Oh right oh what do these people do it all week?
[Jim:] Yeah.
[Gill:] sort of thing?
[Jim:] Mm.
[Gill:] Thing is I never know where one person stopped and another person's started, I've got no idea.
[Jemma:] Well if you are, I mean like on, on the er
[Group Of Unknown Speakers:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] And that's what happened when we went when we went to that other one, went to, you know with Janet and Frank
[Gill:] They didn't a actually I must admit nothing very sexy happened at all. [LAUGHTER] But I didn't mean that [] but I was in bed with two men though.
[Jemma:] Well I, I slept with two men once and nothing happened.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] Was that on my birthday by any chance?
[Jemma:] That was on your birthday, yeah. Yeah.... I remember it was slightly uncomfortable [LAUGHTER] actually [].
[Gill:] And then you started living with them.
[Jemma:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER] Yeah []
[Gill:] Oh we don't have milk in coffee.
[Jemma:] Oh yeah
[speaker006:] Oh now why didn't you say so beforehand!
[Jemma:] you didn't ask did you?
[speaker006:] No well normal people do have milky coffee
[Nancy:] got these little beetles in her flat and she thinks they're cockroaches and she's absolutely having a freak out.
[Gill:] You don't get cockroaches in England do you?
[Nancy:] No exactly. [LAUGHTER]...
[Group Of Unknown Speakers:] [music]
[Gill:] [whistling] [singing] I'm gonna da da da da da... da da da da da da da da da da []...
[Jemma:] Gill we've got a problem.
[Gill:] What?
[speaker006:] You've only got half [LAUGHTER] a mug of coffee [].
[Gill:] Oh!
[Jemma:] Well look share mine...
[Gill:] We can, we can boil the kettle again,
[Jemma:] Andy's being really horrible to you, he, he poured the coff specially for washing up
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] but it was alright because I knew he was doing it didn't piss me off really.
[speaker006:] Oh is that why you're still going on about it then?
[Jemma:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] coffee.... Give us a fag.
[Gill:] They're on the table.
[speaker006:] [whistling]
[Gill:] Look at it. Look at the mess he made making a cup of tea.
[Jemma:] I know, can't wait till they move out.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] She doesn't have black coffee, she's....
[Gill:] Does that mean if you ea drink your [yawning] coffee black [] you're not nice any more?
[speaker006:] No. It just means that when I put milk in your coffee and then you then tell me you've got black, that you want black coffee
[Gill:] I just sort of assumed you knew.
[speaker006:] I think that probably makes you a slag
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] in fact.
[Jemma:] A what?
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] A slag [].... I don't think I care to be classified as a slag, you have to sleep around to be a slag.... And er
[speaker006:] But you would if you could, it's just no one wants to sl
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah let's face it [] yeah.
[speaker006:] [LAUGHTER]
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]... Cheers Andy. You just know how to make me feel special don't you? Can I borrow that cloth?
[speaker006:] Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love it!
[Jemma:] Ow! That was fucking hot....
[Gill:] Erm... yeah did you see David then? He came round?
[Jemma:] Yeah! God I forgot about that, thought he'd drop in. Oh I, I was really pleased cos I was a bit worried that he wouldn't do that.
[Gill:] Oh what, what, what... what was he like? What did he do?
[Jemma:] He was lovely. He was really happy and he, he, he's sorting himself out.
[Gill:] He hasn't smoked, he's given up smoking hasn't he?
[Jemma:] Oh has he?
[Gill:] Cigarettes, yeah.
[Jemma:] Erm...
[Gill:] Ah!
[Jemma:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah, no, no he wasn't smoking.
[Gill:] Oh....
[Jemma:] Yeah and it was really nice to see him, I gave him a massive hug.
[Gill:] Apparently he's had a m a couple of mellies on Frank....
[Jemma:] Really? What about?
[Gill:] Just sort of er... telling Frank he hasn't been a very good friend and things.
[Jemma:] Really?
[Gill:] Erm...
[Jemma:] Tt blimey.
[Gill:] Don't know, I think he's probably feeling a bit insecure.... You know those, these people that get, if they actually do have people employed to analyze these tapes and sit and listen to them they're gonna have such a laugh. Or no they're gonna think we're all st totally stupid.
[Jemma:] me and Frank singing Country Roads.... [singing] []
[Gill:] Talking about how we need a shit.
[Jemma:] lovely music.
[speaker006:] What?
[Jemma:] music.
[speaker006:] What is it? music to me.
[Gill:] It's hippy shit.
[speaker006:] Hip yeah it's hippy, hippy nonsense.
[Gill:] Well you can just listen to it cos you're living in my house.
[Jemma:] That was Bob Dylan actually, was Bob Dylan
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] No []
[Jemma:] Did you play every single one of your erm your, your records Gill, how many have you got, about ten, twelve?
[speaker006:] I have a solution, I have headphones. I just put my headphones on and I'm happy.... Have you got any erm heavy metal as well?
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] I have actually []
[Jemma:] Do you know what I recorded?
[Gill:] from my Glam Rock time.
[Jemma:] Do you know what I recorded
[Nancy:] Gill are these yours?
[Jemma:] I, I recorded
[Gill:] Yeah, help yourself.
[Nancy:] I said to her why didn't you say something and she said oh well it's not up to me, it's nothing to do with me and I said well, it's more to do with you than Do you know what, then? Gill listen to this, right, Gill who, who's this girl I live with, right, got a knock on the door the other week and this guy come to the door with a Wa a Sony Walkman, yeah, and a microphone
[Gill:] [clears throat]
[Nancy:] that like fixes on to her T-shirt, and twenty tapes and she's gotta make twenty recordings' worth, twenty tapes' worth
[Gill:] I've just gotta record all my conversation
[Nancy:] Yeah, conversations all of them cos they're updating the er Oxford dictionary
[Gill:] Andy did you put any coffee in this?
[speaker006:] What?
[Gill:] Can you make coffee or what?
[speaker006:] No I don't like coffee, I don't know how to make it at all.
[Jemma:] Why what's he done?
[Gill:] Anyway I'd better put [LAUGHTER] some more in yours []
[Jemma:] is it is it piss
[Gill:] It's cat's piss. [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] Urgh....
[Gill:] Yeah so Ben's coming to stay, you'll meet Ben.
[Nancy:] Oh right.
[Gill:] He's coming to stay in a couple of weeks.
[Nancy:] Oh good. Good.
[Gill:] Yeah but they, Ben and this bloke Phil that I used to s be seeing, the one that... yeah, that one... erm have got this
[speaker006:] someone entertaining.
[Gill:] have got this cottage... and they're moving into this cottage in the middle of the countryside.
[Jemma:] [LAUGHTER] Pretend you're a cowboy or, or a bank robber, okay [] [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] Really?
[Gill:] Yeah they're moving into this beautiful little cottage, yeah.
[Nancy:] Oh how, how did they manage that? Has he been working for a long time?
[Gill:] Well yes Philip's a student but they're just sort of paying, it's just rented sort of thing... but erm...
[Nancy:] That'd be nice if they did.
[Jemma:] Oh I wish
[Gill:] But it sounds absolutely beautiful so we're gonna have to go and visit.
[Jemma:] Shall we do that when we come back?
[Gill:] Yeah. I don't see why not.
[Jemma:] I think we should as well.
[Gill:] But I mean I'm gonna go and visit them as well....
[Nancy:] ...
[Gill:] We should keep the door closed. Oh we can't really cos we've got music on. Yeah, a very concerted effort to remember the bin, there's about sixty out there, it's like when we moved in.... Not quite though, did you see the bins outside when we moved in?
[speaker006:] No.
[Gill:] All the way up, the whole passageway was just bin bags. Fucking disgusting.... Was that er well did you speak to your sister then?
[Nancy:] No. One of her friends, Darren....
[Jemma:] This house is so much warmer isn't it?
[Gill:] That was great, yeah.
[Jemma:] It's so nice.
[Nancy:] So much nicer and
[Gill:] My radiator is working, I think it just takes longer than the others to heat up.
[Jemma:] Yeah....
[Gill:] What?
[Nancy:] washing up...
[Jemma:] Yeah but
[Gill:] That, that kind of er... that kind of alienates us from [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] J J er whatsit as well.
[speaker006:] We did fight for it though.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah []
[speaker006:] I was fighting very, wanted to do it.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] Did you see it this morning?
[speaker006:] What?
[Jemma:] You made life horrible for me cos I was doing the washing up, you horrible horrible horrible person.
[speaker006:] Urgh!
[Nancy:] [LAUGHTER]
[Gill:] I think I might feel a bit sick now.... Yeah.
[speaker006:] I wish I hadn't stuffed it down so quick.
[Gill:] Yeah you wolfed yours down, you fat pig.
[speaker006:] I was starving though....
[Gill:] Mm.
[Nancy:] I started eating my dinner about fifteen minutes before Andy and he'd finished before me.
[Gill:] Did you? What did you do in then? What did you do?
[Nancy:] Went out [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] And lost lots of dogs.
[Nancy:] And lost lots of dogs
[Gill:] You went walking the dogs?
[Nancy:] like
[speaker006:] Pathetic. on top of a hill thinking he was gonna get blown off.
[Jemma:] So you we you went to the countryside Andy.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] Yeah he was actually.
[speaker006:] What?
[Gill:] You know er you were hippyish in the countryside breathing in the country air and that.
[speaker006:] That's not hippyish. Hippies sit down round camp fires and... smoke nasty substances.
[Gill:] No they don't, they eat lots of mushrooms. [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] Don't like mushrooms.
[Gill:] No I don't either.
[Nancy:] had a big dinner
[Gill:] Which means that I'm not a hippy. Your, your mum cooked a big dinner, your mum cooked a dinner?
[Nancy:] Roast. Lovely it was.
[Gill:] Ooh nice. Did you sit there and be, did you sit there and be, be I'm
[speaker006:] And my lovely, my lovely lovely gravy we had.
[Gill:] in parents' house therefore I've got to be nice? Did she get polite?
[Nancy:] I'm polite anyway.
[speaker006:] My mother?
[Gill:] No did Na Nancy go all polite? [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] No she just talked the bollocks off everyone including my grandmother, it was really worthwhile.
[Nancy:] [LAUGHTER] I was chatting to his nan, his nan's amazing you know, she's a right traveller.
[speaker006:] She's a pain in the arse.
[Nancy:] She's been to every country you can imagine, Far East, Middle East Africa, she likes Africa the best.
[Gill:] What now she travels? Or when she was younger she did?
[Nancy:] I dunno.
[speaker006:] now
[Nancy:] Really? Yeah?
[speaker006:] Her husband died what, tt thirty year ago
[Nancy:] She's really
[speaker006:] and she's travelled for about six months of every year since.
[Nancy:] She's got such a good personality
[Gill:] Really?
[Nancy:] she said look you know. She don't keep her house up, she goes I'm not gonna like get old, grey and old in a house surrounded by all these antiques that... like all these memorabilia around me she said I'm just gonna go out and see the world. [LAUGHTER] []
[Gill:] Brilliant! So is she really healthy and stuff?
[Nancy:] She looks healthy doesn't she?
[speaker006:] She's alcoholic....
[Nancy:] Ah she's not an alcoholic!
[Gill:] So what does she just sort of does she how does she travel then?
[speaker006:] She is
[Nancy:] She wasn't drinking.
[speaker006:] She was! She was pissed as a fart.
[Nancy:] She wasn't.
[speaker006:] She was, cos it's free....
[Gill:] So she, she, how, where's she got all the money to travel from?
[speaker006:] She can drink a bottle of gin seriously, a bottle of gin every time she comes to our house. And then drives home... usually through the wall. [LAUGHTER]...
[Nancy:] he don't like his nan.
[speaker006:] I don't like her at all.
[Nancy:] [LAUGHTER] He doesn't like his nan [].
[speaker006:] She's horrible.... She, she's obnoxious.
[Gill:] I'd better phone Katie hadn't I?
[speaker006:] Really, really obnoxious.
[Nancy:] No she's just smart... I think. I think she's really clued up and he [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] I think she's horrible
[Nancy:] he [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] she's really like
[Nancy:] being a sweet old granny. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] She's getting really old, she's really horrible to my mother.
[Gill:] Oh wh what, you, really you don't like her?
[speaker006:] No I really don't like her.... [singing] shine on []
[Jemma:] Yeah my mum hates my gran actually, well she doesn't hate her, she loves her
[Gill:] [singing] try to love one another right now... come on baby now, shine on me brother, everybody get to together, try to love one another right now []
[Jemma:] [LAUGHTER] I've got wo I've got about two earrings, and that's it....
[Gill:] This is beautiful this song, it's all about everyone loving each other and...
[Nancy:] Such a hippy girl
[Gill:] Katie. Yeah.
[speaker006:] Mind you half of these all about loving
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah []. Yeah but yours is drug induced, this is just beauty and, and love your neighbour.
[speaker006:] Oh no this isn't drug induced at all is it! No!
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]... No maybe not. We were listening to the Woodstock tape today
[Jemma:] to love each Andy
[Gill:] You know that Woodstock tape? Have you ever listened to it?
[speaker006:] I know
[Gill:] Oh so funny, cracking me up.... [phonecall starts] Hi is Katie there please.... Cheers [phonecall ends]....
[speaker006:] [phonecall starts] to you. Git.
[Jemma:] turn it off for telephone conversations
[Gill:] Well I mean
[speaker006:] Ah ah!
[Gill:] Well there's not a lot of point having it now
[speaker006:] Really?
[Gill:] really cos there's such a cross section of conversation going on, it's really funny there's this bit in the car when we went outside with the mike and... on a... at Claire's party and er... erm like there's me talking to Claire really loudly like across the car and Frank talking to Nigel across the front and he speakers were up here and there's just a whaaaaaaa this massive rabble going on. Really funny.
[speaker006:] I told you anyway cos I got, I got a bloody Erm so we were talking to Cath today, Cath's thinking about coming down and like me, Chris and John are gonna go to this place in London so you're very welcome to
[Nancy:] mad enough
[Gill:] Mm.
[Nancy:] Oh when are they gonna collect it?
[Gill:] Next Friday. Friday evening. This Friday coming up, yeah. Yeah.... It'll be quite funny.
[Nancy:] Mm.... Can you imagine listening to all the tapes?
[speaker006:] It can't be that much of a great thing because I've got, I've got to go to a twenty first on Saturday. Do you wanna come?... Yeah.... Erm... some girl.
[Gill:] Well the, the first ones that we made going down from here, the car's making a racket, the stereo's like on full [LAUGHTER] blast [] you can't hear anything we're saying at all. Really. I mean occasionally there's a break where we'd sort of get this stupid laughter and stuff but most of it most of it is just sort of like...
[speaker006:] No but it'll be quite funny. It means we can get really pissed and you can charm them all [phonecall ends].
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] So do you think you're go you're tomorrow after ten?
[Gill:] [singing] asleep by his side [] Erm... how's he affording to go to?... I would imagine that he's getting help off his parents, to be honest. I don't know. I think he's da oh his dad's paying for everything first. What's the date today, the thirteenth?... Yeah.... Erm... I think he's got his dad to pay off his...
[Jemma:] I suppose if you think about it his parents probably think it's probably good to get him out of London and get him doing something.
[Gill:] Yes because at the moment he's just, I mean he's... I mean he hasn't, I mean he had that job in Debenhams and that's it isn't it really?
[Jemma:] Yeah.... So I guess I have done better than some people. [LAUGHTER]
[Gill:] Mm Erm... yes so he was just saying that, you know, the only night he's really been out since New Year's Eve was last Wednesday, he's just been in the whole time.
[Jemma:] Well
[Gill:] He hasn't got any money or anything. I feel a bit, you know, sad. Yeah, and also he lives so far out and he was saying you know, Julie's up in er in Birmingham, Andy 's up in Birmingham, he's had no one to see, Eileen's come back up to Birmingham... he sees quite a lot of and er I think he's just a bit lonely.
[Jemma:] Mm.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] Erm... but I think it cheered him up saying oh do you wanna come to a party at the weekend sort of thing. That's gonna be really nice I think.
[Jemma:] I think I might come down actually.
[Gill:] Yeah do that.
[Jemma:] I can't
[Gill:] Mm.
[Jemma:] so I may as well.
[Gill:] It should be quite a, I mean it'll be a funny party and it'll just be... it'll be good music.
[Jemma:] Well it would be nice, be nice to meet different meeting different people as well
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] and having, it's a scene, it's a crowd and
[Gill:] And also it'll be good to go to a party in London where it isn't like totally drug oriented, there won't be any drugs
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] there at all, it'll be just drinks and
[Jemma:] Really? I'm
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] cos I'm, I'm, I think I'm going through a bit of a a slight
[Gill:] Off it?
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] I don't want anything to do with it really at the moment.
[Jemma:] like a bit not pointless, well it, it's just that I don't really, I'm not getting anything from it at the moment so
[Gill:] Yeah, same here. But I mean that's just the way it goes, you know, and it's good to have, you've got to have breaks. You can't just
[Jemma:] You'd have to be mad
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] really.
[Gill:] But I s I know what you mean, I'm quite happy not to at the moment as well.... Erm... but I think it'll be a nice party and the music will be brilliant. This guy called Mark that erm... tt that Frank and Janet... know very well, he's a really very good D J indeed, you know he's, Janet's got a tape that he's made and he's got, using three decks at a time and stuff, he's very good. And it'll be really good sort of like funk... go with, you know, sort of soully music and so it'll be really nice I think.
[Jemma:] Think it'll end up a bop?
[Gill:] Yeah.... And also my friend is gonna come. I invited her last... oh it was the last time I spoke to her.
[Jemma:] Good.
[Gill:] And that'll be good for her as well cos it'll mean that she'll meet and Craig
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] and maybe she'll have someone to visit in London cos she hasn't really got any friends in London.
[Jemma:] Whereabouts does she live in London?
[Gill:] Tt I think she lives in... Clapham or something.... [singing] the rain cries a little pity... of one more forgotten hero []
[Jemma:] Was Nancy gonna come down do you think? Or is she gonna stay here?
[Gill:] I don't know, I haven't asked her if she wants to come yet really I don't think.... Oh no her sister and all her mates are coming up this weekend.... [singing] and say for you [] It'd be quite good, it'd be quite good to be here actually but... just to meet them but... tt nah... [singing] show you something []
[Jemma:] Yeah
[Gill:] Mm.... Simon's just brilliant isn't he really? He just... he can talk to anybody.
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] Like this girl Tracey that he got on with really well, I mean I, I'd really disliked her, this girl that Claire knows. And when I arrived at this party, she is totally unsubtle... and sometimes very rude, you know, and er...
[Jemma:] Yeah well the thing about Simon that's excellent is that he just accepts people for what they are and he doesn't judge people
[Gill:] Yeah. Yeah.
[Jemma:] which means if you don't judge people then, you know... it's just so much easier.
[Gill:] Mm.... Yeah....
[Jemma:] I wonder how he's gonna find it not being with her.
[Gill:] He's gonna find it hard as well I think, but on the other hand they haven't been communicating at all, you know, it's not like...
[Jemma:] No it's not as if it happened suddenly.
[Gill:] Mm.... Yeah. I think Helen's gonna find it very difficult though.... Just because even though they don't talk very much any more and stuff and he probably hasn't been spending much time with her,
[Jemma:] That he's been
[Gill:] the thought that he's been there and it's... yeah.
[Jemma:] Well I mean they're engaged for God's sake, you know. She thought they were gonna get married.
[Gill:] Yeah.... [singing] In the jingle jangle []... Yeah.... Is Andy gone out?
[Jemma:] He's gone up to smoke I think.
[Gill:] Oh has he? Shall we sit in my room? Music.... And that way you don't have to just sort of
[Jemma:] Do you know whose button this is?
[Gill:] No.
[Jemma:] ... [music] Yeah I think, I think Dave was, I think Dave felt a bit nostalgic coming back actually.
[Gill:] Do you?
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] What, a bit sad?
[Jemma:] Well he, he did when he came in here, he picked up his and he looked round and it was all very different and then
[Gill:] What in here? In this room?
[Jemma:] Yeah. Yeah.... I think maybe he's just come to realize that......
[Gill:] Yeah.... [singing] I'll come following you []... He d yeah it was odd when Frank said that cos apparently what happened, he just sort of started saying that he didn't think that Frank had really been there for him and that he was being a bit sort of selfish and stuff... which I mean maybe he has been but the thing is if... you know if Frank's making this massive effort to like fit in and meet new people and stuff then
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] you know, Dave's bound to feel a bit neglected.... It's a bit stupid to have all this in front of a... bloody radiator innit?... Whoops. We've gotta get a, we've gotta [LAUGHTER] that thing [].
[Jemma:] ...
[Gill:] [singing] play a song for me [] I did wonder what er like when I saw Ben I did wonder what he'd... how he'd think, if I'd changed and stuff.... You know?... I'll tell you what, the bed that me and Frank slept in was [LAUGHTER] so gorgeous [].
[Jemma:] [LAUGHTER]
[Gill:] It was so nice, it was like erm... feather thing, feather, feather mattress.
[Jemma:] Feather mattress?
[Gill:] Yeah.... I think it was feather, or down or something. So it wasn't bouncy but the way that it fitted, or the way that you lay on it, it was just so comfortable, yeah, gorgeous.... And I realized it was the first time I actually slept in a bed with Frank ever. [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] Yeah? I've ever, I've only slept with him once.
[Gill:] Or like I've, I've slept with him in tents and stuff but not in a bed.
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] And Ben like [] when we were sort of there Ben sort of we'd been sitting around for a while and he said it's very embarrassing to have to ask this but you're staying the night and stuff... erm are you two a couple [LAUGHTER] or are you just friends []... so no, just friends but it's alright, if you don't have any spare rooms we'll be perfectly happy to sleep together, don't worry. [LAUGHTER] It was just funny [] having him asking me.... Yeah it was a good weekend it was, it was a very good weekend but packed... so much packed in. You know I was only away for two nights, it felt like about a week....
[Jemma:] You saw a lot of people, went a lot of places.
[Gill:] Yeah. Shame Tom wasn't in. We were like ringing the bell and both of us were desperate for a crap, absolutely desperate, and desperate for a cup of tea cos we got up at ei er half seven....
[Jemma:] ... Oh well... missed him. What a shame.
[Gill:] It might have been easier actually to say she's not coming.... Are you into going to a pub tonight?
[Jemma:] I want to wash my hair and
[Gill:] I should stay in, I'm stupid going out again.
[Jemma:] I mean I, I can see why you're going out but it's, you know... I need, I need to have a night in I mean... I've done, I've had so many stupidly late nights.
[Gill:] Mm.... Tell you what I must do actually whilst I'm thinking about it is do... take one lot of washing out and put another lot in. [LAUGHTER]... Yeah now we've got radiators it's very easy.
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] [singing] Goodbye [] She wants me to... don't know what she wants.... I mean I'm quite happy to go to the pub with her I mean... she's alright.... I'm quite interested to see how I get on with her actually cos I've only ever known her in the context of Tom and Darrel really.
[Jemma:] Yeah. I find her a bit hard actually.... I get she's not really interested in what I'm saying.
[Gill:] Yeah, I know what you mean. It's the way that she kind of like answers before you've really got done finishing what you're saying. [LAUGHTER] Do you know what I mean []? You know when people do that and you just think well... [LAUGHTER] Yeah you can't [] really be listening to what I'm saying cos you... cos I haven't [LAUGHTER] finished yet [].... Erm... [LAUGHTER] Pizza Express tissues everywhere. That's better. [LAUGHTER] [sniff] Both T-shirts still look blue don't they?
[Jemma:] ...
[Gill:] [singing] to be free []. Maybe I put something in that's dyed them again... Hello
[Jemma:] Hello.
[Gill:] come in love. You got what? [LAUGHTER] I like your jacket.
[Jemma:] Hi. Hello. How are you?
[Gill:] Our heating's working again so it's bliss, absolute bliss... and lovely.
[Jemma:] It's nice.
[Gill:] Yeah. Oh lordy! Are they? Yeah Jim came over before and said that he was er... going off to do work tonight. Andy's upstairs doing work. Yeah. No he's doing it at home I think. I think he's, he's... like the other day when he was here he was talking about how he was turning over a new leaf and stuff.... So... don't know how he's getting on. No I know what you mean.... I've never really found it that much of an insult ever anyway, but I just think that it's a bit of a term which doesn't really apply to us. Do you know what I mean? We've got hippyish tendencies but we're not hippies.
[Jemma:] Well also I mean the term hippy I mean it's not really a real term I don't think. Shall I put a bit more, do you reckon that's enough... that's okay that little bit of sauce innit? Do you reckon there's enough there?
[Gill:] Is Nancy eating?
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] Er er er er er well what else could you put in that would make it more
[Jemma:] More more tomatoes and more tuna.
[Gill:] I might, I would maybe think it might be worth making a little bit more actually.
[Jemma:] Right. Shove it all in. Do you wanna chop,mu mush that up a bit?
[Gill:] Okay.... But then I'm pretty shit at measurements and stuff cook the dinner
[Jemma:] Well what's left I can have tomorrow.... Erm in that case... are these, this stuff here... is it yours?
[Gill:] What stuff?
[Jemma:] This stuff.
[Gill:] No.... It might be Frank's or someone's.
[Jemma:] I reckon it is. Or Na
[Gill:] Oh she won't mind you using it anyway. She's got so much tuna she could bloody start an aquarium up.
[Jemma:] [LAUGHTER] tuna []
[Gill:] Mind you, they're all dead so it wouldn't be a very active aquarium really would it?... Think the pasta's done.
[Jemma:] Right do you wanna... turn it off then.
[Gill:] Do you wanna taste it to check cos I might've got it wrong? No I think it's done actually, what am I talking about, I have got a brain. I can make decisions. I'm a graduate.
[Jemma:] Another thing I I've realized recently right, I, I have a brain, I can make decisions, I have an opinion
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] that can be valued by people.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]... I've always valued your opinion.
[Jemma:] Yeah I know you have but... anyone else has.
[Gill:] Do you mean straight? [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] Yeah, yeah basically.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] You know I'd never really valued the [] the erm... the truth in that term, straight heads do definitely think very differently. Andy's a real mate he... just kept saying straight heads... er for all the times when I might have said... oh, I couldn't really talk to some people last night and he'd say what you mean straight heads? [LAUGHTER] [] he's right.... Totally different wavelength man....
[Jemma:] It's not just, I don't, well I d I don't think it's
[Gill:] No it's not just straight heads but like quite a lot of the time it is straight heads.
[Jemma:] I think the thing is people who are very straight aren't likely to people who are like very... limited in their m their way of thinking.
[Gill:] Probably maybe a bit of a chicken and egg situation and the egg might have come before the chicken?
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER] Funny way of putting it. [singing] Deep in my heart... safe from the guards []...
[Jemma:] Is there lots of space at the table?
[Gill:] Er I can make some space, is it nearly dinner time?
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] I'll open the wine then....
[Jemma:] Let the wine breathe. [LAUGHTER]... It's really funny right erm... in the office today this guy Paddy... got a er a an, an invitation, like a formal invitation to erm a posh do
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] and erm he, he was trying to work out how, how to write the reply correctly. And he asked this girl er
[Gill:] Can you say that again, sorry?
[Jemma:] This guy Paddy in the office
[Gill:] Yeah?
[Jemma:] he had an invitation to a posh do, you know a black tie type of thing?
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] A for a formal invitation
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] and he wasn't sure like how, what was the correct way... to reply to it, right?
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] And so he asked this girl Jane and, and then he asked me... and erm and er had I sat down and thought about it I could have said well er what I thought, you know, the correct way er but I thought well... there's correct and there's correct and I think the right way is to write to it and to say yes thanks
[Gill:] No there is actually a very formal way of doing it though isn't there? There's, I see what you mean, there's correct and correct.
[Jemma:] Oh yeah, yeah but I, I but I just thought... so I, so I, [LAUGHTER] so I, so I said to him [] well I, if it was me I'd just write back and say thanks, yes I'll come actually, thank you very much
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] cos I thought what you talk about is such a load of bollocks and he looked at me madly, and I thought oh how funny, I thought. I'm gonna have to start explaining myself to people a bit more actually
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] cos they get very, they misunderstand me.
[Gill:] Yeah but I mean, it doesn't really matter if they misunderstand you does it? But I mean I know what you mean. I a lot, cos I remember erm... when Claire was... I got a really formal invitation to something... and I asked Claire how you were supposed to reply... and she told me the exact wording of how you should reply and I just looked at her... I looked at her and I said I'm not bloody writing that.... Cos it sounded so stiff and so er Cheers, lovely
[Jemma:] alright?...
[Nancy:] Oh dear
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] [LAUGHTER] Good job [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] I mean the whole point of it is right is it doesn't make any difference how you reply to an invitation.
[Gill:] Well I know, I mean especially if you know the people, what's the point of being formal if you know the people?
[Jemma:] Exactly.
[Gill:] It's so ridiculous.
[Jemma:] with, with posh people, if th if they were being pissed off by the fact that you didn't reply to the invitation properly then he's a dickhead.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] people....
[Gill:] Did you even try?... Did you even try to get it out or did you just think oh well?...
[Nancy:] ... [music]
[Gill:] Oh what! That wasn't doing what I was asking it to do.... I wanted it to forward wind, I think I pressed the wrong button.... I've got... I did have the other one, Crossroads, but the reason why I had it was because Dave was in the house and he had it. [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] Right, right, yeah.
[Gill:] And then he fucked off and left me and he didn't give me... I di this, it really pisses me off the way that people like leave before you get round to taping the tapes that you liked, do you know what I mean? [mimicking] D'ya know what I mean []?...
[Nancy:] I know what you mean, yeah.
[Gill:] Now I wonder if this is doing what it's supposed to do, let's have a check....
[Nancy:] It's a cold night tonight.
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Nancy:] It's gonna be minus two.
[Gill:] Really?
[Nancy:] Yeah.
[Gill:] Tt... can feel it....
[Nancy:] You can feel it can't you?
[Gill:] Mm.
[Nancy:] Thank God we've got our heating.
[Gill:] Mm. Are you gonna go to Handsworth then?...
[Nancy:] I might go a bit later... like meet her.
[Gill:] You're supposed to be there at half eight aren't you?
[Nancy:] No, I'll have to leave at half eight... get there for about quarter to nine nine o'clock
[Gill:] Did they say a specific time then?
[Nancy:] Mm mm... just said come round after eight o'clock.
[Gill:] Oh. No problem.
[Nancy:] ... [singing] It's a one time thing, it just happened [] [sniff] This one's really nice innit?
[Gill:] Mm.
[Nancy:] Shall I get some knives and forks?
[Jemma:] Erm... it's alright I'll bring them out....
[Gill:] Oh toss, when was that? What was the night before last?...
[Jemma:] Monday.
[Gill:] Yeah I know, the date... was it the f
[Nancy:] It was the thirteenth.
[Gill:] Yeah?
[Nancy:] Yeah....
[Gill:] Mm....
[Nancy:] How many did you get done, four?
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah [].
[Nancy:] You should ta I should take some to my lectures or something.
[Gill:] No I I've gotta be there.
[Nancy:] Yeah....
[Gill:] Oh cheers, nice one....
[Jemma:] What, oh no
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] [LAUGHTER]...
[Jemma:] This is your holiday now?
[Nancy:] Yeah....
[Gill:] What's the date today?...
[Jemma:] The fourteenth?
[Nancy:] Fifteenth.
[Jemma:] Fifteen... [LAUGHTER] It's all gone erm [LAUGHTER] it's gone all soggy [].
[Gill:] You know what makes that not happen?...
[Jemma:] What?
[Gill:] Is if you put rice in it.
[Jemma:] Yeah cos it absorbs the
[Gill:] That's what they do in erm tt that's what they used to do in Nigeria.
[Jemma:] I normally do it but
[Gill:] [singing] I have been []
[Jemma:] Oh we need glasses....
[Gill:] It's just, to me, it just makes me feel so much different if I have time to just potter about you know?... It just makes me feel, I just can't... I've wo worked out that I can't cope with this frenzying lark for... all the time, I have to have space to do my pottering.
[Jemma:] Well you've been through a mad, I mean...
[Gill:] I've been having a mad one haven't I?
[Jemma:] Darrel, Darrel and Tom and that, I mean er who, are er erm... if you look at them though they're, they're not really that... I, I, I can't cope with it cos I, I'm just calmer than that and I can't cope with
[Gill:] Yeah it's also the fact that they didn't have a job or anything and they had the daytime to potter about, do you know what I mean?
[Jemma:] Yeah yeah.
[Gill:] So... but
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] yeah also I mean
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] also they're not used to the way that we're used to living.
[Nancy:] Good stuff Jem.
[Jemma:] Yeah?
[Nancy:] Beautiful, yeah.
[Gill:] E'er.
[Nancy:] Mm cheers love....
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] Mm.
[Gill:] [singing] In the winter time []... Right. So what do you, did they, what do you reckon's gonna happen at this... [LAUGHTER] tribunal you've got [] to go to? Did you see the Central News before?
[Jemma:] tribunal?
[Nancy:] Ah?
[Gill:] Did you see Central News before? When you went upstairs
[Nancy:] Mm
[Gill:] and you were in your room, erm it was, like all day at work today... there's been loads of activity outside the magistrate's court with like, with erm various
[Jemma:] Cheers girls.
[Gill:] Cheers.
[Nancy:] Cheers.... Yeah.
[Gill:] With er... with like reporters and stuff, all over the place, right?... I was watching Central News, Mr was on it and all, like you know that bloke that comes in with his wife with the grey hair that's always really moody, they have a bottle of Frascati and always drink las
[Nancy:] Yeah.
[Gill:] eat er always eat lasagne?
[Nancy:] Mm.
[Gill:] He was on it, all these people that go in to work all the time like every day were on the telly!
[Nancy:] What are they, solicitors?
[Gill:] Yeah, all the solicitors....
[Jemma:] They're all gonna go to London and campaign about something, we didn't quite see what it was.
[Gill:] No cos I was talking.
[Jemma:] Something something to do with cuts in erm
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jemma:] like legal funding I think it was.
[Gill:] Yeah. I think it might, cos like... does a lot of legal aid, so erm... the, you know, legal aid work... and he's quite into it I think, I think he's quite a decent chappie... erm... what they were basically saying was poor people won't be re erm... erm... poor people wouldn't be represented well enough, weren't they?... It must be something like, like that. Some bigwig fuck off cunt [LAUGHTER] erm wanker [] judge in London has decided it would make less paperwork.
[Nancy:] Well it w wasn't, it weren't wasn't mine, one of my nice friends was it?... My nice judges.
[Gill:] No, I mean, no... someone in London... has decided it'll mean less paperwork so all the judg all the erm people in... in er... Birmingham are going down to complain.
[Jemma:] it's quite good to see someone...
[Gill:] Caring.
[Nancy:] Yeah.
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] Mm....
[Nancy:] It is actually.
[Jemma:] It's reassuring, especially the way things are going at the moment.
[Nancy:] I haven't got a real tribunal to go to.
[Jemma:] What's this for?
[Nancy:] Oh at Handsworth, I'm meant to go there this evening to speak to the domestic bursar... the residents' officer... and someone else, God knows, from the university... to put my case forward for why I had to leave Handsworth and that, why I shouldn't pay the money.
[Gill:] Yeah but I mean you can't, you don't pay the money now just cos someone's moved in.
[Nancy:] Exactly, they're trying to screw me for every single penny... they can get out of me
[Gill:] So what they're now saying that you've got to
[Nancy:] Well they want me to pay... three days until she moved in.
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] Ah ha you're joking []?
[Nancy:] Every penny it's getting really silly.
[Gill:] That is just stupid isn't it? It'll be about three pounds or something.
[Nancy:] Exactly.
[Gill:] Or it'll be about twenty quid or something.
[Jemma:] cos the amount of m m time well, and the
[Gill:] Administration and stuff.
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Nancy:] The administration [speaking with mouth full] the price of... stamps, phone calls, envelopes... office time
[Gill:] The, like the administrative people have to deal with your three pounds.... That is
[Nancy:] I know.
[Gill:] just stupid, you should say that to them, make them feel really stupid.
[Nancy:] I will.
[Jemma:] And also there's a, bloody hell
[Nancy:] It's so bur it's so bureaucratic.
[Jemma:] it's a, it's for the students for God's sake, I mean they shouldn't be making like more hassles....
[Nancy:] They are basically real
[Gill:] This is what pisses me off so often you know, things like the halls of residence and stuff are there to help the students and they don't, they just try and rip them off for every cent they can do it for.
[Nancy:] Yeah. They er I mean in, in Handsworth right, on this bottom corridor, the boys' bottom corridor, it is in such a bad way you know like they keep erm... like [LAUGHTER] putting their fists through windows [] and things like that, and the amount of repairs and fining. Like th what they did one time they all had erm
[Gill:] What just cos they're all yobs?
[Nancy:] Yeah. They all had something one night and erm... er
[Gill:] I wouldn't bother Nance we're all gonna get
[Nancy:] a vegetable [LAUGHTER]
[Gill:] done anyway. [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] [LAUGHTER] a nice vegetable []
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah, was it fungus by any chance?
[Nancy:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah, yeah [] they were having
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] fungus one night
[Jemma:] Do you want, does an does anyone want some of this bread because it is really nice and it's not
[Nancy:] Mm I'd like half.
[Jemma:] it's not er it's not all horrible. It's nice and
[Nancy:] Anyway yeah they had this, this fungus and erm... they, they kicked down a door and erm got extremely, extremely energetic and like... put like erm... er er er in this store, it was a storeroom and they'd put things like the projectors and erm... er catering equipment
[Gill:] And in this door was what?
[Nancy:] In this store...
[Gill:] Oh yeah?
[Nancy:] It was a door to a storeroom and inside this store there was all video equipment, catering equipment
[Gill:] Oh dear.
[Nancy:] and they put it in the sinks and [LAUGHTER] baths [] all round the hall
[Gill:] And turned taps on?
[Nancy:] No they didn't turn the taps on, they just left it all round the hall and, and the door frame had been kicked off and all things like this you know?
[Gill:] Oh dear. Did they get caught? [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] Well the people that done it didn't get caught but... the corridor on which it happened was fined for all the equipment.
[Jemma:] Oh!
[Nancy:] A lot of money.
[Gill:] So did the people on the corridor know who it was?
[Nancy:] Yeah.
[Gill:] Only they, they, they must be f mad with them.
[Nancy:] Yeah. They're obviously not gonna say anything but they are very mad....
[Gill:] They should get them to pay for it.
[Nancy:] I know. Well I think they are going to, the people that did it tt are gonna pay for it anon er anonymously
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Nancy:] via the er... hall inhabitants, you know, that cannot afford it.
[Gill:] Yeah. So at least they won't get done for it cos they'd probably go up to disciplinary and stuff wouldn't they?
[Nancy:] that on?
[Jemma:] Mm.
[Gill:] Erm... lordy lordy. I remember that we, we had erm a corridor fine in our hall... for er just something stupid like they... one of the ceiling tiles got broken or something.... But we w did you have to pay a deposit?... It came out of our deposit.
[Nancy:] we did, fifty pounds.
[Gill:] Mm.
[Nancy:] That's true.... I should get that back shouldn't I?
[Gill:] Yeah....
[Nancy:] Mm there's no reason why I shouldn't get that deposit back.
[Gill:] No.
[Nancy:] Because last
[Gill:] And that's why they've mentioned it isn't it?
[Nancy:] Yeah.
[Gill:] Cos with us getting it back was automatic. I think [LAUGHTER] you were in a shitty hall Nance [].
[Nancy:] I know.
[Gill:] What, what happened about your posters? They just walked in and saw that you had posters up and
[Nancy:] Yeah the cleaners, you know the cleaners have got a key to your room and that... and you
[Gill:] What cos you'd used Blu Tak or something?
[Nancy:] Yeah. Oh basically you weren't allowed anything up on any wall.
[Jemma:] Well we weren't supposed to have posters up in our hall either.
[Gill:] Really!
[Jemma:] Mm....
[Nancy:] And erm y every time the cleaners came round on a Tuesday... it's not ev er everything had to be on the bed, including chairs er everything, you know, you had to have your desk
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] My cleaner used to come in and I'd be in bed []. And she used to clean round me and stuff.
[Nancy:] Cos our cleaners won't clean if it's erm... occupied or... not everything is cleaned from the floor... they won't change the bed sheets unless you've actually taken them off and
[Gill:] We're, oh no we didn't, they didn't do that for us either.
[Jemma:] Well we we had that. We had to erm... like have, you wouldn't, you wouldn't
[Gill:] No
[Jemma:] wouldn't get bed sheets unless they were actually stripped off the bed, things like that.
[Nancy:] Mm.
[Gill:] But I, I, me and Claire, by the time we left U H, had a store of bed sheets to bring to our new house. Just because like they'd leave them for us and we hadn't changed them.... And we'd just shove them on, under the bed and stuff. I had thousands, I mean I gave a load back cos I had loads of them. And the reason why [LAUGHTER] they were shoved under the bed was because [] I hadn't got round to sort of you know, doing anything about it sort of thing.
[Jemma:] Mm. Mm.
[Gill:] But I mean my cleaner used to come in and just sort of like... clean around me and chat a bit.... Dave's cleaner in High Hall used to do loads of stuff for him, she used to wash his mugs up and all sorts of things.
[Nancy:] Mm. Mm. They do in the self catering flats. But erm...
[Gill:] I'm gonna try a bit of your bread.
[Nancy:] they're really funny and finicky about a lot of things, you know?... It does my head in. And basically they ha and the other thing, right, I found out what they had for dinner the other night right?... We had jacket potatoes right, which is literally mouldy and baked hard so you'd get about... out of a jacket potato you'd probably get about that much potato and the rest is just skin and mould and hardness... quiche which is just like processed cheese and processed eggs and everything you can imagine just total packet mix
[Gill:] Mm.
[Nancy:] it tastes like blancmange rather than quiche
[Jemma:] Mm.
[Nancy:] and erm... salad which is just like... brown lettuce.... And y and I was paying eighteen pounds a week to be catered for.
[Gill:] Wh why doesn't someone do anything about it?...
[Nancy:] Apparently
[Gill:] Like take it to N U S or something.
[Jemma:] Yeah.
[Gill:] Because that is just a pile of shit
[Nancy:] We're not even
[Gill:] they're ripping everybody off in that hall.
[Nancy:] we're not even in it, we've de-affiliated from erm
[Gill:] Oh that's, that's why it's in that, basically that's why
[Nancy:] Oh
[Gill:] people, that's why erm N U S is there to protect man.
[Nancy:] And nobody... Handsworth is... in a funny neck of the woods basically, it's like off campus, it's university accommodation
[Gill:] Miles away.
[Nancy:] miles away, off campus, you know, they haven't got to make it look good
[Jemma:] So you haven't got, you haven't got any any back up kind of from the
[Nancy:] No
[Jemma:] campus, the whole campus feeling I guess is
[Nancy:] Yeah, yeah.
[Jemma:] Mm.
[Nancy:] It is, it's sort of like... it's sort of like extradited from the rest of the er... the rest of the whole university, you know, nobody really cares about what goes on at Handsworth.... But it's like wherever I, you know, if you get... a halls of residence on campus you would get put in Handsworth, like if you chuck a telly out of the, like one
[Gill:] [LAUGHTER] It's like a prison isn't it []?
[Nancy:] Yeah. It's like, you know...
[Gill:] Or a rehabilitation centre. [LAUGHTER]
[Nancy:] Yeah. But it hasn't got anything going for it, basically, whatsoever
[Gill:] Mm.
[Nancy:] it's got... three TVs though which are really rubbish and one small bar called The Bin, Village Inn it's called, and it is absolutely tiny, and really crap.
[Gill:] Mm.
[Nancy:] Very expensive as well. It's more expensive than on campus, I mean we haven't got a pub there, we haven't got... like the Guild bars or anything like that.
[Gill:] It's worse than being on Griffin Close.
[Nancy:] Because there's no erm, there's no... like for freshers there wasn't any sort of entertainments during freshers' week on at Handsworth, it was all at campus.
[Gill:] Mm.... So how, how do you get in to campus then? Do you, is there one bus that goes all the way in?
[Nancy:] One bus the sixteen, but it's like... twenty minutes... it's like catching the bus from Moseley erm Village
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Nancy:] from here. You have to walk that far like to get the bus and then get in and then walk back home, it's not too far.
[Gill:] But do they erm... provide a minibus service
[Nancy:] No, no there's no
[Gill:] to get back?
[Nancy:] no minibus service at all erm at any time of the day or night and they erm
[Gill:] Cos we used to have like this minibus service back from the Guild
[Nancy:] Mm.
[Gill:] even if you weren't in hall, and like girls used to get priority.
[Jemma:] Mm.
[Gill:] You could hire out free rape alarms and all that kind of stuff.
[Jemma:] yeah you hand your railcard over and get
[Gill:] Yeah, free rape alarm. That is just so shit but a lot of that is to do with the fa is A the whole of Aston disaffiliated from the Guild, from the N U S?
[Nancy:] The whole university is.
[Gill:] When did they do that? Do you know?...
[Nancy:] Last year I think,
[Gill:] That is just I just don't understand why universities do that, it's so fucking stupid. Cos that means that you can't get things like
[Nancy:] apparently I was talking to like, cos you know a lot of my lecturers
[Gill:] erm like student cards and stuff cos that was all
[Nancy:] Mm I know.
[Gill:] th no you can, but all student cards and stuff are all negotiated by N U S.
[Nancy:] I know. And the N U S, you know... it is, in a way it is a good thing but in a way it isn't because when they were actual when they actually belonged to the N U S erm... they weren't get because it's a small university, they weren't getting much funding from the US er the N U S or erm any support really. I mean it's just like... Aston is, it is, is, it's, it's a university but it hasn't been a university for that long, it was a technological institute before
[Gill:] Mm.
[Nancy:] it's only been a university now for about... sort of ten year well not even that, five or ten years I think.
[Gill:] Mm.
[Nancy:] And before it was sort of like the tech it was mainly erm sort of post graduate retr er sort of training centre... for sort of science erm science graduates
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Nancy:] and things like that and it only, it's only become... and really it's only actually set up as a business school... quite recently as well, I mean what in the past ten years or something
[Gill:] Mm.
[Nancy:] as well. Erm my course has only been running for three years.... I don't think they've actually had any graduates from my
[Gill:] No.
[Nancy:] course yet either.
[Gill:] Why?
[Nancy:] Cos it's only been running for three years
[Gill:] Oh of course it's a four year course.
[Nancy:] four year course....
[Gill:] So they don't really know how it runs do they?
[Nancy:] No. They don't know how it's gonna work. I mean it... I mean er the reason why it was set up really was the nineteen ninety two sort of like coming into the single European market and everything
[Gill:] Yeah.
[Nancy:] that's what gave them the sort of, the idea to set it up but... I mean Aston is good because... now we're... n now we're not