[Fred:] Are you staying in all day today?
[speaker002:] Yes.
[Fred:] Erm, cos I've got to go down to Horley I've got to go to the bank. You'll be alright?
[speaker002:] Yeah, alright.
[Fred:] Here on your own?
[speaker002:] Yep.
[Fred:] won't you?
[speaker002:] Yep.
[Fred:] You know I'm not going...
[speaker002:] Yeah I've got a lot of English prep to do.
[Fred:] Have you?
[speaker002:] A lot of grammar work.
[Fred:] Have you? O K.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Fred:] Yes, O K well I'm going to er I've got lots of work to do before I can go.
[speaker002:] Yeah I know.
[Fred:] I shan't be going until about... lunch time. And you'll be O K?
[speaker002:] Yep.
[Fred:] Alright.... I'll leave it to you, to your prep then.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Fred:] Ah how's the old prep going eh?
[speaker002:] Well I've finished it.
[Fred:] Oh you've finished it, oh good.... Alright?
[speaker002:] Mhm.
[Fred:] Well I hope you get on well with... what you're doing for your scenery.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Fred:] Alright?
[speaker002:] O K.
[Fred:] See you later.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker003:] Cos in York, or Yorkshire, they have those as starters with gravy. You just have those in a big bowl of gravy.
[speaker002:] Ugh. Ugh.
[speaker003:] We went, when we were staying in York, we went to erm used to go to a pub for our meals didn't we?
[speaker004:] Oh yes, that's right.
[speaker003:] And erm... I've seen these at ten o'clock at night you know people come in and have a bowl of sort of soup, and, well I suppose it's gravy in there. And I tried it one night, it was very yummy and very filling.... Oh my god I don't like doing this.
[speaker004:] Pardon?
[speaker003:] And I don't like this weather.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER] Neither do I.
[speaker004:] It's terrible, isn't it?
[speaker003:] Sometimes it's colder indoors than out actually, isn't it?
[speaker004:] It's gone on, well it is if the sun's out, and you know if the sun's out. You want your health in the summer.
[speaker003:] Yeah.... I don't remember this before.
[Fred:] Oh yes they are, I've got all [LAUGHTER]
[speaker003:] Well move up a bit this way Fred if you don't mind.
[Fred:] No, it's alright.
[speaker003:] Get round the leg. I don't know why I've not noticed it before. Yeah.
[Fred:] It's got four legs on it. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker003:] Well, why don't you start helping yourself
[speaker002:] spoons
[Fred:] Yes. Oh let me get. Make some room sonny.
[speaker004:] Well who the hell put an empty horseradish pot back in the cupboard?
[speaker005:] Do you have?
[speaker003:] John.
[speaker005:] Lovely.
[speaker003:] There's really no horseradish? I found three empty jars. Oh dear.
[Fred:] Well I thought I'd put horseradish on the... whatsit one week.
[speaker003:] Yes fetching a spoon or two
[Fred:] Do erm, have jobs.... oh you're doing a grand job there....
[speaker003:] Oh you've made a mistake here John.
[speaker006:] What's that?
[speaker003:] You've cooked the carrot.
[speaker006:] Not too much I hope.
[speaker003:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] all soft....
[speaker003:] We haven't had roast beef for ages.
[Fred:] No....
[speaker003:] Ah. Silver service, eh?
[Fred:] That's why nobody else is [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] anything else.
[speaker003:] If you want to get yourself a drink, Alex, do. Do you want white wine Mum?
[Fred:] This is well, well cooked.
[speaker005:] Yes please Anna.
[speaker006:] The special touch, you might say.
[speaker003:] [LAUGHTER] Are these the ones you put in when we went out?
[speaker005:] Yes. They really ought to have got moved down to the bottom.
[speaker003:] I find it's very difficult in these ovens to, you know a normal oven you could sort of put things to the bottom that you've already done.
[speaker005:] Yes. Well you can
[speaker003:] Well you can't these, can you?
[speaker005:] you can in mine cos mine's, mine's
[speaker003:] Yes but then you still have heat coming from the and the top, top and the bottom don't you?
[speaker005:] Yes, yes you do.
[speaker006:] Then you've got the top's a grill as well so that
[speaker003:] Yes.
[speaker006:] you can get two places that are hot, and on top it's absolutely
[speaker003:] No, you take that out. I take my grill out.
[speaker006:] Do you?
[speaker003:] Yes, if I'm not using the grill I take it out.
[speaker005:] It would take a long time to get our grill out because I don't think it would move any more....
[speaker002:] Can somebody pass me the new potatoes please?...
[Fred:] Hang on I'll move this one.
[speaker003:] Oh my god.
[Fred:] Oh god. [LAUGHTER] Oh dear.
[speaker006:] Do you want some red?
[Fred:] Mm.... Thank you very much.
[speaker006:] Right?
[speaker005:] Pass your granddad some.
[speaker003:] fight for that space.... Could you, erm, spear me a roasty
[Fred:] A roasty, a very roasty, or a medium roasty?
[speaker003:] Oh I don't mind. As they come.... Thank you.
[Fred:] Do you only want one?
[speaker003:] Erm... yes.
[speaker006:] Did you find another horseradish thing, did you? Erm a paper top one.
[Fred:] Oh, I give it, is that horseradish? Oh yes. Yes, that's in there John.
[speaker005:] They're all virtually empty. I mean
[Fred:] I'll, I'll, I'll have some er
[speaker006:] Thank you. Mum, do you want some of this?
[speaker003:] No, I've got mustard thank you John.
[speaker002:] I'll have mustard please?
[speaker003:] You can have the horseradish.
[speaker006:] I want a bit more horseradish
[Fred:] Oh well, I'll, I'll have a bit of horseradish when I've mustard off. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] Pass the gravy.
[speaker005:] John took
[speaker006:] gravy before its
[speaker004:] How many more...
[speaker002:] Mum.
[speaker003:] Gosh, this beef is tender.
[Fred:] Erm
[speaker006:] Cheers.
[Fred:] Cheers everybody.
[speaker003:] Cheers John. [eating]
[speaker005:] The only problem is it's only worth buying if you're buying a reasonable sized piece.
[speaker003:] Mm.
[speaker005:] Can't really buy a small piece.
[speaker003:] Is this the same as a wing rib? Or is that something different?
[speaker005:] Well I'd call it fore rib. Then you've got little ribs after that. Start with big.
[speaker003:] Do you have it, erm sort of boned?
[speaker005:] No.
[speaker003:] Not at all?
[speaker005:] Well I used to this was two ribs. That's what fore rib's the small one.... The other rib, of beef I mean, to get a piece that's worth... cooking cos to carve it and everything else you need at least three ribs and the ribs are sort of usually it's about that sort of size
[speaker003:] Mm
[speaker005:] and you're talking about a piece at least about eight, seventeen, eighteen pounds.
[speaker002:] Who did the gravy?
[Fred:] Mm?
[speaker002:] There's so much fat in the gravy.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER] Lovely....
[speaker006:] Yes this beef's come out very well hasn't it? It's very tender.
[speaker003:] Mm.
[speaker004:] Yes, very nice.
[speaker003:] Delicious.
[speaker006:] It's not maybe as rare as you ought to have it but it... really tastes nice.... With disasters and all it's come out reasonably well at the end of the day.
[speaker004:] Did it have a disaster?
[speaker002:] Yes dad.
[speaker005:] Oh. It's lovely. Well you've created something rather nice out of your disaster then....
[speaker004:] The cornflour packet didn't have much left in it.
[speaker003:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] The gravy's a disaster. It's got too much fat in it.
[Fred:] I didn't think it had got enough.
[speaker005:] Well I never put salt and pepper in my gravy so...
[speaker003:] If you use cornflour...
[speaker005:] I use cornflour and two Oxo's.
[speaker003:] Do you?
[speaker005:] Yeah. That's what I normally use.
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker005:] If I'm then doing things, if I'm doing beef gravy I put the beef stock cube, and either one or two Oxo's to
[speaker003:] Oh.
[speaker005:] of cornflour. And then add all the juices from the meat. But I don't add anything else.
[speaker006:] gravy we're having today.
[speaker005:] No.
[speaker006:] This is totally different.
[speaker005:] I never put salt and pepper in my gravy, I never have done.
[speaker004:] No. That's what I like, like about mum's gravy.
[speaker005:] But I always add all the juices from the meat. Out of the meat tin and...
[speaker004:] How did you do this gravy then dad?
[speaker002:] With difficulty. No, you've got Bovril, you've got, erm, Oxo's. some garlic and pepper and some cornflour and then your mother had to lob in some, something else. Because we'd run out of cornflour and it was all not thick enough.
[speaker004:] lob in? Your use of the English language in front of the microphone is extremely
[Fred:] What are you talking about?
[speaker002:] It's lucky I don't talk to a microphone very often.
[speaker004:] a microphone over there, dad, and it's turned on.
[speaker002:] Oh no.
[Fred:] Nobody'll know who's speaking.
[speaker004:] No, well. But they will now.
[Fred:] So I don't think it matters.
[speaker004:] They'll
[Fred:] they don't know who your dad is.
[speaker004:] They do.
[Fred:] They don't.
[speaker004:] They know whose household this is.
[Fred:] They don't.
[speaker004:] They know this is the household.
[speaker005:] They will now.
[Fred:] They don't. It's under my name.
[speaker004:] They do now.
[Fred:] No, it's under my name.
[speaker004:] Yeah, but they do now that it's the household. [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] . Ha.
[speaker004:] Can I have some more Yorkshire puddings please, daddy?
[speaker002:] Half a one or so I suppose.
[speaker003:] Very nice Yorkshires John.
[speaker002:] Did you do them?
[speaker006:] Well Alex mixed the mix, I put them in the oven and Sue told me get them out or they'll burn. So it was a sort of a three way erm
[speaker002:] Oh I see yeah.
[speaker006:] thing really.
[speaker005:] They were only burning because you put in what was written on the packet.
[speaker006:] Well what's written on the packet is correct unless you have the grill not exactly red hot but about three eighty five. Twenty five minutes isn't a bad time
[speaker005:] Oh I never cook them for twenty, twenty to twenty five minutes it would be a disaster.
[speaker006:] Oh well.
[speaker002:] Nor've I.
[speaker003:] I was going to say, do you cook Alexander?
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker003:] You're interested in cooking?
[speaker006:] Chinese meal the other day, didn't you?
[Fred:] Yes. Very... very nice Chinese meal.
[speaker004:] What made at home, or
[speaker005:] Mm.
[Fred:] Yes, oh yes
[speaker003:] or sent for?
[Fred:] No, he made it.
[speaker002:] [talking with mouth full]
[speaker006:] What stir fry and all that stuff?
[speaker003:] Mhm.
[speaker002:] sauces, soy sauces and things like that.
[speaker003:] Mm.
[speaker002:] Then what was it? It was braised prawns... er we had erm lamb, marinated lamb... bits with erm erm garlic and cinnamon as well
[speaker005:] Well garlic and spring onions.
[speaker002:] spring onions.... And we had erm... chicken noodles with bamboo shoots.
[speaker005:] And mushrooms.
[speaker002:] And mushrooms.
[speaker005:] Was there anything else? We didn't do rice.
[speaker002:] We were going to do rice but there was
[speaker005:] Stir fry veg.
[speaker002:] Yeah, stir fry veg.
[speaker004:] What, did you do all this did you?
[speaker002:] Well, me and mum.
[speaker005:] No, operation.
[speaker002:] I did most of the preparation, Mum looked after what was cooking.
[speaker003:] ....
[speaker005:] It's the preparation that takes so long in Chinese cooking.
[speaker003:] Mm.
[speaker004:] Well there's so many different bits to it isn't there? That's the trouble.
[speaker005:] When I do a Chinese meal
[speaker002:] It's just having everything there.
[speaker005:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] There's so many bits of sauce and
[speaker005:] I spent about two hours measuring out all the different things. Then I put labels on about every single pot I could find that's got all these various mixes in. And I've got sort of like... sweet and sour with prawns sort of... er raising mix for something else. Oh gosh.
[speaker002:] That's what I don't like with Chinese, erm, everything's so complicated. So what you do is
[speaker005:] It's part of the cooking.
[speaker002:] yeah. You just... shove everything in a pan.
[speaker003:] Do you go out to restaurants for a Chinese meal
[speaker002:] That's what, you know when I did that er Chinese bolognese thing.
[speaker005:] what?
[speaker003:] at all?
[speaker006:] We used to,.
[speaker002:] Do you remember when I did that Chinese bolognese thing? I made half of that up.
[speaker005:] Mm.
[speaker002:] But I got the main thing off a, off a TV programme. But I couldn't get, I didn't get it all down.
[speaker005:] So you made up the rest?
[speaker002:] So I made up the rest and everyone liked it.
[speaker006:] You actually need a bigger kitchen to cook Chinese.
[speaker002:] Yeah. Because you need to set everything out. Like I did, when I did it I just... put it back... well I put it back, got that, put a bit of that in. Put a bit of everything in apart from the vegetables which I knew what to put in.
[speaker003:] I don't think you'd like me doing that Alex? You complain as it is about the number of dishes I use.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker003:] I could imagine if I did Chinese
[speaker002:] I don't use that many dishes when I do Chinese. I don't. I just put little drops.
[speaker006:] We have the same argument in this household.
[Fred:] Mhm.
[speaker003:] You have the what?
[speaker006:] Same argument in this household.
[speaker002:] Well I can use one bowl, but I don't I use two.
[speaker006:] Never use five bowls if one will do.
[speaker002:] When it's like pancake mix I tend, or omelettes I tend to use two bowls and even though I only really need to use one.
[speaker003:] Well that's silly. Why do you do that?
[speaker002:] ...
[speaker004:] Where is then?
[speaker003:] oh yeah.
[speaker002:] Do you want some more white wine mum?
[speaker005:] Erm, a wee bit then, thank you.
[speaker003:] What time do you have to go back to school Alexander?
[speaker002:] Eight.
[speaker005:] Seven.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER] It's eight.
[speaker006:] It was six other days.
[speaker002:] Eight.
[speaker005:] Where are you going?...
[speaker006:] Do you mind sitting down till you've erm finished, old chap.
[speaker002:] Sorry...
[speaker006:] They're all clean in there then.
[speaker002:] Yeah, I know.
[speaker006:] I'll leave you to it.
[speaker002:] ...
[speaker005:] Shall I make some custard?
[speaker002:] O K
[speaker006:] You can.
[speaker002:] That pie thing.
[speaker006:] And we'll eat bread pudding
[speaker002:] bread pudding.
[speaker005:] Do you want warm bread pudding?
[speaker006:] I suppose so.
[speaker002:] Just because it's not warm it doesn't mean you can't have custard with it.
[speaker005:] Well if you
[speaker002:] At school we have cold pudding with custard.
[speaker005:] then I'll have to wash a saucepan.
[speaker003:] Oh dear, you won't like that Alexander.
[speaker006:] It's not very difficult, you've got one that you've done carrots in. Just have a quick slosh, well hardly even needs a slosh round does it? You don't have to tell them.
[speaker003:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] It's got, there'll be a carrot flavouring in it.
[speaker006:] That's alright.
[speaker002:] You hate carrot... cake or whatever it is. Eh. Sorry I just ripped all the buttons off me shirt.
[speaker006:] You'd better not.
[speaker002:] Do you really think I'd rip the buttons of me shirt?
[speaker006:] I believe you'd do anything.
[speaker002:] Thanks.
[speaker006:] Do you want bubbles?... There you go.
[speaker002:] Oh, it's nice and sunny out.
[Fred:] Yes.
[speaker002:] And as soon as we finish it'll go and get dark again.
[speaker003:] Well don't worry dear it won't matter to you what the weather's like for the next week will it?
[speaker002:] Yes it will.
[speaker005:] Why not?
[speaker002:] I've got to do javelin and I don't like going down there in the wet.
[speaker005:] When have you got to do javelin?
[speaker002:] Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
[speaker005:] But you've got all your revision to do.
[speaker002:] I know. I also have a games lesson Tuesday and Thursday mum. I also have an extremely important athletics meeting on Saturday.
[speaker005:] Oh dear.
[Fred:] We ought to be coming to see that.
[speaker005:] They go at the senior school
[speaker002:] Mermy
[Fred:] He doesn't know where it is.
[speaker005:] They don't go at se with the senior schools.
[speaker002:] Mum.
[speaker005:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Do I?
[speaker005:] No. Just one.
[Fred:] Mm?
[speaker004:] What's this your thing on Saturday Alex?
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker003:] Mm.
[speaker005:] No, they er... I heard someone say that... though they sort of actively encourage the use of... to go to see many things like sort of sport days, erm.... The main school has a much better sports day though. They have it after speech day.
[speaker003:] So they have half a speech day...
[speaker005:] Yes. They have speech day on the Saturday morning that the ball is on.
[speaker004:] How was the ball?
[speaker005:] Alright
[speaker003:] Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Did you have a good nosh?
[speaker005:] It was boring wasn't it?
[speaker002:] boring.
[Fred:] Was it boring?
[speaker005:] It wasn't boring but it was, just, I mean you know they're sitting five hundred people all at one go and it's...
[speaker002:] Boring.
[speaker006:] I still can't believe
[speaker002:] It wasn't a boring night though.
[speaker006:] They get fifteen thousand pounds and they don't make anything from it.
[speaker002:] But it wasn't boring to watch though mum.
[speaker005:] No idea what. I've no idea at all. But I'm sure if they were the organizers entirely organized.
[speaker002:] Mum? I didn't think it was
[speaker005:] But I'm sure if they could make a profit they would.
[speaker002:] I didn't find it boring.
[speaker006:] Why did you get out of it?
[speaker002:] No
[Fred:] Don't make too much custard Alexander, cos I'll.
[speaker002:] I just went to Mike and Rob 's house and my friends. And we just mucked about until four in the morning.
[speaker006:] Say that again?
[speaker005:] They just mucked about until four in the morning. By which time we were all fast asleep in our little beds.
[speaker002:] No you weren't! You came home at four in the morning.
[speaker005:] Did not! I was home here in bed and asleep at half past three.
[Fred:] Yes. And I can vouch for that.
[speaker002:] We didn't get to sleep until about three then.
[Fred:] That was the night I couldn't sleep
[speaker002:] We got to sleep what, about an hour after you went.
[speaker005:] Yeah, half past three.
[speaker002:] Af after you got, after you got to erm
[speaker005:] I know what time you went to sleep because Rob's dad came in, or his mum hammered on the door and said cut it out lads, go to sleep.
[speaker002:] No they didn't. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] So they stayed overnight then
[speaker005:] Yes, yes.
[speaker002:] Oh that must have been when I smacked my nose on my Walkman.
[speaker003:] What you stayed here?
[speaker005:] stayed at his friends' house.
[Fred:] No, no, no. He stayed at Bob's house, Rob's. Cos he lives about a quarter of a mile away from the school.
[speaker003:] Ah.
[speaker002:] Not that.
[Fred:] He actually [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] What's his name?
[speaker005:] Rob, Robert. Good guy isn't he, Alex?
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Fred:] Yes.
[speaker003:] That was delicious.
[speaker004:] Mm. Very nice. Very nice chef.
[Fred:] He says, what is he, second row prop Alexander?
[speaker002:] No he's not he's a hooker.
[Fred:] Oh he's a hooker.
[speaker005:] A hooker?
[Fred:] Hooker. Yeah. [LAUGHTER] Oh dear, dear.
[speaker005:] He does. He's a. They all...
[speaker002:] had carrots in your er... Right dad?
[speaker006:] Help you see in the dark.... have you not finished?
[speaker003:] Mm. I have really. Sorry I just sort of
[speaker006:] Have another one. Have a crunchy potato? Have a carrot.
[Fred:] How do they go on in the senior school. Do they still have the under fourteens, under fifteens?
[speaker005:] Oh yes.
[Fred:] Oh yes, yes.
[speaker005:] But then, the, Alex thinks there's a whole lot more boys joining, joining the school.
[speaker003:] Joining the school?
[speaker005:] Yeah. I wasn't aware there was.
[speaker003:] ...
[speaker002:] What would you do if I set fire to the new, to the shirt?
[speaker003:] It does seem a shame to leave
[speaker006:] I'd set fire to you
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker005:] Who was going to have that?
[speaker006:] You have it.
[speaker005:] It's too late now I've got.
[Fred:] I wasn't going to have it. I said
[speaker004:] The next time I see you you'll be saying why did I eat all that
[speaker006:] Stop, stop.
[speaker004:] ooh, I've got indigestion.
[speaker006:] Where are you going with it?
[speaker002:] Put in
[speaker006:] Just leave it
[speaker002:] [scream]
[speaker005:] You all know who he takes after don't you?
[speaker002:] Mum I've that thing with a hole in it.
[speaker006:] That's your head. [LAUGHTER]... Stop.
[Fred:] see if it's still going round. Oh yes it is.
[speaker005:] What?
[speaker002:] It's a thing with a hole in it.
[speaker005:] Yes, it needs washing.
[speaker002:] Yeah but you don't use.
[speaker005:] Don't use that for a creme caramel.
[speaker002:] That's what you said you were going to use.
[speaker005:] No, no, no. I thought I had a mould.
[speaker002:] With a hole in it.
[speaker005:] That, that, that was sort of
[speaker002:] Like slug.
[speaker005:] Yes.
[speaker002:] Oh. Is it good? I've got a better one.
[speaker005:] That thing will always be a slug now won't it?
[Fred:] Mm. Who called it the slug?
[speaker005:] Alexander.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker003:] I can't remember ever, have you the name? Sort of a er orangy chocolate mousse.
[speaker005:] Yes.
[speaker003:] But it was only because it was done in er er I think.
[Fred:] Yes, yes.
[speaker003:] What's the chart up on the board?
[Fred:] That's young chart actually. But he uses, uses it for everything you know.
[speaker003:] [LAUGHTER] Like a diary?
[Fred:] Yeah, like a diary. It's all in, I mean... the days are down from the top to the bottom.
[speaker003:] Mm.
[Fred:] It goes along for twelve months.
[speaker003:] Oh right.
[Fred:] And the days go down and I think that there's numbers at the bottom.
[speaker005:] I was waiting for somebody to pass the creme caramel out of the fridge.
[speaker002:] I can't because
[speaker006:] Wh, Why do you want it?
[Fred:] Oh no I'm not sure.
[speaker003:] Yes it is. Twelve months.
[Fred:] Twelve months, yes, yes. That's right yes.
[speaker003:] And various
[speaker005:] There we are knowing my luck it won't come out.
[speaker003:] Do you have to dip it in hot water or something?
[speaker005:] Well no it's creme caramel, is that
[speaker004:] creme caramel or proper creme caramel?
[speaker005:] You're not supposed to ask those sort of questions dad.
[speaker002:] Well.
[speaker004:] No. No it's only because we made some on holiday when we went to
[speaker003:] Oh yes, yes.
[speaker004:] Switzerland. Some man, he said oh, he made it all... sort of proper.
[speaker005:] Oh I can make it all proper.
[Fred:] Not that you haven't done it
[speaker005:] You know instead of tipping it over which would probably help I'd put that
[Fred:] put that on top and put the two over together.
[speaker005:] Well done.
[Fred:] There.
[speaker003:] Now you've got a problem. [banging]
[Fred:] Hit it with a spoon. Not hard enough to break the dish
[speaker003:] Yes I do think you need to... why don't you just try dishing it up out of the thing? You're never going to get that out.
[speaker005:] Yes I am.... All you've got to do is get rid of the air. Like that.
[speaker003:] Ah. [everyone claps]
[Fred:] Oh clever dick, oh the clever trousers. Very good.... Creme caramel and custard. [whistling]
[speaker005:] I've never used that before.
[speaker003:] [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] You've had it for a few years too....
[speaker005:] Well that's one.
[speaker002:] Would everybody like lumpy custard?
[speaker005:] You're not supposed to make lumpy custard. You make very very good custard normally.
[speaker006:] No. Custard with no lumps.
[Fred:] You've made lumpy custard you can eat it.
[speaker002:] O K.... I don't know what happened. lumpy custard.
[Fred:] Oh sorry.
[speaker002:] made lumpy custard. I thought everybody liked it. I know dad does.
[speaker005:] No, I'm just putting some so if it all ends up thrown away
[speaker003:] Oh Sue that is dreadful.
[speaker005:] I know.
[Fred:] It won't get thrown away.
[speaker003:] That is dreadful.
[speaker005:] get thrown away always ends up getting thrown away.
[Fred:] No it doesn't. I'll eat it.
[speaker005:] It goes in the fridge for about four days.
[Fred:] No it doesn't I jack it out sometimes.
[speaker006:] I throw it away straight away these days.
[speaker003:] Oh John that is such a terrible waste.
[speaker006:] Well what, what are you going to do with it? It's making too much to start with.
[speaker004:] Make cauliflower cheese with that.
[speaker003:] Precisely.
[Fred:] I'll make myself some cauliflower cheese tomorrow morning.
[speaker003:] Why don't you just cut it all up and put a curry sauce over it? And have curried vegetables. Delicious.
[Fred:] I'll have cauliflower cheese tomorrow er lunchtime. With the cauliflower.
[speaker004:] The rest you can fry up in the evening and have it with your cold beef.
[speaker003:] Exactly.
[speaker002:] I did. It's hard to pour out.
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[speaker003:] That is dreadful. I mean they're all usable.
[speaker002:] Can somebody pass me a towel please?
[speaker006:] Well what happened
[Fred:] Yes but you see when you get out of here about... seven times between half past six and eight o'clock at night [LAUGHTER]
[speaker003:] Well you ha at least haven't got to do vegetables have you? I mean they're already done for you. Just reheat those and you're off and away.... I like to have a lot of vegetables left over. I can have them fried the next day.
[speaker006:] What will we do with it?
[speaker002:] Apart from me.
[speaker006:] Er..
[Fred:] Well generally there's, there's only three of us here [too much banging]
[speaker004:] There's your custard lad.
[speaker005:] Oh lumpy!
[speaker002:] It's not.
[speaker003:] You said so.
[speaker002:] No. I said does anybody like it.
[speaker003:] Oh.
[speaker002:] Did I actually say the words does anybody
[speaker003:] You said
[speaker002:] I... I said does anybody like lumpy custard.
[speaker003:] That's right.
[speaker002:] Does that mean that I've made lumpy custard?
[speaker003:] Yes.
[speaker002:] Why?
[speaker003:] Well because lumpy
[speaker002:] Did I actually say I?
[speaker003:] Well no you didn't actually say [LAUGHTER] but one would presume from that that that's what you were getting.
[Fred:] What you should have said is I hope everybody likes lumpy custard. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker005:] Well the trouble with making it in a jar is you don't get much skin do you? If you put it in a basin then you can sort of
[Fred:] Yeah but the sk skin's thicker.
[speaker003:] Well yeah that's true. Mm.
[speaker004:] custard, oh look lumps.
[speaker005:] Very true.
[speaker004:] We're deprived these days.
[speaker006:] Eh?
[speaker002:] Pardon?
[speaker005:] . Cold bread pudding.
[speaker002:] Yeah. It's nice.
[speaker006:] Can you eat it hot?
[speaker002:] mum's done it in a sweater then it
[speaker005:] Should have slipped it in the erm in the oven.
[speaker006:] You nearly said the microwave didn't you?
[speaker005:] I nearly said the microwave, but in the oven. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] The other thing's behind next to the erm scales.
[Fred:] Er how did you manage to get two sides of that so perfectly straight?
[speaker005:] Well I'll get the cream out.
[speaker003:] What that? Oh yes it was in thing. I'll divide it up between three of us.
[speaker006:] other erm thing, whatever it is.
[speaker002:] Thing?
[Fred:] Oh it's your bread pudding, I see.
[speaker003:] Yeah. I made one yesterday in a meat tin and so Lynn had a lump and I got a lump and you here.
[speaker005:] Would anybody like some of this?
[speaker006:] We've got four, four puddings here aren't there?
[speaker003:] What is it?
[speaker005:] Baked jam roll. Mincemeat. burnt it. Sorry.
[speaker003:] No, no, no, crispy, crunchy.
[speaker005:] Who'd like what?
[speaker002:] Me please.
[Fred:] I'd like a piece of Gran's thing to start with.... I'll have some of that.
[speaker003:] Well that's not fair Alexander is it? Your mother said who wants what. Alexander said... and Fred got served first.
[Fred:] Well, I'm sorry.
[speaker005:] Oh sorry, yes.
[Fred:] She was trying to get rid of this that's why. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker003:] Young people have got to stand up for their rights Alexander.
[speaker002:] It's my favourite.
[speaker005:] I didn't get the cream.
[speaker002:] Oh yeah I'll get the cream.
[speaker003:] I mean I read according to the paper this morning young people have got to have a
[speaker004:] elders and betters and all that.
[speaker003:] That's true....
[speaker005:] Young people have got to what?
[speaker003:] Stand up to their, have a say. You've got to listen.
[speaker002:] Yeah. Nobody listens to the young...
[Fred:] Well why not?
[speaker004:] Ah
[speaker005:] Ah, since when does nobody listen to you?
[speaker002:] At school they don't anyway.
[speaker005:] Ah
[speaker006:] Since when did they ever?
[speaker003:] I'll have a piece of that please.
[speaker002:] What do you mean?... Nobody will want custard
[speaker005:] Nobody wants custard. You even you're not having custard.
[speaker002:] I know but but eat custard with meringue.
[speaker005:] Why not?
[speaker002:] It makes the meringue go all weird. Does anybody want custard?
[speaker005:] John do you want this?
[speaker006:] No I'll have some of that please.
[speaker004:] I'll have some of that too please.
[speaker002:] I'll have some of nan's bread pudding I think..
[speaker003:] Take that back to school.
[speaker004:] ought to do is to eat the things that he's saying that nobody wants.
[speaker003:] I think they are actually. They're just trying to prove you
[speaker005:] What are you going to have nan?
[speaker003:] I'm going to have some cream please.
[Fred:] Ah
[speaker002:] I'll take it to school.
[speaker003:] tart. You've got treacle bites.
[speaker005:] They don't have a lot of that there.
[speaker004:] bread pudding as well.
[speaker006:] Have a lot of what left?
[speaker005:] You didn't want.
[Fred:] Who wants the custard? John?
[speaker002:] Don't you want custard granddad?
[Fred:] Yes I'm having custard..
[speaker005:] Ah. The skin's gone. Fred!
[Fred:] No
[speaker005:] [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] John. Alec? Custard?
[speaker004:] No thank you. Oh dear
[speaker003:] Oh. [LAUGHTER] Oh shame.
[Fred:] No it's alright, that's alright.
[speaker004:] I'll save you the rest
[speaker003:] Fred's been looking
[Fred:] I don't, no I haven't, I don't worry about it. It's alright.
[speaker004:] I'll save the rest of it for you.
[Fred:] Thank you Alec.... out there.
[speaker003:] long time.
[Fred:] Must be like that.
[speaker004:] No I've come to the conclusion that we're deprived these days. We don't have any sweets much.
[speaker006:] But you're always having sweets.
[speaker004:] No. When people... come but otherwise we're deprived.
[speaker003:] Have a banana after.
[speaker004:] a banana.
[speaker005:] There was me thinking that you always.
[speaker003:] Well it depends. I think
[speaker002:] We had this really nice Danish apple bar that I did last night.
[speaker003:] In the where?
[speaker002:] A Danish apple bar.
[speaker003:] Oh really?
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Fred:] Who said this was burnt?... The pastry is a little crispy but...
[speaker004:] Very nice.
[Fred:] Yes very nice....
[speaker002:] Bottom of the meringue is.
[speaker003:] Do you make many jellies? I haven't had a jelly for ages and I got one from Sainsbury's. A lemon jelly. And I actually did it in a plastic basin. And it has stained it so badly. And I think well what do they put in this type of thing and it really wasn't that good was it?
[speaker004:] The basin or the jelly?
[speaker003:] Both. I, I thought. I don't know the things you eat with that much colouring in it erm No, John
[speaker002:] But she's done my
[speaker006:] jelly bowl.
[speaker003:] No, it wasn't a proper jelly bowl.
[speaker002:] jelly bowl or my jelly bowl.
[speaker003:] That's another thing you can't get now is... very much is chocolate blancmange.
[speaker002:] We've got some.
[speaker003:] Well you can't in Sainsbury's.
[speaker002:] Yes we have.
[speaker005:] Not chocolate one we've not.
[speaker002:] Yes we have we've got some chocolate ones.
[speaker005:] Have we?
[speaker002:] Yes.... How do you make then?
[speaker005:] That's chocolate and erm, you melt the chocolate and an orange jelly.
[Fred:] Some blinking thing they're, they're needing for a er accents... you know
[speaker002:] School custard's really weird.
[speaker003:] But we haven't
[Fred:] You know. Some research project.
[speaker002:] Some sort of weird gross lumpy custard, very nice.
[speaker003:] Are you, I mean
[speaker006:] the erm
[speaker003:] We, we haven't got accents as such have we?
[speaker004:] No.
[speaker003:] Oh, well we have but it's a London
[Fred:] I don't think you well a month now, I mean cotton is a natural.
[speaker003:] Yeah that's right but I mean we're just a south east London
[Fred:] I don't think
[speaker003:] sort of accent.
[Fred:] Well I, I would call it south London.
[speaker005:] I would.
[speaker003:] Well alright then.
[Fred:] Anyway, call it south London. It's certainly not a north London accent.
[speaker003:] The north London accent is exactly the same I used to live there for years.
[Fred:] Did you? Oh.
[speaker003:] Yeah. Oh, yeah.
[Fred:] Well I lived in north east London.
[speaker003:] Well it depends where you're, where you're going.
[speaker005:] in Scotland
[speaker003:] Oh to Scotland.
[speaker005:] Now there are treacle bites.
[speaker002:] I'll home....
[speaker006:] What's that treacle thing that we got from you the other day? That had to be kept in the fridge.
[speaker003:] I don't think so. It was a toffee tart?
[speaker006:] Whatever it was.
[speaker003:] Why?
[speaker006:] I just wondered whether it was
[speaker002:] Yes.
[speaker003:] What John?
[speaker006:] It was in the fridge and the dog.
[speaker005:] The fridge and the dog?
[speaker003:] Was it that popular?
[speaker006:] It was, it was very nice except that Fred had a piece and left the last couple of slices in the tin on the side and the dog took a shine to it so it was in a tin and then in the dog.
[speaker002:] you can't blame the dog for that.
[speaker006:] Well as far as I'm concerned it was the dog... on the side.
[speaker003:] Treacle pie was beautiful.
[speaker002:] Was it?
[speaker003:] Mm. Very good.... I don't know why I don't eat it more often.
[speaker006:] custard.
[speaker002:] Nothing.
[speaker003:] custard?
[speaker002:] No.
[speaker004:] caramel... it was sort of sludge. Dirty brown sludge.
[speaker003:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker005:] He used to do that to me at Sunday lunchtime. He used to sit and say all sorts of terrible things. eat their dinner. I mean, he'd put his elbows on the table because we had the kitchen table.
[speaker006:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] look at your father.
[Fred:] Sue. I will have a little piece of that lemon pie. I'll have a very small piece. That's it.
[speaker002:] . Cos we, at lunchtime we have trays and we have six to a table, we have three up the side and one on the end. And sometimes it's pretty hard to get the one on the end in because they've, you've got jugs and things, and so you're pushing them all up. We couldn't get him and he had about this much off. And he came and he had a massive full plate of rice and curry and then he had custard and gooseberry pie sort of thing. And he came in and sat down and put his elbows on the edge of his tray and it all went [LAUGHTER] whack over his blazer and it all slid down onto his trousers. And I was sitting up, up, say this is the head of the table I was sitting where mum is. And I saw it and everybody in the whole room saw it and burst out laughing cos it was so funny.
[Fred:] Who was he? That did it.
[speaker002:] Well just sat down.
[speaker005:] What a nice guy.
[speaker004:] make a speech.
[speaker005:] Mm. William's on drums.
[speaker003:] On drums?
[speaker002:] Mm. Yes.
[speaker003:] What he's going to be a drummer?
[speaker005:] You don't have to go to Caterham school to become a drummer. Do you see that father with long hair and
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker003:] Guitar.
[speaker004:] What is he then?
[speaker005:] I should think he's in the group, isn't he?
[speaker002:] Who? Oh no, no, Philip's father, no.
[speaker005:] Well perhaps he
[speaker004:] He looks like one of the you know
[speaker005:] Who was the man that gave the speech?
[speaker002:] Philip. The one with blond hair.
[speaker005:] Yes.
[speaker002:] Philip.
[speaker005:] Right. Well now his father
[speaker002:] His old man is, has got long blond hair but he's bald on top
[speaker005:] That's it, yeah.
[speaker002:] and he wears erm sort of grey cowboy boots.
[speaker005:] . Baggy clothes. And he's got a silver guitar on his lapel
[speaker002:] Yeah. But he's not a musician. He's a
[speaker004:] I always thought he was a jazz
[speaker002:] No he does, he does erm, er oh forgotten what you call it now. He designs... buildings and windows and things. An architect. Well, he's a sort of architect.
[speaker005:] A quantity surveyor?
[speaker002:] Yeah. He doesn't design buildings
[speaker004:] But he designs windows.
[speaker002:] He designs certain bits on buildings like arches, and windows and things like that.
[speaker005:] He's got a very nice vehicle. It's like erm a Range Rover isn't it?
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker005:] Big. Great big thing.
[speaker004:] Shogun sort of thing.
[speaker005:] So we sat there and we decided he was obviously a musician. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] He likes music but he's not a musician.
[speaker005:] He looks like and I, first of all when we saw him I thought who the hell is that, can't be a father cos look at him, he looks terrible.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] he looks terrible
[speaker003:] Did he come to the ball? Did he come to the ball Sue?
[speaker002:] should have seen dad. Did you see the one who kept running up and down in the weird hat? Taking photos.
[Fred:] Well that's his, that's his tribal.
[speaker002:] Yes, didn't you see him?
[speaker005:] Oh what yes.
[speaker003:] Yes.
[Fred:] He, he is a head of them, he head of the tribe.
[speaker002:] One of the main tribes of
[Fred:] They don't call them they call them tribes or whatever it is.
[speaker002:] is French?
[speaker005:] Is it?
[Fred:] And he er, well he's probably French.
[speaker002:] You see his dad is basically a king.
[Fred:] A ki king, that's right.
[speaker002:] A king, a kingdom, so Richard's really a prince.
[speaker005:] Oh.
[speaker006:] Doesn't mean that father of his is a queen does it? Runs up and down screaming and jumping up and down.
[speaker003:] Well when did you see her?
[speaker006:] Oh she goes to matches. It's an embarrassment. You sort of creep into a corner and hope she doesn't see you.
[speaker005:] really nice.
[speaker006:] She's alright to say hello to but then
[speaker005:] One of the nicest mums there is.
[speaker002:] Yes she is.
[speaker006:] Well she's alright.
[Fred:] I think she is too Alex.
[speaker006:] You don't actually want to stand next to her though do you?
[speaker002:] She is. When I was playing rugby and I hurt my thumb she actually lent me a very expensive Jaeger coat to keep me warm. [LAUGHTER] She did and I got mud all over it.
[speaker006:] you can't stand any too much she's always on the move.
[speaker002:] She's nice. She comes to all the, all the football.
[speaker006:] Yes, she is, she's very nice but you don't actually want to, if you're on the, the touchline you don't want to stand next to her.
[speaker002:] Why?
[speaker006:] Well she's jumping up and down, she's screaming and laughing and shouting at people and hollering oh.
[Fred:] That, that's what she goes there for.
[speaker002:] I think the worst thing is when their team at matches. They were losing and she knew they were going to lose and their last bloke was coming in and she was cheering them on. [LAUGHTER] She was cheering them on.
[Fred:] Ah we, we, her and I cheered on who, who, who couldn't score, he never, they never got a score.
[speaker002:] Oh was that Trinity?
[Fred:] No, it wasn't Trinity, no. It was yeah they'd come quite a long way actually.
[speaker002:] Oh yeah, hang on, I can't think who they are but they came all the way. And we're all going out on the field going come on, very good, we're gonna beat your team, and we got our man and we scored about seven tries in the first three minutes.
[Fred:] Oh not, hardly, not quite.
[speaker003:] It's a very rough game Alexander.
[speaker004:] Oh Alex's got some
[Fred:] twenty seconds.
[speaker004:] telling you the rules. Tell daddy what they're changing.
[speaker002:] Oh they're going to change the rules that erm, you know there's two scrumhalfs start on their side of the scrum, well they can't come round to the other side. Cos you know you've got
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] in the centre of the scrum you've half and you've got
[speaker006:] So as long as you're behind the ball you can keep moving
[speaker002:] No.
[speaker006:] Well you, that's what you can do at the moment.
[speaker002:] Yeah but the new rules for our age group is you have half of the scrum and then you have the scrumhalf and he puts the ball in and he goes back to his side doesn't he? And the other scrumhalf and normally the other scrumhalf will come round and tackle him. Or push him off the ball or something
[speaker006:] Yes. As long as he stays, stays behind the ball then he's allowed to do that.
[speaker002:] Well they're not allowed to, they're not allowed to yeah but they're not allowed to do that any more.
[speaker006:] He can't, so he can't come
[speaker002:] No. And he can't, you can't do twist any more.
[Fred:] Can't you?
[speaker002:] No. The number eight can't pick it up.
[Fred:] Oh.
[speaker002:] And erm I can't remember what the other one is. Oh you can't push more than one point four metres or something or other.
[speaker005:] Oh my god! Do you take a tape measure with you?
[speaker002:] No but, so if you
[speaker006:] five minute scrum you can't push over
[speaker002:] You can't push.
[speaker006:] That's silly isn't it?
[speaker002:] yeah. The reason is you've got to take
[speaker005:] take out all the extra sort of strain
[speaker002:] All of the extra strain on the
[speaker006:] I suppose the trouble is yeah if you do push, if you do go for that the other side cos you just sort of push them into the
[Fred:] What about when you
[speaker002:] Yeah!
[speaker006:] in a big mangled heap.
[Fred:] what about when you, what about when you make
[speaker002:] the first row. Oh as soon as, as soon as you, about over fifteens er is normal rules. This is all under fifteen. The good thing about being in the scrum is when you push over and they all collapse and you fall on top of them. Or you stand there and you walk over them.
[speaker003:] Do they get as much pleasure about walking over you?
[speaker002:] No cos I normally hit back. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] What was this?
[speaker002:] Tighthead prop.
[speaker004:] Who?
[speaker002:] Tighthead prop.
[speaker003:] I think that's tighthead prop.
[speaker004:] Prop forward.
[speaker002:] That's what it's called.
[speaker003:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker005:] I don't know much about rugby.
[speaker002:] Better than golf.
[speaker004:] four... five days really.
[speaker002:] It's better than golf.
[speaker003:] Don't you like golf?
[speaker002:] No, boring.
[speaker005:] Golf?
[speaker002:] Yeah. golf
[speaker003:] Why do you say boring?
[speaker002:] I dunno. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker005:] Golf is
[speaker003:] Have you actually played it?
[speaker002:] Yes. Lots. [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] What golf?
[speaker002:] Not... I'm not very good at it. [LAUGHTER] Boring.
[speaker003:] [LAUGHTER] Oh I see, as you're no good at it, it's boring.
[speaker002:] No, cos it's, you just watch somebody smack a ball as hard as they can with the one wood and see how far it goes.
[speaker003:] But you've got an objective, you've got to get it down a hole.
[speaker002:] Yeah, put it in a hole.
[speaker003:] Well yes I know but
[speaker002:] That's easy!
[speaker003:] look at the money they make, golfers.
[speaker002:] Yeah look at the money skateboarders make. [LAUGHTER] Do you know how much, do you know how much the world champion earns in one year?
[speaker003:] No.
[speaker002:] He will earn something like seven million dollars.
[speaker003:] What, for skateboarding?
[speaker002:] Yes he does. You ought to see his house.
[Fred:] This is America is it?
[speaker002:] He's got wooden hall, wooden lounge
[speaker005:] Doesn't allow any pedestrians.
[speaker002:] No pedestrians, no cars. Erm he's got three videos
[speaker005:] He skateboards all the way from the house
[speaker002:] he's got portable video TV little thing like er like the Sony ones on Virgin. He's got three TV's, computer... video cameras, everything.
[speaker005:] He's got his own skateboard ramp in his back garden and he video tapes what he does so that he can watch what he's doing wrong and all the rest of it.
[speaker002:] And he's got these twenty nine twenty eight
[speaker003:] How ridiculous. On a skateboard.
[speaker002:] Why's it ridiculous?
[speaker003:] What's so wonderful about skateboarding?
[speaker005:] Well because he's very skilled. No I accept now that it's, it's extremely skilful.
[speaker002:] It's very skilful.
[speaker005:] It's just as skilful as most other sports. Just as skilful as skiing, and, and er ice skating though it's not phenomenal about sports
[speaker002:] It's just, you're just thinking that if there's anybody who skateboards just skates and like really ragged clothes because you're not exactly gonna go out wearing a suit skateboarding cos as soon as you fall off you you're gonna rip it to shreds aren't you?
[speaker003:] True. I cannot see... skateboarding being sports.
[speaker002:] It's in the next Olympics.
[Fred:] Oh yeah. they do it on these er... they must be you know
[speaker002:] It's gonna be in the next Olympics. For speed, skating, slalom and round. And street style. Are all gonna be in the next Olympics.
[Fred:] As much a sport as you could call erm
[speaker003:] Well I dare say but it's far more dignified to play golf.
[Fred:] Oh what do you, you know erm that sort of thing.
[speaker002:] Why's it far more dignified? They're just stuck up normally.
[speaker003:] No they're not.
[speaker002:] Load of stuck up
[speaker003:] To play golf erm... it's really quite
[speaker002:] Have I got to play golf?
[Fred:] Well golf is, is hardly a sport, it's not in the, it's not like it's in the Olympics is it?
[speaker004:] No.
[Fred:] No, it's a sport, but I mean it's erm... Well to most people it's a pastime isn't it?
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Fred:] Pastime for ordinary golfers.
[speaker005:] What there's Nick Faldo, makes a lot of money at it anyway.
[Fred:] Oh well, it's a sport for him, yes. But I say for most... ordinary people who play it, it's a pastime.
[speaker003:] It's not easy hitting that little ball you know.
[speaker002:] Yes it is.
[speaker003:] It is not.
[speaker002:] It is.
[speaker003:] It is not.
[speaker002:] It is.
[speaker003:] It is not.
[speaker002:] It is, it is. I can even slice it and I've only played golf once.
[Fred:] Oh I don't know. If you've got, if you've got a good eye there's nothing hard in hitting the ball. It's if it goes where you want it to that's hard.
[speaker003:] Precisely. Precisely.
[Fred:] Well that applies to any, any sport, any kind of sport.
[speaker002:] Apart from cricket where you just smack it as hard as you can.
[speaker005:] I, I, I think there's an art to that as well.
[speaker002:] Yeah there is. I can play it, sort of.
[Fred:] I dunno, cricket, cricket
[speaker002:] I can bowl, I'm quite a bowler.
[Fred:] cricket is
[speaker002:] I'm extremely fast armed. Not very accurate. [LAUGHTER] Well I, I can't, I don't bowl them out I have to bowl them about that far away from the wickets. So I get, if I get them on target I normally get a couple of wickets.
[speaker003:] Mm.
[speaker002:] Cos I'm really fast. Or I get an L B.
[speaker005:] Well he is at javelin, and what was the other thing he was throwing, the discus?
[Fred:] Discus.
[speaker002:] No. It's shot.
[Fred:] No, no, no the shot.
[speaker002:] I don't like shot.
[speaker005:] Oh the shot. Are you still doing that?
[speaker002:] No.
[Fred:] Putting the shot.
[speaker005:] You were good.
[speaker002:] No.
[speaker005:] Didn't you come second in that?
[speaker002:] Yeah but I was just got out of it, not very good at it.
[speaker005:] Now I can't see any sense in throwing... whatsit, the javelin. Now honestly
[speaker004:] We were just saying you ought to be good at that.
[speaker002:] Well I am. spear broke, you throw it at the ground.
[Fred:] You don't you throw it at animals to kill them.
[speaker002:] Yeah but basically downwards all the time. Why can't you see the point in throwing a javelin?
[speaker005:] No I can't see much sport in that.
[speaker004:] I can't see you do it this year.
[speaker002:] Why not?
[Fred:] Well I think it's a lot, there's a lot of...
[speaker005:] What is it that, you know, it doesn't achieve anything does it?
[Fred:] Well of course it does. It, it achieves just as much as softly doing hop skip and a jump. What's the difference?
[speaker002:] It, it achieves the same as somebody, somebody putting a ball in a hole with, with as least hits as he can.
[Fred:] It achieves, it achieves as much as some, as somebody throwing a hammer. Or a shot.
[speaker003:] Oh yeah.
[Fred:] Or jumping, jumping over an eight foot fence.
[speaker003:] Yes.
[speaker005:] Well they're not, erm... are they?
[Fred:] Can't tell the difference.
[speaker003:] I know, they're all the same. You wrap all those, all that lot up in one sort of, you know.
[Fred:] Well I think it's very interesting. It it it it takes a lot of doing.
[speaker002:] Yeah it does. It's got a lot of skill in it actually.
[Fred:] There's a lot of skill in it. There's a lot of skill in javelin throwing.
[speaker002:] It is. There's more skill in that than there is the discus.
[Fred:] There is.
[speaker002:] Discus
[Fred:] Might just as well
[speaker006:] make a good as well. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] Yes.
[Fred:] There's a lot of skill in discus sonny, don't you forget it.
[speaker002:] Oh yeah there is actually. Oh shot put's probably the easiest to do.
[Fred:] Shot put is more, is more
[speaker002:] Brute force.
[Fred:] Brute force.
[speaker002:] Whereas javelin is a lot of skill
[Fred:] I mean the hammer, the hammer is
[speaker005:] Surely javelin is brute force as well?
[speaker002:] Yeah but it's got to spill and spin right.
[speaker005:] It isn't brute, isn't javelin the same, it's brute force.
[speaker002:] No. Because however, however much brute force you put in, it's how you put through the javelin.
[Fred:] It's how you put it through
[speaker002:] If you it as far as far as you can you've got to, when you throw javelin you've got to bring your arm through right, you've got to twist, you've got to make sure your wrist's tight... you've got to keep your erm left foot planted. You've got to, oh you've just to keep it straight. It's very hard.
[Fred:] Very, very.
[speaker005:] Alright then, alright then.
[Fred:] You see you don't just, you don't just go like this
[speaker003:] technique in in playing golf.
[speaker002:] Yeah, there is a technique.
[speaker003:] That's alright then.
[speaker002:] Golf technique extremely easy.
[Fred:] Yes but surely Alexander you're, you're only saying that er... you don't er, the more you golf.
[speaker002:] Yeah I know but. I know that's all I said.
[Fred:] I mean, the, you don't get many... You do get youngsters as young as you they do, they do, by, by the time
[speaker002:] Yeah but it's no.
[speaker003:] Well they start, it it's the same way that er very young people er start playing snooker don't they?
[speaker002:] Well I play snooker.
[speaker003:] Time they get to about sixteen or seventeen you know they can be up in the top players.... You certainly make money if you begin.
[speaker004:] Young people play bowls these days too.
[speaker003:] [LAUGHTER] They don't make much money at it though.
[speaker004:] No, no. Bowls is a sport that they don't make much money.
[speaker006:] money I think it's the sport that counts.
[speaker003:] I know but I mean
[speaker002:] Yeah, it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game.
[speaker003:] Oh dear. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] They make a few quid don't they at bowls?
[speaker002:] Well they do cheat or not.
[speaker003:] No
[speaker006:] guys at the top what is it Tony Al Tony Alcock.
[speaker004:] Tony Alcock. But they don't win.
[speaker003:] Oh you cruel thing.
[speaker002:] Cruel?. It's a very rough sport.
[speaker004:] What is?
[speaker003:] I know it is.
[speaker002:] Rugby.
[speaker003:] I don't know why you play it.
[speaker002:] Cos I like hitting people.... I like hitting my balls ugh.
[speaker003:] streak in you. Yeah well I take after my mum. Do you. Do you have er young boys at your school? Do they have to do all your bidding and fetching and carrying and things?
[speaker002:] No. They used to but they don't any more they've taken all that sort of brilliant stuff away. But they did that to me when I was their age and now as soon as I get to fourteen when when you can, when you can, when you could do that... And now today... it's not fair.
[speaker003:] Mm.
[speaker004:] ....
[speaker002:] ....
[speaker003:] No it's probably... right that you don't bully the youngsters.
[speaker002:] Well, they did it to me.
[speaker003:] Yes, but you didn't like it did you?
[speaker002:] . N n. But they did it to everybody, it happened to everybody.
[speaker004:] . Except when you get there and they stop it.
[speaker002:] Yeah we're not even allowed to report them any more. Put them on the landing.... No because it's just oh no you'll get them all cold.
[speaker003:] Where you ever put on the landing?
[speaker002:] Mhm.
[speaker005:] Often. [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] What for?
[speaker002:] Hitting people normally.
[speaker006:] Hitting people?
[speaker002:] Yeah with my pillows. We had pillow fights. Bed slipper fights.
[Fred:] Well you weren't the only one out on the landing then?
[speaker002:] No everybody was.
[Fred:] There was probably more of you on the landing than there was [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] There wasn't. But one night we tried to get the whole entire floor out on the landing. Well some of us swapped and the Gammas didn't want to do it. All the Alpha Betas and most of the Gammas were out on the landing and they ran out of room. And so they started putting people downstairs... everywhere and shoving them in corners that nobody even.
[speaker003:] Are you sorry that your Mr 's leaving?
[speaker002:] No. Well I am a little bit.
[speaker003:] Oh. Was he nice to you, all you boys?
[speaker002:] Well he,, well, you know but just because he's leaving he he seems to think that he's got to upturn the, upturn the, upturn the term. And everything has gone to pot.
[speaker005:] I'm very surprised at that.
[speaker002:] Everything thing's gone all weird and nobody knows what's happening. They've changed all the things that used to be just because they know... Like form twos always used to have an end of term leaving party. But now they're not just so all the people can have one because Mr and Mrs are leaving.
[speaker005:] Oh well.
[speaker002:] It was the form twos, the only thing that I, that they had to, they had to look forward to in the whole time they were there. And I've been there since Alpha and I every year I've looked out and watched the form twos. And now suddenly just as soon as I come to form twos they've taken that away.
[speaker003:] What you're in form two now?
[speaker002:] Yeah. They've taken all the privileges away.
[speaker003:] Ah. Is it only a temporary?
[speaker002:] No. We don't know. We don't have any teachers for about eighteen months. [LAUGHTER] He does look like one. Have you seen him?
[speaker005:] No.
[Fred:] Has he got a long brown habit on?
[speaker002:] No but he's got hair like one. He looks
[speaker003:] Yeah but you won't be in, you Alexander, will it?
[speaker002:] I know it's good. No.
[speaker003:] After, after er you break up in the summer?
[speaker002:] Yeah I know that's good.
[speaker003:] So next year form two can have their party? Ask if you can join them.
[speaker002:] No. Wouldn't want to mix with that bunch anyway.
[speaker003:] But you are one of them now.
[speaker002:] What, one of the form ones?
[speaker003:] Yeah I thought you were a form two?
[speaker002:] Yeah but
[speaker005:] Well what are the form ones like?
[speaker003:] Oh I see form ones will be form two next year. Right.
[speaker002:] load of rabble.
[speaker004:] Well, they're the same as you were last year aren't they?
[speaker002:] Well yeah I know. But that's how the form twos thought of us last year as well [LAUGHTER] load of rabble.
[speaker004:] Yes.
[speaker005:] That one year can make such a difference can't it?
[speaker004:] school he'll be.
[speaker003:] Oh you're gonna be the rabble again, aren't you?
[speaker002:] I know, cool. I like being the rabble cos you never have any responsibilities. If you're form two they always look to you to, I mean we can't do our thing by ourselves but soon as something needs done, doing they look to us.
[speaker004:] Well there you are you're the responsible lot aren't you?
[speaker002:] I know but we can't do, we can't do anything apart from be told what to do by the teachers. We can't tell people what to do.
[speaker003:] Well that's right. You shouldn't have to.
[speaker002:] We're not allowed to wreak punishment apart from when our floor
[speaker003:] That I believe is right too, why should you?
[speaker002:] Why, because we were at, in Alpha and Beta and Gamma and form one we were always admitted punishment by form twos. Whatever they felt like they sort of
[speaker005:] They've never had people like barks or tells.
[speaker002:] No they're called
[speaker006:] alright isn't he?
[speaker002:] Yeah I know but he admitted a lot of punishments.
[speaker006:] Did he?
[speaker002:] Yes.
[speaker005:] I don't think your mum would like you sticking that.
[Fred:] I was gonna say if you keep doing that you'll be getting some.
[speaker003:] Would you like to say.
[speaker002:] Yes. Present from mummy.
[speaker006:] dishwasher.
[speaker005:] Oh shall we go and sit in the other room while daddy finishes the washing up?
[speaker003:] Oh it's not fair that he did some
[speaker006:] did all the serious bits.
[speaker005:] You made the gravy.
[speaker006:] Well the rest.
[speaker005:] He didn't touch any of the rest of it.
[speaker003:] What's up with your dishwasher?
[speaker005:] It is, it is but what's there is just saucepans and things.... Well, come on we'll go and sit in the other room.... These cups have lasted... they're three years older than you are.
[Fred:] Where are you sitting, in here Alexander? Oh well you are aren't you?
[speaker002:] fire on.
[Fred:] You are aren't you?
[speaker002:] Yeah I know.
[Fred:] You're sitting in here.
[speaker002:] I know. Yeah I know this fire's on.... Hello Mr thingy.
[Fred:] You're bugged, you're bugged.
[speaker002:] Hello. I'm not bugged.
[Fred:] You are.
[speaker002:] I'm not. I'm not bugged. Nothing bugs me, by anything at all, anything bugging me. I can't, I'm not annoyed by anything, right?
[Fred:] Oh no alright well.
[speaker002:] I'm not being bugged.
[Fred:] I'm not using bugged in that er, bugging in conversations.
[speaker002:] Oh. Oh.
[speaker004:] Are you going that rugby tour, on the edge of somewhere?
[speaker002:] Yeah. Well it's not a tour, it's a, like lessons.
[speaker004:] Oh. Where is that then?
[speaker002:] It's a rugby school in Stow.
[speaker004:] In where?
[speaker002:] Stow.
[speaker004:] Oh at Stow School?
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Oh.
[speaker002:] They do cricket there as well.
[Fred:] My mate John hasn't heard anything from them yet.
[speaker004:] How many of you going?
[speaker002:] Five.
[speaker004:] Where you picked to go or
[speaker002:] No.
[Fred:] No no they had to play.
[speaker002:] No no just something that some of us wanted to do. It's nothing to do with the school.
[Fred:] Nothing to do with school.
[speaker004:] Oh I see.
[Fred:] No no it just... Rob's.
[speaker002:] Yeah. And so is Richard. [hiccup]
[speaker004:] That will be interesting isn't it?
[speaker002:] Yeah....
[Fred:] got, got fair old rugby players interested I think.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Fred:] won the grand slam.
[speaker004:] Oh. Well does he run it then?
[Fred:] Well.
[speaker002:] He goes there
[speaker004:] so he gives you advice that sort of thing?
[Fred:] Well I think that he's got some educational interest. There's one or two other old you know erm. I think probably he organizes. Coaching school and
[speaker004:] Oh yes.
[Fred:] they, they don't play much.
[speaker004:] No.
[Fred:] . Well I don't know what does for a living or does for a living. was injured.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Fred:] before they had the goals.
[speaker004:] Oh I don't know, I I don't follow rugby to that extent.
[Fred:] No.
[speaker004:] That school like, Alexander goes to I mean it's a good place to go to isn't it? If you can afford to send your kids there.... I would say there was more going on, going for them isn't there than
[Fred:] Oh yes, yes.
[speaker004:] than the old comprehensive schools. Some are better than others of course but er
[Fred:] I think that a big advantage if you wanting to get in very large areas like London and Birmingham. I think that if the schools, I don't suppose that kind of thing but erm, I mean the schools out in Surrey and all erm places like that. When you get down there they're much... much better than
[speaker004:] Oh yes. I mean we have a local school, Hayes School which is a very good comprehensive
[Fred:] Mm. All the comprehensives.
[speaker004:] and everybody
[Fred:] But I don't think parts of Croydon, south of Croydon, Birmingham they're much better down there.
[speaker004:] I mean people move in to Hayes specially so that their kids can go there.
[Fred:] Yes.... I think generally speaking you erm schools out in the country are better.
[speaker004:] Oh yes. Mm
[Fred:] Cos then you
[speaker004:] It's O K if your headmasters that run the school change I mean schools tend to change with headmasters don't they?...
[Fred:] Cos it'd be, I mean a big disadvantage to a lot of particular schools around this area is the number of erm Asian and
[speaker004:] Yes.
[Fred:] erm Indian. I mean, they, they probably don't speak English and they're at at a disadvantage to start off with.
[speaker004:] Yes.
[Fred:] Which again is holding the others back.
[speaker004:] Yes, yes.... changing headmasters at his school and they had a terrible reputation one time.
[Fred:] Did it?
[speaker002:] Sorry.
[Fred:] your black rucksack?
[speaker002:] My black
[Fred:] The one that was in, in the other room?
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Fred:] Well I put it in the hall
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Fred:] behind the hall stand but mummy must have shifted it cos, shifted it with that er that bag of hers so I should ask mummy where it is. Cos it was, I put it behind the hall stand.
[speaker002:] O K.
[speaker004:] But they had a new headmaster oh he's just retired, he's been there... been there since Lynn was there when... since she was... since the er she's twice that age so I mean he must have been there eighteen years but when he went there he's er totally the school from the word go
[speaker002:] No, I got, I need to get some stuff out of the red one.
[speaker004:] and it changed out of all recognition. Now it's one of the, the best schools... for miles around.
[Fred:] Is he er... is he due to retire or
[speaker004:] Ye yes he's just retired.
[Fred:] He has just retired?
[speaker004:] There's been a new headmaster for the last year I think so I don't know what he
[speaker005:] Bath now
[speaker002:] What did you say?
[Fred:] Well you might find as he's got a good, good disciplined school he'll... Unless of course he's of the opposite
[speaker004:] Well yes
[Fred:] have any discipline do as they like.
[speaker004:] Mm. All go to school in uniform and you know
[Fred:] Mm. I think that they should actually.
[speaker004:] Yes.... Except the sixth form, they can
[Fred:] Well no, well, well of course Alexander's school see... next year he er... he's gotta wear... black and you know a black suit. Well
[speaker004:] Yes
[Fred:] a dark, very dark grey suit. But there's no insignia on it.
[speaker004:] Isn't there?
[Fred:] No no, no. They wear the tie.
[speaker004:] Mm. But not even next year when he goes to school?
[Fred:] I don't think so, no I'll ask him when he comes down. I don't think so. Think they did away with the green
[speaker004:] Oh.
[Fred:] the, the the green erm... coats when they er, when they go up to the main school.
[speaker003:] They have er black ones don't they?
[Fred:] Well they er sort of that or very dark grey.
[speaker003:] Are there?
[Fred:] Very er
[speaker003:] Oh like charcoal?
[Fred:] Charcoal grey.
[speaker003:] Oh. Try out this chair.
[Fred:] Mi mi mind you don't hit the television. [LAUGHTER] That's what Alexander. No you're alright there.
[speaker003:] I'm not gonna rock too much but I'm blocking the fire from you over there that's the only thing.
[Fred:] No you're not, don't worry about that.
[speaker003:] Aren't you cold?
[Fred:] No.
[speaker003:] Good grief.
[Fred:] What with this woolly on. I'll never
[speaker003:] Even so.
[speaker004:] still cold?
[speaker003:] Mm.
[Fred:] Well you probably find that you're getting a draught under that that door. It's a big gap.
[speaker003:] I'm freezing.
[Fred:] Oh.
[speaker003:] What've you done?
[Fred:] No you get a terrific er draught under that door. If you've got, if you've got this one shut you don't get it.
[speaker003:] Ah.
[Fred:] Actually this is a very warm room I think, this one.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Fred:] Even in winter you know
[speaker003:] More so than the front.
[Fred:] more so than the front room or the well the front room's good when you get a bit of you know when the you've got the sun.
[speaker003:] Mm.
[Fred:] But in very cold weather it's er Well I think that er having that conservatory there makes
[speaker005:] This room's quite warm
[speaker003:] isn't it?
[Fred:] Well is a room with no heating.
[speaker003:] I can't believe this second of June's so cold. Dear me.
[speaker005:] Very unfair isn't it?
[speaker003:] You haven't still got the gas going have you in there Sue?
[Fred:] Yes it is gas, it's a gas fire.
[speaker004:] It's a gas fire.
[speaker003:] Oh is it a gas fire?
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker003:] Oh I thought it was a real fire.
[Fred:] No it's very good isn't it?
[speaker003:] Yeah
[speaker005:] Needs cleaning out, it needs cleaning. Cos I thought to myself
[Fred:] Well now we don't Do you know where the other things are?
[speaker005:] Those other coals? They're somewhere in the... back end, right down the far end
[speaker003:] This is what we wanted wasn't it? But we couldn't get it because the... no gas.
[speaker004:] There's no gas there.
[Fred:] Isn't there no gas where you are?
[speaker003:] Not in the lounge.
[speaker004:] Not where.
[Fred:] Oh I see. You've got gas
[speaker005:] Have you got solid floors as well?
[speaker004:] Yes.
[speaker003:] Well yes. Yes it's erm... well when you say solid floor we've got all tongued and grooved boards.
[Fred:] Oh you could get under there.
[speaker003:] Yeah I know, we didn't want to have all our boards up to
[Fred:] No, well you'd only have to, you'd only have to take one board up maybe two. Another one to pull it up. You'd only have to take two boards up out of the lot.
[speaker004:] But I thought there was a gas tap there you know?
[speaker003:] Well we put carpet down and couldn't find any place.
[Fred:] I mean they don't take they only take a board up where they put it on to erm put it leading through and er where they bring it out.
[speaker004:] We've got an electric fire now so
[speaker003:] Mm.
[Fred:] Anyway it's not much different is it?
[speaker003:] Oh there's a lot of difference.
[Fred:] Is there?
[speaker003:] Well I mean look at that that looks like a real fire.
[Fred:] Oh that does look like a real fire yeah.
[speaker003:] You know it makes such a difference I think.
[Fred:] But you can get, you can get. I'm not sure there's all that the, the log type are... are quite so good.
[speaker004:] Haven't seen them.
[speaker005:] I don't know.
[speaker003:] Actually th no, they're not.
[Fred:] They're not
[speaker003:] Lynn's got a log one hasn't she?
[Fred:] Yes you you go
[speaker003:] But this looks
[Fred:] This looks like coal, that looks like coal
[speaker003:] Well this this fooled me. Yes.
[Fred:] The log ones... at first as you go in they do but you get no smoke from them and from logs you would always get smoke.
[speaker003:] Mm.
[Fred:] But you don't always get smoke from a, although if you put that low you get smoke from it don't you?
[speaker004:] very good.
[speaker003:] It is. Mind you're still got, still getting a lot of heat going up the old chimney aren't you?
[speaker005:] It warms Alexander's bedroom.
[speaker003:] [LAUGHTER] Oh well it does some good.
[speaker005:] Right I suppose I'd better go and pour this coffee.
[speaker003:] Where is it?
[Fred:] coffee.
[speaker003:] Susan!
[speaker005:] John these are cigarettes that I bought... six, seven months ago.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker005:] I know why I didn't
[Fred:] Are they the ones that were outside?
[speaker005:] No no.
[Fred:] Oh no.
[speaker003:] They can't deteriorate.
[speaker005:] they're just dreadful cigarettes. I bought them because they had... I bought them... oh I think it was when I went with Val to Kessler long weekend
[speaker003:] Mm.
[speaker005:] and we were on our way out and they were selling these... and the girl said that they're very similar to Benson and Hedges but they're much milder.
[Fred:] They're so mild there's nobody smoking them.
[speaker005:] So I said O K I'll buy them. But I, but it's not that they're mild, it's just that I don't like the flavour, the taste of them is just dreadful they just taste awful. So I've never smoked them, I've got about a hundred upstairs
[speaker003:] Really!
[speaker005:] and the other night I thought this is ridiculous I'll smoke these there's nothing really wrong with them.
[Fred:] Why don't you give them to somebody for a present?
[speaker003:] Yes.
[Fred:] Get somebody you don't, somebody you don't like.
[speaker003:] No if somebody wants to give up smoking.
[Fred:] Say what do you wanna give up smoking try these.
[speaker005:] I mean they'll, they'll try one of those and give it up.... If you put that ashtray over there dad and you'll....
[Fred:] Do you want to take this with you? Cos I don't want it.
[speaker003:] Are you sure Fred? I mean you want to
[Fred:] Yes I don't want it. Oh no where I know that one. I don't like to swear to find it. Well anyway you can't... you walk through the main street of erm... of Bakewell you can't miss it.
[speaker005:] John.
[speaker007:] Will it pick everything up?
[Fred:] It should pick it up yes. They carried it away every year, but eh, I mean it's be in the room it should pick it up. Forty five minutes one side of the tape is
[speaker007:] Market research.
[Fred:] Yeah. Well that's just to show people, you know, it wasn't so bad. They did tape conversation detail when.
[speaker007:] . Picked that up as well will it?
[Fred:] Oh yes, pick anything up in the room I think, you know, that's reasonable loud, not to worry [LAUGHTER] we were talking, talking about Shetland's Lowe weren't we? [LAUGHTER]
[speaker007:] Shetland's Lowe, yeah.
[Fred:] Yeah. Haven't you ever been up, you've never been up there?
[speaker007:] I, no, I've never been round much.
[Fred:] Well no, we always, we always
[speaker007:] high.
[Fred:] We always went the other way didn't we? Into erm
[speaker007:] Which, which you can come up through through the Ambridge
[Fred:] Danbridge or you can come up Danbridge in the up to Wolvercloth, yes, but I've never been, it's the first time I've ever been anywhere near the shopping
[speaker007:] But, that where we went to that pub that time with Geoff, that's the first time I've been up there.
[Fred:] I can't remember the name of that pub, I can't remember the names of anything
[speaker007:] I forgotten the name but in the hollow, in the yes, a very narrow valley, just in the hollow
[Fred:] Yes. It's in the.
[speaker007:] I gave them a right across Cheshire from that.
[Fred:] Yeah, and there's a nice little erm, stream runs through the valley.
[speaker007:] It's over that forest, what'll they call it?
[Fred:] Macclesfield forest.
[speaker007:] Macclesfield forest, yes.
[Fred:] Well Macclesfield forest is the other side of Shuttlings Road, do way the pub, pub is
[speaker007:] Yes, the other side of the road.
[Fred:] To where eh Wilbur club, that's Wilbur club, that erm, the Wilbur club, cos we
[speaker007:] You're really not far from Swithen there.
[Fred:] From where? Swithen, we know, you're not far. Well Danbridge, yes
[speaker007:] That's Swithen is just down
[Fred:] It's Weathernly as it's more or less.
[speaker007:] No it's Danbridge. Back of Danbridge, back of Danbridge, that's right. Yeah.
[Fred:] that of body of whatever it was who where there have left.
[speaker007:] Sir lived there.
[Fred:] yes, ah sold it but, it went to us, some eh, either Indian or Buddhist erm
[speaker007:] Oh did he?
[Fred:] Yeah, Buddhist religious group, but they, no they've eh, apparently it's been sold again now. It's not, they haven't got it anymore.
[speaker007:] What was the name of that place at Broadhurst something Hall?
[Fred:] Swithinly Hall, isn't it?
[speaker007:] Swithinly Hall ah.
[Fred:] But it was a nice walk.
[speaker007:] When, when you come to think about it, around in that area.
[Fred:] I like that side of the steep ditch there.
[speaker007:] There's always the Tulip valley there.
[Fred:] Yeah Tulip valley.
[speaker007:] Ditch and Consul.
[Fred:] Consul.
[speaker007:] It's
[Fred:] They've got a big eh, what, erm, park there now, country park.
[speaker007:] Has it got, got over the who?
[Fred:] The Consul.
[speaker007:] But on the other side you've got Dovedale and Manifold
[Fred:] Don't know, oh Dovedale is one of the, one, one of the prettiest Dales in England I think, and eh the Manifold. It doesn't seem to vanish as much as it used to.
[speaker007:] Mm.
[Fred:] Doesn't seem to vanish as much as it used to, the Manifold, used to be dry in places most of the summer.
[speaker007:] It goes underground.
[Fred:] I know it goes underground, but it doesn't seem to so much these days.
[speaker007:] Doesn't it?
[Fred:] No, why I haven't seen it for dry down there for years.
[speaker007:] Of course. Contact why.
[Fred:] Yes, well... I like Eadales too. No, Loinshendale isn't it?
[speaker007:] Stop, stop.
[Fred:] Yeah, Walscott.
[speaker007:] Walscott Dale, yeah.
[Fred:] That's erm. That one's in Col... just outside, we used to go there. From Colchester.
[speaker007:] Oh that's erm Ain't that one of Constable's?
[Fred:] Yes, it some Constable that come too.
[speaker007:] Oh. It's a isn't he?
[Fred:] If it's the one that goes through Colchester.
[speaker007:] No,, didn't got through Colchester.
[Fred:] Oh it's not the?
[speaker007:] No, it's not.
[Fred:] No, no.
[speaker007:] Tomorrow.
[Fred:] Ah yes, going up towards the er, towards the, not the Baddens the erm
[speaker007:] , well he was up the side of the.
[Fred:] Yeah... I had some good times around Norwich, when I was on travelling order job.
[speaker007:] Good town Norwich.
[Fred:] It's got a pub for every week of the year, no, wrong, it's got a, it's got a church for every week in the year and a pub for every day in the year.
[speaker007:] What Norwich?
[Fred:] Yes, three hundred and sixty odd pubs in Norwich. [LAUGHTER] We had the used to go to Norwich on. Me and an aunt, just outside Norwich [LAUGHTER] we used to go up for Sunday dinner [LAUGHTER] it was very nice along the river there, and a, I thought the very nice part of cathedral, there's a cathedral lies very low it had some very nice erm, mm, what you call it, close, is it?
[speaker007:] very low. Close, erm. They had some lovely in the cathedral.
[Fred:] Very peaceful too, down, down there.
[speaker007:] since I was round there.
[Fred:] cos it was the fifties when I was there. Oh, I've been with Joyce since then, when had, used to live at Southwold, or near Southwold, and eh, we used to go there and she, she got killed where all the, she had a, a garden wall of felt sort of Fred Flintstone one, and there was a bend on the Ipswich erm, oh Ipswich Lowestoft road, right where she had this cottage
[speaker007:] Oh yeah.
[Fred:] and some car came through out of control, went straight into the wall, the wall collapsed on top of her and killed her. Oh she was, well, she was over sixty, she'd retired, was about sixty five. Nice woman, she was a. I don't really know her name, oh eh, oh, no she married and she.
[speaker007:] Trying to think the name of the place.
[Fred:] She was always called Mac.
[speaker007:] Eh?
[Fred:] She was always called Mac. [LAUGHTER] she was Mac something no I, no I tell you, I tell you what that reminds me of, you know the little, I don't know if you do, if you walk along the canal towards Berkhamstead, by a lock
[speaker007:] Oh yes, I.
[Fred:] There's a pub that's very similar in constructions to that, that lies low beside the lock.
[speaker007:] It's on just across the where, where the bridge.
[Fred:] You cross where the little bridge goes, you've got a little bridge like that.
[speaker007:] Mm.
[Fred:] Because you've got, I don't think cars can cross it, or if it'll lift up.
[speaker007:] Yes, that's a lift up bridge.
[Fred:] A lift up bridge that's right.
[speaker007:] Mm. Yes, it's over the canal.
[Fred:] Over the canal, yes. Mm, but it, that, that reminds me of that, not exactly the same, it's a very similar, very similar building, a long sloping roof, not very high building. Isn't that, isn't that second isn't he, with a, a, a?
[speaker007:] Who is?
[Fred:] , isn't it?
[speaker007:] It's a, a little river.
[Fred:] Stour.
[speaker007:] Stour, Stewer, S T O U R the river Stour.
[Fred:] Oh, Stour, the river Stour, yeah, eh, erm, that looks as if he's that looks as if is
[speaker007:] [whispering] []
[Fred:] Ain't he got a longboat there, by the side of the trees?
[speaker007:] Yeah.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] These are all reeds along here, that's the cottage.
[Fred:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker007:] Is it here, or is it there?, I think it's I've got it upstairs.
[Fred:] Well don't go wandering off looking for it Mick, you're alright.
[speaker007:] Flatford Bridge.
[Fred:] Oh Flatford Bridge.
[speaker007:] And Flatford Mill is just up, Flatford Mill is just along the river there.
[Fred:] Mm... very well then.
[speaker007:] pardon.
[Fred:] That light doesn't show up much, never mind it ain't.
[speaker007:] get away from Colchester you know that don't you?
[Fred:] No, really.
[speaker007:] Seven or eight miles I should think.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] We used to go there often.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] [LAUGHTER] make it ruddy well.
[Fred:] Oh on the motorbike, yeah. I eh, we used to go out to the West Mersea a lot, during the summer, you know, when it, when I was at Colchester doing, mm, swimming, nice swimming and eh,.
[speaker007:] Didn't know there was a big swimming pool at Colchester.
[Fred:] Oh there was yeah, a big open air one.
[speaker007:] Mm, in, on Abbey Fields wasn't it?
[Fred:] Oh no, the Abbey Fields one was an army one wasn't it?
[speaker007:] Oh army one, yeah.
[Fred:] There was a big one, down, down by the river Cole, right down the
[speaker007:] There was a bigger one down by the river, down North Hill wasn't it?
[Fred:] Yes, down North Hill along the flat, you know?
[speaker007:] A flat bit along the bottom.
[Fred:] Mm. It was a.
[speaker007:] What a great big round what a great big roundabout there now.
[Fred:] Is there?
[speaker007:] Oh yes, tis on the Clapton Road.
[Fred:] Well that was a lovely swimming pool that, that Colchester one, you know, the pri... the private one.
[speaker007:] It was wasn't it?
[Fred:] Abbey Fields you see they use to use it.
[speaker007:] the army one.
[Fred:] Eh that's it that, yes but eh the, cricket team use to play there on occasions.
[speaker007:] . Use to have all the parades out there didn't they?
[Fred:] Yes, oh yeah.
[speaker007:] In the summer.
[Fred:] Oh yeah.
[speaker007:] Use to do the troop... trooping of the colour out there.
[Fred:] Trooping of the colour out there yeah... Mm.
[speaker007:] There were a long way from. [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] I was only
[speaker007:] You were round, round to the side of Colchester more or less.
[Fred:] I went there about June, I had to go to about June nineteen thirty one.
[speaker007:] Buckerown.
[Fred:] Buckerown, yeah.
[speaker007:] We were Buckerown top.
[Fred:] I went there about
[speaker007:] Yeah, you went there, you, you went
[Fred:] June thirty one, and I, I eh, friend here in October thirty two.
[speaker007:] You er deserted in October didn't you?
[Fred:] October thirty two.
[speaker007:] Thirty two, yeah. Well I went to Colchester at thirty two.
[Fred:] You, yes, I know you were there, when I, before I left, for a couple of months.
[speaker007:] Only you're.
[Fred:] Only just, yes.
[speaker007:] About a couple of weeks and you were off.
[Fred:] Well a couple of weeks and I was off on embarkation leave, and then I was back for about a week and we were gone. I think we sa... I think we sailed early October, or early October, I think I run out, I think we land.
[speaker007:] Cos I went down to Colchester in the July, in the July.
[Fred:] Yes that's right, yeah. I think we landed, like I think we landed at Bombay about twenty first of October, something like that.
[speaker007:] The first week I was at college straight out to test.
[Fred:] And I sailed from Bombay on the eleventh November
[speaker007:] Mm.
[Fred:] Nineteen thirty seven. Funny thing that, eleventh November has always been, I docked at Liverpool coming back from North Africa on the eleventh on the Good Friday I docked there, no, I'd, I, no, no I docked at Liverpool coming back from India, that was about eh the eleventh we sailed from Bombay, that was about the twenty fourth I think. Do we were on a boat, went down to, we came a lot quicker. Fifteen days, I remember, I remember getting to Leek.
[speaker007:] Do you?
[Fred:] Remember getting to Leek, I'd got no overcoat had I, has he got eh, cos we had uniform then, and I got a set, a civvy suit, you know? We handed our uniforms in
[speaker007:] Oh yes, there's the.
[Fred:] when we got to the depot and eh, I came up in civvies, it was a light civvies suit, cos it what I had in India.
[speaker007:] Where was that from Colchester?
[Fred:] No, no, no, no, depot, my depot Hounslow.
[speaker007:] Hounslow.
[Fred:] depot.
[speaker007:] Was there a depot at Hounslow?
[Fred:] Yes, it was a depot for years, then they went back to the Tower of London, where they were formed, the Tower of London.
[speaker007:] I was thinking they're, they're at Tower now.
[Fred:] No, there are at Tower now, they were raised in the Tower, but they eh, I don't know when they moved, they moved to a the depot at a
[speaker007:] Oh of course it was at Hounslow wasn't it?
[Fred:] Hounslow, yeah, yeah.
[speaker007:] Well I was at when all the blokes, did the trading with
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] They went to the s... School of Signals in the where they learnt to be operators.
[Fred:] Ah yes. Yes.
[speaker007:] And I went into the workshops in the depot.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] And I was in there until I left Colchester, but what, what happened, you see when you first go in they only class you as a... a class three tradesman.
[Fred:] That's right, yeah.
[speaker007:] And then, after I've been in the workshops about a month, a foreman, a foreman of Signals came and they said oh we can get you regraded, you have to go to the Ordnance see, had to go to the Ordnance get reclassified.
[Fred:] Yes.
[speaker007:] And then, in the, I think it was the June, I came down to Colchester, and as soon as I got to Colchester the old adjutant nurse said oh you, going for a a B one qualification, and I had to go to Colchester to the Ordnance, it, it, it was an Ordnance workshops I suppose that was what it was.
[Fred:] Well, yes
[speaker007:] And I had a test, and the old Colonel and Colchester came to see now and how you're getting on, he was, just about retiring he wanted a different desk in his office.
[Fred:] Ah yeah.
[speaker007:] And I make his desk as a desk. [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER] He knew what he was doing, take it with him. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker007:] Course he did, he was retiring shortly after.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER] Oh dear. Well, what, what's the use of being a boss if you can't fiddle a.
[speaker007:] Oh they use to, everybody was afraid of him, but I got on very well with him. I went to see our mate in drawing and this
[Fred:] Well a lot, I found a lot of blokes in the infantry they were so scared of some of the officers and I I don't, no, I don't think no trouble with them. You all so easily forget these names now, oh I don't remember it, but the other, oh I remember old, eh mate of, he was second in command when I was in India, and he, he, he was a right character, he was a right chara
[speaker007:] member of the.
[Fred:] a right character old was.
[speaker007:] , up to Colchester was Captain and I did a lot of work at his. [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] I was.
[speaker007:] And his wife was understudy. [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] Oh yeah, yes, when I went, when I went to a, when I was in India I went to have a, cos I went, I went, I was in the singles section then, in Colchester, and I went out, and I went, not I went to a licence agent first, and then I went to the headquarters, Signals there, and the bloke I remembered best of all, I think, was oh Cakey, his name was and his initials were Cakey.
[speaker007:] ?
[Fred:] Yeah. Oh he came from an old, I think he came from a very old er, there was, there was a General, first world war, erm, well the last time I heard anything about Cake, well, he was, he'd, he'd left the Signals section, he was the when I left India, and the last time I heard anything about him, I read it in, in a paper in erm, when the troubles were on and he was brig... brigadier in charge of an infantry brigade, about my age, well, a, probably a year or two older than me, cos he was a, yeah he was a lieutenant when I got out there a full lieutenant, so he must of been a captain.
[speaker007:] A sort of thing, before he got to Colchester he did a lot of work in his quarters, he had about four daughters.
[Fred:] Yeah, oh blimey. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker007:] [LAUGHTER] Oh dear, they all use to pull my blue leg when I was with them working, oh [LAUGHTER] Old Sergeant name his name was, he was the M section, maintenance section in the Signals, M section, old, Sergeant [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] But eh,.
[Fred:] The first I ever sent
[speaker007:] He was a nice.
[Fred:] first time I ever one, was old Freddie and I'd, I'd only been to depot.
[speaker007:] his name was.
[Fred:] Yeah, yeah. I'll never forget old, about two days I'd been there, and I'm going across the square and I see this bloke with sombreal on, so I did flung him up a salute [LAUGHTER] cos that was wrong, he says come here [LAUGHTER]
[speaker007:] [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] he says don't salute me. Don't salute me. Call me sir, but you don't salute me. [LAUGHTER] He was actually a nice bloke though old Freddie Yeah, he finished up in the eh, Beefeaters.
[speaker007:] Pardon?
[Fred:] He finished up in the Beefeaters.
[speaker007:] Did he? Oh yeah.
[Fred:] The Tower of London.
[speaker007:] Well I knew, when I was in, when we were at Donnington, living at Donnington, a couple of blokes I've known there's company sergeant majors and regimental sergeant majors in the Signals, I was walking through shed four, one day, I was doing, doing some mucking about with these folding boats for the RE's
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] and all that ruddy stuff,, I knew she'd come along and put all, use to be a, he was the R S A man for the Signals and old Reggie, he was another R S A, he was headquarters company and old was in the cable laid section for people you know, came loose, I was walking through the shed and these two, I saw these two put them down, and I thought what the hell are you doing here? And they'd been commissioned both of them.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] Mm, they were quartermast commissioned.
[Fred:] Oh yes, I.
[speaker007:] Well they.
[Fred:] Regimental quartermasters, or whatever you think of, whatever, whatever they called in the Signals, in regiments, their regimental called them that.
[speaker007:] They're the same, yeah.
[Fred:] No sergeants up there. [LAUGHTER] Oh no they didn't I know what we use to call them, left hand and door cork, captain quartermaster.
[speaker007:] Left hand and quartermaster's?
[Fred:] Yeah. We had, we had, generally a quartermaster but we had a one or, one or two captain quartermasters.
[speaker007:] They were on a course at Donnington. They were on a course at Donnington, they were living in, they invited me over, I said ooh, up to something [LAUGHTER]...
[Fred:] Oh, one officer we had
[speaker007:] , was with me when we had that accident.
[Fred:] Yeah, when, when I was in Egypt. When I was in Egypt, I, I, we had an officer there and eh, I. No, I was in Egypt this time, I'm talking about during the war.
[speaker007:] Oh no, I mean, when I, when I ask about.
[Fred:] When I was in the Signals this was.
[speaker007:] Thirty six English.
[Fred:] And I knew I know this bloke eh, when he was a sergeant I think, anyway he was an officer, and eh, said we go to Sheppeards, I said you silly devil I can't get into Sheppeards Hotel [LAUGHTER] I'm a signal man [LAUGHTER] I had to laugh he said, shame, he said cor, you're about my size, get stuck into one of my uniforms [LAUGHTER] we had a couple of weekends at Sheppeards Hotel, we had a great time. Oh dear, yeah.
[speaker007:] Who was that contest,.
[Fred:] I remember sitting in castle, you know what a steep bank it was.
[speaker007:] There was just enough bank, eh.
[Fred:] Sitting on that bank, and I was sitting there when, another
[speaker007:] Watching all the girls go by.
[Fred:] No, there were two women, two girls sitting lower down, they kept on turning round and laughing like hell, you see, said laughing at us, there's nothing behind us so we turned round and there's two jocks sitting there
[speaker007:] [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] with their kilts. [LAUGHTER] And the, and no breach on. [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker007:] Got their own barracks.
[Fred:] Oh dear. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker007:] And the army veterinary call were in the same barracks.
[Fred:] Who where they? [LAUGHTER]
[speaker007:] cos I... we use to have to go down there and... well at least our blokes use to go down there and do a picket
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] in the veterinary call stables.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker007:] They got quite well known down there.
[Fred:] Yeah, second battalion Black Watch were there, we were the second battalion row.
[speaker007:] . The Black Watch were.
[Fred:] Mostly to Egypt weren't they? Although there was a saying that they, was more, there was more Scots in the row of and more than, than, the, than English there was, there was more, more, more eh, than the black. [LAUGHTER] No we didn't actually, we didn't have many, nearly all, nearly all the were.
[speaker007:] where we were, that they're going to rebuild, going to build it all the time I was there, but they never did build it, did they?
[Fred:] You yeah, it was wasn't it?
[speaker007:] It was hot yes.
[Fred:] I wonder if they've got any barracks there now?
[speaker007:] Oh I don't know. The last time I came through, Irene and I came through Colchester and [cough] we were going to Clacton.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] going to Clacton.
[Fred:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker007:] And I went up North Hill and, it's all altered.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] And Abbey Fields, went round, we went round Abbey Fields and then came back onto the Clacton Road higher up, Colchester wasn't the same, they've done away with a lot of the high walls they had round
[Fred:] Cos they. Mm....
[speaker007:] You know Irene and I had a holiday along there, we stayed at Frinton and then moved to Clacton.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] Sort of around and came back.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] Had about a week around there... Mm, wasn't a bad town Colchester.
[Fred:] Pardon?
[speaker007:] Wasn't a bad town, do you, alright Colchester, alright... Use to like that park.
[Fred:] What Castle park?
[speaker007:] Castle park, Abbey Fields was very nice, actually Castle Park,, reminds me a bit of St. Albans.
[Fred:] Mm. St. Albans isn't unlike
[speaker007:] Unlike it.
[Fred:] . Castle Park wasn't as big and it was much more, much more.
[speaker007:] Castle itself was all Roman.
[Fred:] It's an all Roman castle, yes, yes.
[speaker007:] Square and er towers on the corner, but eh, I think Abbey Fields and er St. Albans are a bit like Castle Fields, but
[Fred:] Yes.
[speaker007:] it's very much the same.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] Cos you go up to the Abbey there
[Fred:] Yes that's right.
[speaker007:] and then there was that nice park in the bottom with the river going through it.
[Fred:] Yes, that's right, that's St. Albans.
[speaker007:] And there was a street at the bottom of Castle Park yeah.
[Fred:] Castle Park yeah, I don't know whether that was the or not.
[speaker007:] I suppose it was the.
[Fred:] Yeah, but it wasn't, I mean it wasn't a big was it?
[speaker007:] Ooh it was, fifteen feet wide or something like that.
[Fred:] Yeah, yeah... Where did he run out into the sea, did he run out at Mersea?
[speaker007:] No Colchester you know, the came down, you know where we were at Hall?
[Fred:] Yes.
[speaker007:] Came down, down the side there and then it went off, what was the name of the village fishing village there? It begins with a B, forgotten the name of it now. some village a, on the coast, can't think of the name with it, use to play football we did.
[Fred:] Mhm.
[speaker007:] Use to play football weekends in this village. Forgotten the name of it.
[Fred:] The Signal section.
[speaker007:] But you ran right out and it came out at erm, opposite Harwich.
[Fred:] Oh yes, yeah, yeah.
[speaker007:] Shottle Islands.
[Fred:] Yeah, yeah, ah yes, it went north then more or less, north east.
[speaker007:] Opposite Harwich, it run into Harwich. But those two rivers, it and then another one joined it.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] And then they went to Harwich. What but it was, is a where we were, down through woods it was on here.
[Fred:] Oh yes, I mean the.
[speaker007:] Drive and came alone the.
[Fred:] [cough] Yeah, but the nearest seaside, the nearest sea to Colchester was Mersea.
[speaker007:] Mm, West Mersea.
[Fred:] West Mersea, yeah.
[speaker007:] came out of West Mersea and Harwich was just across
[Fred:] Just across yeah.
[speaker007:] Harwich and.
[Fred:] Yes, West Mersea and the yes. The Cole and the Mersey joined it, used to be Mersea beach. We used to go swimming there a lot.
[speaker007:] We use to go, to go to Shottley. Our force team use to play against the boys at Shottley. [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker007:] And then our there when he was a youngster, when he first went in the Navy he did in Shottley, had a big you know, big the use of.
[Fred:] I can remember hardly anybody's names that I served with in the Signal section in eh... in Colchester, can't even remember the officer's name, the if people left somewhere erm, south of Colchester in Essex well it was quite quite and eh, he, we use to go out there and play, play a village team football, you know and have a, have a right have a right old do in the evenings.
[speaker007:] We use to have a, have a we use to go down to Shottley.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] Use to have quite a day out there.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] Oh yes, use to.
[Fred:] Put the old village in West Mersea, we eh the pub at night.
[speaker007:] The student Mersea village and West Mersea.
[Fred:] Mm, that's right it was Mersea village and West Mersea was the
[speaker007:] Along the River. Yes, then the other river came in from up Norfolk somewhere.
[Fred:] I think that was the Mersea wasn't it? That was, that was the river Mersea wasn't it?
[speaker007:] No that was the Mersea that came down.
[Fred:] Oh yeah, yeah oh, mm.
[speaker007:] Cor blimey, I'll think of these places these days.
[Fred:] You know very rarely, oh very rarely think about Colchester now.
[speaker007:] if I was at Colchester with.
[Fred:] Oh not, and you went to Canterbury didn't you?
[speaker007:] Went to Canterbury and I was only there twelve months.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] Canterbury and... went on transfer to the R E, but Canterbury went to eh
[Fred:] Were they in Crampton Barracks?
[speaker007:] Probably.
[Fred:] Were they in Canterbury in the R E?
[speaker007:] You were in Canterbury, but I went to Brompton Barracks.
[Fred:] What in London?
[speaker007:] To and eh
[Fred:] Oh yeah, yeah.
[speaker007:] And then I go, go for a works force that's what I was on.
[Fred:] Oh yeah.
[speaker007:] Mm.
[Fred:] Mm...
[speaker007:] But we use to down there. We had an officer, he was and price biscuit because Lieutenant, and he has two or three horses and he use to go hunting.
[Fred:] Yeah, Mm.
[speaker007:] And there's, their crew was a bloke named,, he was a Lancashire lad
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] and he got same time as I did.
[Fred:] Did he?
[speaker007:] He had a heart, heart.
[Fred:] Oh he had a heart trouble.
[speaker007:] But eh, we use to, he use to at weekends, he use to take his horses to the hunts you see.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] And he use to go in his car, and we use to ride the horses up to the... and ride them back.
[Fred:] Ride the horses, yeah.
[speaker007:] And he use to give us a couple of quid each.
[Fred:] Did he?
[speaker007:] That was a lot of money in those days.
[Fred:] Was wasn't it? A couple of quid in those days, most blokes don't get much more than that a week did they?
[speaker007:] horses.
[Fred:] Oh well yeah.
[speaker007:] , see I got very pally with old,, we use to play snooker together [LAUGHTER] that's how I first met him and then we went there, and I never knew he'd been in the cos I transferred to the R E's you see.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] And er, I got, out and he came up to Leek.
[Fred:] Did he?
[speaker007:] Leek out, had this heart trouble, and he'd been in the Signals about oh ten year, he, he was on for twelve engagement and he nearly completed it when he had this heart trouble.
[Fred:] Oh yeah, yeah yeah.
[speaker007:] Cos he was in hospital and erm, that it.
[Fred:] Was he?
[speaker007:] Cos I went to see him there.
[Fred:] Oh.
[speaker007:] and I got back home, and somebody must have told him where we lived, he got my address from somewhere and he came up to see Irene and I.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] It was just after we got married,, and he was a Lancashire lad, he came from somewhere of the suburbs of Manchester, I've forgotten whereabouts he was
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] I don't think he lived long round these parts, when, when he came to leave Orington,.
[Fred:] Mm... oh dear.
[speaker007:] Oh, there was somewhere old and, but I never heard any more of them, we went off to Donnington and
[Fred:] Oh yes cos you only came out didn't you?
[speaker007:] Thirty seven.
[Fred:] Thirty seven when you came out wasn't it?
[speaker007:] I came out yes. Thirty six.
[Fred:] Oh thirty six, was it?
[speaker007:] I, I, I had an accident on the, in the July of thirty six.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] Ooh I kept this that and the other and keep me in there, so, but eh, I went to Shorncliffe, Shorncliffe hospital.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] And there's a Doctor there, he did this operation and he said this is no good, so, take it all away I said
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] and he was a London, actually he was a, he was only a colonel.
[Fred:] Oh yes, yeah.
[speaker007:] He was in the Army Medical Corps.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] When I first went to see him, I went to a, Chatham Barracks.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] Brom... not Brompton Barracks, Barracks, and I saw him there first of all and then he told me they were going send me to Tidworth.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] I went to Tidworth hospital, but he told me, all the time he said, he said they'll have to discharge you, you can't.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] Course I gonna [LAUGHTER] I, I bit of a bloody, I still get a.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER] Up to them innit?
[speaker007:] But first I use to get a eighty per cent disability pension.
[Fred:] Did you?
[speaker007:] And then gradually and then when I got to Donnington I had to go, I use to go to Litchfield you see, to examination, then when I got to Donnington they sent me to Shrewsbury.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] And the, I went to the my little now in Italy, making this conditional he says it's no bloody good on me [LAUGHTER], poor old curly what, I think he's about ninety, he looked it, he said what they keep making you conditional for he said you've got no ruddy condition it's gone [LAUGHTER] and the, the recommended me for a complete discharge and, and eh, I started off with fifty per cent pension.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] But they still worked it that if you were working, of course I went to the Ministry of Supply
[Fred:] Oh yeah.
[speaker007:] and I got it gradually put down. [LAUGHTER] Got cut down to thirty and it's still thirty.
[Fred:] Mm. It should go back now you can't work.
[speaker007:] Eh?
[Fred:] Should got back now you can't work. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker007:] [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] Hard.
[speaker007:] isn't it?
[Fred:] That's what I'd say.
[speaker007:] I don't have to go for examinations at all now, I come under, what's it, you know my bloody pension it marvels me, I've been under every ruddy regimental paymaster and, in the, and Scotland I think, I, I at present I'm with one in Scotland, but eh, mucking about with
[Fred:] Ooh I, what, what do you go under then?
[speaker007:] But, what it comes under regimental paymasters, I suppose it's just the administration you see.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] Do you want a cup of tea Fred?
[Fred:] Oh, plenty of time, can I?
[speaker007:] No, I'll make it. [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] Oh alright.
[speaker007:] Do you want any more tea Fred?
[Fred:] Mm..
[speaker007:] Pardon? Been asleep.
[Fred:] I'll go and get one, there's still in the pot.
[speaker007:] Well if there isn't there's, I'll, yeah, be a bit thin now if, put some water in, put water in that kettle.
[Fred:] Don't worry I'll got, this will do me mate.
[speaker007:] O K...
[Fred:] Mm, what time is it?
[speaker007:] Twenty to four, by my watch.
[Fred:] Yes, it's half past three by mine.
[speaker007:] My, my watch is the one Irene bought me gone wrong, it's had to go in for repairs.
[Fred:] Yes she told me.
[speaker007:] Gonna cost about sixteen quid to have it repaired.
[Fred:] Is it? Blimey.
[speaker007:] It's had to go away to the makers.
[Fred:] Oh.
[speaker007:] I don't know what's wrong with it I'm sure. without a watch in this bloody thing.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] Keeps stopping.
[Fred:] Does it? Oh dear.
[speaker007:] Oh this is the one I had years ago this one, I've never used it.
[Fred:] Oh.
[speaker007:] It's donkey's years... Is young Ben sailing this weekend or is he
[Fred:] Eh, yes, oh he goes every Saturday.
[speaker007:] Eh, Saturday does he?
[Fred:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker007:] Where does he go to?
[Fred:] On the erm... well, down the Mer... the Medway.
[speaker007:] Medway?
[Fred:] Behind the it's not the Medway.
[speaker007:] Chatham way.
[Fred:] It's a, yes, Chatham way. It's a river that runs off the Medway.
[speaker007:] Stewer?
[Fred:] No it's not Stewer.
[speaker007:] Isn't it? Oh. Oh, it comes up from Canterbury of course.
[Fred:] No, I, I can't remember the name of it...
[speaker007:] What is, what sort of a boat have they got, is it
[Fred:] Oh, about a twenty six footer, something like that.
[speaker007:] sailing boat?
[Fred:] Oh it's a sailing boat, yeah, yeah.
[speaker007:] I've never seen it. What are you doing for your holidays this year, any?
[Fred:] I don't really yet. I was thinking of going.
[speaker007:] Hm.
[Fred:] I was thinking of going to Austria about the end of September October but, if Alexander's not going abroad I don't know, I shall have to... change me mind probably, I'll have to have a word with Sue.
[speaker007:] what's Sue doing with her holidays this year?
[Fred:] There not.
[speaker007:] Aren't they? [LAUGHTER].
[Fred:] Well I think there in, well they can't go together, told you the last time you was here, they can't go on holiday together.
[speaker007:] Oh somebody got to business oh.
[Fred:] They can't leave the business.
[speaker007:] They had more staff last year they could leave in.
[Fred:] [cough] pardon.
[speaker007:] They had staff they could leave in charge last year.
[Fred:] Haven't they got anybody now?
[speaker007:] Well they've only got one, one girl who sort of does clerical and stuff and reception, they haven't got a anybody who knows how to.
[Fred:] of there's.
[speaker007:] Yeah, yeah, they haven't got anybody who knows anything about the business, well not enough about it.
[Fred:] really expensive are now, aren't they?
[speaker007:] Yeah...
[Fred:] I suppose got a car.
[speaker007:] You know, moaning about these blokes like the postman going on strike over a seven per cent rise.
[Fred:] Oh I.
[speaker007:] I mean, they shouldn't want more than seven per cent because the cost of living, you know, the inflation's gone down, but then when a bloke gets forty five thousand quid, you know eh, on a firm where they've a, they've made a profit, but he got an increase of forty five thousand pound which was of, no, no about forty per cent rather, forty per cent increase in his salary, I mean it's bloody, I mean, how can, how can they expect, you know, the ordinary working man to put up with bloody awful increase, if, if they go and give bosses increases like that, I mean it doesn't make sense.
[Fred:] Yes, but it's only, it's only people that are in these higher executive jobs that get these bloody monies.
[speaker007:] Yeah, but then they shouldn't get it, they shouldn't do it.
[Fred:] I know.
[speaker007:] I mean as I say now, how can you turn round to a... to a bloke who's, well doesn't matter what his on, eh, what, what ever his, his rate of pay is, how can you turn round to him and say you can't have more than seven per cent, and his got, his got something like a about twenty five, thirty per cent.
[Fred:] I think, I think your find that a lot of these big, big money people get paid according to results, and if they get good results they get good money.
[speaker007:] Yeah, but I don't think this bloke could have particularly good I don't think this bloke had particularly good results.
[Fred:] And if the results results fall then they loose it. Hm.
[speaker007:] He hadn't had good results.
[Fred:] Well as that, from my experience, they only pay ya for what your worth, not what [LAUGHTER], don't pay ya because your good looking or anything like that...
[speaker007:] If a firm's not doing well they can't pay ya, can it?
[Fred:] Well.
[speaker007:] That's, our, our Nick's people would, wouldn't it, and that was it.
[Fred:] Hm.
[speaker007:] They lost all the bloody trade.
[Fred:] Hm.
[speaker007:] I, even Nick, Nick said two years ago things started going down hill... The best paid jobs these days, say what you like, don't like, is either in local government or something like that. There over paid vastly, local government.
[Fred:] Hm. Well I don't really know how much they get.
[speaker007:] Pardon.
[Fred:] I don't really know how much money they get.
[speaker007:] Well you've only got to look at adverts in the ruddy paper for
[Fred:] I mean I no, I'm, I'm thinking more on the ordinary clerical and that executive stuff, not the jobs.
[speaker007:] Oh well, I was flicking the.
[Fred:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker007:] .
[Fred:] I mean I don't think there particularly well paid, but they, there well paid for what they flipping well do cos they don't, they, they, they'll do it, but I mean eh, that's the fault of the bosses, they should cut down there staff. You can't blame, you can't blame people for hanging about doing nothing if they've twice as many staff as they should've, and there paying them, I mean, that, that's an administrative error, not a... well it seems to be very rift in local government that there over staffed
[speaker007:] I, I think all these, all these people in local government and things, and eh, it was obvious when, you see adverts for jobs, what a bloody salaries there paying them, for a mediocre job.
[Fred:] Well I never look at the adverts do I? I'm not in [LAUGHTER].
[speaker007:] No, I don't suppose you do now, but, but I have would off worked for local authorities, because at one time they were very poorly paid. But it's all changed now, there the best paid people in the ruddy country.
[Fred:] Hm...
[speaker007:] There'll have to have a ruddy cut down, over this staff over this community charge, there've been trouble here next.
[Fred:] Hm.
[speaker007:] Think about the money, about a quarter of the staff that they did have. Hm, there see, they are over staffed, there's no doubt about it, aren't they?
[Fred:] . But I mean I say, that's not the fault of the people who work there, there not going to put themselves out of work. They should never have been taken on in the first place, any bet, that our, our problem should never have been taken on in the first place. Well that's it, this is it, they, they take on staff to increase there own importance.
[speaker007:] This is Alexander's first day back at school is it?
[Fred:] Yes.
[speaker007:] Today?
[Fred:] Well it's only half... it was only half term had wasn't it?
[speaker007:] I don't know.
[Fred:] Yes, it's only half term. I mean now
[speaker007:] And now he has to stay to July, does he?
[Fred:] Yes.
[speaker007:] And then he's gonna start travelling daily eh? [LAUGHTER] It'll be a long day for him won't it?
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] Oh well, we knew that when he was
[Fred:] Pardon?
[speaker007:] We knew that when he went, went there, that's why he went boarding.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] Oh though, it's not bad travelling down there is it?
[Fred:] Oh travelling's not bad, I mean, it's only a local train and eh, and it's going, he'll be going in the wrong dir... the best direction each time, instead of travelling up to town he'll be travelling out.
[speaker007:] He'll be going the other way.
[Fred:] Going the other way, so eh, be no problem.
[speaker007:] Oh there's no problem as far as that's concerned.
[Fred:] Well you got nearly a mile to walk when he gets to the station.
[speaker007:] He's got nearly a mile to walk?
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] Ain't there any buses?
[Fred:] It's not quite as far to the main school, cos the main school goes first and the prep school far, no there's no up that road, it doesn't go anywhere only to the school.
[speaker007:] Pardon?
[Fred:] Doesn't go anywhere only to the school and the eh [sniff] and the Downs, well, round, but I think there's, no villages... I don't think Dale and
[speaker007:] Mm.
[Fred:] Well I mean,, school doesn't lay on buses or anything from the station... Think they do have buses come up from places like Bletchingly and erm, Godstone.
[speaker007:] From where?
[Fred:] Bletchingly.
[speaker007:] Bletchingly.
[Fred:] Bletchingly, yes, it's on the, just below the North Downs.
[speaker007:] Oh.
[Fred:] Villages along the eh
[speaker007:] Buses coming along that way?
[Fred:] Well er yes I think, cos they get a lot of pupils from there
[speaker007:] Oh do they?
[Fred:] and the buses, you know, the special buses run, no, the school doesn't run them.
[speaker007:] No.
[Fred:] But because there's a demand for it, the buses run to the school and pick them up at the school.
[speaker007:] How old is he now, fourteen?
[Fred:] He'll be fourteen in October.
[speaker007:] Like the same as Tom, he's
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] He's fourteen in July I think, what's a name gave me the dates and I never ruddy well look at them.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER] Oh well it ain't July yet.
[speaker007:] Aye, she gave me Amy's about the day before, I thought I look at it now, so, I only just got it in time.
[Fred:] Erm
[speaker007:] No, she's got it here, where's Tom? Second of August Tom's is.
[Fred:] Second of August?
[speaker007:] Aye, and Amy was the sixteenth of May, Zelda is the third of September and Nick is the twenty second of July.
[Fred:] Alexander is the eh, eleventh of October. Eleventh of the tenth.
[speaker007:] Nick's is very eh, expensive in Holland it's cost him a lot of money.
[Fred:] Mm, has he? Oh dear, mm...
[speaker007:] Good job he had his mum's money, because otherwise that'll be. [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] Yeah... What's his salary like there then?
[speaker007:] I don't know, I've never asked them that. I think it's pretty good.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] They wouldn't of gone in the first place.
[Fred:] No.
[speaker007:] But you see you the of Nick is, you see, he worked on his own for this twelve months.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] Well more than that.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker007:] And people weren't paying him.
[Fred:] Oh yeah, this is it.
[speaker007:] And he's still, one bloke went bankrupt, and he only got amount off him, he's telling me the other week, he's, he's still five thousand pounds owing to him, though, work he did twelve months ago
[Fred:] Course it is yeah. Ah, it's hopeless isn't it?...
[speaker007:] Well there's only one way to deal with them, pay you on a monthly basis, or stop working for them.
[Fred:] Oh yes, yeah...
[speaker007:] But when he went to Holland, his bill was twelve thousand pounds owing to him,.
[Fred:] Was it?... Are they bringing the horses back?
[speaker007:] Oh I, I, I just, I don't, not to get rid of them bloody horses, alright I know what horses cost.
[Fred:] Well they are damned expensive.
[speaker007:] Well of course they are and bringing them over here must cost them five hundred quid.
[Fred:] Yeah, it must've cost him that to take them over there.
[speaker007:] Sell them to the knackers yard. [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] Wouldn't get much for them there.
[speaker007:] Eh?
[Fred:] Wouldn't get much for them there.
[speaker007:] Aye, but you haven't got to pay out have you?
[Fred:] Oh no, no.
[speaker007:] What the hell does it matter, why pay about five hundred pounds and, and that's two horses I've got, that's a thousand pounds.
[Fred:] Yeah. Well they've got to go into quarantine, and that'll cost them won't he?
[speaker007:] Don't have to go in quarantine horses don't.
[Fred:] Don't they, oh.
[speaker007:] Apparently not, I didn't know what.
[Fred:] Oh no, probably not, they don't, they eh, they don't get foot and mouth disease.
[speaker007:] No.
[Fred:] They've got, they've, they've got, they haven't got the
[speaker007:] But you see
[Fred:] hooves, their hooves are not.
[speaker007:] Charlie, is on his last legs, has been for years and, might as well have him put down, as that Nick keep saying, I think I'll have to have him put down he, when he takes him for a walk he collapses. [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] . Well, have him put down over there
[speaker007:] But they have to pay for the schooling over there, you know.
[Fred:] Yes, I.
[speaker007:] I don't think Nick realised any of this when he went there, I don't think he looked into it enough.
[Fred:] No. Don't eh, do the, do the Dutch people have to pay for the schooling? The children's schooling?
[speaker007:] I don't know whether it's only a English.
[Fred:] Could be that.
[speaker007:] Mm. I know, I don't know, I've no idea.
[Fred:] They don't pay anything here do they?
[speaker007:] No, no, no, no charge for schools here at all.
[Fred:] Well you see they're always talking about what we don't get in this country, they don't tell you what they don't bloody get abroad.
[speaker007:] Yes. I don't know what their income tax is like is,.
[Fred:] Well I've got no idea. I mean, I, I just know nothing about it, I know nothing about it at all. I mean the only country I spent a lot of time in, in, in Europe is Austria, and then I only stopped in remote villages, you know, more or less, so er, I mean they rely on eh, tourist trade, they rely on tourist trade, where, where I've
[speaker007:] Eh?
[Fred:] They rely on tourist trade.
[speaker007:] Oh yes.
[Fred:] In Austria, they don't absolute in the, I mean I know nothing about their industrial places at all.
[speaker007:] I don't know their industrial
[Fred:] I don't, I don't go to the towns or
[speaker007:] Holland, can to see, look to me as if there were plenty of it when I was there.
[Fred:] Oh I plenty of industry at the moment, yeah. But I mean what the pay relative to us the cost of living and everything else, I don't know.
[speaker007:] I don't think the cost of living is any cheaper than it is here, from what I can gather.
[Fred:] Mm, well the cost of living is certainly no cheaper in Austria than it is here. I mean, I don't know what sort of taxes they have on eh, on drink and that sort of thing, but I think Austria is more or less the same same sort of tax.
[speaker007:] I don't know whether they have to pay income tax or what they have to do.
[Fred:] Oh they're bound, I think they're, well, I don't know whether they thought
[speaker007:] It's only not going to stay, she's coming back.
[Fred:] They have all sorts of local taxes and that, you know.
[speaker007:] Do they?
[Fred:] Yes. The, well that's if in place of their age, but their local taxes they, they collect from everybody, you go into a restaurant
[speaker007:] Oh yes I notice.
[Fred:] I'm, I'm not talking about VAT now, I'm talking about local tax.
[speaker007:] No, no, yeah.
[Fred:] So everybody who, who uses the services at a place, pays for it, you know. Don't know if you get it on hotel bills, I think they have to pay something, yes. On hotel bills, they don't, but usually they put it, including local tax, or something like, they always use to show it separately at one time, it's a percentage, but now, very often your bill just shows it as a, including local tax.
[speaker007:] Aye.
[Fred:] But, oh I don't know. They're always knocking the government in this country, it's not much the government are, are they? Somebody's knocking them, whatever, ha, whatever says. [LAUGHTER] I should've got a day return, it wouldn't, it'll been cheaper.
[speaker008:] I did, but, how much for a single, two pound sixty and return two pound seventy.
[Fred:] Yeah, ten pence difference. [noise train]
[speaker008:] . What, a day return you see, is usually cheaper than a single, well it use to be.
[Fred:] Yeah, I think it might be now.
[speaker008:] You see, he pay the proper fare, if you only have a single.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker008:] Pay the normal fare.
[Fred:] Make mad passionate love to me Jan, eh? [music] No, bloody hell.
[speaker005:] Perhaps.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER] that's., I didn't mean it, I didn't mean it. I don't know whether I could manage to make mad passionate love to anybody now.
[speaker005:] I doubt it.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER] At seventy eight, nearly seventy nine, you know.
[speaker005:] I suspect you.
[Fred:] Well there might be snow on the roof, but the fire is burning, eh, [LAUGHTER] oh shut up. [music] Oh Kathleen Kathleen we've had, we've had our days, haven't we?
[speaker005:] Yeah, we've had our days.
[Fred:] We've had our days. Never mind. She may be er an absolute bloody gem.
[speaker005:] She, I don't whether she.
[Fred:] Well I'm half.
[speaker005:] Yeah I've got a name, my name's Kathleen, that's what.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER] Kathleen, not Katherine?
[speaker005:] No, Kathleen.
[Fred:] [singing] I'll take you home again Katherine []..
[speaker005:] Home again Katherine.
[Fred:] [singing] Look across the ocean waves, who will a bill, I take you home Kathleen [].
[speaker005:] take you home Kathleen. [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] [singing] I seen a rosy on your cheek, I see them fade away []. [LAUGHTER] Kathleen, Kathleen, Kathleen.
[speaker005:] You're nice and warm.
[Fred:] Well you expect me to warm, be warm this bloody weather, eh? Your hands, they're, they're bloody cold, even today.
[speaker005:] Cold. Don't you ever speak to me like that again, [music] I haven't, I rang, no, no, I the landlord either, I waited until the next morning. Rang the landlord the next morning, Saturday morning, and, apparently he has rang last night, and your wife Debbie took my drink away and away, I said that's fair enough, so he said.
[Fred:] Oh no it's not, oh no it's not, oh no it's not, no it's not.
[speaker005:] He must of phoned her, I didn't know, said called Debbie.
[Fred:] No it's bloody not.
[speaker005:] Took your, took one of your drinks away.
[Fred:] If anybody, if anybody gonna throw your drink away, you should, nobody else.
[speaker005:] No, so, he said oh,. fair enough. I think I've had enough.
[Fred:] Said alright, I'll have another one in place of that.
[speaker005:] Yeah, anyway, I thought well, there's so he said keep getting that bloody form, I if you don't like it. I said, well, what I'm ringing about is am I allowed back in there or am I barred? He said, no, you're welcome back in here, there was nothing serious, it was only between you and, I said well thank you very much, I'll see you later.
[Fred:] Maria went, bloody hell, erm, I mean, I don't know about, I've never bothered about anyway, I think he's a bloody dead loss, they were a dead loss when they were in this bloody pub.
[speaker005:] Just bloody.
[Fred:] Eh, but, I mean
[speaker005:] I said to her
[Fred:] she's never, she never speaks to me.
[speaker005:] , no she don't like you.
[Fred:] And I never speak to her.
[speaker005:] Don't like anybody.
[Fred:] I don't know bloody well like me, because I told her off one day, told her where to bloody go to.
[speaker005:] She's, she went up to Kevin and said. Yeah, anyway
[Fred:] Oh no, no, when I told her off.
[speaker005:] I don't never see her let alone.
[Fred:] Oh you.
[speaker005:] Anyway what's it got to.
[Fred:] This is before I left, I I, I haven't done. I told her she was an interfering old cow, I think. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker005:] , when she was on the phone.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker005:] She didn't have the guts to say wait until the next day, when she saw me ring me up.
[Fred:] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[speaker005:] don't you ever speak to me like that again, and don't ever push me again, I said balls you old cunt.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker005:] And, whether, whether she was still listening I don't know, put the phone down.
[Fred:] alright. Well that's alright, that's alright,.
[speaker005:] , but she told Helen, I just called her an old cow and she put the phoned down, well if she thought I said cow, well I don't know but she went and used that.
[Fred:] Don't worry about it. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker005:] So she told Helen all about it.
[Fred:] Ah yes, well you see, you see, in effect if you called her an old, that could've been, that, that, that, that, that, that, that could've been eh, that could've been eh, that could've been, you know, you could've been given her a, that could've of been a praise, you old cow. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker005:] I said balls you old. called an old cow, so she put the phone down.
[Fred:] Do you remember the days we've had, darling?
[speaker005:] Yeah.
[Fred:] Eh? An old bugger I was, well I was a young bugger actually then, yeah, yeah. I, did you, did you remember the first ruddy time I ever went with you? Oh yes you bloody well that, old, old eh, the bloke with a, with a, what's his name? the Canadian bloke, got an artificial leg.
[speaker005:] Oh oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
[Fred:] That'll do, that'll do and, and, and, and, and who was the bloke well dressed? You know and his where there
[speaker005:] Dot.
[Fred:] Dot, and the, that was the first time I ever went with you darling, do you realise that?
[speaker005:] Erm, yeah.
[Fred:] Eh?
[speaker005:] It's called.
[Fred:] Who, who?
[speaker005:] Me and.
[Fred:] You're not, you're not still there in the house, what you talking about? Nothing to do with it, he's so bloody religious, there's no not bothered you know.
[speaker005:] Oh yeah.
[Fred:] The danger, that, that, that, look what nature's done in bloody Sutherfield these days, roll up that fucking volcano, the, it has been dormant for six hundred years, and all of a sudden it explodes, explodes. Who the hell are we, poor little people, against that, nothing, we're nothing [music] we're just little bloody flies on the, on the, no more than flies on the edge of the bloody universe you know, I'm sorry. Jesus Christ and all, and all his fucking disciples and Mohammed and all his fucking disciples and everybody else they love him, they love him [music] the whole bloody thing is what rules the bloody universe. This world has been going on for a long time, oh god knows how many, five hundred thousand million bloody years and eventually it's going to, it, it, it, it's going to explode and go
[speaker005:] Erupt. [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] It will eventually, yes, well the sun will erupt, not, not, not this, the sun will, the sun will, the sun will burn its bloody self out or explode or, or do, or do something, and this galaxy will go and probably, what about all the other galaxies in the bloody universe, you know, and, how, how, how, how, how, how, how's get, how's, how's, how's can you even think about it, you know, it's millions and millions and millions of bloody light years away, what the bloody hell. What, who are we? Little bloody ants on this earth, don't you know, no, sorry, it's not, no, no, [banging] so why should we worry? We shouldn't worry, we should enjoy what we have and eh, one. [LAUGHTER] [music] I mean, when I think the world is, they talk about this bloody green stuff, god, bollocks, what, what, what is the green people going to do all about these of flooding and things of this erm, eh, Kath would you like another drink?
[speaker005:] Yeah.
[Fred:] I'll just go and have a wee and I will er, yes Are you alright? Have you eh
[speaker005:] I enjoyed that one.
[Fred:] Is it you, did you enjoy it?
[speaker005:] Yeah, that's the first pair I've had all morning. I mean all, ever since I've come out.
[Fred:] Bloody hell, you enjoyed it. Think I should've been with you.
[speaker005:] [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] No that, don't be like that like duck, no, no, oh I mustn't be like that, no [music]...
[speaker005:] Sorry.
[Fred:] Have you, have you, have you seen Andrew at all recently, you know?
[speaker005:] Pardon?
[Fred:] Have you seen Andrew, you know, eh, oh?
[speaker005:] Oh Helen's?
[Fred:] Yes, yes.
[speaker005:] Oh, he was down here the other week, you know. [music]
[Fred:] Is he, is he still eh, still working, or
[speaker005:] Oh, I don't know.
[Fred:] Oh. [music] , love, put it away for god's sake, aye.
[speaker005:] Pick me up at half past four.
[Fred:] Who?
[speaker005:] The taxi driver.
[Fred:] Oh the taxi is, oh well that's alright, yeah, alright, what's the time now?
[speaker005:] He said it was quarter to four, ten to four.
[Fred:] Ten to four, ten to four, yeah.
[speaker005:] I asked him what the time was when I rang and he said
[Fred:] Oh Kathleen, we'll have another drink shall we?
[speaker005:] Yeah, why not?
[Fred:] I am, I don't know what I'm going to do, bloody hell.
[speaker005:] Don't throw it away this time, or knock it over.
[Fred:] Can I really throw it away? That's not whisky.
[speaker005:] Oh.
[Fred:] Bloody sweat it is. [LAUGHTER] Kathleen, Kathleen.
[speaker005:] That's me.
[Fred:] Behave yourself, you want a whisky?
[speaker005:] Yes please.
[Fred:] Then you shall have a whisky.
[speaker005:] Thank you.
[Fred:] [music] And when you, when you, when, when, when, when do you, what's it due?
[speaker005:] Half past four.
[Fred:] Eh?
[speaker005:] Half past four.
[Fred:] Bloody hell that's about four or five whiskies away that is ain't it? Bloody hell, I don't know whether I can afford that. [LAUGHTER] whiskies are now, don't you? Bloody hell. [music] Right, I'm going to have a
[speaker005:] Next time you bring it down, put it there and don't knock it over.
[Fred:] Oh shut up woman, shut up, you give me the bloody screaming abdabs, it's my money I threw away.
[speaker005:] I know.
[Fred:] Well shut up. Come on darling, come on darling.
[speaker003:] Pint of.
[Fred:] Pint of, and eh, and I, I will tell you what, oh bloody hell look at this, you know, that's no bloody good is it? You know, no that's no good is it? No, that's no good.
[speaker003:] And what? A Glenfiddich
[Fred:] Eh, you're tempting me aren't you? I'll have a Glenfiddich yes, yes, yes, and eh, and Kath wants a, want a whisky, with a, with a, with a drop of something in it I think, don't she? Yeah, yeah.
[speaker003:] Three seventy seven please. No.
[Fred:] No, no. [music] I tell you what, what darling, I, I, I usually ain't er make much fuss sometime
[speaker003:] Ooh I might have time later.
[Fred:] I tell you what, you know, at my age [LAUGHTER] I bet you, I think you'll be wasting your time. [LAUGHTER] Go on. [LAUGHTER] Yeah, it's, it's not, it, it, it's nice to think about, but you know [LAUGHTER]
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[Fred:] it's all in the mind, isn't it?
[speaker003:] Yep.
[Fred:] You know, at, at seventy eight, you know, nearly seventy nine, you know, it's all in the mind.
[speaker003:] Yeah, never mind.
[Fred:] But, this I'll, I'll tell you what darling, with a bit of encouragement, I do manage it sometimes.
[speaker003:] [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER] No, no, no, you don't believe me do you?
[speaker003:] I do, if you say so.
[Fred:] Now Kathleen, that has got to be yours, it's got to be, er, innit?
[speaker005:] Thank you.
[Fred:] And that's mine, and that's mine, and, no, no, would you like, would you like a drop of this in that, in that? Now would you like me to put some of this, that in there? It'll do your bloody Guinness a world of good, do you want some? This is. No. There you are Kath, now try that. It must be absolutely gorgeous, and cheers to you my darling.
[speaker005:] Cor bloody hell, what is?
[Fred:] Ah?
[speaker005:] What?
[Fred:] , don't you like it?
[speaker005:] I.
[Fred:] I give me some. [LAUGHTER]... You haven't seen Alexander for a long time, have you?
[speaker003:] No.
[Fred:] Mm, see him now, he's about, well no no, not as tall as me, but built like a brick shithouse [LAUGHTER] and he brought forward, brought forward for his rugby team, you know, and he's erm, oh bloody hell, yes [fruit machine] oh yeah, he's very good at javelin, the old javelin, sorry.
[speaker005:] Can you give me a packet of the?
[Fred:] Eh can I what? Come on, come on, what, what do you want?
[speaker005:] I don't know, if they do erm no, those chili things.
[Fred:] What chili things? [music] I haven't got the faintest bloody idea what you're talking about. Chili con carne?
[speaker005:] No.
[Fred:] What? [music]
[speaker005:] Oh.
[Fred:] No, what, what do you want Kath, come on?
[speaker005:] A bag of crisps, called erm.
[Fred:] Crisps, yeah, come on.
[speaker005:] Called erm, chili flavour.
[Fred:] Chili flavoured crisps. [music] Bloody hell, are they now, what do I go and ask for? Chili flavoured crisps?
[speaker005:] You use to get these
[Fred:] Not McCoys? McCoys, McCoys chili flavoured oh bloody hell McCoys are the finest crisp you can get, shut up. Well I'll, I'll go and see if they've got some. Hang on, hang on Eh... shh, come here, have you got any McCoys crisps?
[speaker003:] Ah yeah, I'll just have a look for you.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER] Eh, you got any McCoys,?
[speaker003:] I'll have to serve these people.
[Fred:] Oh no, alright, you, no, no, O K, go on.
[speaker003:] They're known as McCoys, they're Branagan crisp, or K P ones.
[Fred:] Branagan?
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[Fred:] She wants some that got bloody erm
[speaker003:] Who's this Kath again?
[Fred:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker003:] Tell her we've got cheese and chives and beef and mustard in Branagan, O K?
[Fred:] You give me cheese and bloody chives, go on, well if she doesn't like them, she can, she can eh, yeah, you know, you know what she can do? I'll tell you, give me two of them.
[speaker003:] Thirty four, you want one?
[Fred:] Well I don't know, I, I, you know, I'll try anything once.
[speaker003:] So did I.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker003:] Sixty eight then, please.
[Fred:] Eh?
[speaker003:] Sixty eight.
[Fred:] Branagan, she couldn't remember the bloody name could she? She couldn't remember the name could she? No. [LAUGHTER] Alright?
[speaker009:] How are you?
[Fred:] Fine, I'm better than I deserve to be.
[speaker009:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER]
[Fred:] And, I that one, I'll tell you what, you know, ooh god, no, yes, yes, leave it at that, I better than I'd deserve to be. Kathleen, bloody Branagan's, here are, there you are, that's what you want. [music] That's alright isn't it? That's it, that's the one you want Branagan's.
[speaker005:] Well don't they sell those other things now then?
[Fred:] Well I don't know, I said, no, no, we've got these now.
[speaker005:] McCoys, McCoys.
[Fred:] No they haven't got any McCoys, no.
[speaker005:] Mm, what are these then?
[Fred:] You've got bloody Branagan's.
[speaker005:] Bloody hell, cream cheese and chives.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker005:] [music] What've you got?
[Fred:] Hey they're not bad actually.
[speaker005:] cream cheese and chives flavour.
[Fred:] Mm.
[speaker004:] You still got the dog Fred have you?
[Fred:] Oh good lord yes, she's doing well, in fact eh, some time in November this year she'll only be two years younger than me.
[speaker004:] Yeah, work it out that way.
[Fred:] You work it out that way [LAUGHTER] she'll be eleven.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Fred:] Well if she lasts another year and I'll last another year, she'll be older than me won't she? [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] when she's older.
[Fred:] No, not.
[speaker004:] No, I mean.
[Fred:] About six, six or seven, eh, five or six. [LAUGHTER] So eh, no she still goes over the downs with me you know.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Fred:] We've managed about ten to fifteen miles at a pinch... Which is not bad for a couple of old'uns is it?
[speaker004:] No, not at all.
[Fred:] I had a what's it today, from, something about the over fifties you see, so, cos they found it cost, it cost, it costs eight pounds a year to join you see, you know, you know, eh, pay on, so I've joined it, I want to see what they've got to say you know, you get, we get a lot of things you know
[speaker004:] Blimey I'm nearly into that now. I.
[Fred:] You know you can get cheap on it.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Fred:] So eh
[speaker004:] Oh you might as well get all you can mate, can't you?
[Fred:] Did they ask you to say how old you are? They have a
[speaker004:] I'm a driver.
[Fred:] Well they're obviously not, looks like a pensioner or something, but eh, you know, erm... I can, I'll see if I can get an old, a walking club going with them, you know?
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Fred:] We will have to eh, see about it.
[speaker004:] Right I'm going to pop home, I.
[Fred:] Yeah, O K Paul, I will see you later.
[speaker004:] I'll be up again very shortly, see you later Tony.
[speaker008:] See you later.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Fred:] Anyway Dave, now what, what, what you doing?
[speaker010:] Eh?
[Fred:] What are you doing apart from fucking women? Eh?
[speaker010:] What am I doing?
[Fred:] Apart from shagging women.
[speaker010:] I done a little job for Tony here.
[Fred:] Oh.
[speaker010:] Kicking out the most the time and the.
[Fred:] Well, I er, I don't find it difficult to keep out of The Duke at all. Well I mean, you know, let's, let's, let's be honest, oh good lord did I leave that there? Oh I mustn't lose that, my grandson bought me that in Greece... Cos I'm a pipe smoker and er, but it's not a Zippo, and he got it very cheap English you see, but I've knackered him you see, because I, he thinks I've still got that, but I, I, I bought a Zippo one, and it's, it's the hippo, the Zippo one that's in there [LAUGHTER] the other one was fucking useless, well, it lasted for a couple of months, a few months, but er How's your dad and mum?
[speaker010:] Alright, mother's alright, she's on top of the world she is at the moment, nothing of her, but, she seems to be struggling through it all.
[Fred:] I passed your dad on the crossing the other day. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] Yeah, did he speak to you?
[Fred:] Yes, well, yeah, but he's a, he's not walking very well is he?
[speaker010:] He never has done, he's always fucking and fucking.
[Fred:] Oh yeah, no, I, no, you know his feet went up ah well, I don't know.
[speaker010:] No, he ain't for years now.
[Fred:] You know what they say
[speaker010:] I mean for a it's a habit, why he walks like that because he's come home from the Duke so many times pissed innit?
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER] Oh he wasn't coming home from the Duke Dave he was going towards it.
[speaker010:] No, he's just got into a habit, you know.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] It's no, when he used to come here, he used to be fourteen stone odd.
[Fred:] Did he?
[speaker010:] It was only about eleven now, something like that, but he used to be fourteen stone.
[Fred:] He's got to be over eleven, I'm eleven, bloody.
[speaker010:] Well, got to be about twelve then.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] He was fourteen plus I think at one time.
[Fred:] The heaviest I've ever been in me life is thirteen stone.
[speaker010:] He's never had an ounce, he's never had an outdoor activity in his life, he's never done anything.
[Fred:] And it was no bloody good to me. Mhm.
[speaker010:] Never done, any, any manual work, up, up until when he started packing in the shoes a few years ago.
[Fred:] Well I would've called what I did in bloody Austria eighteen months ago physical [LAUGHTER] it knackered me more than many other bloody things I did, like crawling up bloody hills and [LAUGHTER]... Mind you it's just as enjoyable.
[speaker010:] Do you still go oh, oh, oh, oh when you're seventy seven do you Fred?
[Fred:] Oh yes, [LAUGHTER], I don't know, I don't know whether women do, I haven't had a seventy seven year old women yet. [LAUGHTER] I don't know that I've got any ambitions that way [LAUGHTER] although you never know, do you now, what they say there's many a good tune played on an old fiddle... I thought you was going to say old women don't, older women don't appeal to me, but what about the one who raped me when I was thirteen? [LAUGHTER] No, I, she [LAUGHTER] she hit me, I enjoyed every minute of it [LAUGHTER] it was a make of the, [LAUGHTER] eh?
[speaker010:] in the family.
[Fred:] Oh yes, keep it in the family [LAUGHTER] [cough] oh dear... she was my youngest sister too and she's been dead for, oh bloody hell, she was eighty six when she died, how long's that ago, a few years, I'm the baby of the family [LAUGHTER] and me brother's the next one, and he's eight eighty five now, is he? No he's eighty four, he's eighty four, he's five younger, five years older than me... And his wife died a year ago nearly?
[speaker010:] Eh?
[Fred:] My brother's wife died a year ago nearly, and I've seen two off... When you were, have you seen Marion at all?
[speaker010:] Cunt, fuck her, mate. No.
[Fred:] Well you did, didn't you?
[speaker010:] Yes.
[Fred:] That's all right then... I think I might almost manage it with Marion.
[speaker010:] Just forget her.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] I'd sooner just forget her.
[Fred:] Oh alright, I'm sor... I'm sorry David.
[speaker010:] No, no, no, no apologies I just don't want to know... I'll never forget her, but I'll never wanna fucking see her again, I can guarantee you that.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER] You fucking enjoyed it didn't you? Poor little, ah come on admit it.
[speaker010:] Yeah, yeah, I did, so what?
[Fred:] Well I've met women like that too, you know. All sex and fuck all else. [LAUGHTER] Oh, alright, don't worry, it's all part of life's rich pattern, David.
[speaker010:] Yeah, but I wish it wouldn't fucking happen when I was when I'm fucking forty three.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] Be honest with you. Fucking happen.
[Fred:] I don't mind if he on bloody ninety, I shall be very pleased with. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] I should've learnt everything by the time I was thirty, not wait until I was in me forties.
[Fred:] Well that's true, yes, yes, David, yes... I don't think we should be talking like this you know.
[speaker010:] Eh?
[Fred:] I don't think we should be talking like this but it's quite natural isn't it?... [whistling]
[speaker010:] I've had more fun since I've been forty, sexually than what I have all fucking.
[Fred:] I've always had fun sexually.
[speaker010:] Eh?
[Fred:] I've always had fun sexually. In fact I'm a very lucky man, you know, I can [LAUGHTER] love them and leave them [LAUGHTER] all except one, all except one, you've al you've always, you've always got to meet your Waterloo haven't you eh?
[speaker010:] ...
[Fred:] Mind you I didn't say that I, I, I, I was faithful to that one, but I couldn't leave it [LAUGHTER] because she needed me so much. Yeah, you see, now so much got in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us,, speak ill of the rest of us... Ha... [LAUGHTER]... I've just finished reading the er, whole text of Rudyard Kipling's.
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] You want?
[Fred:] I knew er lots on beat and pic... bits and pieces out of them but er, bloody amazing how many, how many he wrote in his life time. Well they interest me because a lot of them are about, about the army and no, no, pretty far ranging, army, navy, but er, a lot of them about India er... but he a, he certainly a criticized the er, the powers of being, you know, in the er, you know in the Boer War, the Great War and you know, and up to the thirties.
[speaker010:] Fred, back down this month.
[Fred:] This weekend I think.
[speaker010:] Going Thursday or Friday?
[Fred:] Sunday, oh I don't know, he didn't say, no, no he didn't say. was going this weekend.
[speaker010:] Yeah, he use to go on Thursday or Friday weren't he?
[Fred:] Mm, well it's Wednesday today innit?
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Fred:] What you doing tomorrow?
[speaker010:] Well.
[Fred:] You going down this weekend?
[speaker010:] Dunno yet, I really don't know, erm well I only popped in Sundays, I've been going to spend the week, er the other half and me ended up in Littlehampton and Arronale for the day.
[Fred:] Oh yeah.
[speaker010:] Didn't go to a pub or anything, didn't go to a pub, we come back past and went in the quarter past seven at night
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] had a bite to eat and a couple of pints, cos I've got to drive back up here and
[Fred:] Well yeah, yeah, yeah, mm.
[speaker010:] saw Bob and, I mean I passed the pub at a quarter past twelve.
[Fred:] How is, how is your present darling?
[speaker010:] Which one? Oh the one I'm with now?
[Fred:] Well yes, that's what I mean, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[speaker010:] Yeah she's nice, sweetness. Maybe not, she might fucking chuck me in tonight for all I know, I don't know.
[Fred:] She might what? Well that depends whether you get pissed or not.
[speaker010:] I've hadn't been pissed only once.
[Fred:] Or er, or when you go out with another woman.
[speaker010:] Ain't done that yet.
[Fred:] Are you sure?
[speaker010:] Well I'd must admit I wouldn't have that, and she'll never feel on but, I look so far.
[Fred:] It must be getting a bit boring Dave.
[speaker010:] No, not at the moment.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] Well it was last night, I fell asleep, I was watching a film at the time.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER] Dave it's about time you bloody settled down.
[speaker010:] Who me?
[Fred:] Yes, you.
[speaker010:] I settled down once, where'd it get me?
[Fred:] In trouble, oh, what am I talking about?... Oh I tell you what, I got some nice scrumpy at that bloody eh, what's it, last weekend, the South of England Show.
[speaker010:] Oh yeah.
[Fred:] Mind you it wasn't real scrumpy.
[speaker010:] No, no.
[Fred:] No, no, not like the Devon
[speaker010:] No, don't it come from er
[Fred:] not, not, like the Devon and
[speaker010:] I, I know where it come from, it'll probably come from East Sussex down at er, the vineyard near erm
[Fred:] No, no, no, no I don't think
[speaker010:] near Eastbourne, I would say.
[Fred:] No, I don't think you was, no I don't think it was a one, no.
[speaker010:] Borehamwood, Borehamwood.
[Fred:] Oh no, no, it didn't come from Boreham no, actually I was very surprised, there was nothing, in, in the show there from er, Merridale, no, not a,noth... nothing at all.
[speaker008:] It's a pub isn't it Merridale?
[speaker010:] Yeah, yeah, Merridale is.
[Fred:] No, no,. No but, yeah but Merridown,Merri... Merridown has never professed to be scrumpy.
[speaker010:] No.
[Fred:] No, no, no, wait a minute, wait a minute, let me think, this was somewhere, don't forget they come from all over the bloody country the South of England Show erm, this scrumpy was all somewhere a bit farther north, Cotswolds or
[speaker010:] Shropshire?
[Fred:] or, or, or, no it wasn't Shropshire.
[speaker010:] A few places there size of house.
[Fred:] No, no, no, no, no, oh a lot of size of house at Hereford. Hereford's got a lot of size of houses, but no, no but, it was very clear, absolutely clear, I mean our scrumpy shouldn't be clear.
[speaker010:] No, it should be all thick and horrible.
[Fred:] Yeah [LAUGHTER] I don't. Well, what, what it doesn't taste of scrumpy, but it was absolutely clear, no it was quite a nice drink, but erm, but it wasn't scrumpy. [LAUGHTER] Scrumpy should come up, scrumpy should come up all clouded you know, you know with bits of sheep and er [cough] bit bits of sheep and rats and that lying about in it [LAUGHTER] were they've thrown them into the [LAUGHTER] you think I'm joking don't you? [LAUGHTER] I use to drink scrumpy you know, you know, I, I mean, I must be going back before your time, you know, a long time, you know, we're talking about drinking scrumpy in the thirties [LAUGHTER] and forty and fifties, when scrumpy was scrumpy [LAUGHTER] and when we were glad of it [LAUGHTER]... Oh, I use to love the old scrumpy. It was so dry, now, you know the scrumpy you get here, I mean, that, that, scrumpy jack is nothing like it, but the first time you drink real scrumpy in Somerset or Devon you know, or, or, or around there, and we go... and your mouth goes... [LAUGHTER] That it, it's true, it's absolutely, but when you managed to swallow a few bot... you know, a few of them, you know, you know it's alright then. Well it is so dry, god, but er, the first time I drank it, I think it was about threepence a pint, it was always a lot cheaper than beer, you know, it was in the thirties, threepence a pint. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] We're shooting now Fred.
[Fred:] Eh?
[speaker010:] We're shooting off now.
[Fred:] Yes, O K, I'll see you Dave, don't do anything I wouldn't do will you?
[speaker010:] Ah fucking hell.
[Fred:] Alright then. Ah, Tony, look after him. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] Ta ta Fred.
[Fred:] Ta ta Dave.
[speaker005:] [cough] did you go in the pub on your way up?
[Fred:] In the what?
[speaker005:] Pub Forester's.
[Fred:] Oh, oh, I did have a quick one in there yes.
[speaker005:] .
[Fred:] No.
[speaker005:] .
[Fred:] No.
[speaker005:] Hm.
[Fred:] No he wasn't in there, well it's only about what.
[speaker005:] I no, but I, quite often his, his waiting outside for the opening time.
[Fred:] It be, oh no he wasn't in there, well I didn't see him any way.
[speaker005:] ... Saturday.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker005:] Oh it was about quarter past eleven, went in there first, because on a Saturday the taxi can't park along there.
[Fred:] No not there.
[speaker005:] You've got, started this was name haven't you? car park.
[Fred:] Oh yeah, definitely.
[speaker005:] . cor he said your early, I said yes, so are you by the looks of it, got a fiver and you've had that much out of it.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER]. How, how old's Alan any way?
[speaker005:] Oh round about sixty.
[Fred:] Oh, he doesn't, he doesn't qualify [LAUGHTER].
[speaker005:] No.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker009:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker005:] He's not a pensioner, his on Social Security and also he got another his got two his getting ever so I don't know.
[Fred:] No.
[speaker005:] His pension's went up.
[Fred:] .
[speaker005:] So his got one, I noticed he has two books the other day.
[Fred:] Hm.
[speaker005:] He had a week owing, but mine went up, then up just as my other book finished, so.
[speaker009:] How do you to send the difference?
[Fred:] Well mine went up and I had to pay twenty five per cent, that's didn't I? [LAUGHTER]. Oh, there's no justice in this world is there?
[speaker009:] Quite right.
[Fred:] Not at all.
[speaker009:] You make it all, you make it all just.
[Fred:] Ever, you know.
[speaker005:] Well I don't know what's going to happen. I haven't had a reply back yet, but I don't ask, there tell me, wrote last week.
[Fred:] Oh I suppose, I, I.
[speaker005:] The exact date.
[Fred:] At my age, I should think myself lucky I have to pay Income Tax [LAUGHTER], I don't think I'm like it, no, no it's, no it's true.
[speaker005:] No, they wrote and ask you for the exact date of day I started getting ability allowance.
[Fred:] Oh yeah.
[speaker005:] So... so if they can assess my partner on.
[Fred:] Shall I come and live with you Kath and you can claim constant attendance allowance [LAUGHTER].
[speaker009:] [LAUGHTER]. Steady on.
[speaker005:] Yeah I know you you was always going to help me out.
[Fred:] What.
[speaker005:] Always use to sulk.. He said to me after, he said, oh you will be disgusted with himself, I wouldn't believe.
[Fred:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker005:] .
[Fred:] Oh that was dodgy [LAUGHTER].
[speaker005:] .
[Fred:] Oh you're not talking about the ehm, you not, you not talking about the old club down, ehm.
[speaker005:] .
[Fred:] , oh god, oh that was a right old club, the, oh god, the number of times I've got michaelled in there.
[speaker005:] .
[Fred:] God that was a, that was a..
[speaker005:] .
[Fred:] Hey, that was a hell of a club wasn't it, the.
[speaker005:] Well, I only went there once, once with you I think.
[Fred:] Yeah.
[speaker005:] Probably twice, ehm, Sid took me there once.
[Fred:] I took Joyce there a couple of times.
[speaker005:] Sid took.
[Fred:] Yeah, yeah, yeah, good.
[speaker005:] .
[Fred:] .
[speaker009:] That was a weren't he?
[Fred:] Got.
[speaker005:] I didn't remember much.
[Fred:] Who?
[speaker005:] I use to sit there and smoke and use to too, then suddenly you woke up [LAUGHTER].
[Fred:] But I didn't drink much, did I?