[Anne:] Those people who have the record sheets from last week, ten, ten people that are doing work for the British National Corpus. Erm, could you just put your hands up if you're doing recording for Corpus. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, who's the tenth? You're all sharing so who's, who's got their partners?
[Kitty:] We've got all partners here [crackling microphone]
[Anne:] So, who hasn't got their partner here? So only nine people with their hands up.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, Jill, erm,
[Anne:] There're going to be ten of you. Erm, are you happily doing it?
[speaker004:] Yes. [microphone moved]
[Anne:] I've got some more of these sheets if anybody wants them There are a lot of them on my door, and not very many of them are taken away.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Anne:] Erm, so, if they are on my door. They've been on my door since late
[speaker004:] Yes.
[Anne:] If you want more of these...
[speaker004:] [cough]... difficult. [paper rustling]... Really got to define what mm. actual and description from different you know different conversations to one complication.
[Anne:] Yes, I'm just about to give you an assignment sheet, those ten people. Erm, and actually formalize the assignment, so people will see what you've got to do, if the others will bear with me for a minute or two. But before I give you the assignment sheet, erm, how are you getting on? Are there any, erm, unforeseen, erm, problems?
[speaker004:] Yeah It's more difficult than I thought actually. About background, like with most people, there's always something on in the background conversations like the radio, T V and it muffles it all out. So. Got to try and talk without the T V on.
[Anne:] So th the problems were acoustics,
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Anne:] rather than problems with remem remembering the tape recorder which comes out, it
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Anne:] actually so don't let's feel you haven't coped. Any other problems? Has, has anybody
[speaker004:] No. No.
[Anne:] How do you all like, if you tell people, you know, without causing offence, do you normally tell people after you've done it?
[speaker004:] Yeah. Yeah.
[Anne:] And no doubt, everyone said fine. Has it been
[speaker004:] No. by the time you've taped something, it's done. Few.
[Anne:] Helen.
[speaker004:] I'm still on my first one, actually
[Anne:] Tape one of two.
[speaker004:] Two. Got one.
[Anne:] One, yes, right. So you will obviously erm, if you can, try and do a bit more, because this time next week we're into back. Next Friday morning, I think you were all here when we were planning this, but just to remind you, next Friday morning, erm, somebody else is coming from the team in Harlow. I don't [cough] know if it will be the same person. To talk about transcription, and we will run that on a workshop basis, I hope. I'll try and look to sort of student access [cough] erm, total theoretical will have, erm, some of your own transcripts by then. Erm, so could you all, including those people who aren't working on this project, bring erm, one of your tapes, because you're all taping the assignment, anyway. You may not have got round to doing it yet, but bring something next week. A a tape, and B a short piece of transcription. It may not be the bit that you're going to eventually use for your assignment, because you're a bit unsure taped up your assignment, but bring a short transcription, at least one side of A four, because if you do that, you will, if you've given yourself a chance of actually trying it out, you will begin to see the problems and and the whole thing will be much more interesting and more rewardable. If I'm boring this time, you haven't tried it, but if you, if you can do it then erm, it'll be a really interesting session, of sort of getting together in groups and discussing the problems and sorting ways out of problems. So let's be free... at least one tape erm, at least, at least one side [crackling] based on the tape. And have your tape wound to the place that you've transcribed, so that, if necessary you will be ready to replay the bit that you can't transcribe it, to the others, or to one of us, erm, to explain why you can't do it. Erm, we won't say too much about transcription systems at the moment, erm, just do, do it according to what you think are the most important bits to get down onto paper. When you're trying to write down speech, you can see that there are all sorts of problems initially, of how much you write down. And, all of you will probably make different choices. Do you write down, for example, the pauses, and if you write the pauses, do you try and write how long they are? And what, erm, decided you to use the pauses. Do you try and write down hesitations?... And if so, how do you write them down, what, what, how do you spell a hesitation? The ers and the erms. How do you [LAUGHTER] spell that []? Do you want spelling for all hesi hesitations,ju ju ju just to show that somebody's hesitated? Or do you want to show exactly how they've hesitated? All these sorts of things are going to be the sorts of things that we'll bring up in discussion, but you won't realize what the problems are until you tried doing it. Today we're going to try Has anybody actually found writing it all out because as soon as you do, you'll be faced with hundreds of choices. Do you just do it like a school dictation in French, writing down the words, with conventional punctuation. Full stops at the end. Or do you try and put in all these extra things like pauses, hesitations, intonation, rhythm, stress... you can go on, getting so detailed, that it, as St Steve said last week, you can spend sort of half an hour on half a sentence, if you put it, if you try to put in everything. That's obviously unprincipled. So you got the whole spectrum of, or if you're just doing it like French dictation, it won't, if words tend to just, to just be spoken language, right through to an immensely detailed erm, attempts to put everything down, including tone of the voice, and all these other ones which are extremely difficult to... I think you noticed that I was standing looking at the transcriptions near each team. And you listen to the voices. If you read the transcription first, there is only a very small proportion of the actual information get right to the. Erm, totally missing, really is the voice quality, which is a, one of the main ways in which we judge somebody's character, isn't it? And, so would you want to put some more of that in, and erm all these, all these things, as I've said, will help you to, to speak. [crackling in background] So, everybody you're looking at.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Anne:] Sorry, what about, erm, so people have been taping,th actually it's ten people.
[speaker004:] Mm [clears throat]
[Anne:] Erm, you've apparent problems of lack of clarity, well that's absolutely normal erm, but they've built into the system. Erm, what, erm, also... you haven't had a problem with being rejected. Have, have you had a problem of remembering to turn it on, remembering the batteries [cough]
[speaker004:] Mm. It's quite difficult to tell how much tape's gone, if you got [sigh] that much tape left, you think you can get more conversation on and you can't. It's difficult to judge the especially when the person that you for by someone just popping round and picking something up and they stay for ages, [LAUGHTER] and they didn't know I was taping and then [] something clicked up in the middle of it. But I mean I lost half the conversation, they wondered what was going on. Yeah.
[Anne:] Yes, it would have been quite useful to have given that tape as some indication on that little diagram on the tape recorder, about a minute or, they're all standard tape recorders, how much measure, how much is it in terms of time, a minute of your tape is ten minutes And also of course, a, a, a problem that you can't solve is, you never know in advance how long a conversation's going to be. Can you? So you may think you've half a tape left, which is, should be...
[speaker004:] Fifteen minutes. No, forty five minutes.
[Anne:] Forty five each side. Erm, even if you know how much time you've got left, you never how long they're going to talk for. I think they're bound to respond to that, I mean, as you turn it over and keep going on. So that's cer certainly a problem. Any other things that we can, perhaps solve?...
[speaker004:] So it's easier than... you said it's more difficult than if you want to get clear recordings. Yeah, somebody said that, it's alright now, though.
[Anne:] That's, well, that's good, well, there aren't any other problems that we need to talk about now. Erm, good.
[speaker004:] got something
[Anne:] Was it, were you there when erm, Steve was saying that he would leave behind with me a recorder's programme.
[speaker004:] No.
[Anne:] Erm, tell me if I'm repeating it, because I have said it to a couple of other groups I know, especially the Wednesday group. So tell me if I've told you this before. That he did leave behind a after lunch, when you, after you'd gone, a couple of very useful disks. One was the disk erm, which actually held about [cough] erm, three hours' worth of conversations straight from the corpus er banking, er composition. So that we have got a disk which we can put into the machines down there in the computer room, a whole lot of transcriptions that they've already made. They are all based round one person, one speaker, somebody called Fred. He lives in Croydon, erm, he's old, so we've got quite a lot of conversation. I think he's seventy five, he's retired. But you got conversation with him and his family [crackling microphone] two generations of his family at his house perhaps in Croydon. Erm, with his brother I think from Hemel Hempstead, erm, and a lot of pub conversations, in a pub called The Lion in Croydon, with erm, I think it must be an ex-girlfriend. It's quite suggestive kind of conversations, especially for a seventy five year old. [LAUGHTER] Quite suggestive []. And, and, it's all very very spontaneous and really quite quite nicely done. Erm, when I really learnt to use this myself, in the computer room [cough] go along there for, half an hour one Friday, and have a look at it, because you might, in your second assignment possibly like to, to use this data in some way. Look at it. I've got transcriptions, I've got printouts as well. Erm, but use it in order to look at ready made conversations in order to collect. So you can get these conversations up on computer screen, all of them, and you can pick them out. Well, that doesn't sound too exciting, because basically you're ending up with transcripts, well, ready made transcripts. Erm, but as I say it's a good thing that you're doing yourselves. Just more of the same. The interest on this, is that he also left a second disk. And that is, now did he mention that or didn't he, or did I because. Do you know what?
[speaker004:] No. No.
[Anne:] Right, well, this is the interesting thing, in a way, that bring, you might, very well like to go and play with them in the computer room. Some time, anyway, set my work. Erm, you, this is the second program, it's relative with the conversations, and relative with the recording as well. [cough]
[Rebecca:] Well it can access all the words, er, on the disks. So if you wanted to look for example, at hesitations, and try to do an analysis of where he had hesitated and why he hesitated, who hesitates more than others. Just to take an example. You type it on your computer, erm, say er, or erm, or other hesitation markers, that you will predict will mark hesitation, and on your scr you type this on the keyboard, and on your screen, you will get a whole list of [cough] places where this is used with the beginning bit of the sentence, and the end bit of the sentence, and all the ers will be listed down the middle of the screen, with the line numbers, here, so you can check back to where it comes from. So that you may find that all the hesitations are by women, or most of them by women, or most of them are in the pub, or most of them are a after ten at night, or ar you know, you can look at the context in which certain words, certain conversational gambits that some of them use. And it's a very quick and very interesting, by comparing data and looking at what you've got. Because obviously you could do this by hand, you could do it by it took ages and could be very boring. You can get it spaced up on the screen, and you can print it out. Erm, I don't know whether you can think of any other words that would be use useful but erm, if you weren't looking at hesitations, you might look at erm,
[speaker004:] Perhaps use the first names and put out the meaning of the first names of the...
[Anne:] Yes, that would be quite interesting, wouldn't it, when we talked about some forms of address. Wait, I've got an instant who's taking part in the conversations and you could type in the first names of those people and then again you'll get back some why the use of the first name. Which would surround the context and you'd be able to see when people, the real first names. Erm, perhaps those aren't very of examples, but, I think you can see, that there are enormous scope for erm, looking at a large amount of language. They're very economical, and very interesting way of. So as I say, [LAUGHTER] when I've got erm, actually to know [] how these reference disks work, then I'll be able to use them and talk. We will then look at thousand and one bits and see what effect and follow that up. And next year's student, or even next term's, perhaps, depending on how quick you do it, your conversations, what you're doing now, once they're transcribed and put onto disk would be very interesting, because we'll have a disk from our St Mary's students, transcribed, because Steve promised he would get them all transcribed.
[speaker004:] And they would go on disk
[Anne:] And... but he can get them on to a disk.
[speaker004:] Oh, God, don't want mine on a disk. [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] Well, [LAUGHTER] if you don't want them on, that's the whole problems of obviously saying, erm, in fact, we don't, if we don't want them on a disk at all, we don't have to have them. But I think this would be a very useful, erm, useful thing, because we'll have all your conversations on a disk and we'll be able to record and explain too, looking at typical seminars erm, and all the other contexts and situations that you've recorded. Don't forget that when it's transcribed, when it's professionally transcribed, all the names will be changed, so you'll all be anonymous. [LAUGHTER] That's part of the system. They, they shouldn't be erm, identifiable, because the names and the addresses, telephone numbers, anything that helps you to identify an individual, will be changed. Erm, but, but think that out, because the, your reaction then was interesting. Perhaps in a way, if you feel that it's going to be too revealing to have this...
[speaker004:] Don't they keep
[Anne:] We, we needn't do it, it just seems to me that it would be
[speaker004:] Like with the names do they the personal? Names were changed, to protect the innocent.
[Anne:] Yeah, all the names would be changed, all the, all the names will be changed, automatically. He said that that's part of the transcription system.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] So in fact, erm, on the disk that we've already got Fred isn't really Fred it's Char it's a substituted name.
[speaker004:] Unless you name drop in the conversation, that's the only... thing that might be a bit revealing. Mm.
[Anne:] What do you mean, if you refer to somebody?
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Anne:] Well, that would also be changed.
[speaker004:] Oh, really
[Anne:] All, all proper names with capital letters, would be changed for
[speaker004:] Oh, right.
[Anne:] Erm, would there be anything else on your tapes that might give the game away? [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Yes. [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] Well, think about that. This obviously isn't going to come up as an issue for quite a long time, since transcribing this' ll be a long time. But... I think what, perhaps the, the best thing to do is when the transcriptions come back, and this may not be till the summer... because it is a very long long process, when they come back, they will all go back to the person who made them ten people. And if you don't want to be put onto list, censored, because obviously, that's very important to what would happen there if you want it preserved. But if you don't want it preserved, I think it would be so nice to have in college, if only for next year's students, and you also would be around for the next two years, I mean if you're doing, if you're doing a language erm, option next year, or even a language recitation erm, this would be quite nice material to use for that. Cos you will be around to, to, to make use of it at home. [cough] Anyway, so much for that... Assignment sheet... I'll give this to all of you, because [cough] I wouldn't, I don't want to be unfair. If you think that this assignment is, is sort of preferable to the ones that you've been looking, you could all choose this one, you'll have to do some recording like the others on your own machines, but you could [handing out papers]
[speaker004:] have we still got to do two thousand?
[Anne:] No, hang on, no hang on. No, I'll change the length for those people who are doing a lot of recording. And there's more transcribing. So listen very carefully. [shouting] Listen, listen very carefully [] shh, because this is important to get right, erm, because the assign because the assignments are part of your degree mark, and have to go to the external examiner, and has to be monitored etcetera etcetera etcetera, it's all quite formal and so we do need to get this right. I, I've got to have something from you ten people, you ten recording people because, because it's reasonably erm, represented, like, I can't give it, in other words I can't give you a chance to explain this as much as I would like to, because it's not fair on the other people. And it's also, but not fair on you or me, because I felt, the guilty, you know, we won't be, we all do it. There won't be any depreciation. Some people won't do anything less than the others. I've got to have something that I can mark, to the representative marks that show your, your ability and how much you've put into it. Erm, so, supposing you're all doing this. You don't have to, but supposing you all choose this. Let's put two columns.
[speaker004:] [blowing nose]
[Anne:] The British National Corpus [blowing nose] those ten people were doing British National Corpus and the others. I'll write down any differences on here and make sure you write them down at the end. Transcription... this project is based on a study of recording two, that wouldn't apply to all of you, should involve recording itself, audio cassette. The others can them from that. You can't, because you are doing audio cassettes for the erm, audio. [cough] And your transcription of two to three set of minutes of talk. Erm, a transcription [cough] two to three minutes, you can do a short transcription. The Corpus people, you're going to spend much more time doing on the art of transcribing. So you'll have five minutes to do some. He's put at least five minutes, five minutes plus. At least five minutes of transcription, erm, which you'll learn to do next week on Friday. Now I'll put a line to do a transcription [cough] transcription goes in an appendix, put your transcription at the back of your work, in according to Appendix A and number the lines, so that you can refer to them in the body or wherever. You'll find ten as an example of whatever. Temptations are particularly evident in lines sixteen to seventeen etcetera. It saves a lot of time to change numbers. You should follow your transcription with an exclamation [cough] if used to indicate stress intonation, pauses, local effects etcetera etcetera etcetera. Er, in other words a key. So everybody [cough] put in a general key. A transcription is a key. And this explains what you'll do next week. Don't worry about the key because that's just what erm, discussing, next time.
[speaker004:] if you go into appendix as well.
[Anne:] Yes, let's call between appendix two, just to make it absolutely cut and dried. Right, Appendix A transcription and Appendix B was [cough]. Erm, you can use ordinary spelling, you probably will use ordinary spelling, or phonetic transcription, this may be for short sections. That's entirely optional, we'll talk again about that next week. a transcription you remember last year, we had about one week on phonetics, and John, some people came to the John talk, where we didn't really talk about phonetics script there. Phonetic script is something that people usually, fills people with horror, so don't worry about it. Some people, there are always a few people who, who love it. Who like playing with it. But there are very few, so that's optional. It is very useful, if you're trying to write down something like accent, say northern accent, would be, but would sound in words like cook, [clears throat] there's no way of really doing that unless you use phonetic transcription. But, erm, you may not, you may not want to do that. Erm, but so give, give a brief note to justify your choice, and use transcripts or you haven't because... that's at the end of your. That's, that's the next. Introduction... your introduction should explain briefly why you chose to analyze this particular sample. [cough] You people, the Corpus people will have a large sample by then, you'll have a lot to choose from. So just put a paragraph in, saying why you've chosen this particular bit, and in fact, all of you can do that. The introduction will be same for all of you. Explaining your choice [cough] this conversation especially interesting. Erm, do a general account of recording material indicating its source and giving background information. But when I say recording material, I just mean one conversation that you're, you're transcribing. If you were to do, if any of your transcripts in lots of little bits.
[speaker004:] No.
[Anne:] So I just want two, two to do two comparing tape. Got two conversations of different people but they
[speaker004:] They vary in interest Yeah.
[Anne:] Okay. Right, don't don't make it too bitty. I'm just thinking if you did lots and lots of little bits, I think you'll find it quite difficult to make the rest of it coherent. If you've got something that's crying out in comparison about two labourers or two women or whatever. Yes. But that would be two and a half minutes each, roughly.
[speaker004:] Between two and three
[Anne:] Erm, so, this material, whether it's one longer bit, or two shorter bits, it's up over there. Do you have any indication of its source, and say something about the background of people. What kind of things will be important for the background to mention it do you think?
[speaker004:] Age.
[Anne:] Age.
[speaker004:] The relationship with them.
[Anne:] Relationship.
[speaker004:] The setting
[Anne:] Mm. In fact, all those, yes, all those, I did briefly mention all those things on the diagram er that we had before. You could do this, erm, you could photocopy
[speaker004:] Introductions introductions.
[Anne:] Source, the background
[speaker004:] The background information.
[Anne:] These things here, could be, you could photocopy these, the diagram that you've all got. Erm, maybe photocopy it a bit smaller. So that you've got an A four size. Or even, even try to get perhaps, piece, a piece of A three paper. I'm just trying to think of a clearer economical way of putting it. Perhaps a double size piece of paper you can fold in your and then put the diagram in the middle, photocopy it, and stick it on, glue it on, the diagram. And then you could put arrows round the outside, for comments that you might conversation, erm, conversation A and B, if you're doing two. Then you would need two of the, two of these sheets if you were doing two conversations, but only one if you've done one. And then say, for example, the thing over here was, something like bystanders, wasn't it, on the left hand side. So you could just all out in rhyming prose which takes a long time. A lot clearer could be erm, let's say bystanders, bystanders three, two of whom were half listening. Erm, just a short note, if you see the big lot of over there, and er, I think it would have been probably easier trying to describing it.
[speaker004:] Is that Appendix C?
[Anne:] Erm, well I put it at the.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Anne:] You [LAUGHTER] it's in the introduction here. You could have an instruction [blowing nose] full details of the situation are given in Appendix C. Or you could put it into your introduction depending on which way you feel it is to handle. So, is that clear? Introduction, why you've chosen to, to analyze this sample, and what is a source on the background information. Indicate the focus of interest in the approach you intend to take. I'll come back to that.. Next, the body of your essay. Analyze your material by means of selected description of interesting and significant features of material transcribed. With reference if necessary to features, in the rest transcribe it. Recording. And conclusion, comment on the insights of your final analysis. The body, shall I say. The other people who are two thousand words. And follow this thing about the body in your essay. So that you want to say exactly what is interesting and significant to you too. So you pick up these things. Once you've done this, pick out the things that you think are significant. The bystanders may not be significant. There may be two bystanders, but they really, you don't think they made any particular difference to the way the conversation went, so you might pick out relationships in general, or topic, or something else, but pick out the things that you think being significant in the conversation, and describe them. In some detail, because you've got two to do it... I think that's all. And then, conclude by what have you learnt about the talk, make sure the and then the appendix should include your transcription which a key. There's one not, not in there, not for example, the book you've already got tells you transcription and submit your tape round to the position at which your transcription two thousand words. So really Harlow do not do Corpus or at least were not aware of it. If you are doing a lot of work [cough] reports, you're going to do a longer transcription, and the transcription's going to, cos you've got to make sure that your transcription's according to the basis of consistent in its way around. It's useable by it's going to go into the, the archives for public consumption. So the trade lock for this extra transcription is if you do more than, or if you do a lot, erm do the same introduction, but your essay, the body of your essay, erm, can be very short, the body of your essay, erm, about one paragraph only, you're just going to need to do something quite short, and your conclusion on the insights is what, is what is going to be important. Okay, so that's, that's short. The main body of yo the work wo with Corpus will be doing more of the transcription and linking up with what insights have been found about... transcribing. Any facts about transcribing finished. And the whole thing can be shorter, one thousand. I don't think you should have so much, and I'm not going to count, so I'm not going You'll obviously want to make it, you don't want to make it too short you're going to have enough words to get yourself a good mark. So you can wr do more transcribing. Even if you're doing more recording, more transcribing, nicely. The writing will have a different focus. Insights about the, the actual recording and transcribing.
[speaker004:] [whispering] Transcribing [].
[Anne:] Erm, fact clear.
[speaker004:] Yes. in saying, erm, we in fact, you know, backup our transcription. Erm,
[Anne:] Mm. Yes, the more you can do, the better it gets. Yes, do use, you need a bibliography, all of you need a bibliography so you can make comparisons [sneeze] what other people have found, so to read round before you do but erm
[speaker004:] If you balance, tape recordering, but, but you notice one particular piece that you would rather do an essay on rather than that bit there. Can you do the other one? If takes it to transcribe it, can we still write the essay? Rather than do this. You know what I mean? [sneeze]
[Anne:] Well, yes. Do the essay on the left,
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Anne:] to be transcribed on the right.
[speaker004:] Even though?
[Anne:] Erm, I think it would be a pity if you did that, because we got all this, you know, equipment and stuff, if you don't, why do you think it might be?
[speaker004:] Transcription gonna take ages to type.
[Anne:] Erm, right.
[speaker004:] days.
[Anne:] No, I don't think it'll take days. Because conversations are usually quite slow, and to, and there will be a lot of pauses... It is difficult to guess how much transcription is needed. I think maybe [cough] what I'm going to do with transcriptions again. Cover the variations in speed, I'm going to try and define it in pages rather than speed, because finding it difficult is speed, whereas if you got a sl a slow speaker there are longer pauses and hesitations. This is going to be a lot more erm, let's call it two pages and five pages. A four pages. Erm, and I've no idea the time
[speaker004:] [everyone talking]
[Anne:] Let's change it to pages. Because, it is, I think that's much fairer than doing minutes, cos you still get the
[speaker004:] Do you mean pages as in both sides, or sides?
[Anne:] Sides, sides.
[speaker004:] Right.
[Anne:] So there are sides. Sides, two sides. So would it very boring just to go through this again? confusion. I'll just go through this again, because it's, you know, two different groups. [cough] Who's not doing this? Who's not doing the Corpus? Two thousand words, you can use video if you want to. That's audio. You can tape it off the television or the radio for that.
[speaker004:] [whispering] That's if you want to []
[Anne:] Your transcription is shorter, cos they're two sides. Your key is the same. You do your introduction at the back, with why you've chosen this as background. Why you've chosen this bit, and what is the background. And then you just follow through with the introduction at the end. [cough] Corpus books, do also essays, many use audio, your transcription is long, let's see either side.
[speaker004:] Yes, it's the whole thing,
[Anne:] I think he'd
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Anne:] The introduction, why you've chosen this particular conversation. Then, just a little bit about the background. Or what you found about the conversation, but your completion is mainly about the insights of doing this erm, transcription. [lecturer still talking, but incoherent above the following conversation]
[speaker004:] [whispering] No actually, it can't be, can it? I don't think it does count. It doesn't, it doesn't It's in the appen it's the appendix at the back Mm, you gonna ask her I'll ask her []. Erm, is this something to?
[Anne:] No, if you can do that, do that.
[speaker004:] So we've got the choice?
[Anne:] You've the choice. You've got the choice. But, erm, I just thought perhaps erm, it would be unfair not to give you a choice.
[speaker004:] Anne. The transcription is separate from the total number of words, isn't it?
[Anne:] Yes,
[speaker004:] Right.
[Anne:] transcription itself, almost the number of words. It would take ages to
[speaker004:] words. Yeah. [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] Okay. How soon. If, if there are problems, because you can see I'm a little bit unsure of length, myself. I haven't done this before. If there are problems,le we could work them through together, but I think this is much more interesting to be, sort o I think to be linked in with an outside project like this, and just to be working away in isolation, and so we'll feel our way experimentally.
[speaker004:] Yeah, cos I mean, the conversation you might wanna use, well may go on much longer than five sides, so... you've got
[Anne:] Good point, yes. Take, just take a, a sa sample of it. If you, yes, certainly, you can use bits, you [shouting] bits [] of a long conversation if necessary.
[speaker004:] Are you gonna do with Jo?
[Anne:] In case bits from the examiner penalizes yes, certainly, I'll justify that he won't. Erm, because, if he, if you're worried about the external examiner. Al although our college regulations say that, these should be two thousand words or equivalent. It always says, or equivalent, that's [cough] just in order to open up the possibilities like this, so that we're not caught by some legalistic oath.
[speaker004:] So if you can use
[Anne:] And so the equivalent for you who is doing the [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Sorry. [LAUGHTER] One long conversation, you can use different parts of that one long conversation... is that what you say? [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] Well, no I didn't. I said, [LAUGHTER] you got a, a long, a long conversation, say, ten minutes. For our purposes you just need to take any bit, either the beginning, the middle or the end, that seem to be the best bit, the interesting bit. If I take out a chunk, you can do I do think that you're, when you're doing it, thinking of doing two bits,
[speaker004:] But I just like to
[Anne:] Yeah. But you're, well you, supposing you've got two long conversations, what you want to do is two bits, I can transfer bits out of
[speaker004:] If erm, you know the way the transcript was written down.
[Anne:] Yes, sorry.
[speaker004:] Well, to write on it, because it, you'll have some on one
[Anne:] The overlap, yes. Well, let's talk about those technicalities next week. You may have to do it in longhand. Too difficult to type. Wh when it's, when you get, when you're getting interruptions, like we just had then
[speaker004:] [whispering] Great []
[Anne:] you're transcribing this erm, it is, it is a problem wordprocessor.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Anne:] And er, of course, if you're really ca cunning, you may say well, five sides is a difficult, erm, difficult criterion, because let's write B, but we can't, we can't up against every use your commonsense on that.
[speaker004:] Do you have to type the essay?
[Anne:] Preferably yes, it's much easier to mark it, and I must say, research, research shows, that a clearly typed essay does tend to get a better mark.
[speaker004:] [whispering] Oh, I hate typing essays [] Oh. [LAUGHTER] It does what?
[Anne:] There has been.
[speaker004:] Get that mark. Really?
[Anne:] People have done research, giving marks to
[speaker004:] long though.
[Anne:] the same piece of work handwritten and typed. Erm, and it, it does score higher when it's typed. People are influenced. We're human and you, you're influenced by presentation, so if you can type it... it's not compulsory, but it is, would be in your interest that it's typed, if you can.
[speaker004:] Are you going to do the one on the left hand side. Would you still have to mention things like eye contact and gesture, and [clears throat] that? Or does it? I can't do that, I thing on our tape. [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] have we been through the of this group?
[speaker004:] Yeah. We went through them, didn't we?
[Anne:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] What was that all the talk about
[Anne:] No. No, that's the second part
[speaker004:] We haven't done anything, have we? [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] assignment.
[speaker004:] Yeah, you're right.
[Anne:] We went through the situation and background, but I don't think we did that. Erm, when we were looking at all the markers like erm, gesture, gesture and strategy, this we need to this morning. yes, and we'll come back to Right.
[speaker004:] ridiculous.
[Anne:] So, for the rest of this morning, erm, we're going to back on what you brought in. On on conversational management. We were going to do that last week.
[speaker004:] But we didn't.
[Anne:] the work to that. [paper rustling] You, you just see what each other are doing, because I'm going to put you into lots of groups in a minute. I want, what I want you to do is get into groups of four in a minute, according to these instructions. Erm, groups of four, so we can use these pairs like this, so we can all talk to each other in a foursome.
[speaker004:] So we can move around.
[Anne:] Erm, and I want to make sure that you've got, those four people have all done something different from here. Tell each other what you've done different bits of the worksheet. So I'll just, have a look round to see if who, who's done what. Who did topic charts? So you need to be separated. Go to another group. Two, two did topic choice.
[speaker004:] I did some.
[Anne:] And three. Make sure you're in different groups.
[speaker004:] Okay.
[Anne:] Turn taking, turn distribution. Who did that?
[speaker004:] Me.
[Anne:] One, two, three, so we separate yourself into different groups. Erm, speakers holding the floor and the next bit. One, who are you working with?
[speaker004:] Oh, Jo, she's not here, today.
[Anne:] Right. So it doesn't matter where you go. [LAUGHTER] Erm, those turn, use turn What did you two do?
[speaker004:] Erm, I was opening conversation
[Anne:] Opening and closing, yes, it's down here. So make sure, again, you split up.
[speaker004:] Erm, what did she just say?
[Anne:] What did you do?
[speaker004:] I did that, and you did what? right, okay, we can stay together. [LAUGHTER] [everyone talking] I don't know, I might just about copy this out. thing is,
[Anne:] Can we have four groups. Get into four groups
[speaker004:] English
[Anne:] erm, round the tables cos it's easier to talk. Different erm
[speaker004:] Oh, you can come with us, if you want. No, I'll probably go into the next Oops, bloody chair. [paper rustling] Hang on, what is it, what have we got to do now? Got to do this date. Today's the fifteenth. Yes.
[Anne:] Has anyone, I don't think we've got anybody who's on this wrong assignment.
[speaker004:] No, we haven't. Wrong assignment. No. No. What we gotta do, just stick, discuss what we, our findings.
[Anne:] Right erm, I'll break at, at about ten past, quarter past, so we've got about ten minutes [cough] or quarter of an hour. We're just exchanging what you've found in your groups. Erm, you haven't got everything represented there, but you've all got quite a lot, [cough] quite a large chunk of them actually. So, make sure that you get from each other what you've all got. The best way of organizing this for your file, is file of reports.
[speaker004:] Yeah, [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] You,ho you should ideally all have a ouch, [LAUGHTER] a file like this [] and, before I pick this up, erm, the best way of organizing your files and just, just take separate bits of paper now, to save yourselves time, is to take separate pieces of paper for the separate topics, that separate people have done, and as you're talking to each other, begin making notes and adding to, to these different bits. So for example, topic choice, could be one bit of paper, and term taken erm, opening and closing, would be another
[Rebecca:] I suppose body language you, couldn't yeah,
[Inga:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] sort of,
[Inga:] looking at their...
[Rebecca:] Yeah
[Inga:] terrible, terrible.
[speaker004:] It's my turn now. Mm. If you want. I'm sorry, no. [LAUGHTER] Alright, erm, how do speakers talk Talk. Yes. Erm, they give a complex number of cues, erm, when they are about to finish their conversation, erm, I... how did they manage to it's shown, it shown through the gaze of the speaker erm, erm, the speaker coming to the end of long actions has been shown to gaze heavily at the listener. So, well, actually so you know it's. Doesn't make any sense, does it?
[Rebecca:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Erm, also inclination of head towards the listener and erm... erm, how did they feel that they'd finished the erm, speaker's intonation and a drop in volume of voice towards the end, and erm, also you've got quite a full tags. Like, I speak something and, and I say, you know, so you know, you know what it means. [LAUGHTER] That indicates the person. Erm, and gestures as well, things like definite body movements, like like I say something, then
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] I point away to you... you know that I've finished my conversation.
[Rebecca:] Mm.
[speaker004:] Right, and, any terms at all, usually, about erm, conversations with your friends, usually it's okay just to interrupt your friends. Erm, they're quite frequent in friendly conversations... and, but in casual conversations, one of three things happen. Erm, current speaker will next speaker by name, so when I speak to you and I call your name, you know that I am talking to you. It's the cue to the next person. Does it make any sense? Tell me if
[Rebecca:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Erm, so... but if the speaker doesn't announce the other one by name, the third one erm, realize, may react himself.
[Rebecca:] Right.
[speaker004:] So erm, if two or more do this at the same time, first person's to speak call the talk. Yes? So you...
[Rebecca:] that one.
[speaker004:] So if two or more do this thing like, if they don't call your name, there at the same time, the first person to speak will be four.
[Rebecca:] Right.
[speaker004:] Does it make sense?
[Rebecca:] No. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Right. [everyone talking] I think, Okay. Good. I did, actually, mine was the role of silence. [cough] Right, there's three different types of silence. Erm, the first one is called a lapse... erm, and that happens when the person who's speaking, hasn't selected the next speaker, or nobody who's self-selected. So, and the person who's speaking decides not to go on, so perhaps the conversation has stopped. Erm, the second sort is a gap which is a brief silence, usually sort of one second or less, between the end of one turn, and the next speaker actually starting to speak, so they're still thinking about what they're going to say. So that's a gap, then there's the third type is a pause, this is terribly complicated, erm, this is a silence within somebody's turn, so it could happen in one of three ways. Erm, either the person is erm, thinking of what to say, in search of the right words, so they have a pause within their turn and then carry on. Erm, or they stop, the current speaker stops thinking that somebody might want to join in, or the erm,spea current speaker chooses the next one, but the person they choose takes so long to actually respond, the current speaker carries on, because he thinks they're not going to say anything.
[Rebecca:] Can we go over those again... just the pause one.
[speaker004:] Erm, right, so a pause silence within a participant's turn, so the current speaker just has a pause, then carries on speaking,
[Rebecca:] Right.
[speaker004:] so it can happen in one of three ways. Either they're thinking of what to say next... or they stop, thinking that somebody else might want to join in, but they don't, so that the current speaker then carries on
[Rebecca:] Mm....
[speaker004:] or the speaker who's speaking, selects the next speaker by saying, didn't you think, or whatever, but the person they've chosen takes so long to answer, that the current speaker just carries on
[Rebecca:] Right.
[speaker004:] cos they think they're not going to get a response... I mean it, it, it can't get much er, can't get very much going on this. [everyone talking] A lot of these sort of inter-relate, don't they, really, I mean...
[Rebecca:] just the sake of
[speaker004:] Just say something every now and again, don't they?...
[Rebecca:] Oh dear. [yawn] How did you get in this morning, did you walk?
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, nice day, innit it, bloody cold out there, though.
[speaker004:] Yeah, innit. Nice bright morning, though,
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Least it's not raining.
[Rebecca:] That's true.
[speaker004:] I don't think Where do you live? Do you? Are you in trouble every day
[Rebecca:] Blimey
[speaker004:] Commutes. Oh no. It's alright, actually, the worst it takes me is about an hour. When it's really busy, but...
[Rebecca:] Is that from home?
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Mm. Yeah, erm, this morning, yeah.
[speaker004:] Yeah. Do, do you cycle? till half eight.
[Rebecca:] I think you should.
[speaker004:] Bound to isn't it? Yeah. But I don't know think it would be easier? [everyone talking] Oh yeah The thing is that you know [LAUGHTER] Yeah, I just, I just Whereabouts do you live
[Rebecca:] Oh, right, ah... [cough] [LAUGHTER] thank you but you could come any... other time.
[speaker004:] I'll give you a ring...
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] in the evening. It's a different it's just that Sunday's free for me.
[Rebecca:] Oh, what do you do, what do you do on Yeah, on Monday, my cousin is, is coming. I think that Sunday she's free, but I've got to to get at her, and on Monday I've got to go up to walk her round to see her. She's going to. But if I... you come and watch I'm definitely,
[speaker004:] so we've got a cottage nearby What semi-detached?
[Rebecca:] I've gotta come round.
[speaker004:] Yeah, you've certainly
[Rebecca:] Someone's gotta come round I mean just to see where but I just I'll ring, I'll give you a buzz on Monday, I know you're not there, you can say, well, I'll see you again on Tuesday in English, perhaps you can arrange something then.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Anne:] Okay, well I think this is a good erm, juncture at which to stop. Come back in twenty minutes at the most, and we'll bring this together. [everybody packing up]
[Rebecca:] No, that's my
[Inga:] What we just said
[Rebecca:] What we just said we got there.
[Anne:] sounding right.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, I yeah [clears throat] sorry
[speaker004:] Could do it. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] Aye.
[Anne:] Just listen to her tapes.
[Rebecca:] Except honestly, she's just... lazy. Can't treat her own can't wash her.
[Anne:] She no asked to speak to you
[Rebecca:] No, I went round to with Mr Muscle, I went shh, shh, shh
[Anne:] But suppose you can't doesn't he get really about the bed made? One of the beds.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Oh, it's horrible.
[Rebecca:] Yeah. wipe and everything.
[speaker004:] You have to the get mattress out urgh, it's awful. on the beds. Okay, I'll tell you what, when I have rugby practice, I'll come and have a shower.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, and I believe it. I believe it. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] I'm not joking. You get used to wash erm, at least your own scum out of erm, Oh, it was you, was it? And erm, you just got to be, you know a mum would, a mum and that You know my mum came up, she comes up and says I know this already you know, mum came up, saying, [everyone talking] yeah well, Essex, probably Essex University, Anne goes to I think it pays a bit better. I've done it even though Have you? Mm. worked out what I am saying Oh. I still Thank God I'm not What? You alright? Fine, thank you. Ah scratch last night. Ah little man. Oh, you did? Yes. He goes I can't believe [LAUGHTER] And erm, clothes in general? Yeah.
[Rebecca:] So you try to go to visit him, or him come over here?
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Tell him that could be good.
[Anne:] Right. try it again and... I want to do two things for the rest of the morning. Two separate things, so see whether we can... work fast. First of all, this feedback, on what you were doing before coffee, and secondly... talk about some of those markers and the speakers that been brought to my attention talked about with the other group, but not you. [LAUGHTER] This, the sheet on conversation rules. There's relatively few rules feeling that, types erm, belong to each other. I think the best thing in a way, is not to repeat what you've already said to each other. But to bring out questions, things that you felt in your groups that you would like to perhaps ask the others about, or came back and ask me, any particular points that you to read on or weren't clear when you were talking in a group, or things that you felt the others might... you know, to talk about. Let's just run through it, erm, on topic choice. Do you all feel in your separate groups, that erm, you've covered that?
[Rebecca:] Yes. [cough]
[Anne:] You've talking about it [cough] choosing a, choosing a topic and changing topics.
[speaker004:] You couldn't have got
[Anne:] Anything that's, anything that came up that was, that you felt you wanted to tell the others about?
[speaker004:] No, not really.
[Anne:] Choosing and changing topics are, are going to appear, I'm, I'm saying rightly, that it's going to be at first hard.
[Rebecca:] Mm.
[Anne:] In an extreme situation, we've got something like an in situ situation so the interviewer will have much more power, and has the total rights to change the topic and choose the topic, and cut off the topic when it's finished. So that's an example that gives us very much asymmetrical different amounts apart, and then you get the other end of the, the, the other extreme, you got to select, you know, you got to your power, your friendship group, and so when got to do, to choose whichever amongst friends. Would you agree with that? I'm changing, on the right hand side there...
[speaker004:] Erm, right, Okay! Er, thinking about...
[Rebecca:] Is there any money?
[Anne:] Don't get a chance.
[Kitty:] Are you...
[speaker004:] Is there a phone box near your house?
[Kitty:] No, but we have got a telephone, and you're more than welcome to use it.
[speaker004:] No. What you've got to remember though, that's what's seek [shouting] He gave you the phone number, didn't he []? No. It's just I, I was sitting here, haven't phoned my parents to say I got back here alright.
[Kitty:] That's alright. You can ring your parents. [clears throat] We'll all be in the kitchen, so
[speaker004:] Are you recording this now? I don't think that Oh, no. Hi. Shh, don't know Oh, alright. Sorry. Ignore that bit. [LAUGHTER] Gone quiet now. I didn't realize, in fact, oh yeah, let's talk about all the men that Claire's been hanging out with. The tape recorder's on.
[Anne:] Thank you.
[Kitty:] Oh, did you switch the tape recorder on?
[speaker004:] Is it on? Yeah. Yeah. What's he talking about? You're not allowed I'm gonna have to scrub all this bit, now. You could use it. It'll give you something to talk about.
[Kitty:] I didn't hear, I didn't hear you saying you were putting tape recorder on. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER] I'll tell you afterwards, you see, and then I'll ask you whether you, anyone's got any objections, Erm, well, actual cardinal board of sinners, you've really scored the lot. Just in case for some reason they'll correlate, it doesn't matter.
[Kitty:] There's that girl that you think I fancy again, just moving down there.
[speaker004:] Ah, moving, oh where, where? What does she look like? Legs up to her armpits.
[Kitty:] No, you I used to know her from church in Oxford, before she moved down here.
[speaker004:] What I keep saying, we must, we must get to know her better. We mustn't... [LAUGHTER] I know, think you're going to Yes, darling, right, yeah.
[Kitty:] No, I'm just being friendly, cos when we moved into the church, people invited us around a lot, and it was really nice.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Kitty:] And...
[speaker004:] Well, yeah.
[Kitty:] and...
[speaker004:] Stick your car in that garage, leave door open, mind. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] This is your new one?
[speaker006:] That's the new sofa.
[Rebecca:] Oh, very smart. You said you were gonna change it all round when you got the new sofa.
[speaker006:] Yes.
[Anne:] It looks nice. another new one.
[speaker004:] Cor, nice.
[Anne:] You got the whole room changed.
[speaker006:] Yes, a few plants there.
[speaker004:] Oh, you've taken this off somewhere actually on there
[speaker006:] Yeah, I know.
[speaker004:] You got a coat. You got, er, any coats or, coats or anything?
[speaker006:] But we're not gonna sort of go out there much in the winter too.
[speaker004:] No. No. put them on my bed. Yeah.
[speaker006:] Nick, now, I haven't got Charlotte 's number, so you're gonna have to
[speaker004:] Nick, er, tel;
[speaker006:] Hang on. [phone dialling]
[speaker004:] I've got Yeah, course you can.
[speaker006:] That's a fax machine.
[speaker004:] Oh. Let me, let me do it. Put it down. [replacing the receiver] Pick it up.
[speaker006:] Go on.
[speaker004:] Hello, alright. Yes. It's really fun. It's really good. Just needs tidying up. got slapped in the face. You didn't. I have. That little kid, That little naughty one. playing was on automatic. Really.
[speaker006:] [phonecall starts] Yes, hello, is, is Charlotte there, please. Er, er sorry, I think I might have the wrong number. Okay, sorry, bye-bye [phonecall ends].
[speaker004:] to understand that be sorry after about five minutes.
[speaker006:] You can do it this time.
[speaker004:] Why did she Here it is, here it is, That's what I just did. got too scary, so to make me scared, she slapped me round the face. Oh, I see, oh, right, well done. What's this? Be a good laugh, actually. Is it engaged? round you all the time, aren't they? not all waiting round there. Been alright, but... Thing was, we thought it wo it would have stopped 'em. But that's really unusual because we got there at half past one. Gosh aren't they lucky. When's their evening performance then? Quarter to eight. Ah, heck. I don't think we should Erm, so It's really weird, it's, it's really small. Which is basically a square with a middle, and it's just got C P C P C Is it the balcony? the balcony Yeah, it's in the balcony. Charlie. And we got really good seats. Yeah. We got, I was right at the front in the balcony. How much does it take to go up in the balcony, more or less? I doubt there's any difference. Really? We paid about five fifty, I was up, I was in the actual compartment going home. So I was really pleased with my tickets. good actually. Yes, it was very good. wasn't it Karl? Yeah. It was really good acting. Yeah. I have a feeling, actually, that all the prices are all the same, because, and here it tells you, and I seem to recall only seeing one... oh no they are, five fifty to eleven pounds. Five fifty must be students, eight fifty must be... O A Ps Well, well, [LAUGHTER] an O A P. Erm, Don't know. I don't know, maybe you do pay more in the balcony. What, but I, surely you wouldn't pay more in the balcony. Cos I had a really good view. I had an excellent view. I don't know how they stalls are usually very expensive aren't they, all the back. they?
[speaker006:] Is there a
[speaker004:] Do you know this erm, oh, I've lost one of those. there's two of the [whispering] [] Yeah, and [whistling] showed us another one today. What's that? Erm, a secondhand book shop. Should know that there were two, I only thought there was one.
[speaker006:] You're more than welcome to sit on the sofa. I know it's new, but you don't have to be scared of it. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] I'm gonna see the Oh, it's nice. Eighteen ninety eight. I'm just going to er, bed. Yeah. Yeah, it sure does. Yes sirree Bob. Straight to you. It doesn't go up. Did you get any insurance? my mum got me an, yeah. Hey, I about the book in the library the other day, plus all the other work she showed us. Don't know why, I just felt like it. That's really good. Looks quite good, doesn't it? Four pound. Not bad. It's a nice old book as well. Mm. Thought well. You know, should be useful. Get to know a bit of the history. Cos I'm very good at knowing what this is and what that is, but I, I, in timescale, I haven't got a blooming clue. You got all your books, your study books? Have I? [yawning] yeah [] Ah I've got a, I've got a big erm, Milton books, This is the Milton one I've got. Is it Milton, I got, oh Nice, innit? Yeah. Oh, I see. Oh, it's nice, it's really nice. Ah, don't be lovely name. [LAUGHTER] Paradise renamed. [sneeze] Oh, so that's It's really good. Right. Erm, all these books, you gonna gonna get murdered. Wouldn't they? Pardon? Wouldn't they? tell 'em to Yeah. What have I done?
[speaker006:] Nothing. Can I borrow you.
[speaker004:] Yeah, you can, I'm gonna start the dinner in a minute. sent out there. You gonna do it for me? Yeah. Just say if Ben and Charlotte are there, hi, dinner's up. It's engaged. Sorry
[speaker006:] I shall be
[speaker004:] Is it planning to be on erm, er production going on about Mary this week, at all, wouldn't mind going to. Was it this week, or next week? It's called Shakespeare Country. Ah, yeah, I heard about that. Yeah, she was telling us about it that girl, in wr in writing, what it, she was telling us it, about it being formed at a different venue, but it's actually the Mary Wallis Theatre. Do you know where that is? Erm, no. It's erm in, in Twickenham. I thought she sounded like she was in it, or something. Yeah, she did, didn't she? I think she is. But there's a little th you know where the, the Mary Wallis Theatre is, don't you, Jules? Do I? I've heard of it. By the river, in Twickenham. You know the garden with the statues... The hanging wheelie thing? Yeah. That's the Mary Wallis Theatre, yeah. Mm. There's a, I, I nearly booked up tickets to go and see this, but I didn't know if anybody would fancy going to see it with me. It's called Mr Director, and it's played by Faye. I'd go and see anything really. I thought perhaps we'd go erm, see if we can get stand by tickets for it, on Monday. The Orange Tree was really, really little, wasn't it? Yeah, that's nice. I like little theatres. Tiny. They weren't like, you kept changing the places so, like, you have the whole cast like, away from you, and then you'd have them facing you. Mm.
[speaker006:] Who has sugar?
[speaker004:] No one does. No, thank you. Nicole, can I help?
[Rebecca:] No, thank you.
[speaker004:] Be in the way. [LAUGHTER] Too many cooks spoil the broth.
[Rebecca:] Pardon?
[speaker004:] Too many cooks
[speaker006:] Any takers for in here?
[speaker004:] No. it was tiny, it's just as long, looks like a drawing room.
[speaker006:] You all set? [stirring coffee]
[speaker004:] I saw fortunes of I don't know how you pronounce it. It was really a good play, ha, and it was done so well, and you were so close to it as well, you got in for two pounds, best thing I've ever seen. Blimey, two quid. It was standing, though, but it was only an hour play. it was eleven quids in, eleven quids, eleven quid if you had a go on a stand by day.
[speaker006:] It's not that cheap though, it is?
[speaker004:] No, they're not really, you got a stand by, you got it for eight fifty, and cos we're students, instead of eight fifty, we got it for five. Thank you. Oh, that looks nice.
[speaker006:] Yeah, that looks nice.
[speaker004:] They're pretty aren't they? We had quite a lot of making guesses of what it'll, when it's like half done. Yeah. What, sorry? I don't know what it is, so I'm gonna
[speaker006:] Oh, right.
[speaker004:] have to start making guesses when I can smell it.
[speaker006:] Oh, don't get too excited.
[speaker004:] Thank you. It really isn't very exciting, I'm afraid [whistling] [singing] You keep trying, cos it's engaged. Do you want me to do it? Yeah, if you would. Will redial, dial them again?
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Dial, redial... Yeah, she looks much older in that photograph there.
[speaker006:] Yeah, she does, doesn't she? talk to her actually, cos er,
[speaker004:] She's been in lots of Let's have a look. Was she? The one we'v we're trying to put an age to. Oh yes, she does. We end up Well, she is
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Hopefully feet.
[speaker006:] Perhaps they've left. No answer now.
[speaker004:] try and do.
[speaker006:] [phonecall starts] Hello, is that Charlotte... yes please...
[speaker004:] Mm, I recognize her, she's
[speaker006:] Oh, that's...
[speaker004:] well known, Yeah. Diane. she been on T V, cos she been... Yeah. Trying to get... I think she was in erm... you don't,Aga Miss Marple recently or erm Really... Diane Fletcher. Yeah, I used to enjoy that. Yeah it was really good She was really good.
[speaker006:] Hi, it's Phil here. I, I forgotten that it was Justine, I, it just threw me a bit that erm, erm, Nick asked me to let you know that we were here and that we'd received the chairs. Yes... Er, no, no, no sorry.
[speaker004:] What's wrong?
[speaker006:] Yes, we could be. Yeah, any time, any time you like. Can I ask you a favour? Erm, could you pick up a pint of milk at the Seven Eleven for us, hang on, I'll give you some money. That's lovely, erm no that's it. Oh, that sounds lovely. No, yes... alright, alright, bye- bye [phonecall ends].
[speaker004:] Bye. Justine probably thinks I'm really rude now. Why?
[speaker006:] Not that she didn't think I was really rude before. Just to reinforce that...
[speaker004:] They're all, all pretty impressive people, aren't they Here, here we are with Meredith Davies, these are... What's the man on the very end, he looks like people running on the sand.
[speaker006:] That, that's Paul Simon.
[speaker004:] Ah.
[speaker006:] Is that Paul Simon?
[speaker004:] Meredith I just haven't seen the C D for this.
[speaker006:] What do you like? [crackling in background]
[speaker004:] I, I don't, I don't know. You prefer the man singing that, than singing I'm so Sleepy. Oh, Nancy Rider. Was it Nancy Rider? Griffiths. Griffiths. Sorry, sorry, Griffiths.
[speaker006:] Okay, I'll put this on.
[speaker004:] Just for me [LAUGHTER] Doreen. See what you're about to say, Mary [music]
[speaker006:] I think...
[speaker004:] Bought it for
[speaker006:] I think I bought that for Nick, but... she didn't have a C D player, so I kept it.
[speaker004:] Sorry, I [LAUGHTER] You know you said that [] Did you know that might erm, be actually staying together at that stage? [LAUGHTER] to see if
[speaker006:] Mind you, it was before we were engaged or anything.
[Rebecca:] Was it?
[speaker006:] Wasn't it?
[Rebecca:] When you say a thing about yo th that, erm, who's got one of those pink pottery mugs.
[speaker006:] These two have.
[Rebecca:] We bought those when we
[speaker004:] Yeah
[Rebecca:] When we were just going out. We bought one each.
[speaker004:] Really?
[Rebecca:] Yeah... we just knew. [LAUGHTER] It's true. But we didn't say to each other, to each other, it wasn't like, now we're both buying these mugs, jointly, sort of thing. It's like,
[speaker006:] Is, is anyone...
[Rebecca:] once you go round buying two mugs now... [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] is anybody sort of falling over hungry, desperate for something to eat, and they can't wait till dinner?
[speaker004:] No, I can, I can wait. No, I can wait.
[speaker006:] Must just be me, then.
[speaker004:] I'm speaking for my myself here, so if anybody else is, is dying really. I'm away from do actually. Erm, It's all a matter of degree of hunger. [whistling] Can I try erm, a scampi? Never mind, there'll be other things coming round soon. dangerous whatever it's called. Things against your life.
[Rebecca:] Oh, there's no need to pick on us.
[speaker004:] And then, the big ones to you, they're gonna feel like really fat. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] No, I'm just gonna bung it all in. One big thing.
[Rebecca:] Yes, but, but, that is, I'd use that.
[speaker004:] Do you know what it is?
[Rebecca:] Just for one thing. I'd just use those two.
[speaker006:] Er, what about using the two big ones?
[speaker004:] They said they went to get the food at Waitrose, and I heaved, and I said, I don't want to see Don't want to see... actually a surprise.
[Rebecca:] You want one of those for wine, you just got one...
[speaker006:] I got it twice the size, though. That's eighteen...
[Rebecca:] Eighteen.
[speaker006:] thirty five
[speaker004:] Oh, that's silly that.
[Rebecca:] Well, that's rather pricey.
[speaker006:] No, no, not pricey. Is that...
[speaker004:] I followed you there. Oh, wasn't it cold this morning? It was... It was icy, wasn't it? What was that? I'm sitting on the And I was talking, cos I walked along, I walked down towards Twickenham, but I walked to way you go to when I went straight down to Twickenham. Whose is that? Twenty minutes, I suppose. but it's so cold. Oh it was horrible. I couldn't believe it, the room where the seminar had been Yes, that came into the again. Well, I had such a lovely day, it's so nice and sunny and warm, should have did send me a card Yeah, exactly a card. You know, you carry on down the motorway, like the sun was on, on, and I was really getting sweaty hot with the sun, it was like on the win on the on er, the window Mm. and it was strange, but it was really warm cos you having the window, and ah that was really hot. No.
[speaker006:] Well, I would have said that the white one
[speaker004:] Well, have we got six? [singing]
[speaker006:] Six
[Rebecca:] Oh, that's okay. [singing] Just seeing if we've got enough plates. There you are. [singing]
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER] You should have said, we could have brought some round. [noise background]
[speaker006:] Oh, we won't turn this light off. Yo you can't see. [switching light on] Is that alright?
[speaker004:] That's fine, yes, sorry. [LAUGHTER] Miles away.
[speaker006:] Oh, that's nothing.
[Rebecca:] reckon it costs much to run these lights underneath here?
[speaker006:] No, cos they're fluorescent, it's only about twelve watts, it's less than a light bulb.
[Rebecca:] Oh, I see.
[speaker004:] You got an electricity bill? Twenty seven. Well, what
[speaker006:] Twenty seven, that's not bad.
[speaker004:] Yeah, we, I don't think that's bad. Mind you... a quarter, that looks quite good. Can't be a quarter, must be a month, surely.
[speaker006:] Before you put the heating on. Is it estimated?
[Rebecca:] It says for a quarter, which means you're paying a quarter's erm, like charge, which is s seven quid, but it's only actually for a, a month.
[speaker004:] Right. To the end of October.
[speaker006:] Was it estimated?
[Rebecca:] Erm, no. Well you know
[speaker004:] Can't be a quarter.
[speaker006:] That's right.
[speaker004:] Don don't you get a monthly electricity bill?
[Rebecca:] No.
[speaker006:] Quarterly.
[Rebecca:] Quarterly. But the they give it you at the end of the quarter, even if you haven't been in for a quarter. See what I mean?
[speaker004:] Right.
[Rebecca:] So they do November, December, don't they? October, November, December is one quarter. So it's right, you move in in September, then they'll give you, they'll charge you
[speaker006:] You'll get that quarter's bill, but it's only since...
[speaker004:] Right, I'll come and sit down and drink my tea. Oh, I see. Right. Non-stop [sigh] Oh, it's nice to have a sit down.
[Rebecca:] The thing is, I thought I need to write to them, because when we just sent Mr
[speaker004:] yeah.
[Rebecca:] bill for the quarter between the second of August and the twentieth of September, and he had to pay seven quid for standing charges for that bill.
[speaker004:] Right.
[Rebecca:] And we've had to pay it for from the twentieth of September to the eighth of October.
[speaker004:] Oh, I see.
[Rebecca:] So we've had to pay another seven quid something.
[speaker004:] Right.
[Rebecca:] But we, surely we shouldn't, cos we're, it's not for a month, it's only for...
[speaker004:] A matter of weeks.
[Rebecca:] Yes, it's not for a quarter, it's only for, you know, whatever.
[speaker004:] Probably be, the next bill you get will probably be bumped up a bit, because you've had the heating on, yeah. Right, yeah.
[Rebecca:] I mean, I don't really think I, at the moment we only need to have the heating on in the hall
[speaker004:] Yeah, that's right.
[Rebecca:] and in our rooms,
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] and if it do it does get really cold in the lounge, but at the moment, we're managing. Yeah. [LAUGHTER] Could have water bottles, we've already got water bottles.
[speaker004:] Yeah, we all crowd on top
[Rebecca:] Used to be really sitting there with blankets and water bottles and everything watching the telly.
[speaker004:] Well.
[speaker006:] We only need our heating on for an hour.
[speaker004:] Do you?
[speaker006:] An hour in the morning.
[Rebecca:] We have it on less, because it doesn't heat, I mean, standing in this lobby, it heats up so quickly
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] and especially if you're cooking as well.
[speaker004:] Yes.
[Rebecca:] We're just like, the other day I was doing the washing-up and I was just like, stripping off [LAUGHTER] with my outer layers []
[speaker004:] Really?
[Rebecca:] because I was so boiling.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] cos we'd had cooked, had the heating on, and now I did the washing-up in really hot water.
[speaker004:] Yeah, it's very contained, as well so that probably the heat stayed
[Rebecca:] But we'd have it on less, except you just can't, you lit physically on the clock, you can't put... erm
[speaker004:] Down less than an hour
[Rebecca:] well, you can't put the things any closer to one another, so, you know the, the little indicators that clicks
[speaker004:] One off
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] We've got those as close together as they can.
[speaker004:] Close together
[Rebecca:] It's actually on for two hours in the evening.
[speaker004:] Really?
[speaker006:] Is it?
[Rebecca:] Yes. I think it's two hours it's on for.
[speaker006:] I thought it was one.
[Rebecca:] No, I think it's two. [music] It's a bit silly really.
[speaker004:] Badly designed.
[Rebecca:] Well, yes.
[speaker006:] Well, perhaps we could, sort of file them, a size down because yack, yack yack [LAUGHTER] good [].
[speaker004:] You could have a go.
[speaker006:] Well, then, then you'd be able to get them closer.
[Rebecca:] I'm not doing that.
[speaker004:] Anything to have a try. Mm.
[Rebecca:] So.
[speaker006:] See how horrendous the next one is... and then panic.
[speaker004:] Then go, my God we can't pay it. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] Pay it.
[Rebecca:] Have to sell my soul to the devil himself.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] [LAUGHTER] Promise []
[Rebecca:] as a play. Sell my soul to the de devil himself.
[speaker004:] Shut up. way she says, that when she sell that book. Have you actually seen that? No. Cos I think
[Rebecca:] I've done two of his, that's enough. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] I wish I had. Oh no, that's Harlow isn't it, Harlow's
[Rebecca:] Actually, brilliant. It's very well... done, but, read.
[speaker004:] Any of these books, yours
[Rebecca:] Those ones up there are all his.
[speaker006:] Actually, Classic Climbs of Great Britain is mine. Erm, and mo most of mine are up there. Nick thinks that her, Nick, Nick thinks that her books are much nicer than my books, you see.
[Rebecca:] [LAUGHTER] What a liar [].
[speaker006:] So mine are relegated to the
[Rebecca:] That's not true, they're all the God books up there.
[speaker006:] Only climbing...
[speaker004:] So they're in a high place.
[Rebecca:] The God books to be found, yeah they're up in a high place.
[speaker006:] Those are fiction paperbacks.
[speaker004:] Yeah. The trash. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] No, the
[Rebecca:] Sort of cave books, cave man books.
[speaker006:] They're actually really funny in places.
[Rebecca:] Plain of the cave man.
[speaker004:] Cave man.
[Rebecca:] They weren't actually called plain of the cave man.
[speaker006:] They're really highly acclaimed books. They're
[speaker004:] Are they?
[speaker006:] thoroughly researched. Yeah.
[speaker004:] Mm. Actually, my friends at church, back home, used to call me erm, cos I, I sort of sometimes squeal when I get excited. [LAUGHTER] Yes. We have noticed. That's Nicole, yes. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] Yes, every time I start squealing where they give zhowwee cavvy
[speaker004:] Yes.
[Rebecca:] that soon shut me up.
[speaker004:] Oh dear,
[Rebecca:] I started to get violent then. Lash out, hit them all. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] I really want to go and see, erm, what is it, what's the film... Grease. No, no, no where they go round in those little cars, what's it called? Erm, Elma, and erm,
[speaker006:] Thelma and Louise.
[Rebecca:] Thelma and Louise.
[speaker004:] No, no, no, no, no. You know when they go round in their little cars.
[Rebecca:] Oh, you're thinking about the Flintstones then.
[speaker004:] Yeah. I really Oh, Yeah,
[Rebecca:] They're bringing out a video, you know.
[speaker004:] Yeah, it's erm... [LAUGHTER] Go round in those little cars [] husband, isn't it? Where they where they go round in those little
[Rebecca:] Yeah, I really wanna to see that, actually
[speaker006:] Isn't, isn't Danny de Vito dance
[speaker004:] That's right.
[Rebecca:] Oh no, why is it, people-ized?
[speaker004:] Rick, Rick somebody. Yeah.
[Rebecca:] No
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] They've done it with real people?
[speaker004:] Yeah, yeah.
[Rebecca:] They're doing, they're doing erm...
[speaker006:] Isn't Kim Bassinger [LAUGHTER]... Wilma or something?
[Rebecca:] They're doing erm,
[speaker004:] I don't know. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] What you like, Thunderbirds, aren't they supposed to be doing Thunderbirds with real people?
[speaker004:] probably, probably
[Rebecca:] They're doing Thun Thunderbirds. Gonna move like this.
[speaker006:] Sharon Stone or something. I think Sharon Stone wanted to be Wilma.
[Rebecca:] Really? I'd really like to see that.
[speaker006:] It's a, it's a change to keep her clothes on, so
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER] things I wanna go and watch.
[Rebecca:] So typical, isn't it, that when you go to see plays, you always like, dashing to the last minute to try and get tickets and been on for like, two months.
[speaker006:] How's that?
[Rebecca:] It's just goes on
[speaker004:] Friday September the second.
[Rebecca:] Has it really?
[speaker006:] It's a long run, isn't it?
[Rebecca:] Blimey, I didn't realize that.
[speaker004:] last night.
[speaker006:] September the second.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] That's like...
[Rebecca:] Over a month.
[speaker004:] Well over a month, isn't it? It's the sixteenth today.
[Rebecca:] And like, I'm doing the Changeling in a couple of weeks' time
[speaker004:] [sneeze] Bless me.
[Rebecca:] an and it really helps you
[speaker006:] Bless you.
[Rebecca:] to go and see it
[speaker004:] Thank you.
[Rebecca:] at the Barbican, they were just completely sold out. Really cheesed off. It was on all summer.
[speaker004:] That's like that Twelfth Night.
[Rebecca:] Never mind.
[speaker006:] So is the Orange Tree quite a famous theatre, then?
[speaker004:] It's got a good name
[speaker006:] Good reputation.
[speaker004:] Yeah. cos it's Rich Richmond, I don't know where Richmond Theatre is. Where's Richmond Theatre?
[Rebecca:] It's on the green.
[speaker004:] Right I'm with you now.
[Rebecca:] it's much bigger.
[speaker004:] It's all
[speaker006:] Isn't that...
[speaker004:] It's really posh.
[speaker006:] is a preview the one before the their run.
[speaker004:] Preview is where you get the press going along, don't you?
[Rebecca:] It's usually, erm, you know, like a dress rehearsal,
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] where it ha it gets a reaction between the audience and the erm,
[speaker006:] Right, because in there, if you pay fifteen pounds, you get erm, you get tickets for, you know you only have to pay four pounds, plus you get half price tickets for...
[Rebecca:] When did you see that, Phil?
[speaker006:] normal productions
[speaker004:] Really?
[speaker006:] Friends of the Orange Tree... [LAUGHTER] The preview club. For just fifteen pounds per year, you can become a member of the Orange Tree Theatre's preview club.
[speaker004:] Ooh.
[speaker006:] You'll receive... two tickets for the price of one at preview performances.
[speaker004:] Ah, that's good.
[speaker006:] Concession price tickets only four pounds each to performances in the room. Regular newsletter of all production details. What's the room, is that separate?...
[speaker004:] Yeah, Don't they mean it's lower, rather than the upper circle?
[Rebecca:] Oh, yeah.
[speaker006:] Does that look cheaper... than the
[Rebecca:] I would say it's more expensive.
[speaker004:] Expensive.
[Rebecca:] I don't see why, I, Yes, yes, so would I, you know, right in the centre of the action, I thought we had brilliant seats.
[speaker004:] Thing is though, you get an ov overall picture...
[Rebecca:] Yeah, whereas we get like the action right next to them.
[speaker004:] you can probably be, be facing it and just the articulation's more.
[Rebecca:] Where sometimes we had the back of the heads and
[speaker004:] cos like you probably saw a completely different play to us.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker004:] You were sitting right the other side of the stairs
[Rebecca:] Yeah, exactly.
[speaker006:] So what do you reckon the room is? Just on the floor?
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] Oh, that's not bad is it? Four pounds. To each performance.
[Rebecca:] Whereas if it had been standing room, we really would have been standing.
[speaker004:] I agree with like
[Rebecca:] There was a couple of people...
[speaker004:] when we went to see Fear,
[Rebecca:] Yeah
[speaker004:] and it was like standing, and you'd be sitting on the steps
[Rebecca:] there were a couple of people standing, weren't there?
[speaker004:] cos it was really small. Mm.
[Rebecca:] The Old Vic's er, venturing around as well.
[speaker004:] Difficult evening, aren't you.
[Rebecca:] Er, not the Old Vic, I beg your pardon, the Young Vic. [LAUGHTER] I won't say
[speaker004:] There's old ladies here. old men's all know the Vic. The Queen Vic. The more mature Vic. Mm. Right. the lesser Vic. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] You could buy, you could buy bar spaces, or seat spaces here. That's erm,yo did you notice those little name tags on the front of the seats in front of you?
[speaker004:] Yeah. Yeah.
[speaker006:] Two hundred and fifty pounds each.
[speaker004:] Jes
[speaker006:] So.
[Rebecca:] To do what?
[speaker006:] No, I don't think so. It's just a money raising thing.
[Rebecca:] What do they do?
[speaker006:] Oh, it's just, it's just.
[Rebecca:] Have their name put on it.
[speaker006:] Part of the appeal, yeah, just to get your name on your seat. But you're still looking at the bar spaces a hundred and fifty pounds, and seat spaces two hundred and fifty pounds. So there's still opportunities to join Arthur Daley, Adrian Edmondson, Sir John Geilgud, Derek Jacobi, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Dame Judy...
[speaker004:] Dench.
[speaker006:] Michael Caine, Julian
[Rebecca:] Those the people that have been there and put down their names on it?
[speaker006:] Well, they've they've given the money to the appeal.
[Rebecca:] Oh, I see.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER] Nicole [].
[Rebecca:] Yes.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER] Nicole []
[speaker006:] Call her Nick.
[Rebecca:] Nicole, please.
[speaker004:] Papa, papa.
[Rebecca:] Papa? You have to swing your bottom, papa? [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] what it's like Why can't she go on a motorbike, just cos she's got a dress on? [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] Right.
[Rebecca:] More than likely, she's bought a car.
[speaker004:] Can I try again.
[speaker006:] Says here, smoking is not allowed.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, I was quite surprised that woman was smoking in there, actually.
[speaker004:] Quite surprised.
[Rebecca:] By the bar area.
[speaker004:] Do you mean in the theatre?
[speaker007:] Literally, and then you have to sit there with this cream on, and it's all very fiddly and messy and it smells.
[Rebecca:] Mm.
[speaker007:] Oh, let's be natural and groovy babe.
[speaker004:] Yeah, I couldn't see the it's very underarm.
[Kitty:] The first time I saw, I went to Germany on an exchange,
[speaker007:] I can't stand hairy underarms.
[Kitty:] No. I can't either. And erm, he went to school there, and erm, all the girls had these incredibly hairy legs.
[Inga:] blokes from Germany.
[speaker004:] Are you having us on there?
[speaker007:] Germans, are really hairy, they don't
[Kitty:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] shave armpits and girls.
[Kitty:] It really is quite repulsive,
[speaker007:] I know,yo you see them on the beach
[Kitty:] and they also have these horri these horrible sandals, you know,
[speaker007:] and they're like got rain forests underneath their arms.
[Kitty:] these sort of charming strappy sandals all bits of leather on them.
[speaker007:] And hairs growing out their toes and their legs and their underarms.
[Kitty:] They've got some coming out their big toes as well.
[speaker007:] They have beards as well as
[Inga:] It's such a British thing, isn't it? The way we talk. [LAUGHTER]
[Kitty:] I know you don't like that we put on people, but...
[speaker007:] Yeah, you say that, but you know, your, if you had underarm hair, no one would say hmm, [whispering] that man's got underarm hair [] I mean, it's quite alright, but for women to have underarm hair, it's just not.
[Anne:] It's not fair, is it?
[speaker007:] I mean, it's stupid you wax your, why do you wax your legs it's so stupid. I mean, why don't you wax the whole of your body?
[Kitty:] But hair's normally a bit finer on your thighs, isn't it?
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker007:] Yeah, it is, but then you just, I think you get hair paranoid.
[Anne:] Yeah, you do.
[speaker007:] You just get
[Anne:] I sit there with a pair of tweezers going... my mum thinks you're so fussy, and I'm like [sniff] [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] Well, I did, or you tend to be, you used to be Claire, when you used to wax your legs. I mean, my legs have rarely seen a Bic razor you know, I'm gonna wear a pair of shorts in the summer, I might shave 'em, but I
[Anne:] Yeah, but that's where slightly different to me, cos I'm
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[Anne:] in shorts every day of the week in the gym for an hour, and I'm swimming
[Rebecca:] Yeah, we know, yeah.
[Anne:] three times a week, so I'm in a swimming costume. So if I'm gonna have like, [LAUGHTER]
[Inga:] There's a gorilla coming into the room.
[Rebecca:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER] No, my hair my [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] Don't even think about the fat, but
[Inga:] They normally, don't they?
[Anne:] on the hair.
[Inga:] Help to make streamlining.
[Kitty:] It makes no difference, then if you've got fine hair,
[speaker004:] No, no.
[Kitty:] or light hair.
[Anne:] my legs, I suddenly realized when I was changing at the swimming pool, and thought oh sod it, who's gonna notice, I mean, at half past seven, I really can't get that excited about it. Nathan, who's the only bloke in our lane, but doesn't use contact lenses or anything, who's gonna notice,
[speaker004:] No, exactly, exactly.
[speaker007:] Is he slightly coloured?
[Anne:] Well. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker007:] Pardon?
[Anne:] Slightly coloured.
[Rebecca:] Slightly coloured. Slightly comfortable or slightly coloured. [LAUGHTER]
[Kitty:] Dirty.
[Anne:] [LAUGHTER] Thought you were gonna say slightly hairy [].
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Anne:] Is he slightly hairy? [LAUGHTER] Is Nathan,Pa like Pakistani sort of colour?
[speaker007:] Yes, he is, but he hasn't...
[Anne:] He's not.
[speaker007:] it's terrible to talk like this, he has got all the features, but perhaps one of his characteristics erm, why he.
[Anne:] No, he hasn't, that's why I said slightly coloured, rather than Pakistani
[speaker007:] I remember that one, Claire.
[Inga:] He's not fully developed. [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] What?
[speaker007:] I remember that one, slightly sexy, [LAUGHTER] is he, is he coloured? [LAUGHTER] Is he
[Anne:] Yeah, but he's not, he doesn't look Pakistani, does he?
[speaker007:] Yeah, I know.
[Anne:] He doesn't look black and he's not white. So what do you call him?
[speaker007:] Well, I know, he's not Asian, but I think perhaps he's
[Kitty:] What I don't understand is, changing the sub sorry, do you want to finish, first,?
[speaker007:] No, I have finished.
[Kitty:] I don't think you have, I think I interrupted...
[speaker007:] No, I was just thinking, carry on.
[Inga:] I don't understand why some Asians, or some people that look as if they're Asian or Pakistani, actually come from Africa, because
[speaker007:] They don't do they?
[Inga:] They do. My boss [LAUGHTER] who is Pakistani, comes from Kenya.
[speaker007:] Yeah, but he, perhaps he moved there, just as say, born there.
[Inga:] If his parents came
[speaker007:] I think, these days, if somebody, it's like erm...
[Anne:] But there are a lot of...
[Inga:] But there's a lot of them, there is, there is a whole different erm... I mean, he married a girl from Pakistan, [noise background] who got in real trouble, both of them got in trouble with their parents for it, because he was a Kenyan Indian and she was an Indian Indian or something, I don't know. But... All different nowadays. Okay there.
[speaker004:] Doing the erm, old erm, Nathan Yeah. I'm not doing anything really. I'm standing in the kitchen going kkeerr. Make out you're noisy.
[Kitty:] Is he the guy whose doing the other night.
[speaker004:] Karate.
[Kitty:] Karate. [noise background]
[speaker007:] body weights, has made him really keen, like, he's quite tubby, isn't he? Like
[speaker004:] else. Yeah, he's very keen, Three times a week or something.
[speaker007:] He's there every time I'm there. But he's like, he's always doing, like he's never like comes up the lanes or anything, or swims about.
[speaker004:] No.
[speaker007:] Even when he meant to go swimming, he was like keeping up his in the lane.
[speaker004:] yeah, he's there all weekend. Yeah, and he's really [LAUGHTER] And we always said, we'll see you tomorrow then, you know, we'll come swimming and we're never there, never get up. Ah. And erm, and, he just is always there, he's really reliable like that. fun. Thank you. That plant seems to have revived which is nice. [LAUGHTER] Pouring wine on it Breathing toxic fumes on it.
[Kitty:] chilli powder, it will be well away.
[speaker004:] I potted it up properly. Before I just put the pot it was in, sat it in, inside it, and it was, obviously wasn't getting enough water that way. It didn't reach the bottom erm, No, no, couldn't get any.
[Kitty:] Aargh.
[speaker004:] No, No, I didn't kill it. ground coffee today
[Kitty:] what?
[Anne:] I said everyone wanted ground coffee today.
[speaker004:] Actually, we're having tea, Claire, what are you doing [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] I'm not.
[speaker004:] It's a very Yeah, it is, isn't it? Lovely.
[Kitty:] It is nice, mm, that's your latest acquisition?
[speaker004:] Mm. We've got the old one.
[Kitty:] Mm.
[Inga:] Are you fed up with it yet?
[speaker004:] No, I think it's really comfy. No. isn't it.
[Kitty:] Don't give me that.
[speaker004:] I mean it, I, I'm happy to sit on it, because it's the best yet. I have to say, that compared to other chairs, [LAUGHTER]
[Kitty:] Yeah, that's true.
[speaker004:] Yeah. We put the old ones, mum's Yeah, they've really cracked up, we threw them
[Kitty:] They talk terrible.
[speaker004:] [whispering] []
[Kitty:] Sorry.
[speaker004:] Oh, did you? Yeah, so ask me how we did it, I really don't know. What did you, buying furniture, there. Really? Mm. Yep. Which is really hard, cos it's Do you want to leave? That's great, no, no. It's gone, oh, I put it on earlier, that's why. Is that longer than you have it the window there. Oh. [breaking crockery] Oh. Sorry. Don't worry. That's okay, That's alright, it's probably the cheap ones, that's fine. Sorry. That's okay. It's red ones. Slid out, no, it's only glass. What's that? Aha. [crockery noise] What is it? Oh, look the The bulbs. Oh look, the bulbs Should be able to stick that back. At least it's only one. Yes, have you got some Araldite or something? At least, give it to my er my er stepmother and she'll disguise it for you. Oh, really. Why, what she Painter. Really? So if you ever want anything she'll That's really good. My body. [LAUGHTER] Just here and here and She'll disguise your legs. [LAUGHTER] Yes. The hair on the hairs them, yes. Could she erm, bleach my hairs white and then just like, make them look like skin? Stick them down Save lots of money and time. [music] It depends on your lifestyle you live, though, cos I got friends who are just like... ah, I don't like... and you have to excuse my hairy legs running or something, I mean, I just like they're like this, and they've got like black hair about this long, and I'm like... oh my God, oh my God, you're just like Yes. But it depends what she, she's, people like that mean to, cos I never wear anything li like trousers or long skirts and tights. And I like erm around in shorts every day, and I'm on the swimming pool side three times a week, so I don't have much choice.
[Rebecca:] Before we got married I just thought I had I'd never had my legs shaved er, waxed before. So I [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER] I wanted to make sure they were long enough [], and I went and started at Christmas, and I, er, this is so gross, and I just felt the scummiest thing, it was sort of, it's not exactly how you wanna feel just before you get married, and then I went and had my legs shaved... er waxed.
[speaker004:] Waxed
[Rebecca:] In fact, I got so much dirt,
[speaker004:] Really?
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] Is this two lots in here?
[Rebecca:] Er,
[speaker006:] Sorry?
[Rebecca:] Just one full. I did it very full, that's all.
[speaker004:] What did you think when they waxed them, especially.
[Rebecca:] I wasn't terribly impressed, actually.
[speaker004:] Really?
[Rebecca:] No. I was a bit disappointed. But maybe I'm just a perfectionist, I don't know. Then when you shave, it's so...
[speaker004:] Is it bruised, or anything?
[Rebecca:] No, I, I mean I looked a, like a bit of a plucked chicken every day, but...
[speaker004:] Yeah, you do.
[Rebecca:] had it done in the afternoon, that's okay, but I mean
[speaker004:] You don't think I shall erm,
[Rebecca:] you can't go in the sea for about two days, and you can't go in the sun
[speaker004:] painful ain't it? No. [LAUGHTER] Really? Wahey.
[Rebecca:] They've got a new erm,
[speaker004:] Special razor.
[Rebecca:] razor, apparently
[speaker004:] Yeah, that's right.
[Rebecca:] new American one that you hold like that, and you just go,swi swi
[speaker004:] Big
[Rebecca:] Yeah, that's right.
[speaker004:] Scrubbing brush. My mum couldn't believe it when I shaved my legs, thought it absolutely outrageous. What are you doing, I said, I'm just shaving my legs.
[speaker006:] If I nick my face I think there's a
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] blood bath.
[Rebecca:] [LAUGHTER] I have been known to erm, one time only, actually I can't do that, oh, but I do bath t t t t
[speaker004:] Granny razor.
[Rebecca:] One like this, and I had a like gash about two inches up my legs.
[speaker004:] Yeah, I've done that. Go on, the other day, usually it's me, did exactly the same, and I walked around with scabs two inches long. Yeah, the first thing I've ever the first time I've shaved my legs, I forgot the water. [LAUGHTER] Yeah, I did that. [LAUGHTER] Oh. [LAUGHTER] I did it as well. [LAUGHTER] I'll never do that again, oh. if you can do it out of the bath, so I thought, oh, that's it, get the razor You don't need water... It's going shh, like this, and it's exactly what I did, and my sister came in and she's going, what're you doing? And I said I'm shaving my legs. It was just like, you know, I'm really grown up now, I'm shaving my legs. And she said, but you haven't got any soap or any cream or anything. You know, just oh, do you need it? She said, yes [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] Oh, it's a nightmare girls.
[speaker004:] The only thing is when you're doing it, you don't notice, you know three hours later, and you've got this raw leg and nice straight lines and you're
[speaker006:] In fact, stripy where you've missed bits. [LAUGHTER] The normal leg and the raw bits []
[speaker004:] [noise background] Yeah, about. At my parents house, erm, in that, we've had an extension in there, so the garden's not there any more, but erm, I used, the light used to come in from the windows, so of at, at the angle to the bath, so I couldn't lift my leg up, so I rub it gently like this, and I'd watch the told me where I missed bits and [LAUGHTER] Oh no. [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] The thing is, I don't think I would have shaved my legs now, cos I'd feel too guilty. I just cut my legs
[speaker004:] Against your religion is it, Claire?
[Anne:] Yeah, I've just had my legs waxed for so long, [music in background] and people have said to me don't ever wax, don't ever shave your legs, because it will grow back thicker, and it will grow back prickly, and I, you know, it is fairly fair
[speaker004:] Probably is true, it would grow...
[Anne:] and soft, but I mean, so now I just feel like if I
[speaker004:] that long, I wouldn't bother.
[Anne:] No. But even so,la last night I got my legs wet, and I just went, Oh, never again, I'm just not in the mood. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] a bit of a pain shaving in the shower though.
[Anne:] What. I don't do my legs.
[speaker004:] Oh, don't you?
[Anne:] dries them. But I just do it very quickly.
[speaker004:] Sarah prefers shaving in the shower. It seems so legs, sort of, bend down my legs, and you can't see I like shaving in the shower. Yeah, but you can put I like shaving in the wardrobe I find it Is that all, I'm glad I'm not the only one who does that. Cos I find, a bit weird when I first started.
[Rebecca:] Do you, do you shave in the shower, you never shave in the shower?
[speaker006:] No, I started it saves time in the morning.
[speaker004:] Yeah, it's great. It really is.
[Rebecca:] You spend hours, depends, you know, how long, when we go in the bathroom, standing there doing You take hours.
[speaker006:] Get rid of those damps spots as well. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] You do take ages.
[speaker006:] Those wax strips. [LAUGHTER] I can pull them off
[Rebecca:] Do my contact lenses and you know, I'll bath, we'll both, we seem to be in the bathroom for hours...
[speaker004:] Mm
[Rebecca:] absolutely hours.
[speaker006:] I can't get under ten minutes in the morning to sha to have a shave.
[Rebecca:] Oh, no.
[speaker004:] to get a camera. adorable, wouldn't he? What do you mean don't, I do, I do, anyway, actually [LAUGHTER] You've left your razor out. couldn't we? [LAUGHTER] you do anyway [] The thing is, you can just get too paranoid, can't you? Yeah. all go home now, at midnight Get the lawnmower out. m m mutilating people all these legs everywhere. Sorry. This is such hard work, I find. I was, I think I was a little self disorganized the other night, add things eight attacks, and all sorts of strange things, Make up in there, yeah Now I don't have time and I don't bother. Yeah, I was most Thing is I just couldn't buy it any more. And reading those terrible things, that you're for dead, and you have to get up at so many different times. Yeah, lemon juice and hot water. Yeah. a bit of cucumber on your nose.
[Rebecca:] bathroom put your cucumber face back on and things like that. [LAUGHTER] I mean, no, I can't be bothered sorry.
[speaker004:] Another boy went down, was so disgustingly Well, I reckon that lot yourself for what you are.
[Rebecca:] Got a shower in, and when you were sixteen you don't know what you are
[speaker006:] Yes, get on with today, I need my breakfast.
[speaker004:] Make people accept you, but when you are a bit older
[Rebecca:] when you think of changing, don't you,
[speaker004:] Yeah. Yeah.
[Rebecca:] and then you suddenly realize when you're nineteen...
[speaker004:] You are who you are.
[Rebecca:] and it's, if you have a face pack, it's not going make you look like Audrey Hepburn anyway.
[speaker004:] So might as well forget it.
[Rebecca:] And just you know, it's ridiculous.
[speaker004:] Oh, isn't it, oh, sorry [LAUGHTER] Oh dear, we'll have to do something about this.
[Rebecca:] And even if you lose two and a half stone, you're still not gonna look like, you know, some skinny model because you're still gonna be about six foot wide with your hips and your shoulders, but I mean, you're just gonna have gangly longer legs and walk around like this.
[speaker004:] And be really unhappy because you've got on. Yeah, exactly. Very depressing isn't it? And you can't exercise, because you've never got any energy. [LAUGHTER] Can't get out of bed [].
[speaker006:] My guess is
[speaker004:] I think the answer is work an hour a day Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, for ten thousand pounds an hour or so.
[speaker006:] And then they can hire a personal physician, or whatever they are
[speaker004:] To suck it all out.
[speaker006:] to erm, yes, to suck it all out, it up, or
[Rebecca:] Grow up.
[speaker004:] Cellulite removal. Train them or something. They see it all, anyway. [clears throat] is well over six foot tall, Oh, here's this photograph with, of erm, Naomi Campbell's bottom in it. She hasn't got a bottom. I'm surprised,
[speaker006:] Naomi Campbell's a pain in the a
[speaker004:] Yeah, but a lot of people
[speaker006:] in trouble, isn't she? Didn't she get kicked out by her
[speaker004:] Yeah, well, she said she, she told them where to go, and they said they Told her where to go. Yeah. She's writing up, she's writing her erm, autobiography now.
[speaker006:] It's already out.
[speaker004:] Oh, is it?
[Rebecca:] In that erm, in that mermaid outfit, and earning some ridiculous amount of money for an hour, while other models went up and down a catwalk for a tenth of the money, or something. Do you remember, did you see that thingy?
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Sat in that stripy, mermaid thing.
[speaker004:] you the other gest the other plate
[Rebecca:] Stupid, I don't see how anybody can earn, to afford that, you know, to accept that amount of money. With all, with the world the way it is. It's disgusting.
[speaker004:] That's what we were saying today, weren't we, yeah.
[speaker006:] oh well, I support this charity
[Rebecca:] Cos they do actually er deserve all the money they get.
[speaker004:] Is this Cindy Crawford? Supports erm dodgy challenger. They all support something.
[speaker006:] Yeah, they all tend to be environmentally friendly, it's quite sick.
[Rebecca:] In Papua New Guinea or something.
[speaker004:] their parents, but it's like when they're modelling in their bikini and they have to go, oh, I love the environment and erm, I support this charity, thank you very much, and I love world, and that's it. They just go backwards, and they er Yeah, yeah, I love you all, right.
[speaker006:] They're not particularly
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] interested in the charity they support.
[speaker004:] It's a bit like Miss World, innit, and they never
[speaker006:] They're, they're, they are not really there for their charitable concerns.
[Rebecca:] No. They're just out to get the money, aren't they?
[speaker004:] They look wonderful in their bikini. Yes. And they like going on holiday oh and a pretty tiara. And I like a man with lots of muscles and And they're the ones with yachts [music] Get off me,
[speaker006:] That girl, erm, is it Kate Moss isn't it?
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] Looks like new, girl.
[speaker004:] We're waiting for a model.
[speaker006:] She's just like a french stick, isn't she?
[Anne:] Who is this?
[speaker006:] Kate Moss, she's a New Zealand girl.
[Anne:] I wouldn't mind looking like that now. I must admit.
[speaker006:] Oh, come on.
[Anne:] Er, she's horrible. She's so ugly, Claire.
[speaker006:] Absolutely repulsive to look at.
[speaker004:] Naomi Campbell. No, erm Kate Moss.
[Anne:] Kate Moss.
[speaker006:] Really, she's a
[speaker004:] She's not ten year old, is she?
[Anne:] Yeah,
[speaker004:] Yeah supposed to look like that.
[Rebecca:] I think she looks nice really, because she does look very young, she's only about turned sixteen, isn't she?
[speaker006:] She does look like a girl rather than a woman
[speaker004:] Yeah. She's really young. She's got all these men leering over her, I just think it's really perverse.
[Rebecca:] But in a way then, they shouldn't, they shouldn't make such a big thing about all these skinny models, then, because, like, if you look at all these magazines and stuff, all these basically beautiful women are all like, you know, very, very thin, very very tall.
[speaker006:] Yeah. That's what they seem to be going towards now, aren't they?
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] For the blokes as well
[Rebecca:] And if you don't fit into that category, you're just not accepted, and you're just like, ugly. [LAUGHTER] and so everyone like, wishes they would look like that.
[speaker004:] It's really bad. It starts really young, with erm, toys like Barbie Doll, who's incredibly thin, and I think that's just disgusting. It's coming out beautiful and me then. All the men are like Kens, But it's just so sexual as well, you know, for children from four upwards, I just think it's really bad. How far [LAUGHTER] No, that's true [] And, look at Ken, I mean, he hasn't even got any genitals. [LAUGHTER] Yeah, I mean he's Ken though No, I had an Action Man, because I got, I inherited my brother's and his eyes went... It was, it was for the and his arms went like this... and his aargh And he had his scars. and he had his scars like this, and his ankle went like that, and his arms went like that, and He had a funny knee as well
[speaker006:] He had a very pert bottom, though, didn't he?
[speaker004:] Yes, he had a and they all liked Simon, and note the hair, the role model, obviously hairs all over them, sort of asexual, they're not really any sex Yeah, exactly, and erm, you know quite a good idea, like free, if you had to erm, speak to a teddy bear
[speaker006:] Yeah, that's a. Coloured
[speaker004:] Exactly,
[speaker006:] man or whatever.
[speaker004:] Exactly, I mean I teddy bear. Oh my life. So I put teddy in the first [LAUGHTER] He's twice the size.
[speaker006:] Which is a good thing, innit?
[speaker004:] Yeah. It's just stupid.
[speaker006:] I didn't realize I was multi-racial side of it.
[speaker004:] Yeah. I don't know whether that, I mean surely that's what they mean, so
[speaker006:] Yeah, I hope so.
[speaker004:] Yeah. [music] When even such as, you know, not necessarily black people find it, say black kid and black dog.
[speaker006:] Right.
[speaker004:] But you know,. I just think
[speaker006:] Sorry,
[speaker004:] I was just going to say, I was just saying, that I saw the posters that erm parents and carers should erm, go along to talk about parenting and at the bottom it said, erm, will be selling multi-racial toys and dolls and things like that. Do we need the. people like, mm, I'm not scared. Yeah.
[speaker006:] Yes, you do.
[Rebecca:] I mean, when I, when I was a kid I got, erm, I was given an Australian doll baby, and which was funny cos it had an amazing sun tan and dark blue eyes and blonde hair, like typical Ozzie child.
[speaker004:] Really? [LAUGHTER] Yeah, great, that's really great.
[speaker006:] Dazzling white teeth.
[speaker004:] And, presumably you had an Aborigine I don't know, it's very odd. But I think we should, [music ends] it's like today, where was I, Battersea area, I think and it's the first shop I'd seen that actually had Chinese model manikins in the window, I thought they were sw pretty unusual. Oh, really?
[speaker006:] There's a big Chinese er department store opened up, wasn't there?
[speaker004:] There is one in London, just off erm, Leicester Square... as well. There's like only Chinese and Japanese people in the shop. We walked in, and we felt like going, sorry, as if we were like disturbing something. We walked out again. It was really weird. Is that that one? Yeah. Is it erm, a hall, is it a precinct? Yeah. It's like a precinct, it sells loads of bags and scarves and purses and all sorts of other things, and you go through the shop, like and that's the first thing you see. It's really strange. [sniff] it's just odd, isn't it, you just don't realize how Yeah. racist, our country is Yeah, You don't think about having black dolls, No. My mum, my mum was saying that erm, at Maria's playgroup, they were erm, they got, they got a ticking off, because of, they said to them you know you really should be introducing black dolls to the children, which is fair enough, but they also
[speaker006:] Try that.
[speaker004:] Thank you, that's lovely, that's great. which I thought was a bit over the top, they said that, you know, where you have pretend foods, you should really have like Oh, no. Yes. And... That's not English food, I'm sorry. No, yeah, I know, you know to cater for the That is, that is different, that is ethnic origins, yeah, I thought that was a bit over the top. Well, my mum said it was a bit pathetic, you know, it's almost like, you know, erm, the And who's gonna sell a fake, I'm sorry. [LAUGHTER] What is it mummy? It's a chapatti. Do you want them to play with like whatever money comes from those countries, you know. Yeah. But it's honestly, erm No, I'm sorry, we've got to play with rupees. [LAUGHTER] Rupees today, girls, and boys, sorry. But then if you, if you Sorry sorry go into the Asian, if you go Asian community, it's amazing like, the sort of leftish area, or something. How sort of, seven out of ten of the shops for clothes are just selling the saris
[speaker006:] To me
[speaker004:] the women's, and like,
[speaker006:] Mm. Mm.
[Kitty:] It starts in Bradford.
[speaker004:] You're in an English country and how many of the actual English people will go out and buy a sari. I just think it, I just think it's so sad, like in London, it has so many cultures, and like, wow, it's really good for the cultures to mix, but it doesn't work,
[speaker006:] No.
[speaker004:] because you have the Turkish in one, you have the
[speaker006:] Yep.
[speaker004:] Jews in another, and then the blacks, and you just think what a shame, if they all mix and you feel like, when I was in erm, working in North London, you had the Turkish and the Jewish people
[speaker006:] Golders Green.
[speaker004:] And then you had yuppies, but nobody mixed, and the feeling, if you went down to the Turkish In Golders Green. No, this was near erm, Stoke Newington, Oh. Islington area, and you felt really unsafe, and I just felt how awful. You know, here was a chance to er, Yeah. mingle, learn so much, and you don't. I thought it was a shame...
[speaker006:] There's some coffee and some cheese and biscuits.
[Rebecca:] And there's more wine as well.
[speaker004:] Oh my God.
[Rebecca:] If you'd like cheese and biscuits with wine.
[Kitty:] Wine and cheese and biscuits and coffee.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] The coffee's in a flask, so it won't go cold.
[speaker004:] Oh, gosh, that's posh
[speaker006:] Can I serve any more coffee?
[Rebecca:] There's chocolates as well. Don't need to
[speaker004:] Thank you. George bought them and you're meant to save them, and savour them tomorrow. Yeah, we go out, after we're gone and you can't be bothered to eat. Yeah.
[speaker006:] We had somebody round for dinner on Thursday and bought us a box of After Eight Mints and I think they lasted five minutes
[speaker004:] Really?
[Rebecca:] I stayed up all night,
[speaker006:] Do you want some milk?
[speaker004:] Did you watch the film? studying. So I ate them as well.
[Rebecca:] What do you do then,
[speaker004:] No, thank you.
[Rebecca:] I opened a bottle of wine, I know this is a very strange question, but when somebody brings a bottle of wine, do you open that first, or do you open? Somebody once said to me they think it's really rude if they didn't bring wine to a, to a dinner party and then they don't have to have to drink it. Somebody else said, well no, if you don't open the bottle of wine immediately it looks like
[speaker004:] I said this.
[speaker006:] accept it
[speaker004:] Yeah, cos you brought a bottle round here, when really weird.
[speaker006:] I think it depends.
[speaker004:] Depends on how well you know them, I suppose.
[speaker006:] I think it depends, if, if it's red, whether you've got time to let it breathe properly, and if it's white whether it's got time to, to be chilled properly.
[speaker004:] Yeah. What if it's really Charlotte.
[speaker007:] like a really cold bottle of white wine, would you. You haven't opened a bottle of wine, you've got one there, and I've brought in a bottle of wine. Would you think, I have to open Charlotte's first, because they brought it,
[speaker004:] If you brought a bottle of white and I got a bottle of white ready, if I hadn't opened it, I'd open yours.
[speaker007:] Would you?
[speaker004:] Yes, I would. If it was nice and cold or I'd put it in the freezer, then open the other one. But
[speaker006:] Well actually, we put ours in the fridge before we...
[Kitty:] I, I think with four of you, you're gonna get through two bottles anyway, so it doesn't matter which one.
[Rebecca:] like the other day, Charlotte, you brought you brought, did you bring white, you brought a bottle with you anyway.
[speaker007:] Did I?
[Rebecca:] I'm sure.
[speaker007:] When I came round for coffee. No. When you came round
[Rebecca:] No, when you and Ben, I think it was when erm, yeah, I think so, and you brought a bottle anyway. I'm sure it was you who brought it, and we didn't open it because we were eating, we wanted to have the opposite colour to what you brought, that what you...
[speaker007:] very much, yeah anyway, yeah.
[Rebecca:] so we didn't open yours, and when you left, I thought oh no, they're gonna think we're really rude, because we still got their bottle of wine, and we didn't drink it.
[speaker007:] No, I didn't think that, you see I don't worry about that.
[Rebecca:] Oh, that's good.
[speaker007:] We had somebody over for dinner, didn't we and they actually brought a bottle of wine, and we said oh yeah, well, cos we know him quite well, we said oh what shall we have? Do you remember. And he said, oh what kind of wine have you got? And we said something really really cheap and he said, oh what, I think we'll start with mine, then.
[Rebecca:] Oh really?
[Inga:] Oh, Richard, Richard
[speaker007:] Yeah we were really embarrassed, he said, because I'm not keen on erm,
[Inga:] I hate that I must say.
[speaker007:] ours is really cheap is it Aust is it Australian or Bulgarian or something. It was quite cheap, though, and he said, erm, I think we'll start with mine, because I always find Bulgarian a little bit acidic, and we'd bought this bottle, and we both went out to the kitchen and both said gosh.
[speaker004:] That's really rude. That's awful.
[Inga:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] And, he was really rude about it.
[speaker004:] The best thing to do, is like, they bring what sort of wine,yo they want, and then put some in the fridge and then just say, look do you want dry or sweet.
[Rebecca:] I'm sorry, does, does anyone want sugar?
[speaker004:] Yeah, that's it, they wont taste the difference anyway. Er
[Rebecca:] Does anyone take sugar?
[speaker004:] No thank you.
[speaker007:] But that was really embarrassing.
[speaker004:] We went to some friend's house, erm, and I,th this was ages ago, I'd erm, done some wedding...
[speaker006:] Claire, it's not too strong, is it?
[Anne:] No, it's really nice.
[speaker006:] put some more water with it.
[Anne:] I like it really strong.
[speaker006:] Mm.
[Anne:] I don't like
[speaker007:] I'd done some wedding stationery for a friend, and I'd painted two hundred and twenty pieces, er erm, sheets of wedding stationery for her, with erm, bud roses and things, I think I might have shown you one, actually.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker007:] Did I show you that?
[speaker004:] I saw them, yeah.
[speaker007:] And erm... at their wedding reception, they gave us erm, a trad local bottle of wine from the bar, erm, she got married in a bar and they, apparently they've got vineyards there. Anyway, so they gave us a bottle of wine. We took it round to a friend's, didn't we? For a meal, and like, we were really keen to try this and everything, and we, we didn't, we sort of kept saying, oh shall we open this bottle tonight, and they said no, we'll save it for a special occasion. So we thought, go see these friends, haven't seen them for ages, we'll take it with us, and they didn't open it, and we were really upset, because we, it was a present wanted to enjoy it and we wanted to share it with our friends.
[speaker006:] Share it with our friends, yeah.
[speaker007:] So we went in the door, and just sort of said, yeah we had, we'd kept it ages hadn't we? And we said erm, we said, oh, we've brought this bottle, to er, because erm, and we explained, like whatever,
[Inga:] Mm.
[speaker007:] I mean, to open it, they, they just sort of didn't twig, but like, they're the sort of people that wine, cos [LAUGHTER] Mark's [] got a really bad influence on these people, he gets them... he gets everybody really drunk.
[Inga:] Everybody that comes into his house, sort of wobbl sort of wobbles out of the door.
[speaker007:] He's never short of wine. He's never ever short of any at all.
[Inga:] He just keeps topping your glass up all the time, it's quite naughty, really.
[speaker006:] Like your dad. [LAUGHTER]
[Inga:] Charlotte's place isn't it? Alan's pouring the wine out all the time, yeah, you can't keep away from it, yeah.
[speaker006:] Nick's dad's like that.
[Rebecca:] My dad's awful.
[speaker006:] He erm, he bought a wine box in, when they were in France.
[Rebecca:] Oh that was awful, that was.
[speaker006:] And it was, it was really cheap, I mean, it was a sort of a rose and I think the whole box only cost him, one pound fifty, or something, you could probably run your car off it. [LAUGHTER] But erm, but he just kept filling our glasses up all the time, didn't he? I think that between me and him, we got through the, nearly the whole wine box. And erm,
[Rebecca:] Dad offers the wine I mean, you don't notice, because he's like hovering around you so often,
[speaker006:] Yeah, he sort of sneaks, sneaks round everybody when they're looking the other way. And after about seven glasses [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] I think he from driving, I just, I just don't like,
[speaker006:] I got absolutely
[Rebecca:] dad was driving, and he was like when he can't calm down, because my mum gets all like raged [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] What do you
[Rebecca:] so he could've, then he doesn't, he doesn't manage give them any more.
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Instead of buying us a present, from erm, my mum bought me a few bits and pieces when they went to France. My dad got Phil a big case of beers. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] That was wasn't it?
[speaker004:] Oh, yes, yes, yes.
[speaker006:] That's great.
[speaker004:] It was brilliant. That's a very good idea, actually.
[Rebecca:] We decided, some of our friends from church we were going
[speaker004:] down here.
[Rebecca:] and car, get the ferry over, and erm, just erm,
[speaker006:] So we said to take Charlotte
[Rebecca:] oh no, we did didn't we?
[speaker004:] It's possible. What are you gonna do about that?
[speaker006:] Well, I keep waiting for one of these free offers to come in the newspaper.
[speaker004:] Where you go for a pound. The Telegraph.
[speaker006:] Yeah, yeah. Is it the Telegraph?
[speaker004:] That's in the Telegraph.
[Rebecca:] Oh it's the Sun as well, they do it.
[speaker004:] Really?
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] I don't care what newspaper it is, I'll buy it. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] You have to buy seven yoghurts so then you can take your car
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Mm. It's good, though.
[speaker004:] I know that's good because we were all gonna go, cos I'm doing a French course last year at college, and we were going over with that one pound, you know each, with a car load offer. Who was that, they did erm, a trip to Holland for the last year, didn't they? Yeah, that was quite good. Yeah
[speaker006:] Well, I, I wanna go skiing as well, so you get more than a day trip.
[speaker004:] You guys [music] I think you'll be going on your own, Phil. You been before, skiing. Yeah, I've been lots of times. Did you enjoy it? Yeah, I did. Yeah, I like it a lot.
[speaker006:] I wake up and I, I think about it all day long.
[Rebecca:] I just, I just have got to the stage now where I've been er, I can't remember it's five or six times, and I think, I'm not going to get any better.
[speaker006:] Yes, you are.
[Rebecca:] I'm not. It's ridiculous to say I am gonna get, like I as far as like, grace absolutely ludicrous. I would never ever ever look graceful coming down the slope.
[speaker006:] Yes, you will.
[speaker004:] Do you like going to dry ski slopes for lessons?
[Rebecca:] I think, no, I mean been, I always had lessons every time I've been. I mean, it's not, it's not
[speaker004:] For the weak at heart actually go, then I when you got there
[Rebecca:] No, that's true. Well, I think the thing for me is I don't feel like I have to look brilliant, I just like to have a good time. That's fair enough, but I just, I don't know, I'm just feeling like I wanna go and visit places, I don't want to be stuck in the snow. Cos, I have never never
[speaker004:] I used to be like that.
[Rebecca:] been on hol holidays. I've always been skiing with my parents, so I've been to America to visit friends, and that's not been like sightseeing, or something, and I just haven't been anywhere, and erm, I mean, I suppose I've been to a lot more countries than a lot of people who've, you know, there's a lot of people who haven't...
[speaker004:] did you say you haven't been abroad much? Did you? I haven't. No. I haven't been abroad much. No, right. That's alright.
[speaker006:] I've been skiing
[speaker004:] I know a lot of people you meet, and they just say, oh no, I've never been abroad. But I'm, I can't say I've not been abroad. I've been to lots of places, but I've never really been to visit countries and experience countries and, except for France, perhaps. I've been to Germany and Austria skiing, I've been to, er we went to Italy but I was, you know, I was quite a bit younger and it wasn't for very long. So I've been to Rome and places like that. The sights. You know, I've been to the sights, but I just feel like I want to go travelling, I don't want to go skiing again. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] No. I'd say, you might be on your own there. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] I mean, I do, I'd love it, if we went, I mean, I'd really enjoy myself, and have a really great laugh, cos that's what
[speaker006:] You would, you would, you liar. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] but, but, to me going, going skiing is just I mean like, it doesn't... there's nothing different each time we go. You can have a good laugh with different people
[speaker004:] I think when you go skiing, you must go with a with a group of erm, group of people.
[speaker006:] Yeah, but you don't you don't need anything different though, once you get up in that mountain environment, you got this bright sunny morning...
[Rebecca:] Yes, but you could go anywhere in the world, skiing, and it will still be exactly the same, whereas if you go visiting different parts of Europe and the world, you always have different experiences.
[speaker004:] Yeah, you could pop up to Scotland for a few days.
[speaker006:] Blooming cold skiing in Scotland though, isn't it?
[speaker004:] They won't even walk down the road
[speaker006:] When, when you're skiing in the Alps, it's so hot, and you get, get such a lovely suntan.
[speaker004:] That's what we want. [LAUGHTER] Have you been, Julienne?
[Kitty:] Yeah, there was a sunbed round the corner probably.
[speaker006:] March, he was, sort of, really brown.
[speaker004:] in their school trips. Mm. When was that?
[speaker006:] Why isn't, I just love being in the mountains, I mean, it's just, I daydream about it so much
[speaker004:] We went to erm, somewhere in France, To do skiing. Yeah, with the college I love going I know, ah to the mountains to climb and walk Yeah. And that sort of thing, because then you're really achieving something and you see different places and you go different places. Whereas, I don't know, I think just going up and down the same place every day brilliant fun, I'm not saying it's not,
[speaker006:] You wanna go on a summer trip to Austria.
[Rebecca:] If someone said, you could go sk skiing free for the rest of your life, I'd go. I'd just think, absolutely excellent you have a really great laugh, but just wanna do
[speaker004:] Also skiing's bloody expensive, isn't it?
[Rebecca:] Yes, exactly.
[speaker006:] Well, I mean, if we, if we did it with the free ferry, and there's a possibility we might be able to get fairly cheap accommodation if we drove over there and stayed. Really all we'd have to pay for is the fuel and the lift pass. So you can have a week's holiday for...
[Rebecca:] Have you got the kit?
[speaker006:] Well, I've got boots. I haven't got skis, though. You can hire them.
[Rebecca:] You could borrow my dad's, though.
[speaker006:] Yeah, they as much as hire.
[Rebecca:] You only have to rebind 'em. Doesn't make any difference, and I could borrow my mum's.
[speaker004:] There is a big difference, though You've been skiing before? Yeah, we, I skied in Cyprus. Because, you know, I'd never been skiing before, so I went out all togged up, with like, my tights sort of, like, you know, thermal tights and you know, pair of track suits, sort of bottoms, plus plastic overtop and then I had like, sort of thermal top on, plus the that's a sort of like, T-shirt, plus the polo-neck plus a jumper, plus a sort of like erm, a sort of sheepskin waistcoat and, and jacket and then this plastic thing over the top. [LAUGHTER] about fifteen pounds. I was up going on the ski slope, and this is like, I've been up a couple of times before, but it had been really cold and bi and I went at Easter, I was so like hot, but it's still really good snow, and we went up there and I just couldn't believe it, I just went dad, erm, oh, I don't feel too good, and he just went, don't be so stupid, and Nathan and I collapsed, I was at the front of this queue waiting for the ski lift and the whole queue just went And this bloke comes up to me and goes, hi, I'm a ski instructor, I was just like hmm [LAUGHTER] like, takes all my clothes off. [LAUGHTER] Yeah, great. But then, it's a big difference between skiing abroad and you know, like staying somewhere like Cyprus skiing in Scotland, it's true, but I mean, it's like the first, I mean, my dad's typical, sort of, get to the top of the hill and give you a good shove, you know, give you one time to go down a bit slowly and then after that you just get to the top ski downhill phhhh. [LAUGHTER] And you don't really learn that much because it's just a matter of get to the top, and put your skis facing down, and Survival course. survival course down and try not to take any trees. I've managed to erm, the first time we went skiing is when we lived in the States, we went to like, er, not dry ski slopes there, but it was like false snow, that's the same as you... erm, [LAUGHTER] they were really, was like eleven years ago, sort of like, technology hadn't quite advanced terribly much, you know, and these bindings, you had like, metal clips on the bottom of your boots, and you had to put the thing in and clip the boot, clip the thing round on the skis, to keep your boot on the ski, right, it wasn't like toe clips where you shove your foot, I know, yeah and put your heel down and it clips up the back, it was like Yeah clamp from the middle, and erm, [LAUGHTER] I used to carry like down the thing and I just got really out of control, went all over the place, like skis up in the air [] and one of them came off and the thing, actually, ripped off er, bottom of my boot. Like this metal plate in the skis Oh, I see. I couldn't go anywhere. I only had one ski, and I couldn't walk down. So when my dad had to ski all the way down to the bottom, while I'm sitting on the side of this bloody slide. [LAUGHTER] I was practically up at the top as well, I was really pissed off, just sitting there for like, for two hours, whilst my dad went all the way down to the bottom of this thing. Got this man to come up with his screwdrivers and his this, that and the other. His glue, to stick the sole back one. [LAUGHTER] I tell you though, if you're gonna hurt yourself skiing, you can really hurt yourself. Because, I've, I've been in it, and I was like in these like, really tight ski pants, they're like a pair of like, like really badly, like sprained your legs. And I went over, and I like, I went, my skis stayed on, and I like somersaulted over and my skis stayed on and I pulled the whole of my leg, it was black from just above my knee to there and it's like just black my whole leg. But because I was in like really really tight tights, er like and then a pair of ski pants over the top er, my whole leg was like, you know, sort of soaked in and this bloke was there going, hee, that's pretty impressive and I was like, I'm not going to let him know I was crying [LAUGHTER] and like got up and went to the top of the slope [] and I carried on skiing for about an extra half an hour, but like when I got home, and I just took off, my whole leg started, feet swelling as I took the like, the tight like leggings off. I was just like aargh. It is really a dangerous sport though, isn't it? It is, it is dang and people don't realize how, they're like oh the snow's soft, but Mm. if anything they're like a spray snow. So many people And the longer you get skiing really really piss me off, because it's the famous drink driver, it really is, I'm sorry, drink [LAUGHTER] They should have big learners on the back as well Honestly, it really is, is too dangerous. Ski plates, neeow, neeow, neeow.
[speaker006:] When you, when you stop, at lunch lunchtimes, in the restaurant you get this big hot steaming mug of mulled wine
[speaker004:] and it's just so moreish, isn't it? Yeah, but a lot of that, a lot of alcohol evaporates off of that anyway, so it's not that alcoholic. You just die in an avalanche. [LAUGHTER] I think I'd ski better if I was drunk, actually.
[speaker006:] I, I found I skied better in the afternoon, now. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Was you like, scared? I was petrified the time I went skiing. Were you? [LAUGHTER] Pick me up. It took me fifty five minutes to get into those awful to get up to the top. [LAUGHTER] It was only a ten minute thing, and everybody, cos I was the last one, of course, out of us, a group of twenty, and was so like freezing at the top of this mountain, I wasn't exactly popular. During the day ah. She'd missed about twenty [LAUGHTER] keeps coming along,
[Rebecca:] When Phil and I, the first time we'd been skiing together, so that was last, not last year
[speaker006:] Two years ago.
[Rebecca:] not since we'd been married, but, erm, and erm, it was in the March wasn't it, just before we announced our engagement. And erm, we hardly got to see as much of each other, because we were like, in this group of ten people, and then, and so like one time we skied off piste, and we just had this massive snowball fight off piste, it was like really funny. All these mouth full of snow, made you feel like, I was wearing, I was wearing er, cos it's really hot, I was just wearing er er, thermal fleece, and it was like the thermal fleece was actually covered with
[speaker004:] with it.
[Rebecca:] Yeah. Nightmare. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] The time I went before that, I got erm, like a frostbitten thumb, because I was going up on the chair lift, and er, I dropped one of my gloves, and it was quite a cold day, so by the time I'd got to the top, and skied all the way back down, and then down the road going back to try and find me gloves, because I had borrowed them from a friend,
[speaker004:] Your hand had withered on you.
[speaker006:] and then, and then I got to the snow, chest deep,
[speaker004:] Black
[speaker006:] so I had to lie down properly and crawl over the top of it.
[speaker004:] Ah.
[speaker006:] I, I got to where, I got to where the glove was, and took me scarf off my hand and my thumb was just yellow at the top.
[speaker004:] Oh really?
[speaker006:] It goes like a, sort of like a wax crayon, where it freezes, and I put the glove back on, and you get, you get the hot aches, I mean, when the feeling starts to come back. It's really really painful.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] Er, a couple of days later, it just split down like a banana, and
[speaker004:] Er.
[speaker006:] sort of pin, sort of half my thumb came away.
[speaker004:] Oh my God.
[speaker006:] Yeah, it was just, yeah, it was really disgusting.
[speaker004:] What did it look like, later on, like heal the skin underneath it?
[speaker006:] Yes, it's like a brand new thumb underneath. Four or five layers of sk skin,
[speaker004:] Er
[speaker006:] sort of came off.
[speaker004:] How weird. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] Look, no one going to have any cheese and biscuits?
[speaker004:] No. Do you want some more coffee? Yeah.
[speaker006:] Is there much coffee in there, then? I can make some more.
[speaker004:] No, no, that'll be alright. No.
[Rebecca:] No, there is enough.
[speaker004:] Oh, don't, don't, don't go make any more.
[Rebecca:] No, there's enough in here.
[speaker004:] Oh, right.
[Kitty:] Do you want any more wine?
[speaker004:] No thank you.
[Rebecca:] No one gonna have any cheese and biscuits?
[speaker004:] No thank you, No, I can't. A drop more of wine. there is some more. Oh, yes please.
[speaker006:] half glass
[Rebecca:] Oh, it wasn't as much as I thought. Do you want some milk with that?
[speaker004:] No, it's fine as it is, thank you. Erm, I'm not worried but Do you want any milk, hot milk any of you, Whatever.
[speaker006:] Well, if, if I make some more coffee.
[Rebecca:] So you'll have to go back out and do that grinding
[speaker006:] Oh, that's a, that's a drag. If I make some more coffee, who's gonna have some?
[speaker004:] Yes, I might have one, then, Yeah, Ben, are you gonna have some more?
[Inga:] No, thanks. Positive.
[speaker006:] Nick.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, I'll have one.
[speaker006:] Hold on, it's worth making some more, I think.
[speaker004:] [whispering] I'll have black []
[Rebecca:] Well, would it, would it ready by... are you sure you don't want cheese and biscuits?
[speaker004:] Aren't you having something? No, I'm not. I'll have some in a minute. Oh, are you? Cos I was gonna I'll have some in a minute, too,
[Rebecca:] Oh would you, oh, good, I'll leave it out, then.
[speaker004:] I love cheese and biscuits.
[Rebecca:] It's sort of, if it's gonna sit there, and get nice and warm and...
[speaker006:] Soggy.
[speaker004:] That's the way it should be, though, you should leave cheese out.
[Rebecca:] Oh, really?
[speaker004:] Yeah, you should never
[speaker006:] Put it away to warm up, you know.
[Rebecca:] Oh, fine, okay.
[speaker004:] It's quite revolting, now, isn't it, and when they, like everything in the fridge that's really cold, when it comes out
[speaker006:] I love the real sweaty
[Rebecca:] Running everywhere.
[speaker006:] Like to see the mould growing on it.
[Rebecca:] Do you like it straight out the fridge, well, I left it in the fridge, first of all, said oh get the, get the cheeses out, and I said, no I want to leave them in the fridge, I want those nice and cool. I'm like that, I'm like that with everything. I like it really hot or really cold
[speaker004:] I like it fresh.
[Rebecca:] Like milk,
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] I love a nice tall glass of milk. Why does it have to be tall, that's what I want to know? It has to be tall to really taste nice. In a tall glass.
[speaker004:] and say.
[Rebecca:] No, exactly. But, erm, unless it's freezing cold, I don't like it, but I just absolutely adore a cold, a cold long glass of milk. But if it's the slightest bit lukewarm,
[speaker004:] Er,
[Rebecca:] it just makes me wanna throw up. It's true it's the same thing.
[speaker004:] I know, but it's, mm, it doesn't taste nice, does it?
[speaker006:] Okay, everyone, just stay where you are.
[Rebecca:] Do what?
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER] My dad came round when we went to the theatre the other day, he hadn't seen it, since we put that picture up. Apparently, I don't know if anybody would know, you know, don't you. My grandfather was, is an artist and was head of Hull Art College. Really?
[Rebecca:] And erm, yeah, and apparently his idol, as it were, is the guy who painted that,
[speaker004:] Really?
[Rebecca:] And I erm, just picked that up in a garage some place, thought it was such a cool, I just really liked the picture.
[speaker006:] Easily pleased, if you ask me.
[speaker004:] Shut up.
[speaker006:] Oh, no, it's just a joke.
[Rebecca:] I just thought it was a really nice picture, so I bought it, and erm, my dad came in and said, that's spooky,
[speaker004:] I know, my dad's going, oh, can't really believe it, you've got Edmund, I said. I hadn't even looked at who it was by. Showing my ignorance, and then apparently my grandfather's so into him, that he went round trying to find this book of his, his work, Mm. and then he went to a specialist book place, that can't find rare editions or whatever. Is it rare editions, or was it just a an edition of that? Either a rare or first edition, something like that. And how much was it gonna be? Four hundred pounds. Four hundred pounds for this one book. Really? Did my granddad get it? I don't know. Is your granddad still alive? Yes.
[Rebecca:] Do you think I'm
[speaker004:] He must be alive At your wedding.
[Rebecca:] No, that's my other granddad.
[speaker004:] The one who wanted to be in the film, when you were going cooee [LAUGHTER] granddad. Yeah, that granddad lives erm, during the war, his father owns a erm, confectioner's business. Mm. So during the war, he didn't, he didn't go to war, he stayed at home erm, you know, he worked at, in like food and, and so they were Don't you wish you'd got an electric one now?
[speaker006:] It's a bit of a grind. Ha, ha, ha. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Oh dear.
[speaker006:] It might look nice on the shelf, but it's a real
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] pain in the arse.
[Rebecca:] Actually, I have to say, we got it first, it's one of those, I think it's corny, you know when you do something first, and everybody else seems to suddenly do it, and they come round, and say, that's really a good idea, and like, everybody comments on our coffee grinder and since we come to like, the church, like, practically everybody in the church has now got a coffee grinder. Like, in our church in our church back home isn't it?
[speaker004:] Is that a wedding Christmas card?
[Rebecca:] Well, we bought it just after we got married, see.
[speaker004:] Isn't it pretty?
[Rebecca:] Yeah,
[speaker004:] Looks, really nice.
[Rebecca:] It's an antique, erm
[speaker004:] Really?
[speaker006:] It's a Peugeot.
[Rebecca:] Made by Peugeot.
[speaker004:] Really?
[speaker006:] from Paris.
[Rebecca:] From Paris.
[speaker004:] It is you know. Really
[Rebecca:] Yeah, but it will last, won't it? I mean, yeah, I mean, knew they're that price.
[speaker004:] Yeah. Yeah. Yeah I've always wanted one, you know, the, the, the new names of the coffee grinder. They make the new trendy ones. Do they? Yeah, but they Do you think ours isn't trendy? [LAUGHTER] Yours is very trendy, but you can fit the side of your kitchen units. Ah, like a like a mincer. Yeah, but it's a really, really weird thing, it's ever so heavy it looks as if it will be very hard to grind the coffee. But it looks really good, even if it doesn't
[speaker006:] I think, I think er some friends of ours have got one like that.
[speaker004:] Really? What Welsh ones.
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Yeah. Very sexy. Yeah. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] Talking at cross purposes now.
[Rebecca:] Poor Julienne came round the other day, and I
[speaker004:] Got a complaint about these sexy saucepans, reflected aren't they. Just like, yeah, rightio. I must say I had a big shock when I married Nick. No, it's Greg and you that got me on to saying that.
[speaker006:] Greg would be very impressed with the engineering on that.
[Anne:] And charz are carzy to them.
[Rebecca:] Sexy to them. Have you met Greg? You haven't met Greg yet, have you?
[Inga:] No I haven't.
[Anne:] Ben had to go to a brea a housebreak on the site.
[speaker006:] engineering on the site
[Inga:] They were yes.
[Rebecca:] Did the erm,
[Anne:] I had to stay there.
[speaker006:] Claim, claim settlement, two point eight pounds
[Rebecca:] leave.
[Anne:] shop, and there's two blokes. It was a Sunday, I was so worried, I didn't know anything about, and I just have to sit there and we had to make conversation. Left us hours about four times.
[speaker006:] Oversized tubing,
[Inga:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] And it's about two millimetres thick, and erm,
[Inga:] Yes.
[Rebecca:] Oh no.
[speaker006:] Flattened but wide, and round, flattened all where the joints just like the Eiffel Tower
[Anne:] and they're sort of chatting saying, well, you know, I'm an American they were trying to chat us
[Rebecca:] Movies, yeah.
[Inga:] My, my brother is erm, is erm, manager of a do a magazine called Cycle which is a new one that just's come out. [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] I just sat there like a real prat, and I thought
[Rebecca:] Ben Claire to you.
[Anne:] I know, I know you came by. Did you have a nice cycle?
[Inga:] Yeah, erm, called the Cycle Book, I've got a copy erm, and so I got one from him, and there's quite a few adverts in there bikes.
[speaker006:] Have they
[Inga:] and things like that
[Anne:] I didn't have time to leave the shop. So I thought, well Ben done a runner, so I'm gonna just sit here. thinking, where is he, and then he came back I was so angry made me sick, because
[speaker006:] [LAUGHTER] yeah, I'm saving for it, right.
[Inga:] I, I really would like a bike, so badly. Yeah.
[speaker006:] Tell me, what sort of bike?
[Anne:] I was so angry.
[Inga:] Well, I'd like, I'd like one of those robust bikes, things like that, something like
[Rebecca:] Yeah taking off after we've finished?
[Anne:] Yeah, I have.
[Rebecca:] car or anything.
[Anne:] Shut up, shh
[speaker006:] What do you want, mountain or?
[Inga:] mountain bike, yeah
[Anne:] Charlotte, but it doesn't matter.
[speaker006:] What hybrid or... more...
[Inga:] I don't know anything about it,wh what is a hybrid, exactly?
[speaker004:] Sorry?
[speaker006:] That's alright, you're gonna
[speaker004:] It's a rose, isn't it? Ahead I entered a competition for one, the other day. Did you? Yeah. Do you think you're gonna run when you enter?
[Inga:] Well, it's in this really little obscure shop
[speaker004:] I do as well.
[Inga:] and they do a free draw every month for a er mountain bike.
[speaker004:] Really? Where is this? I'm sure that's why I never win anything, I've got such an intent to win when I ever I enter a competition, like I dunno. I think if I entered in, thinking like if it was in a good cause, Yeah. I'll donate some money there, you know, I might even win one percent of the prize at the same time, you know, I might have a chance of winning, but I always think, oh yes, only fifty P, you know, I'll win certainly.
[Rebecca:] And then you wait and look for the post every single day.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] date in your diary, you know, the draw's happening on the thirtieth of November, and you know, er
[speaker004:] In fact, we just, We I just think, you know the hundred thousand pounds. Yeah, it's really bad. Yeah. They have on these great big adverts, and you never win It's really amazing. I've got money, money in premium bonds and I've never won anything.
[Rebecca:] I erm, I admit it, because it just really shows them up. You know that erm, have you ever seen, is it, I think it's I T V morning television when you've got Ross King,
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] morning television.
[speaker004:] Good morning T V.
[Rebecca:] I was watching this [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] No. No.
[Rebecca:] [LAUGHTER] Well, I mean, only once or twice [] and then,
[speaker004:] Ross King was like
[Rebecca:] I don't know, I don't watch it every morning.
[speaker004:] Every day, isn't it?
[Rebecca:] I don't even know what channel is was on, Charlotte
[speaker004:] I bet you jot things down before I meet you.
[Rebecca:] No, listen, listen [LAUGHTER] they, they have been
[speaker006:] She records it. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] competition, to raise a trip to, to, to I can't remember where it was,
[speaker004:] Don't have to get up now. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] to somewhere. I thought, well I, I might as well phone in for it. So I. [snore] If you don't want to listen
[speaker004:] I'm listening.
[Rebecca:] You were asked to phone in, so, erm, so our phone was out of order, so [LAUGHTER] I had a phone card [] and it had four units on it.
[speaker004:] Oh, Nicole.
[Rebecca:] And it swallowed up my four whole units, because I even got to [LAUGHTER] say what the answer was [] and I thought that was forty P, and I thought, I'm never ever going to phone into one of those things again.
[speaker004:] I've done it every week.
[Rebecca:] I'm not sure, but I just thought, I'm just paying for someone else to go on that holiday.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] That's the idea, probably.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Exactly. That's the only reason that they can afford to do it, and they make a packet on top of it.
[speaker004:] It's like jobs, you know, that have O eight nine eight Yeah. whatever numbers, you're, you're waiting That's terrible. and they're saying well and they claim there isn't a job at all.
[Rebecca:] But the only thing what, I, I mean, I got through, it says hi you've got through to Ross King's er, blah, we're going to repeat those competition questions for you, and they repeat it all to you, and they, is your answer A bla... B... C and then, it's please speak after the tone, beep and then you say your thing and then, now would you like to leave your name and number...
[speaker004:] You didn't have time.
[Rebecca:] and then it ran out, sort of like swallowed forty P, before I even got to say what my name and number was.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] I thought great.
[speaker004:] But then I, I still, erm, this question then, were you, were you with me? I can't remember I think it was Louise who br I went up to talk to her, and the question was, [LAUGHTER] which of follow which of the following is not a swimming stroke and you have butterfly, breast stroke, bird crawl []. [LAUGHTER] Wh [] [LAUGHTER] and I thought, if you can't answer that question, you really are fair sad y yo you know you shouldn't be in connection with the world. I'll repeat that, The attached name thing. and they take it so seriously. Which of the following are not a swimming stroke. Yeah. Yeah. Well, the thing is, it's so simple, Terrible. because they want everybody to phone in. Do you think that's why?
[speaker006:] Forty five pence a minute.
[speaker004:] Oh, of course.
[speaker006:] From each individual caller.
[Inga:] That's how they pay for their prizes.
[speaker004:] A, explain the erm,
[Inga:] First caller of the day.
[speaker004:] Get you to answer, that's the least thing
[speaker006:] Which Tibetan country, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah Swindon... erm, [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Tibet.
[speaker006:] Baghdad or Solihull, or something like this, you know, slightly more difficult. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] This, see I just thought it was just cos, you know, and he kept stressing it, which of the following is [shouting] not [] a swimming stroke, breast stroke, butterfly or [shouting] bird crawl [].
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] You know, you just think, why
[speaker004:] the IQ of the people who watch this programme. [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER] You start worrying about yourself []. Yeah, why mum watches it.
[Rebecca:] Also another thing is, when you phone up, it's like... er you've, it's like on a time thing, so obvious well, not a time thing, but it detects whether you've said anything and how long the pauses are,
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] so erm, and it said to me, erm, say after the beep, and I didn't understand quite where the beep was, right. [LAUGHTER] I know actually. They say speak after the beep, beep. Like you know, you're sort of waiting for it, and then there's this now would you like, and I thought, I haven't given my answer yet, and then erm, and just leave my name, cos I think [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Oh [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] it's erm, please leave your name and number, and the [shouting] postal area code [] and I couldn't figure out what they meant, your post code, or what, anyway, I sort, I, I left this long pause, shut your face [LAUGHTER] I left this really long pause, and it just like clicked off before I could leave my phone number, so they've got my, my answer and my names, but they haven't got my phone number, so I thought well, that's not much good, they can't phone you, can they?
[speaker004:] Oh, no.
[Rebecca:] So you think, and so people must like do this, and then phone back, I'm sure it's not just me, because I can't be that thick.
[speaker004:] No.
[Rebecca:] And so they get them to phone back, do you know what I mean? Like they make a mistake, or I'd better phone back, and then it cost them all that much money again, more money.
[Inga:] Bloody joke, innit?
[speaker006:] You might have just seen through a really clever ploy there, Nick.
[Rebecca:] It's a bit like your story, ha, your novel you're gonna write.
[speaker006:] I'm gonna write a novel.
[speaker004:] Are you?
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] What about?
[Rebecca:] So sad, oh please, oh I shouldn't have said that. It's really horrible, he was telling me about it last night, and I was really scared
[Anne:] Not this dream you were telling us about, was it?
[speaker004:] Oh, is this this psycho gardener?
[Rebecca:] Oh, he hasn't told you about it, [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] I, I had this dream the other night, and it was so real, I thought I'd been to the cinema. It's about this composer, who's a complete maniac, psychopathic serial killer, the works, and erm, okay, and his music, is sort of really... affected by this, and there's something really about this film, really dramatic classical music, and you know this composer and everything
[speaker004:] Jagged Edge, the sequel.
[speaker006:] Yeah, sorry, now erm all, all the way through this the, the, you know, is the usual business, you got this policeman, and you got the killer and you're trying to track, he's trying to track him down, all sorts of weird people keep getting killed and he's trying to track him down. Erm, eventually he tracks him down and kills him, I could probably stretch that all out.
[speaker004:] Who kills who, sorry?
[Rebecca:] The policeman kills the
[speaker006:] The policeman kills the ser the, this composer.
[speaker004:] Right.
[speaker006:] he's a guy, a, a well famous composer
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] and eventually he's the killer and he gets killed, right. And, and the policeman, the, the film is just winding down, and everyone's going ah, you know, sigh of relief, and it's the end of the movie, erm, well in the novel, and the policeman is back in his house...
[speaker004:] Whichever.
[speaker006:] and he's just sort of pottering around,wind you know, things winding down, and suddenly the gardener rushes in from the garden, starts trying to kill him, and he shoots, and he
[Inga:] Jagged Edge. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] so the, so the policeman shoots the gardener and the gardener sort of, phworgh, falls onto the floor, dies. His, his personal stereo headphones get knocked off as he falls to the floor, and dinkly dinkly dinkly dinkly, [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] The music.
[speaker006:] you could hear the music of this psychopathic composer.
[speaker004:] Ooh. Eerie. Eerie.
[speaker006:] I dreamt the whole thing, and it was so real.
[speaker004:] Really? Were you in it at all?
[speaker006:] No.
[speaker004:] Really?
[speaker006:] Nothing.
[speaker004:] He was, he was the gardener.
[Rebecca:] I've decided, it not okay, it's the
[speaker006:] I was watching it at the movies, I was watching the whole thing at the cinema.
[Inga:] What had you been doing that day?
[speaker006:] What?
[Inga:] What had you been going that day?
[speaker006:] I'd been talking to someone about the effects of music, cos there's a couple of court cases going on.
[Rebecca:] You should make it into a film, and I can star, I can be the girl.
[speaker004:] I was gonna say, this is, Phil's, Phil's going to direct this film, right. And we're I could be the I could be the er, F B I agent, Yeah.
[Inga:] Yes.
[speaker004:] I'll be the psychopath, okay. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] Don't you think it's got some potential, though?
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] I mean, if you could imagine the visual of all the sound, the big cinema,
[speaker004:] If you've got a good imagination, if you've got a huge, imagination.
[speaker006:] laser guns.
[speaker004:] It's got a lot It would have to be really
[speaker006:] Entered in the right millions.
[Inga:] Plenty of blood. Plenty of blood.
[speaker004:] Yeah, loads of, loads of erm, psychological
[Inga:] Lots of gore.
[speaker004:] make it look really.
[speaker006:] But I was trying to work out how, how, how the composer should kill them, whether he
[speaker004:] Went into battle through the heart er
[speaker006:] did them with the piano or, or whatever. Or did he deliberately
[Inga:] What do you gonna call it?
[speaker004:] Baton. Yeah.
[Inga:] Baton Rouge. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Oh, dear.
[speaker006:] Anyway,
[speaker004:] That's stupid
[speaker006:] Just about do that I think.
[speaker004:] Big cymbals [LAUGHTER] Chippendales and everything. Yes.
[speaker006:] Okay, so it's only an idea.
[speaker004:] Hit to death by the We loved it. We loved it.
[Rebecca:] We can laugh about it now. He's going on about it, even like, he told me that when he dreamt it,
[speaker004:] It's really bloodthirsty, isn't it?
[Rebecca:] I mean, I know, and I'm really worried.
[speaker006:] I, I had another weird dream,
[Rebecca:] It's funny, I have been having really weird dreams over the last three nights, and I never dream. I haven't dreamed for years, and I was saying that to the girls, I had like, three nights of a really scary dream.
[Inga:] Vivid dreams.
[Rebecca:] Really vivid, really scary.
[speaker006:] I had this other dream once, of me, and there's this girl I used to like, right, and, and the weird thing was that in, in our group of churches, you used to sort of like, got one guy who's, more senior, and erm, he had this daughter and my mum sort of fancied me marrying this famous preacher's daughter, you see, and I took her out a few times, erm
[speaker004:] How old were you then, er, knows?
[speaker006:] Sort of seventeenish, that sort of age... erm, and I had this really weird dream, that we were canoe canoeing up this river and erm,
[speaker004:] You and the girl?
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Right.
[speaker006:] This erm, wide Am Amazon river, and suddenly all these natives start appearing along the sides, and we could see them all these trees with nipples, [LAUGHTER] and these guys started paddling after us, sort of chop our nipples off. [LAUGHTER]
[Inga:] That book sounds far better than the last one. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER] What were your dreams, Claire []?
[Anne:] my dreams,
[speaker004:] Cos they're horrible?
[Anne:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] My erm, when I was little, I used to have this reoccuring dream, and it was really, really scary, and I just, I used to get really scared, I didn't want to go to sleep, in case I had this reoccuring dream, and what it was, was erm, I don't know, I, I think I didn't like swimming when I was little, so that might, what sparked it off, and I couldn't swim for ages
[speaker004:] [whispering] [] [whispering] I don't know, I think I will, actually [].
[Rebecca:] until I was quite old, and then, this dream was, going to the swimming baths,
[speaker004:] gets knocked over.
[Rebecca:] and it being full of, of animals, most of them nasty animals, that would frighten you, like snakes and squirrels, I don't know why squirrels, and, and like I had a picture in my mind, I can't remember whether it was the swimming baths I'd been to, or whatever, like you know how they, quite often they have little ramps, or maybe they don't, but the ones I'd been to had ramps, stairs going up to them or whatever,
[speaker004:] Mhm.
[Rebecca:] and you go up this thing that winds in and out and like there'd be cockerels sitting on the, on the little fences you have to go round, trying to peck you to death, er I was like only tiny, you know, it was just like
[speaker004:] It's very good when you're little then you you probably weren't very buoyant, so.
[Rebecca:] really scared, and I just, yeah. But I just used to have this dream, of all these animals, and I had to go in with all these animals, it was actually full, crammed full of animals, that were all out to eat me, and, kill me,
[speaker004:] Oh.
[Rebecca:] and have me for lunch.
[speaker004:] I used to, erm, you know like fairy tales [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER] Fairy tales can be very horrible and violent, aren't they? Yeah, they are. They used to have these, I remember watching, erm, The Little Pigs. [LAUGHTER] And erm, How do you do [LAUGHTER] The cartoon, and I, I was only I can remember, my dream was really vivid, I was standing up in my cot, and all of a sudden my bedroom windows flew open, curtains blew and in the window this bright light and then this wolf coming to get me, and it was the most scary dream I've ever had. It was horrible, I was in my cot and I couldn't escape. Ooh. Oh dear. After I got there was this lorry chasing me, and I was always running Lorry? Lorry... And it always woke me up as the lorry hit me, and it really hurt, and I woke up
[speaker006:] I've never had, I've never had dreams that have actually disturbed me.
[speaker004:] I have.
[speaker006:] I've had some weird dreams, I used to wake up and think... wow that was a dream.
[Rebecca:] I've woken up. I've woken up and found myself shouting and woke my, wake... woke myself up I wake myself up.
[speaker006:] I did that once.
[speaker004:] You're waking yourself up, yeah.
[speaker006:] Violent kick.
[speaker004:] you really are running, you know how dogs' legs do this, cos they're running after Ben's and he kicked me last night. I was just dropping off to sleep and you know how you're just thinking, yeah, mm what are we gonna do this weekend, and all of a sudden, Ben's legs went and kicked me really hard, [LAUGHTER] and I thought oh my God something awful's happened, and you, you really do, you move a lot. [cough] You think as well, which is very irritating, [cough] ask some of you this, but
[speaker006:] Who would like some more coffee?
[speaker004:] Yes please.
[speaker006:] Anyone like some more coffee?
[speaker004:] Me, me. [LAUGHTER] first. No, it's really funny, sit down.
[speaker006:] Have you got a cup?
[speaker004:] Sit down a minute. Erm, what was I gonna say, oh Laura, Laura, and you say No, no, nothing like that.
[speaker006:] So.
[speaker004:] My grandmother has like
[speaker006:] How do you like your coffee?
[speaker004:] Strong, please.
[Rebecca:] My grandmother
[speaker004:] Milk and sugar. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] Oh, this is good, I won't talk
[Rebecca:] My g erm, pressure behind the eye,yo fluid builds up as pressure at the back of the eyes,
[speaker004:] Right.
[Rebecca:] and you eventually go blind from it, if you don't erm, don't catch it early enough. [cough] So anyway my grandmother has it and it's hereditary you see, so my dad's, my dad keeps saying to me, you know, make sure you get your eyes checked, make sure you get your eyes checked.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Now, I and I went to other day, I was having quite bad headaches from the back of my eyes, feeling like, you know, I had pressure there, and so, I think it was just headaches but I wanted to go and check it out, and I went to the, cos my dad said oh if you go to the opticians erm, they give you free checks as you've got glaucoma in the family, and erm, or glaucoma, or whatever you call it. So I went in, and they said, oh yes, but they're free on the N H S, if you're over forty, so I thought great, you know.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] I've got another twenty years to go blind.
[speaker004:] Yeah. [cough]
[speaker006:] So what
[Rebecca:] Yeah, exactly. Well, they said, I said well, so I've got to wait twenty years? They said well, [cough] you're not likely to have, to have it. I said well, yeah. Well, I didn't say this, but I thought, well I'm not likely to have it before I'm forty, but then, what if I do?
[speaker004:] anything, are you?
[Rebecca:] Exactly. Anyway, so I, I was getting a bit worried about it, and, I can, cos I was having these headaches, and I started talking to Phil and I, I hadn't really said much to him about it. It was late at night and I decided, I was just sort of talking I'd say, I can't get rid of this headache, and I don't know what I'm gonna do, I don't whether I should just not worry about it cos I'm not that old, and I was really pouring my heart out to him, and he turns round and he says, yeah, you need a new clutch [LAUGHTER] you really need a new clutch. [LAUGHTER] I said, Phil, answers, and I said Phil and I started to laugh, cos I just thought, I wasn't going to get upset about it, so I just started to giggle. And erm, it was quite nice actually, cos I was getting really worried,
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] and, and, so I was just giggling away, talk a load of rubbish, and no no, [LAUGHTER] you need a new clutch, forget it, forget it. [LAUGHTER] I just turned over and went back to sleep []. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] would you like some more coffee?
[Rebecca:] And in the morning, he had absolutely no recollection of it at all.
[Inga:] Mm.
[speaker004:] Needs a new clutch. No, it's terrible. I hate, it's so irritating because when I go to, to bed, I'm never tired. So I always sit up in bed for ages really wide awake, and I'm reading and doing all sorts of thinking like things, and I'd be talking to Ben, and he would say yeah, yeah, and he's really vague as well, and I, I get really angry and then I think you can tell because then you tend to lean across and say, are you alright, are you alright, and I just find it makes it worse.
[Rebecca:] Mm.
[speaker004:] Do you see what I mean?
[Rebecca:] I might, for Phil, for Phil to wind down, he'll come in, say we've been out for a meal or whatever, he'll come in and he'll sit down in front of the television. Now that to me is not [cough]
[speaker006:] Only for five minutes.
[Rebecca:] I know, I just don't how you can do it. Erm, whereas I
[speaker004:] Are you alright? Yeah, sorry.
[Rebecca:] erm, I like to talk, so he's wound down, you know, really sleepy, comes to bed, and I'm like, that's when I wind down by chatting away and saying, you know, little snippets of things that have happened to you during the day, and he's just like, oh, shut up, go to sleep, you know. And erm, you know I want to talk and wind down so I now exactly what you mean.
[speaker004:] I, I used to get in the night, didn't I? Mm. I couldn't sleep.
[Rebecca:] My mum's like that, she gets up at
[speaker004:] Hours
[Rebecca:] two in the morning
[speaker004:] I used to get up about three, the fire, and things like this, and I used to get really bored. Cos you know, obviously nobody wants to talk to you at three o'clock in the morning, fast asleep aren't they, not much fun is it? I used to get up and read, and oh it's so true.
[Rebecca:] My mum wakes up and I wake up at two, because she's pottering around in the kitchen,, banging about a bit more than usual. mother are you alright? And she'd say oh, yes [cough] she gets up most nights now, in the middle of the night.
[speaker004:] Yeah, I know. How many hours do you need? Erm, I go through stages, normally I need eight hours' sleep, always eight hours' sleep, but I don't really sleep in.
[speaker006:] She doesn't feel sort of
[Rebecca:] She goes to bed quite early cos she gets very tired with work. So she goes to bed early a couple of hours,
[speaker004:] Not really?
[Rebecca:] All she'll do, is she'll sleep through to, she'll sleep through to like six, and then get up and that's it for the day. I know.
[speaker004:] Cos I just wake up in the night. I mean, if I can have twelve hours, then I'm happy.
[speaker006:] Really?
[speaker004:] But if I don't have nine I'm not worth talking to, really. We'll have to get a tablecloth. Nine? Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Really? You have to have a lot of sleep.
[speaker004:] I really need sleep.
[Rebecca:] Really
[speaker004:] awful. The thing is, that I can go, for then, weeks and weeks with like six or seven hours, Yes, that would be great. and then the first day I stop, I've usually got flu, I'm exhausted, I can't get out of bed, I feel rotten, but if I keep going for like, three weeks to a month, just on six hours, that's fine, but the first day I stop I'm like, in bed for a week ill usually. You stop... what? Like six hours, seven hours sleep a night. I was saying, I need sort of eight, nine, and I could easily sleep for twelve hours. Oh, so do I. I could go to bed early and it's sort... So do I. I'm terrible, if I've gone to bed really late, quite, you know, I just can't catch up. Mm. I'm awful, I mean, that's why I got up, you know when you phoned me this morning, and said, I am sorry, have I got you out of bed, and I was like really grateful, because I can't stand sleeping in. I always used to sleep in, until we got married. Then he wakes me up when he goes out of the door in the mornings. You were, you used to sleep in really late. Oh, yeah, I know, when I used to stay, cos Helen and I were as bad as each other, weren't we, though we didn't encourage each other very much to get up early. Helen was terrible. Helen was worse than me, I got up for Neighbours, I mean, she was really dead. Yeah. if she could make it. Yes, she does, she gets up in the middle of the day, doesn't she? Really? If she's got nothing to do, yeah. But she doesn't so much now, cos she's Yeah. But erm, now I get up at eight o'clock every morning, and this morning I slept in till ten, but that's cos I was up till four, working on Thursday night. God, what were you doing? Valponi Er, or not
[speaker006:] I can't really stay in bed past nine o'clock. Normally eight o'clock.
[speaker004:] In the morning?
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] I can't go to bed very early though, any more. I used to be able to go to bed early and go to sleep.
[speaker004:] Yes, cos I always used to go to bed a lot earlier than you guys. Mm. I say, the reason I think I had bad dreams, recently, in the last sort of three nights, is because they're the three nights I went swimming early, so I thought I better go to bed early. So I was in bed about eleven, instead of two in the morning. Mm. Which meant I probably was [cough] like awake to start with, because I, although I got up at seven, I still wasn't ready to go to bed at eleven, cos it was still too early, and usually I go to bed about two.
[speaker006:] Body clock's sort of
[speaker004:] Yeah, my body clock was like, still really really active. Cos usually I'm just like in bed, and that's it. and when I have to get up, I have to get up. changed about midnight whereas when I changed go to bed. Charlotte I'm much better at going to sleep with noise around me, though now, cos I can't tell when by body clocks, tends to shut your eyes, so I just blot it out now. I've managed to
[speaker006:] Been quite noisy upstairs.
[speaker004:] Not quite noisy, Often they come in about half an hour after we've gone to bed, so you're still not quite... asleep.
[speaker006:] Yeah. Probably no difference
[speaker004:] Well, that's it. Yeah. tend to get used to.
[speaker006:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker004:] I used to be constantly telling them to shut up
[speaker006:] There you go.
[speaker004:] I was a real pain in the arse, wasn't I? No, not really. The worse thing is, when I, I am desperate to get to sleep, cos then... You can't. Because, because then you do, exactly, if they make any noise, I'd be like, will you shut up. [cough]
[Rebecca:] And then that makes it even worse [cough] because you go round and round [cough] in circles, and you know and the more
[speaker004:] The more angry you get
[speaker006:] Exactly
[Rebecca:] and I used to get really angry with Alison... shuffling around, but they do it even, I mean, they've got to get their sofabed out every night, that sort of thing.
[speaker004:] Oh, right.
[Rebecca:] And so, you can imagine the sort of noise they make,
[speaker004:] Lisa?
[Rebecca:] people upstairs, cos they live in, they live in the space of our bedroom and bathroom.
[speaker004:] You're joking.
[Rebecca:] No,
[speaker004:] My goodness.
[Rebecca:] I know.
[speaker004:] What, and the, and...
[speaker006:] Wh where the ceiling changes height.
[speaker004:] Yeah, where the ceiling goes up. There's from there back to the bathroom.
[speaker006:] From there to the bathroom.
[speaker004:] That is all they've got?
[Rebecca:] That's all they've got.
[speaker004:] Oh, my life.
[speaker006:] That's just one room.
[Rebecca:] I know.
[speaker006:] I mean, I don't how they put up with each other.
[Rebecca:] So, when we, you can imagine the noise that they [cough] I mean, it's not their fault. It's not being any more noisy than we are here, but
[speaker004:] No, above you it seems more noisy.
[Rebecca:] Exactly, and when they come in it's really loud.
[speaker006:] You know about it.
[Rebecca:] And they're traipsing around the room, getting the bed out, doing this that and the other.
[speaker004:] We're amazed that we can hear the people downstairs, cos we can hear them like, you know, if you hear somebody above you, walking here dong dong dong dong, above, you can hear it for some reason, below on the ground floor.
[Rebecca:] Even more, and it really, and if you are on your own,
[speaker006:] They must have a sprung floor, or something.
[Rebecca:] it really sounds like someone's coming upstairs.
[speaker004:] Yeah. You think there's somebody on your level.
[Rebecca:] Cos you didn't always hear it. It's only
[speaker004:] No.
[Rebecca:] certain occasions.
[speaker004:] smelly substances as well.
[Rebecca:] Yeah their illegal substances.
[speaker004:] Oh, no.
[Rebecca:] Smoking illegal substances.
[speaker004:] They have, yeah.
[Rebecca:] I coming up through the floorboards.
[speaker006:] Perhaps they're walking on the ceiling, that's why you can hear it. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] I wanna go now.
[Rebecca:] You can really smell, can you smelt it, Claire
[Anne:] I thought, I thought someone had been smoking in the toilets. Yeah.
[speaker004:] Is it?
[speaker006:] Smoking in the toilets, yeah.
[Anne:] I didn't like to say anything, but
[Rebecca:] Well, when I came in, I thought, somebody's
[Anne:] Yeah, probably in the toilet area, kitchen toilet. Oh good, I'm glad we got that sorted out.
[Rebecca:] I think, I think that, I don't think they smoke all the time upstairs, but like, in the summer, er, basically this place just had its windows and doors open all day long, every day. And erm, one day we had friends round, and I went into the loo... it stinks of smoke in here, it was really bizarre, and I, I went, and sort of just thought oh, and then I went in again, and I really did smell, and I thought, this is really odd, and so when I came out here I said, did anyone else smell smoke in the ba in the bathroom, and they said oh yeah, I could smell cigarette smoke, and then, it must have just been upstairs, and it wafted down, and in through ours, cos there was no one else really around. It's just like really bizarre.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, it was really strong in the loo, just around the loo.
[speaker004:] It was, really really strong. Especially in the toilet.
[Rebecca:] That's why, and they were smoking out the window, er, up here. I don't know.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Anne:] But I mean, sometimes [cough] our house does smell,
[speaker004:] friendly. And that's why...
[Rebecca:] Oh, that's a shame. [cough]
[speaker004:] Sometimes, I've never smelt it before, though, since Yeah, but I always remember in, in the lounge there was, always seemed to be weird smells. Oh, that's when they came to change the curtains. Mm.
[Rebecca:] This place smells funny sometimes, and I really start getting paranoid, sort of, spraying air, air re
[speaker006:] actually.
[speaker004:] it's that kind of smell, he's into.
[Rebecca:] No it does. You know when we came in the other day, you came to see the sofa?
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] Didn't it smell odd? You don't remember?
[speaker004:] I don't think so, no.
[Rebecca:] Maybe it's just me.
[speaker004:] You get paranoid, though, don't you?
[Rebecca:] I don't like it being very stuffy. But because when you got the, you think you got the heating on and you're paying for the heating, and you open the windows. It's ridiculous. But I don't like it being stuffy, so this morning, I had all the windows open, cos it's nice and sunny and, erm, I had the windows open.
[speaker004:] But no, it's quiet, we can hear them down there can't we? Yeah, surprisingly. Oh, can you? But then again, we can only hear them at the moment, but there are six of them. Yeah, that's true.
[Rebecca:] There's four. There's two
[speaker004:] underneath the two couples. [cough] Two living in their, our lounge equivalent, and two living in my bedroom, equivalent, and then I thought there was just of them downstairs There are, but they've got his brother, his, Sam's boyfriend's brother, and his girlfriend and then their friends as well and they're both, they're all Kiwis, they're, they're all over from It's really sweet. Yeah, but they're all over them. They're all gonna start to share, all gonna start sharing the place. [LAUGHTER] They're all gonna start sharing the place together, cos it would be cheaper. Is that why they're moving out? Yeah, they're moving out at the end of this month. We've gotta have them round. Yeah. Really? Yeah. We feel really bad, we don't So they can leave us We haven't met any of the other people that live... How many flats are there here?
[Rebecca:] Thr four, including ou including ours. Well, we've met the guy who lives up above us, because he jumped out of bed, they've got french windows like we have, up above there, and he jumped out, and we were just sitting watching the telly or something, we heard these footsteps like going across the ceiling, it's as though we could see 'em, cos we could sort of hear it and feel it.
[speaker004:] Real weird.
[Rebecca:] And we nipped out there, and sort of looked up at him, and it was like, oh hi, we like go, is it safe up there?
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] We had us some con weird conversations with this guy standing on our roof.
[speaker004:] Yeah, we hear this television is.
[Rebecca:] Was it, yeah. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] Do you have to pay for your T V licence plus all the other flats separately?
[speaker004:] Don't know, We don't need to pay, it's per household, isn't it? We don't have to pay for ours. No. But I mean, per household, do you have to pay? Yeah, it's not is it?
[speaker006:] No.
[speaker004:] Individual. Bit of a shame. Mm. We think this is really disgusting, I don't know whether anybody noticed, but, on the back of the T V licence, we got our T V licence through, apparently [LAUGHTER] if you are registered blind, you get one pound and twenty nine P off your off your T V licence. I know. Off, eighty three pound. Big, big deal it's disgusting, isn't it? What an insult, honestly. Couldn't believe it, could we? You'd think you'd get twenty five percent off, or something minimum. Get it free One pound, twenty five. credit. What, do they... Do you get two pound fifty off if you're deaf and blind and blind. [LAUGHTER] Feel the screen. [LAUGHTER] Braille, braille television. horrible. Charlotte, you gonna have some... I can't believe it. Sorry, I'm what, oh, didn't you know Erm, I was gonna say something. Erm, yeah, I was gonna say, it's not even just like listening to the radio, is it, because they're catering for the, for the sighted, they're not, you know, if it was on radio, they'd say more, but I mean, it's television, but Does it end up making sense No. television is a more visual thing You could listen to the news on the telly and it wouldn't make any difference, but if you're watching a programme, Yes. there's a lot of gesture Yes. and, and looks and things Yes. going on that you've missed. it would be a bit That's a new thing It's not as if they could read the Radio Times and see... It's alright, leave it in the we need some time.
[speaker006:] Erm, I got interviewed on radio once, on, on television once with a friend and they asked, they asked us what we did, and this friend of mine said we were radio mime artists. [LAUGHTER] Gee, thanks.
[speaker004:] Oh, no.
[speaker006:] Like we're really going to be taken seriously now.
[speaker004:] What was this for?
[speaker006:] That was with.
[speaker004:] What was it for?
[Rebecca:] Don't ask who it was with, they asked you what it was for.
[speaker006:] It was erm, it was one of these sort of things, where you could go on and record your bit. If erm, if you got a thing that you're feeling uppity about.
[speaker004:] Oh, no.
[Rebecca:] it makes on our W T coding thing.
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] The London Sport, or whatever it is.
[speaker004:] Mm. Yeah, but were you the sort of people that walk into hospitals and start praying for the sick to be healed. [LAUGHTER] Really weird, honestly, when you, you really had the faith it would happen and it quite often Really? Yeah. But it's the fact that the guy gave erm, my friend Billy, erm, died a few years ago, erm, but they, they were like best mates and they used to ju just encourage each other to like, jump on a train and come up to London, and start going in all the hospitals and praying for the sick and things like that. Oh, they're really weird pe er not weird. That's down there in that photo with his wife. Oh, right.
[speaker006:] Actually, before he moved away, he, he gave up his designing job and he was working in for a bit. And erm, you don't know this, but when, when I used to go round there, he used to moan about all, no, he didn't moan, but
[Rebecca:] Oh you did tell me.
[speaker006:] What about all the girls.
[Rebecca:] The girls.
[speaker006:] The girls in campus, blinking heck Phil, they keep coming out in their underwear and saying, can you get me this size, or can you get me that size, you know, what am I supposed to do you know. Keep banging his head against the wall.
[Rebecca:] He was a great guy. He phoned up, a guy erm, Head of er Air Canada. Top guy. He found out the guy's name, right, he
[speaker006:] First name.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, first name. He phones up and he says, oh hello, can I speak to Tom, and then, and erm, this woman, receptionist, whatever, obviously thought oh well, he knows the guy
[speaker004:] Yes.
[Rebecca:] so she him put him straight through [cough] and then goes, Mr Smith, erm, my name's Mike, er, you don't know me, but I'm a graphic designer and er, my wife and I are trying to emigrate to Canada, and erm, I'd like you to send me some business and give me two free tickets for it.
[speaker004:] Really? And the guy did it as well, sent him some business. He did a couple of hours' work, and he got two free tickets to Canada. Cos otherwise they'd never have been able to afford to go, so Wow.
[speaker006:] And it took him about twenty five minutes.
[speaker004:] How old is he now?
[Rebecca:] He's now twenty eight.
[speaker004:] Oh, who was the one that died, then?
[Rebecca:] Same age.
[speaker006:] No, that's his friend.
[speaker004:] Really?
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Blimey.
[Rebecca:] He was on a pushbike and he was sucked into the slip, into the strip blah, into the slipstream of a car lorry
[speaker004:] Ooh
[speaker006:] But he, he built up his own graphic design business, by designing something, say, Quality Street. He'd look at that and say, I think that's a really outdated adve erm, design.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker006:] So he'd design a new one, and he'd write to the guy at Quality Street and say look, I think, I'm a graphic designer, I think your box is a load of rubbish, I've designed this, will you pay me for it?
[speaker004:] Really?
[speaker006:] And he built up a whole business just by picking famous names and saying, look I think your design is really outdated and it's not doing your image any good. How about this?
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] I couldn't believe that he just about had the audacity to phone this guy up.
[speaker004:] Yeah, but that's how you get Yeah, exactly.
[speaker006:] [clears throat] I mean, that must be a thousand pounds' worth of air tickets.
[Rebecca:] And they lost a fortune on their house, trying to sell it. And erm,
[speaker006:] It took him twenty five minutes on, on his computer,
[Rebecca:] So he just
[speaker006:] and that was it.
[speaker004:] Fiddling around, yeah.
[Rebecca:] He just gets
[speaker004:] Mm, if you don't know these things, if you don't try these things, you don't even you always do it, don't you Claire, you're quite happy to barter with people in these situations
[Anne:] It's the way we got our house.
[speaker004:] I think, yeah, I think you need to be sometimes like that are awful.
[Anne:] they saw our house Friday, and they rang me up, and I said look, you know, I've got, I've got my exams today and I really don't want to come up unless you see something, if you do, I will come up because they reckon it's a joint effort, if we're gonna live together, we've all got to see it and make a contribution to looking at the house. So anyway, they rang me up Friday night, and said, oh, seen this house, it's lovely and really nice. What's the arrangement? We'll meet you there at twelve o'clock Saturday, right. Right, I'll meet you at McDonald's blah blah blah. So anyway, we got down here,
[speaker004:] eaten sandwiches by then.
[Anne:] and erm,
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] when we got down there, and erm, rang the bloke and he wasn't in and we kept ringing and he wasn't in. We just thought, they said, oh, we'll show you where it is, so we drove round there, and... no, he wasn't there, and, so of course, we drove back there about four or five times during the day, and like we drove past there one time and there was a woman standing outside, she said like, oh what do you want, I was like, oh well, we've come to see the house. So by the end of the day, I was like, look I've come all this way, which wasn't totally true, but I said, look I've come all this way, the bloke arranged that he would meet us at this time, and he's not here, and like, you know, I've come two and a half hours in the car, and I've gotta drive home again, and we were gonna have a look at the house. So by the end of the day, we'd met Sam, we knew her, we'd been in her house, we'd looked around her house. We found out that the neighbours on the left hand side, who were in fact an elderly couple, and his son was working erm, and he had his own business working at home. Then we had erm, the other people next door, the woman erm, who was supposed to be a man-eater, we'd actually looked round her house and it was ident identical to ours and we looked, we looked all the way round her house and like, she said, oh yeah, all the building's the same but just in reverse and like, we met all the neighbours, plus the woman opposite hadn't seen the flat,
[speaker004:] I mean, what's wrong
[speaker006:] Of course you can.
[Anne:] so anyway [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] You can actually see
[Anne:] but then, on the other hand, I'm not the sort of person who, I mean, if it's something like that I can ask people, but I've got friends who are quite cheeky, who will ask things, I mean, like if somebody does something for me, I'm like, are you sure, are you sure, you don't mind, and like, I'm like over the top the other way. But if you're just generally talking to people and not actually asking anything of them,
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Anne:] I'm very willing, but seeing as someone's doing something for me, I'm like you sure you don't mind? People get like actually annoyed and I just like what do you mean, I mean, you're doing it anyway, it's no problem.
[Rebecca:] My mum's the sort of person who'll just argue with anything, if she thinks... she'll argue with anybody, or anything if she thinks that she's being swindled, so like, [LAUGHTER] she even went to the extent of having, they, we had an extension built, right, and she, we had it, only fair's fair, this one particular suite, we had erm, and they, they had this absolutely massive bathroom built, [LAUGHTER] okay [] not specifically to have a nicer bathroom, but to have a very big room and erm, so they had two sinks, this sounds real extravagant, erm,
[speaker004:] Is there another glass out there? Where do you keep the glasses?
[Rebecca:] Down, under...
[speaker004:] There's one there.
[speaker006:] In the front of the bar cupboard.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, it is yours. Erm, they've got two things, a bidet, a toilet, a corner bath and a corner shower on the other side, right?
[speaker004:] Is this in one room?
[Rebecca:] In one [LAUGHTER] room [].
[speaker004:] Goodness.
[Rebecca:] I know.
[speaker006:] It's, it's wider than this room, and it's easily from here to the end of the kitchen.
[speaker004:] Yeah, I see.
[Rebecca:] No, it's not. What a load of rubbish. Philip, no, that's an exaggeration, come on, it's about as wide, it's as long as this room
[speaker006:] It's about that big [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] it's about as long as this room, and probably a bit wider. But it just, because they had it, they had our, our double garage and that knocked down
[speaker004:] A quite big It is isn't it The bath must be the size of a sofa.
[speaker006:] Oh, yeah.
[Rebecca:] Well, it's not that long, but it's in
[speaker004:] Yeah, well you know that sur with the surround and everything and if it's
[Rebecca:] Oh, come on, let's not over exaggerate.
[Anne:] Is this because they built onto the
[Rebecca:] to have a big bathroom.
[speaker004:] Do you have to embarrass your parents bathroom.
[Rebecca:] Well, what it was was, erm, cos my grandmother was very ill, granddad's sort of
[speaker006:] And they've got a, and they've got a sort of washstand in there.
[Rebecca:] Can I. [sighing] Oh [], for goodness sake.
[Inga:] How big's their Claire.
[Rebecca:] They had a double garage knocked down, and built around the area,
[speaker004:] Right.
[Rebecca:] so they just had building built on top of it,
[speaker004:] Right.
[Rebecca:] and my parents had,
[speaker006:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] because of that, they've got a very big bathroom and a very big bedroom,
[speaker004:] Right.
[Rebecca:] because they just, two rooms,
[speaker004:] Right.
[Rebecca:] put over the top of the,
[speaker004:] Yeah, yeah.
[Rebecca:] yeah, garage. So erm, cos downstairs, we had it all extended, so we could have a disabled bathroom and that sort of thing and,
[speaker004:] Right.
[Rebecca:] instead of going use the garage.
[speaker006:] I can't see the point of having a bathroom that doesn't work.
[Rebecca:] What do you mean, a bathroom that doesn't work?
[speaker006:] Oh, sorry, sorry.
[Rebecca:] Are you trying really to piss me off?
[speaker006:] No.
[Rebecca:] Well, what do you mean?
[speaker006:] It was a joke. A disabled bathroom. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Erm,
[Rebecca:] Yes, it doesn't matter what I was saying, anyway.
[speaker004:] Is this, is this We know what you mean. Is it separate from the bedroom?
[Rebecca:] It's not in the bedroom, it's
[Anne:] Is the, the bathroom's not in the bedroom, is it? This is separate.
[Rebecca:] Yes.
[speaker004:] A separate room.
[Rebecca:] What I was saying was, just that like, they had all these pieces of furniture in there, it was supposed to be a suite, but my mum, my mum got round and tell you every single piece that was a different colour or the wrong shape, or didn't fit on the pedestal properly, or this and that, and she had the whole lot changed at least three times.
[Anne:] Really?
[Rebecca:] Yeah, and cos we had, we had the bathroom that was originally there, that they knocked through to build all this extension, was converted into a shower room, and she didn't think that the sink was right in that, and the disabled bathroom had at least two or three pieces that she thought bolshie in that as well,
[Anne:] Really?
[Rebecca:] and after just that they kept sending the wrong pieces, I mean, like they, they sent another piece to replace it, and it was it was just as bad,
[Anne:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] my mum wasn't having it. Everyone else was just, [LAUGHTER] everyone else could have all the faulty stuff, they may not complain, but I'm going to,
[speaker004:] Yeah,
[Rebecca:] I have to stick to my guns, I'm paying a fortune for this stuff, why should I have faulty
[speaker004:] Exactly.
[Rebecca:] furniture. Even if the whole lot's being processed like, perhaps it shouldn't be, and then of course your standards aren't good enough. So sh mum's had a my mother, but she's got what she wants.
[speaker004:] My friend had, they had er
[Rebecca:] It's taken a year to get it all.
[Anne:] What's that big kitchen fur is it Schr Schreiber?
[speaker006:] Schreiber.
[Anne:] Yeah, they had them come and fit their kitchen and they really did pay thousands of pounds for it, and erm, there was a chip erm, one of the units on the top and they, they just fitted it like it, and my, their dad called them back and said, look you know, I'm paying thousands of pounds for this.
[Rebecca:] That's [cough]
[Anne:] got quite a lot of money off for it. They, they said well we can redo it for you, they said we can give you a reduction in it, and he sort of bartered with them, and I think he got, you know, a good couple of hundred pound off just for this little chip in the unit.
[Rebecca:] I should think so.
[Anne:] I mean, if you're paying for these things, and you know, fair enough.
[speaker004:] My parents had fitted cupboards and wardrobes, you know, fitted like throughout their room, it's like, the normal two cupboards on one side, the cupboards above, plus the extra fitting and like wall fittings and, then the back bits by the bed, and then they had stable door and the big long dressing table and the end unit, and they actually bought different side panels for different wardrobe fittings. Like they got, I don't know, something called Shadow,
[speaker006:] yeah.
[speaker004:] which was like sort of beige colour with gold erm, handles, and they sent a sort of bluey colour side rails and top, and thought they, they'd get away with it. I mean, they were actually looking at it and we were going, but it's not the same furniture. Yeah.
[speaker006:] No.
[speaker004:] And they were like, oh, oh well, what you mean, you, you're not prepared to have it. And like my parents sort of went, the thought that they gave them money that we had for it, yeah Yeah, exactly.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, it's like you could actually, I mean once my mum had pointed it out, I'd never had noticed, but you walked into the bathroom and you thought, yeah,
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] they are different colours. But like, obviously the bath and shower, cos they're plastic, they're not going to be exactly the same colours, so that's quite good, you can get away with that. But the two sinks the bidet and the toilet, were all like different shades, and you just like, yes, but is this all supposed to be the same thing.
[speaker006:] yeah.
[Rebecca:] And like, in the di in the disabled bathroom the, the er, it's not on a proper pedestal, so it's sitting on it
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] it's just got a bit to cover the pipes, so it just like, sits on the wall, so that you can get a wheelchair underneath.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] and it's much lower down, and this thing, it's like a gap, it's like... this big around the bottom of the sink, so like it wasn't even touching the sink, the, the pedestal bit under bits underneath, it's like, it had a sort of similar sort of shape, so it should fit, but it was like, a massive gap underneath, like... no...
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[Anne:] I think a lot of people tend to put up with things, don't they?
[Rebecca:] Well, they do, that's right.
[Anne:] Don't like to complain.
[Rebecca:] When you just think, the number of houses, not everybody can go through that, cos otherwise they would have done something about it.
[Anne:] Yeah, that's true.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] In fact, to happen time and time again.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] It's like when we were in Cyprus, the amount of things that you can actually barter for. Do you know what I mean?
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] And like, they'd say, this was so much money, and mum would say, any chance of a discount? And I think by the time she'd finished it would be half price, she'd walk out with the thing half price, and she'd say, well you know, it's just, they make up prices and you go to another shop and it would be the half price marked, and you go into another shop it would be, you know,
[speaker004:] over there.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] That's what their, that's the whole way they trade. Over here you know, it's marked up that, and you just don't dare to
[Rebecca:] But then the thing is that [LAUGHTER] my mum comes back here, and she's buying and she's like, any chance of a discount, and I thought mum, because she's like [] so into that lifestyle, now,
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] like the culture, but it's amazing how many people, even in England, if you do have the audacity to ask
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] they will say, oh, alright then. And they give a, though she's not being like, really cheeky, it's because she's been living in a culture for four years, where [cough] that's the way they, they sell and buy.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] But because she's back here, she still sometimes does it, and in fact they do do it for her.
[speaker004:] If I'm in a shop and I find something that's slightly faulty, and I think, well I could easily fix that. I go up to the counter say, erm, I'd like this please, but it's actually got this tear in it, or whatever's wrong with it, erm, can you give me some discount? But a lot of places say, well, is there another one that's alright. Yes. Mm. And so, you They'd rather sell you the full price, yeah. Yeah, exactly. say that about Some, some places say oh, yeah, alright then, I'll give you such and such off. It's the big warehouse places, you know, the big stores that aren't interested, if because Yeah. it's all mass produced and they might as well not sell it to you, and send it back to the manufacturers and get a full discount. True. Yeah.
[speaker006:] Sometimes if you offer to pay for things for cash, you get a discount,
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker006:] because they have to pay, sort of, two or three percent on...
[Rebecca:] Yeah, we did that, when you bought our erm,
[speaker006:] and things.
[Rebecca:] when we bought our chest of drawers.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] We got twenty five off didn't we?
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[Anne:] Really?
[Rebecca:] Yeah. But I think that was
[Anne:] I never ask, I mean, that's really stupid of me, which I, I wish I did, I just always just, I don't know, I'm really stupid like that.
[speaker006:] Never any harm in asking, though, is there, as you say
[Rebecca:] You ask.
[speaker006:] Pardon?
[Rebecca:] You ask.
[speaker006:] Haven't really
[Rebecca:] You remember have you.
[speaker004:] Well, that's the thing, I think it's the English attitude, of
[speaker006:] It depends, it depends on what it is, doesn't it?
[Rebecca:] oh don't, don't ask, because you don't want to look as if,
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] either you haven't got the money or you don't want to
[speaker004:] Yeah
[Rebecca:] because people look at you, and just like, oh gosh how scummy.
[speaker004:] Well, it's just that,
[Rebecca:] But it's not.
[speaker004:] I wouldn't I wouldn't even think of asking.
[Rebecca:] Mm.
[speaker004:] The best thing to get richer is like, going round car boot sales, like my mum, she's so funny, dad said she's a different woman, she's just like, cos when Phil and I erm, were engaged, we were trying to save up money, so we, oh and like we'd sell off all our old stuff, so just give me of money, and then, we got these and my mum was pricing everything up, and she's going, if someone asks for a discount, don't, just don't give it to them, she said, everyone's going round pricing everything up and erm, when they come to you, they just, they just want things for nothing. She's going on and on about everybody wants something for nothing. [LAUGHTER] And she's just like, this really officious and then, she just said, everybody goes round, and they try and get the cheapest price and they go back to the place that are giving the cheapest price, whatever. She'd say, stand your ground, don't, you know, sort of like, then she goes round to everybody else, trying to get everything for nothing. [LAUGHTER] Yeah, exactly.
[Rebecca:] Funny, though, watching people,
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] cos I mean, I had to help my dad with a car boot sale, this is a man who doesn't buy anything erm, secondhand
[speaker004:] People just turn vicious.
[Anne:] Really?
[Rebecca:] would only shop in Harrods. And there he was at a car boot sale, it was like
[Inga:] Well, it's amazing what people will buy.
[speaker004:] I know.
[Rebecca:] You get couples who shop together and then they get addicted to your car boot, and they want everything and it's quite amusing. I've had people, I've, I've driven up and it's in the pouring rain, and you've people just, they hoard round your car as you drive up. You can't actually get things out of your car. [LAUGHTER] And you take out a box of stuff and they're sorting through the stuff and you're like, excuse me, and you're trying to get your tables out
[speaker006:] you know.
[speaker004:] and your things put on, Mm.
[Rebecca:] and you know, all this sort of stuff, and they won't even let you get things out the car, I mean, they are in your car it's like
[speaker004:] And then you all go round the car boot and they have their own car and they'll be selling your stuff out of it.
[Rebecca:] I've had people come up and buy records and tapes and things and they've gone back to their stall which is all they sell is records and tapes.
[speaker004:] Right.
[Rebecca:] and they've priced them up.
[speaker004:] Honestly.
[Rebecca:] They've bought them off yo them off you, say for three pound
[speaker004:] My gosh.
[Rebecca:] and selling them at seven.
[speaker004:] Crikey.
[Rebecca:] So you really have to keep an eye out.
[speaker004:] You gotta know what you're on about.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, exactly. I mean, I got wise to it after a while.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] I had some guys come up, and they were, they were really pissed off with me because, my mum sort of like, this guy just done this with th th the stall next door, but he left some stuff that he obviously already had things of, which he didn't think it was worth him buying, and this guy came round, and they were obviously from one of these, you know how you get erm, secondhand erm record stores
[speaker004:] yeah.
[Rebecca:] yeah, actual, you know, shops that [cough] and erm, there's these two guys together and they were really trying to intimidate me, I mean like, big stuff. They, they priced everything up, and they said, right that's eleven pounds, what can you do me for. I said, I beg your pardon? Said, well what price would you give me? I said, the prices are marked on the thing That was provided by erm...
[Ann:] Oh yeah, it's really good. It really picks up things very well.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[Ann:] Yeah, it's excellent.
[speaker009:] Yes, they're really expensive to buy, they're about ninety quid to buy.
[Rebecca:] You'll just have to...
[speaker004:] what, those walkmans...
[speaker009:] Yeah, 'cos that's got a radio you can use with it, as well.
[speaker004:] Mm. You can use it for an interview.
[Ann:] They don't usually have record buttons, do they?
[speaker004:] No. Mm.
[Rebecca:] Well, last night, I went through all the different topics, you know, the composer situation. And I went through them and I I narrowed it down to three... things now. Task or topic
[speaker009:] What you were gonna
[Rebecca:] Mm.
[speaker009:] do in your essay?
[Rebecca:] Either that...
[Ann:] I thought you were reading the Alchemist or something.
[Rebecca:] I was, but I erm, Well, I finished that.
[speaker004:] Oh, good.
[Rebecca:] Finished it all, and then, I just decided... then I sorted out my washing, and then I decided what part I was gonna do, I'd narrowed it down to either topic, task or topic erm, stable features, which are, sort of, erm, self confidence and things, and erm, how you you express yourself, and then a third one is like sex an and gender and age.
[Ann:] Do you have to do all this from the tapes that have been recorded.
[Rebecca:] Well. Yeah, you're meant to do your own recordings.
[speaker004:] If if not, you supposed to record, they're supposed to be, in fact, two minutes, and I couldn't read, 'cos two minutes is about half... two sides of of transcript, so that's all we need really. So it's... otherwise, it would be just too big to analyse.
[speaker009:] Plus, all us, we had to do erm, transcribe... five minutes. Well do you know how long that would,
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker009:] can you imagine how long that would take, it would just be impossible. We were o on... and I thought, no way, and then Marianne said, no, it's ju, she said, that's too much, we'll be, and like, erm,, we'll knock off er, five hundred words of your assignment, if you do five minutes of thing, and that's, no way.
[speaker004:] , really.
[speaker009:] you're gonna do well over five hundred words, bloody writing it out. [sniff] so Marianne well, she said, she said, well okay then, do five hundred. Like both sides, to do like two and a half pages.
[speaker004:] Well, I don't mind doing that.
[Rebecca:] Thing is, they say, take half an hour to transcribe two minutes, but that's probably by professionals anyway.
[speaker009:] It does, the thing is, if you've got a lot of speakers...
[Rebecca:] Mm.
[speaker009:] Becaus I mean, the the one I've got here, the one I've got, erm, er that I taped on Saturday night, there's seven people on it, and they all keep cutting across each other on it, it would just be impossible.
[Rebecca:] Mm.
[speaker009:] Was it a good conversation, though?
[speaker004:] Bet that was good though The effects when listening back to it.
[Rebecca:] How are you
[speaker009:] It was just like being at the cinema, but it's just like being, it's just like being in the room again, because of the conversation's back.
[Rebecca:] Was this seven girls, or...
[speaker009:] No, there's there's [noise background] Phil, and erm, Nicole's erm, the girl she lived with last year, her and her boyfriend came.
[Rebecca:] Oh.
[speaker009:] So there's two blokes and five girls. And we, it's really funny because of we started off the evening talking about leg waxing [LAUGHTER]. The conversation keeps coming back to leg waxing at every quarter of an hour, it's really funny.
[Rebecca:] Really.
[speaker009:] Yeah. Oh my God. No.
[speaker004:] Who does it then?
[speaker009:] And erm,
[speaker004:] I was telling my mum and dad about that,
[speaker009:] No, everyone was bringing it back, it was, Ben from bringing it back to it. And Claire did, and so did Charlotte, it was really... oh. [noise background]
[speaker004:] I I told my mum and dad about that on Sunday, that she's got a leg waxing machine. I said she had been trained properly, I was telling them just basically about Claire in general and just about the good of erm, things like things you like to talk about, and erm, so I just, I said, they cried poverty, I said, but you know, one minute she's driving her old banger, and the next minute she's got a K reg and outside the, And then I said, then she'd been bought a a hundred pound of leg waxing machine.
[Rebecca:] Does it look good on. I hope...
[speaker009:] She shares it with her mum. I don't think her mum uses it very much.
[Rebecca:] 'Cos I imagine it to be really sort erm, medieval
[speaker010:] Hi.
[speaker004:] Hi yeah.
[Rebecca:] really, really old.
[speaker009:] I don't know, I I d, they're very expensive, I should imagine. I wouldn't bother with one.
[speaker004:] Hi yeah.
[speaker009:] Have you seem them, then.
[speaker004:] Yeah. How are you? Fine. No. [LAUGHTER] Arr. What is that? not the only one. That's nice.
[speaker009:] You got your tickets?
[speaker004:] Mm. Oh, that was quick
[speaker009:] So you've got to flog another one to someone.
[speaker010:] No, no, no, Kerry's coming, erm,
[speaker004:] Oh, that's good.
[speaker010:] she's in Northampton, she's
[speaker009:] Oh, right, that's good.
[speaker010:] And she said she'd come. I've just phoned her up just to tell her.
[speaker009:] Jolly gee. I'm gonna see on Thursday,
[speaker004:] Are you?
[speaker009:] afternoon.
[speaker004:] How much did it come to?
[speaker009:] Only five fifty, I think.
[speaker004:] Oh, really.
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] What is it?
[speaker009:] It's called Two Gentlemen of Veronna?
[speaker004:] Ohh.
[speaker009:] I don't know what it's about.
[speaker004:] I think,
[speaker009:] Is it good?
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker009:] It's meant to be really funny,
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] and it's meant to be a really good production.
[speaker004:] Is that the R S C?
[speaker009:] Mm.
[speaker004:] Oh, that's good.
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Is it in the pit, or is it in the the theatre?
[speaker009:] I don't where it is, er Nicole just s said, do you want to come, and I said, oh yeah okay, it's only gonna cost a fiver.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] lot of things, if they weren't erm, we're doing theatre and drama next term.
[speaker004:] Oh, right.
[speaker009:] so. Actually, I I want, don't know whether you want interested in coming, I'm not sure whether I wanna go, but either next week, it'll have to be next week, 'cos I think after I won't be here, I'm going home. There is a play showing at erm, The Orange Tree, it's by Faye Weldon. I don't know whether you...
[speaker004:] Oh, yeah.
[speaker009:] She wrote, The Love and Lives of the She Devil, and she's written it, she wrote it especially for The Orange Tree Theatre about... ten years ago, and now she's re-doing it,
[speaker004:] [clears throat] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker009:] It's already recording, yeah. Now she's re-written it, and er, it's gonna be shown there, and it's only, seats gonna be about a fiver, if you go, er in the afternoons. If you were going.
[speaker004:] Mm. Where's that?
[speaker009:] The Orange Tree erm, Theatre. There's a play on by, it's called Mr Director. [noise background] It's on by Faye, it's written by Faye Weldon.
[speaker004:] Oh.
[speaker009:] And erm, I want to go and see it Well, I'll go on my own, if need be. I'm just asking if anyone's interested
[speaker004:] Yeah, I'll go.
[speaker009:] I thought about going on Monday. Erm, the twenty-sixth, I think.
[speaker004:] Let's see if I go home, yet.
[speaker009:] Yeah, well, I I I might, it might not be definite, but I think they want to go and see it before it goes on, and it's only a fiver, and I'd really like to see it.
[speaker004:] How, how are those things made. It's got erm, it's with the same Sheba, Mm. Erm, I just went upstairs, to see if I've got a blank tape, and I haven't got a blank tape.
[speaker009:] How did er T V go this morning?
[speaker004:] Excellent.
[speaker009:] Yeah, what was you doing to him,
[speaker004:] Camera C.
[speaker009:] So was I, I was doing camera two.
[speaker004:] Excellent.
[speaker009:] It's brilliant, innit. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] [voice level very low] Really, really enjoying it. Oh, that was erm. Turn it up. Oh it's not fair [voice level very low]
[speaker009:] No, I love th, erm the acting was excellent this morning.
[speaker004:] Was it, oh good. [LAUGHTER] Have you managed to get lots of volunteers to do your outing with Mary and Fiona. well, sort of, erm. nurses, yeah are you doing the same things. Yeah, the same thing. Erm, 'cos I I didn't put an at all, and like the three blokes, there were only three lads and us anyway. So, so they had to do it.
[speaker009:] What, that's a bit out of order, innit, poor sods.
[speaker004:] They sort of went mm alright.
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] So they did it, and erm... Is it a play?
[speaker009:] Yeah, we did...
[speaker004:] Yeah, we had to call it, Lear's Lily
[speaker009:] Lily
[speaker004:] And, her nurse. And I just kept quiet. And erm, [LAUGHTER]
[speaker009:] I just sat there and thought, I'm not doing it,
[speaker004:] Yeah,
[speaker009:] if they ask me, I'm not doing it, I'm sorry.
[speaker004:] And erm,
[speaker009:] And I really like, really work psyched myself up for it.
[speaker004:] And who did it in the end, who's doing it? Erm, Alice said she would do Lily, So you had to ask actual Oh, yeah. erm, and Martin and Den had already volunteered to be in it, Yeah. and then, David, was so- sort of bludgeoned into doing it. [LAUGHTER] oh. David... Brush. David Brush, and we we're still wa we're waiting on a Lily, so I think we might be asking Naomi to do our Lily for u I mean nurse er, nurse for us, 'cos we haven't got a nurse. Well, there's so part, you know, what I thought, I really would like to do to camera, and I was a bit, thought, well, everyone's gonna want to do camera so That's what I thought, and nobody wants to do it. Nobody wants, no, and I I started our first one, and I said I would, normally I I put my hand up, 'cos I wanted to direct. I'll do it. Yeah, and erm, yeah.
[speaker009:] quite nice as well actually, because there's not that many shots, and there's a nice break between all of them, isn't there.
[speaker004:] Yeah, and there nice easy shots, really.
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Yeah, and erm,
[speaker010:] [LAUGHTER] Sounds cools, doesn't it. I wish I could have a go.
[speaker009:] It is really I loved it, I was really enjoying it. I thought, yeah, this is what I wanna do.
[speaker004:] Have you got erm, you know you have the screen, and the monitor screen, have you got s, you know like they have on T V, the the writing that comes on, sort of, like a telephone number comes on the bottom of it, is it, have you got that, special things like that. Yes, you can do that. What, what, You can do, you can put you can put like credits up and you can put, you could put Mm. a telephone number up, couldn't you? It's just superimposed on the bottom. [sniff] At the bottom of it, yeah.
[speaker009:] It's amazing what they can do, innit.
[speaker004:] In a way, I wish I was doi I wish I could equal acting on T V.
[speaker009:] Do you?
[speaker004:] I really liked I liked to do T V, I'd like to do camera work.
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Would you have to go to university. Yeah. or just six weeks. No, it's for, it carries on till the end of semester one. What's art and techniques, then?
[speaker009:] Living theatre. The living theatre takes up, it comes up in the living theatre.
[speaker004:] The living theatre, yeah. whatever it is And do we then stop our majors or what?
[speaker009:] I would imagine so, yeah, I think, then you pick them up in year three if you want to. Which meant if I did it in year three, which I'd liked to, then you'd obviously equal or went into drama. 'Cos I I like my English, I don't want to er, I don't know, I see how this year goes.
[speaker004:] Or m minor my English.
[speaker009:] Well, it all depends how it goes.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] I mean, at the moment,
[speaker004:] I don't know if minor isn't, if if you minor English, isn't it just major authors, Yeah, that all I w
[speaker009:] Is it?
[speaker004:] That's what really pisses me off, 'cos I'd like to the whole
[speaker009:] Oh, really? that's what I didn't know.
[speaker004:] I wanted to fo major authors. But I would rather not fiddle around with other, I'd rather have not done tha well, no I wanted to do language when I when I put my options down, but now, Mm. You're not No. doing... No, you're doing the same as I am, aren't you, yeah. yeah You can't go to college. Er. You can't go to drama college, can you? Yeah. Yeah. You can? But...
[speaker009:] Yeah, you can go on a major or equal, can't you.
[speaker004:] I thought perhaps then you just can't single. ... make use of them. No. no.
[speaker009:] You just can't single in any of them, but next year there doing single language, aren't they?
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] drama
[speaker004:] Or they're doing single They're doing it now, they're doing Single Irish. I didn't think it was all subjects, I thought it was just history No. I thought it was like history and English and erm, [clicking in the background] [LAUGHTER] the tape with that one [] we just do well gone the same than bloody English, then I think I'd go abroad. Yeah, I'd go mad... I like to do... Oh, yeah. like geography, I wouldn't mind doing that 'cos I'm used to it. But erm, you know the English, the major author's list can you try and find it after this. Yeah, I'll do it later. 'Cos, if if, if you can try and find it before I go, if not, if you can't find it I'll... What do you want? I want the list of the major auth, yeah We doing Dominiques aren't we? We're doing Dominiques next week? Erm, did you put that on the Bugger. Bugger, no shit. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker009:] God.
[speaker004:] You might have put it on the word processor and she could print off What? a copy for everybody. [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER] Can you do it now, please. [LAUGHTER] they've lost their copy. [] I went up last week, and erm, everyone, there was no one there, so er. Erm. I rang my mum, because she didn't ring me last night, Why didn't she... This is just while I remember to tell you. Right. My dad answered the phone, and I said, erm, you know, hello, is everything alright, blah, blah, blah, and I said, dad, why didn't mum phone me last night, and he said, probably because she can't speak. [LAUGHTER] Oh, no. what's wrong, ah. yeah, this, Ah. from this infection Ah, no. she's had. So erm, he said, she'll, she'll ring you, he said, she'd here, but she'll ring you later. are you all right, mum. [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER] [mimicking] I'm all right, all right. [] through the nose, yeah. [LAUGHTER] No, erm, she sent off for some curtains Yeah.
[speaker009:] oh wow, she sent for some curtains
[speaker004:] Some curtains and carpets for us.
[speaker009:] Has she?
[speaker004:] Yes, posted... Thursday. what? I don't know when we'll get them. computer I'm sorry but the tape while you're [crackling in background] otherwise I'll Oh, that's good. Yeah. So you didn't, you didn't upstairs. Yeah I thought, Oh God, don't let anything has happened, anything me. Just like to get me tannoyed this morning, thinking something's wrong, something's wrong they haven't phoned and they don't want to tell me. [LAUGHTER] You read, what was it, something... Oh, like, when erm, David died, she wouldn't phone me because I know. she was like, when I did phone, you know, she was like, I really wish you hadn't phoned. Mm. and I was thinking, oh great. So, erm, you know, I always thought oh, she's with the dog and that. but I heard it all later. She didn't... [music] Did your all right. Yeah, she was just worried about annoying me, I'm like, affect really, [LAUGHTER] is that alright, I hope she's gonna be alright. really annoyed about. Yeah. Yeah, I save that Yeah. pictures can't we We can go now look after my dog. We can always go shopping or something.
[speaker009:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Window shopping. [singing] No. No. no, but she sort of said, about her mum and dad, I mean, it's true, 'cos her dad was on overseas pay and he was in Cyprus, and it's it's different now that they're back in England. Obviously they don't need the same kind of money, but her like they don't get a don't get a grant for her or her brother, Don't they? and it's less than what they were receiving come to, and that's what he was getting, and now he's getting a lot less. Mm. but they don't do that, do they? the year before, don't they, so if you don't get any money the previous year, through. I hope that doesn't cause yeah. It's a good idea, why not. Wag's in.
[speaker009:] Oh, where is he?
[speaker004:] erm. Yeah.
[speaker009:] Oh, he's hiding in the is he?
[speaker004:] Try it first heard it's really good.
[speaker009:] He's eaten it cold, though.
[speaker004:] Oh, I'd eat it cold. I'd love eating I had roast parsnips, brussel sprouts, carrots, and boiled and baked alaska, [LAUGHTER] and it was really nice. I had Oh, was it nice? I had broccoli, and cauliflower and Ohh foods oh, slow down. Must be what.
[speaker009:] oh dear, they getting him christened already. Oh dear.
[speaker004:] No, I mean the traditional Isn't it horrible when you don't know what to pay for things. Mm. How is it. Your dad.
[speaker009:] Well, it must be pretty soon. They wouldn't have done it in
[speaker004:] What? Dale's dying. What soon?
[speaker009:] No, I wouldn't think it would be soon.
[speaker004:] They're concentrating on it a bit now, aren't they. Yeah. Oh, his dad's died. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker009:] What did you say?
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER] died [].
[speaker009:] I hate that top she wears.
[speaker004:] Twiggy. [LAUGHTER] I've been in Twiggy Porsche. My claim to fame. Been in Twiggy's Porsche. Have you? Shh One of my dad's friends, one of our friends at our old pub, owns it. Mm. This annoys me. Sorry, go on. It was a crap heap, really by the time he'd got it, but you know, it had been a good car. [LAUGHTER] It just annoys me, the way they don't tie their hair back in the coffee shop. It just drives me up the wall.
[speaker009:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker004:] it's a bit unrealistic, isn't it?
[speaker009:] Aw. they op they did about that in Neighbours, aren't they, they had the
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] the basic developers.
[speaker004:] It really gets on my nerves. But none of them tied with their hair back.
[speaker009:] No, that's true.
[speaker004:] Especially, that thing.
[speaker009:] Different hygiene things out there.
[speaker004:] You would think, you know.
[speaker009:] Yeah, it is bad.
[speaker004:] Could at least tie it back.
[speaker009:] I really don't like his character any more.
[speaker004:] Sorry? I really don't like Greg's character any more. Oh, Greg. Yeah.
[speaker009:] Yeah, he does, dunne he, the cleaner or something.
[speaker004:] She's become a right mumsy type, like erm... It's one thousand six hundred dollars, though.
[speaker009:] Is he trying to flog them thingies.
[speaker004:] Yeah. Yeah, Adam's actually said he can join him now.
[speaker009:] Oh, no.
[speaker004:] They're splitting profits, fifty, fifty... [LAUGHTER]... He hasn't been in it for a long time. That's because Yeah. Up on top of the counter. Yeah. You can at the back. It's a bit erm, takes so much alcohol isn't it, really. ... I love it when they start talking, in the street, they have to... sort of, adapt to it, don't they? Yeah, Yeah, because of suddenly they're Sometimes their children are with the camera man, don't they, and you can see them going coo. It's something like with Birds of a Feather, and Dorian just burst out laughing, you know, she went, hahaha, I think it was down as part of the script, What was that? On Birds of a Feather, and Dorian said something to Sharon, and er, then she said well, and she just went hahaha. from er jug, but I part Yeah. that sounded really good, I thought you know. Yeah. Oh, who's that girl? [tv in background] It's like a little girls things innit. Yeah, but of course they went to the right Yeah, that's true. I don't little boys in in gowns. My mum has in sort of, erm, little sort of white suits Had a dog on it. It was really nice, but, about. Eighteen months. Have you? She's gonna have a pink little dress. Oh. Who's that girl? Yeah, I was just gonna say that. It's like erm, to have funny name. No, I just saw her, did you see her a minute ago. Yeah. Or was it... No, it was on the titles. Yeah, she was on the titles, wasn't she? She was, yeah. 'Cos I Oh, you're never gonna guess what's on today? Original cooking, today. Er. What's her name Is she with Erm, no. I said good luck. [LAUGHTER] I thought they [tv loud]... Oh I see. [watching tv] he's watching you [dishing up meal] You know you got Bobby there, and Alf's just talking and... [mimicking] that's just the sort of kid he is [] [LAUGHTER]... He's a sod ain't he?... Has erm, Irene gone? Yeah... Oh, he Oh, he's quite cute, innit he? Yeah. She gonna fall in love with him, is she? [LAUGHTER] With the dog. [LAUGHTER] Well, some, some sort of link we're meant to get there. I'm not quite sure, that was for some reason. Ar. Sort of, like when your combing your hair, innit erm, in the bath [LAUGHTER] keeps on, do my hair, do my hair. Me mum puts all ribbons and stuff in her hair Aw, isn't she cute. Wow.
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] this morning, yeah. I haven't been doing much on Sunday. Did you, did you see the girl in front of us. Do you think she had coloured hair? She had the straight, straight hair that had a reddy tinge on it, it was really nice. No, it was there was the girl who had hair down to about here. I mean it was a gorgeous colour. describe it, it was brown, it had like red in it as well and it was so curly, it must have been natural.
[speaker009:] Really?
[speaker004:] But it was just tiny, tiny ringlets all the way down.
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] It was really thick and bushy, and came out Bet she hated it I don't know, she was really petite and very attractive and together with the hair... Yeah, but you don't really get like that. At erm, summer camp, when I came last year as well, there were sisters, and the oldest one was about twelve, the next one was about ten, and the next one was about eight and they they were half cast, I'm not qu quite sure,the their mother was sort of, she's dark, she's sort of half cast, and they've got, they all very very attractive girls, with such lovely hair, just corkscrew, it's really lovely, and they come out the erm, swimming pool and they bring their their erm, shampoo and their conditioner with them, and do I can't just see this the family look. The woman was erm, was Chinese and the husband was ginger haired. Really? The children had this sort of, red gorgeous colour hair oh, you know with the Chinese faces, Oh. Japanese erm, boy and girl as well, and they were just adorable, just so good, such lovely looking children [mimicking] Japanese [] [LAUGHTER] children. It's lovely [tv loud] Yeah. fed up, I'd rather [LAUGHTER] I'd like my children to have red hair, actually. Well, not red head, isn't red, but the same colour hair as me. But you don't know, do you, because sometimes it all depends... because I'm like the only one in my family, Yeah? Joanna's hair's dark, then Hazel's... darkish, Maria's got brownie... hair. So they're all dark, really, aren't they? Yeah, and then Brian's sort of got gingery tints in his hair, but my dad's still brown. Oh, who's the ginger hair then, or was it Hanna, Richard [LAUGHTER] Is that Mm. I think it's Yeah, I don't know Oh, not much. finished starts a long way back, don't it? Yeah, it does, doesn't it? She sort of isn't she. She looks like a bloody dog. But her hair's not that she needs to get She's a but it's too harsh. God Surely Greg's... [watching tv] ... Yeah... How old is he then, seventeen? Mm... I don't know, he might be sixteen. Yeah. Damien doesn't exactly look seventeen, does he? No.
[speaker009:] You know, he looks like [shouting] Oh, what, he's so sad. []... [watching tv] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Every time they're running short on the story line, they have some sort of competition. Mm. remember they had that erm, competition for the surf man. Matt was in it and Adam and it was a race, and erm, the teacher, Hey, you know that... I don't remember that. Mm... ...
[speaker009:] [LAUGHTER] What?
[speaker004:] What did you Yeah,... shag. [LAUGHTER]...
[speaker009:] [LAUGHTER] I went to see her in panto, honestly, she was terrible, she whined [whispering] yeah [] her voice was even more marked Aus Australian than it is on here. Really bad... Do you think he's odd, do you think he's a weirdo?
[speaker004:] Don't know... It's it's the christening dress
[speaker009:] Oh, it's the christening dress.
[speaker004:] Yeah, it's
[speaker009:] Right. It's an antique and that bloke's an antique dealer, he's come to nick it off the line and flog it for thousands. [LAUGHTER] Something naff like that. [shouting] oh []
[speaker004:] [shouting] No [] Never mind [LAUGHTER]
[speaker009:] [LAUGHTER]... [singing] what hey hey []...
[speaker004:] [singing] [] Ha... [LAUGHTER]
[speaker009:] He just can't help himself, can he.
[speaker004:] No.
[speaker010:] You'd thought by now they would have sorted it out.
[speaker009:] Yeah, it's a bit ongoing, isn't it?
[speaker004:] Are you okay? Tug bloody started it.
[speaker009:] Did he start it?...
[speaker004:] Oh, Bobby back. [whispering] Come on, Tug, don't worry []... Ah. It goes on and on. Greg does provoke him though, doesn't he. did it, oh they've changed the credits. Oh, buggery bollocks, we've missed it. The caravan parks getting black the dog, Bassa. [LAUGHTER] [mimicking] Bassa the dog [] Stewarts. A little boy. The one we've seen on t, yes. If they've got a a Victoria Wood, is called Victoria Wood on here. See that bloke there? I swear that was
[speaker009:] You sure it's on it? Alan
[speaker004:] Isn't he one of the...
[speaker009:] Jacovitch. I know that name Jacovitch.
[speaker004:] You know, for erm, T V Yeah. That he made when Yeah. And you made you in like camera work, or could you actually
[speaker009:] I really don't know, I really don't know, Maria, I'm very badly informed on it, I'm afraid. Like with most of my subjects. [LAUGHTER] I don't know what's going on.
[speaker004:] I was asking today in the English seminar, asking Mr Stevens if they knew about the erm, exam structure. Right. And nobody knew about it, no-one
[speaker009:] No, we haven't been told at all, have we? [belch] I think we should have said at the first the very first lesson, they just ploughed straight into didn't they?
[speaker004:] 'Cos I just, I feel as if I'm much less aware of what's going on this year.
[speaker009:] Than you were last year, yeah.
[speaker004:] Definitely I just don't what is
[speaker009:] And it's and it's bad really, because this is actually our degree, this year.
[speaker004:] I mean
[speaker009:] Last year, you know, totally rat-arsed. now, he's putting up a list of all the poems he wants us to look at for next week.
[speaker004:] Oh, my God, I thou I don't know why I bothered buying Alchemist, it's Well, you never know, you might have to study it then for the exams.
[speaker009:] Yeah, I suppose I might, if I have to.
[speaker004:] One of the girls, today, she wasn'say she wasn't sure, but she was saying that she heard that perhaps the exam structure you have to incorporate all three phases of the
[speaker009:] Yeah, I think you might do. If I'm happy, then I'll do it... obviously.
[speaker004:] Yeah
[speaker009:] But I would rather not.
[speaker004:] I might go and see Dave and see if he's got any more books today. not been on for ages. [singing] [LAUGHTER] what was that? []
[speaker009:] Me.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER] I had Q T erm granules when they first came out, and they were the most revolting... That's white tea, though, isn't it? Yeah. Yes, white. It's horrid. I mean, I can't imagine that I'd ever want to drink anything you know, erm, [yawning] Instant white tea, that sounds gross. [] The whole point of tea, is that it has to brew, isn't it. Mm. Oh, is this on tonight? I don't watch this. Mm. The Queen goes up to that girl with the eyebrows, and she goes, [mimicking] and how are you today? I'm fine, but she's just nicked my eyebrows [] [LAUGHTER] She's saying well keep them. No. I saw another place [LAUGHTER] In fact, I'm I really need them Oh, that's just the upper hand isn't it. [singing] Is the kettle full then? Yeah, Beckie's filling it. Oh, well. [singing] No. Penny today, then? No, I haven't seen her. Thought she would have come round yesterday. She probably be round at some point today, won't she? Yeah. She has on Tuesdays. Shall I make another pot of tea. Oh, yes. Oh, sorry. [singing] So what have you been doing this morning Em, lots of work.
[speaker010:] Erm, [LAUGHTER] no []
[speaker004:] T V to be perfectly frank. I was going to... No, no. Richard and Judy, erm, Oh God. I had one of those yoghurts last night, and they are so nice. so gross. Really? Yeah. Which one? out yoghurts. for fourteen p. fourteen p. Is there erm, is there any fruit in them, or not? Yeah. Yeah, brilliant. [LAUGHTER] fat No. What flavour did you get.? I just got three strawberry ones, and three They only do strawberry, oh, and I hate it in yoghurts they're Stra er, strawberry, black cherry, I think. Oh. Or peach melba, but I only like strawberry but I thought I love their skin. Yeah, but everything, all yoghurts are so expensive, aren't they, you know? There's an offer at the moment sixty four. So, I mean, that's not bad, but most of them are about one twenty for four, aren't they? Which is taking the piss, really, isn't it. That's like getting on for thirty P a yoghurt. Buy them individually, they are. Yeah, M and S you are, they ask about thirty P They are, they're extortionate prices. If you buy a Shape yoghurt on its own. Oh yeah. They're about thirty-two P Yeah, [yawning] show you. [] M and S yoghurts were thir were thirty-one P I think, over the summer. Really? They were on special offer all summer. I think they're supposed to be thirty-four, normally. And that, did they erm, set yoghurts as well, by any chance, 'cos I prefer set yoghurts. No. I hate set yoghurts. I don't think so. No, I'm not great lover of yoghurts. 'Cos I just mash them up, first. Yeah. No, 'cos I only like little ones. I can I can't eat a full yoghurt, so a little set yoghurt Yeah. Fromage frais is is perfect for me, so there. yoghurt. [LAUGHTER] What? Yoghurts with I Q. Oh no, it's like, it's like with chocolate as well, I cut it up into little pieces, because I can't eat it all at once. I just don't like, she'll eat them. Well, you know what I mean. [LAUGHTER] Ah. Sorry, I didn't ask if you wanted any more tea. No. You don't have to, but we live here. We should offer you I know. so we don't, I mean, I don't [LAUGHTER] Help yourself. Okay. [LAUGHTER] Has anyone, has anyone got any change of a fifty pence piece. I have. I have but I need for the I need it for the, er going into the er, washing machine. Oh. What's it for, to ring Kerry? Yeah. You not, your not looking at me [LAUGHTER] What, what I'm not looking at you? Are you? You are, 'Cos you look as if you're [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER] I mean, you know [] [LAUGHTER] [] [LAUGHTER] I look like a fly trap, yeah. [] [LAUGHTER] I mean, it looked as if you were looking at my chest, and just staring at my chest. [] [LAUGHTER] No, but I think you're just totally right. [] [LAUGHTER] [] Oh, my life. I think that, I don't know, it just seemed as if you were looking at me like [LAUGHTER] Yeah. Oh dear. Have you been eating your muffins in there. Hope Your not phoning Kerry now before eight Yeah. Yes. Aren't I allowed to? No. [LAUGHTER] My god, it's two o'clock in the afternoon. Are you phoning her now, why don't you phone her at seven. 'Cos I'll probably forget then. I was just thinking, I'd phone now, to do something, 'cos I'm bored. And your money was going twice as quick. Do some Alchemist. Yeah. Yeah. [LAUGHTER] It looks so don't it? Mm. I'll make a pot of tea. [LAUGHTER] I'm going to the loo. What's that in there? Cottage cheese and Marmite. Ah, I love and Marmite. Yes, so do I. And cucumber. Actually, Rose, could you give it another ten minutes, because Nicole will probably come round, and then we'll make a big pot of tea for all of us. Well, I'll make it, it will really nice, won't it? If you just right, lack of motivation at the moment, I need to get a glass of Lucozade I think. You want to you know me. You think it really works, though. Sorry? Do I think it really works? Do you think Lucozade really works? I when I've been ill. Yeah, so have I. Lucozade. Mm. It just not a drink I buy. Tastes nice when you're... Tastes nice when you're ill, but What's everything tastes nice when you're ill Just gives you a, does it? Yeah, it's supposed to. Yeah. I mean, I do find it nice when when I got flu or something, I just it's cold, really really cold, really cold. have you. Doing now I'd rather do than sitting here.
[speaker009:] they started doing diet Tizer.
[speaker004:] Have they?
[speaker009:] Yeah, 'cos Tizer's the only one they haven't been doing diet, and I've been getting really pissed off.
[speaker004:] Yeah, I've got half a in the fridge, actually.
[speaker009:] Yeah, they do diet now.
[speaker004:] in the fridge.
[speaker009:] But I've only seen it in some of the
[speaker004:] I bet it tastes crap.
[speaker009:] I bet it don't.
[speaker004:] Tizer.
[speaker009:] Mind you, I don't mind diet drinks.
[speaker004:] [mimicking] []
[speaker009:] What, yeah.
[speaker004:] When we used to drink Tizer. Mm. We used to buy it in Safeways. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker009:] My dad used to buy it, always used to buy it on a Sunday evening. But I ne I'm going back years, 'cos I was on a diet, thinking, aw, I'm not drinking that, its got sugar in it. But now it's diet, I'll now definitely drink it.
[speaker004:] Is it just erm, because it's got sugar in it, or because... I won't drink any diet drinks that are not diet if they're fizzy, because they've got so much sugar in 'em. You'd like teaspoon and teaspoons of it, Yeah. I just, the idea of eating that much sugar in er, just a glass of drink...
[speaker010:] That's why I think I'm really lucky, because I don't like, sort of fizzy drinks, I can't drink 'em.
[speaker004:] Oh, I love fizzy drinks.
[speaker010:] I can't drink fizzy drinks.
[speaker004:] I only drink wine if it's fizzy. I'm like, Yeah, wine's is all. and they had white wine, or, er, red wine, and I went, oh have you got any lemonade. Like, don't you want any wine, I said I I only really like it when it's fizzy. Yeah. So I had some, Claire bought this Greek... wine, and it was sweet, and I...
[Ann:] You know like, if I'm really thirsty, I could just gulp down a glass of water or a glass of orange, just like that, but with fizzy drinks, I don't know, I can't swallow them very easily, just sort of er,
[Rebecca:] They're really good at aren't they?
[speaker009:] She's so fussy.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] No, you were fussy as well.
[speaker004:] What, what am I fussy about?
[Ann:] Fussy about everything.
[speaker004:] Oh, right.
[Ann:] About leaving things around, things not being left in
[speaker004:] I don't like a mess, but
[Ann:] No, I think I've got a right to be fussy. [sniff] mm.
[speaker004:] I'll just eat anything.
[speaker009:] You fussy about your tea.
[speaker004:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER] I like my tea. coffee actually. It has to be not too strong and not too weak. What Sam went through oh. So it can be weak, or...
[speaker009:] If you do get a drink, she'll make a pot, and it'll have like one tea-bag in it. And like she'd pour it out and it's really really weak and insipid, and I go, oh, do you mind if I add a tea-bag to that. 'Cos she doesn't drink it with milk, so it don't really matter to her.
[speaker004:] Yeah. Mm.
[speaker009:] 'Cos my mother, likes it really strong, and you like it really strong,
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker009:] but sometim
[Ann:] I used to drink really quite strong before, but I decided to give up erm, like, take less sugar, so if you take less sugar, I think I only took two sugars anyway, 'cos my tea was so strong, 'cos 'cos the stronger it is, you need more sugar to sweeten it. So I decided to give up one sugar and you know, I have to take it sort of weak weaker anyway. It's better for me, 'cos there's less caffeine, and I drink a lot of tea, so. So it's better. But I would try and give up sugar altogether, but I don't know.
[speaker004:] Well, you need to just give it up and
[speaker009:] I can't stand tea with sugar in it.
[Ann:] I know.
[speaker004:] That's the way I did it. Because, I I I You can't reduce it and reduce it, 'cos then you're still depending on it.
[Ann:] I did it with erm, with er, I went from one and a half and I'm down to one, 'cos I was, I I've tasted my father's sometimes, 'cos he thinks two and a half, he used to take three, [LAUGHTER] and I'm like aw it's
[speaker004:] Er. My dad used to take two sugars, and when I said I was giving up sugar in tea and coffee, he reduced it to one. Yeah? Mm.
[Ann:] 'Cos I think if I'd said, right I'm gonna give it up, I wouldn't drink tea ag again, 'cos I wouldn't be able to drink it, sort of without sugar.
[speaker009:] Mm. What about sweeteners. How about trying those?
[speaker004:] Mm. It's funny, I thought about sweeteners the other day, I think it's just as bad as sugar, I think.
[speaker009:] No, they're not, they got no calories in them, they've got something like nought point, nought, nought calories in them.
[Ann:] No, it's not er calories, I'm thinking about erm, ruining my teeth, that's the only reason
[speaker009:] Yeah, in your teeth. It's not like putting a massive like spoon, if you think about it, right, if you have a spoonful of sugar in your tea,
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker009:] it's just like drinking, it's just like getting a spoonful of sugar and sticking it in and wiping it around.
[Ann:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] You just diluting it a bit in the the erm, tea. And if you drink as much tea as you say you do, just think how many teaspoons of sugar you have a day, extra.
[Ann:] Mm. But I don't have any sugar in anything else, I don't I don't eat chocolate or anything, so that's a
[speaker009:] have got sugar in.
[Ann:] Yeah. I only drink, what have you.
[speaker004:] Sweet and sour sauce has got loads and loads of sugar in it.
[speaker009:] You'd be surprised the amount of things that have got sugar in.
[speaker004:] Yeah. Yeah. You'd be surprised.
[speaker009:] All sauces and that, have all got a load of sugar in.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker009:] Especially things like salad cream.
[speaker004:] My mother, she decided to give up sugar, I think it was about one year. Well, she just decided to give it u to give it up, she never used to take much anyway. But erm, she used to take one in coffee and nothing in suga, I mean in tea, I think, and then she just gave it up, and she said it, she hated it for ages, and then one day she she tasted, she drank my father's and she said it was absolutely foul That's what I'm like, I drink sugar with it. Yeah. she going, horrible, innit. I did that the other week, sort of going yuk Mm. My mum drinks it black, so.
[speaker009:] What, tea?
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] Why's that?
[speaker004:] She just always has done. All her family, like they all just drink tea with a very little drop of milk in it, and she always drank it with a little drop of milk, and then, she decided not to drink it with milk at all. Yeah. So she has two sugars [LAUGHTER] instead [].
[Ann:] Sometimes, I've, I've had tea without milk, and it doesn't taste that different really, it's just
[speaker004:] If you have skimmed milk, it doesn't. like water anyway. It's just at the end it is, it's bitter at the end. You know, when I've tried it without milk, I just don't, I just leave about that much at the end, 'cos it gets really bitter. I never usually finish my tea, down Oh, I do. but coffee I drain the cup, but tea I don't. I couldn't do that. I do.
[speaker009:] My mum always used to say that, why haven't you drunk this little bit of tea in the bottom, but I never do. Just, you would always leave a little bit of tea in the bottom of the cup, I don't know why. [LAUGHTER] A phobia, I think there was somethin a spider at the bottom.
[speaker004:] social convention. [LAUGHTER] No, when, when we drink it at home, because there are, not Yeah. not tea leaves as such, but there is Yeah, residue. tea in the bottom of the cup, so it doesn't taste very nice.
[Ann:] Because, I mean there is a difference between fresh tea and and er loose tea, and erm tea-bags, because there is
[speaker004:] Do you have tea-bags at home?
[Ann:] Yeah, we have tea-bags at home, but downstairs, the tea machine, you gotta use erm, well, they use loose tea. I mean, it is different, I never used to like the loose tea, when I was younger, but now I I sort of really taste the difference. I didn't, never used to taste as nice. But now, I I like it, I don't why.
[speaker004:] Well, Auntie had a tin of loose tea and tea-bags all day, like normal days, they drink teabag tea. But if we go round there, and they get the china cups out. get the [LAUGHTER] get the drinks. loose tea. My mum 'cos it's so much cheaper to buy them the more. No, we're not on the tea-bags this week, What just... I've just spent all my shopping, so you've got tea leaves. Yeah, it is it is cheaper to Oh, yeah, very, very much cheaper. Look at that. You're just paying for the convenience, aren't you, really with tea-bags, that they're just all sealed, you know. Yeah, I suppose. Yeah. Not for anything else, really. Still the same flavour inside. I tell you what.
[Ann:] No, I'm jut showing that I'm a bit bored, though
[speaker009:] Bit bored. [LAUGHTER]
[Ann:] Tell you what is such a big con, was when the round tea bags came out, the round tea-bags.
[speaker009:] They're nearly all round now, though, aren't they?
[Ann:] I think that's such a con, they even had adverts
[speaker009:] They they're erm, their better flavour for,
[Ann:] Oh,
[speaker009:] fuller flavour all round.
[Ann:] Er. I know.
[speaker004:] What does it matter if it's in a square bag or a round bag. [LAUGHTER]
[Ann:] I bet if they brought it, done it in star shapes, people would go out and buy them.
[speaker004:] I do prefer the round ones, though. I know it's stupid. [LAUGHTER] I do. I know it's pathetic, you know, I much rather have round ones. They look nicer in the cup.
[Ann:] My mother though, she's er, she's does, she's not fussy about loose tea leaves, but she's gotta have a Glengetti tea-bag.
[speaker004:] She's a Thai. She won't drink any other tea. Erm, it's just the brand, yeah. It's the brand.
[speaker009:] Never heard of them, have you?
[speaker004:] No.
[speaker009:] Glengetti?
[speaker004:] Welsh brand.
[speaker009:] Oh, is it.
[speaker004:] Yes, erm, was saying to me
[speaker009:] Could you send her down here.
[speaker004:] No, no, but erm, like was saying, she doesn't reckon they are Welsh. She doesn't think they are Welsh. With a name like Glengetti. I know, that's what I said Welsh, Scottish, or Irish she says she reckons that it's Scottish, it's a Scottish brand, but you know, I don't think it must be. in the er, dark ages. [LAUGHTER] They are nice. Do your parents But speaking to you I know you don't, sorry Carry on. Your go.
[speaker009:] Erm, I know your parents don't really eat much sweet stuff, but do you have, generally have any sweet stuff in the house, really or is it...
[speaker004:] No.
[speaker009:] No.
[speaker004:] Like we might buy, my sister is, she loves chocolate, my mother would buy her packet of of Secrets or something, she buy a
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] six pack or something, but my mother very rarely buys biscuits or anything. Really. Because we got biscuits downstairs, anyway,any way, so sometimes my mother has a cup of tea, and might just say oh go and get me erm, a Twirl, what are those twirl things. Walnut, walnut whip, that's it. Yeah. Oh, go and get me that packet of digestive biscuits
[speaker009:] I'm not a great eater of
[speaker004:] No, none of us really
[speaker009:] We've always got sweets up in our house, but then again we've got young children. They eat so much.
[speaker004:] Yeah. But what's the point in stocking up, Mm. if you've got it all downstairs, we can just nip downstairs.
[speaker009:] Mm. That's true. Like if the shop was separate, if we had our own, sort of, house. You just, you live quite a bit out of the shop. Do you get quite a stuff from the shop.
[speaker004:] Well, we haven't got a fridge upstairs. Oh. And I've been nagging my parents. At one point about three years ago, they said, right, we'll gonna buy a small fridge, so at least we can keep bread, milk, and things like that upstairs. And Yet you got a proper kitchen upstairs. Yeah, we've got a proper kitchen, we just haven't got With a cooker? Yeah fridge.
[speaker009:] Oh, what a pain in the arse, you have to go downstairs.
[speaker004:] Yeah. So, in the mornings, Is there space for a fridge? Not really. There'd be a space on the wall, perhaps small fridge, one of those small little ones, so you can just put the bare essentials in. But like, erm, in the holiday, sort of sometimes if I get up late, I'll come downstairs, and my mother's brought everything up, like the milk, the butter and cheese and br er bread's upstairs, but. But otherwise, I've got to go downstairs. Or if my mother comes up, and I'm sort of just getting up, she says, oh do you want me to bring stuff up, or ideally, I usually say or I'll come downstairs and get breakfast. But that's what I hate, I've got to go downstairs to get my breakfast. Oh, what pain. Got to go downstairs to get my lunch, it's really If you've got a kitchen, it defeats the object, really, doesn't it? Oh, no, 'cos you you you go cook upstairs, we've got a cooker That's what I mean.
[speaker009:] You've got to go downstairs to get everything.
[speaker004:] If you've got a kitchen upstairs, it defeats the object of you're having a fridge [very loud background noise] Unless you bring up and down the stairs. wouldn't you. The thing is though, we've got erm, got one, two, three, four, we've got five fridges. You know, and and the one we use for the shop, for the kitchen, is just a converted drinks machine, so it's massive. It really is big. It's a big huge fridge. So we just keep everything in there. And like all the lettuce, the you know, all the foods that are usually used in the shop, we just use it for ourselves anyway. It, I go downstairs and my mother will make a big box of of tuna mayonnaise, I just get the tuna mayonnaise box, get some suga, you don't
[speaker009:] It's quite handy really,
[speaker004:] We don't have our separate yeah. Yeah. We don't have our separate stuff, sort of thing, my mother will make sort of, bulk of egg mayonnaise, like the other day, I thought, I'll make egg mayonnaise now. Made two, erm, cooked two eggs, and it lasted me two days, whereas you know, usually if I go downstairs, I don't have to make anything, because all their pre-prepared anyway. Mm. Still it... Like usually the top shelf, is usually our own stuff. Our own sauces, or whatever, erm, if my mother makes a cake, it goes on to the top shelf, but usually we just use everything. We've got bread and milk.
[speaker009:] Ours is a bit like erm, Tesco's really, so much in it. [LAUGHTER] Honestly, there's such a good su stock in our kitchen, you could live for a week. 'Cos my mum's got one of these people that always keeps the stock up, she won't let it get really low,
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] she keeps stocking up every day.
[speaker004:] Yeah, [LAUGHTER] But what ha, what Aladdin's cave. Stop scratching your leg. I'm n I'm just erm, just. What I find though, erm,becau my, because we got so much stuff coming in for the shop anyway, like the lettuce or the fruit and veg, my parents don, you know, like most people go,yo your mother probably goes, how many, how often does she make a shopping trip? Probably gets something every day. Well, like, you know, not to be
[speaker009:] My mum, erm, once every two weeks.
[speaker004:] See, my parents hardly ever go. My father will go to the cash and carry every week, and perhaps he'll pop into into Tesco's or something and get a few bits and pieces, so we got a lot in the fridge, but it's not a lot of variety. No. So, erm, you know, my mother like, if she, if she needs something, she just asks me just to pop to erm, Gateways. Occasionally my parents will go to Tesco's and then it's not like, with lots of people probably spend about a hundred pound, even more probably, wouldn't they? But you know, my parents would pay, probably spend about thirty or something. Wouldn't spend a lot. And Kerry at home, young girl whom I'm going to see erm, take that with, like you look into her freezer, she's got a big freezer like that, and they've got so much frozen foods, and you look into ours, we've got the one the same size, but it's just basically frozen vegetables, so you know. We've got. Everything's frozen basically in our house. Well, she does buy vegetables, but she'd rather buy frozen veg, 'cos it's just easy for her, dead easy for her. Yeah, it is easy, yeah Probably erm, it's probably nicer 'cos it's it's it's frozen straight away after it's been picked, innit? So it's probably fresher.
[speaker009:] Mm, they say that, don't they about frozen veg.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker009:] They say it gives er flavour more.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker009:] You know, some people, just don't like buying them, do they? They don't buy frozen vegetables. They'd rather cook it fresh.
[speaker004:] No, they got They won't like Kerry's house. Yeah. We got to use them up like Yeah? Mm. Well, there used to be a fridgefreezer at the bottom of the stairs. But the freezer kept freezing up, and er, we've had it since we left Sussex anyway. It would be fourteen years old now. Bloody hell. Coming up for fifteen years old. Erm, so like they just took all the fridge Part, Mm. the erm, the bar, the like the dining bar And er, keep the lemons and things in it, and then, the freezer is just for... and when there was like a of stuff at Christmas, they put stuff in it from downstairs, Mm. but freezers anyway. And erm, we got a big, er huge chest freezer. Deep freezer, downstairs in the cellar. Do you stock some, at all for yourself? Do you ever use any fridgefreezers. No, fridgefreezer so it's down two flights of stairs. Mm. Mm. I don't know, it's just a pain in the arse. But we've never really eaten that much frozen food anyway. Mum's never had that much stuff in the freezer. When I used to buy stuff from M and S, from the staff shop. We'd stick it in the freezer that we've got downstairs. Mm. But you know, we just don't need frozen... 'Cos, yeah, it's just vegetables we keep because erm, or if my mother makes sort of a lot of curries or things. Or or tomato sauce for the pasta, she'll freeze it in indiv individual portions, but Kerry at home like, they've got some real frozen meals, and they do do rely heavily on convenience foods, which we don't really. But you know you were saying that your fridge was fifteen years old, that one. Well, we got at the back of th the erm, shop there's... we got this room and it's got this walk-in freezer erm fridge, and Walk-in? Ye yeah it kinda just walk. It literally clogs around. [LAUGHTER] you just walk in [] and like, it was there and I would have said it was old when we arrived, and we've been there nineteen perhaps twenty years.
[speaker009:] Bloody hell, and it's still going.
[speaker004:] It's huge, it's so big. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker009:] And do you you use it.
[speaker004:] Yes, used.
[speaker009:] And you've still got another five fridges.
[speaker004:] We got a big one where erm, sort of, it's really cold, and so we keep erm, the longest dates and everything erm, that we don't need immediately, and then, we got the fridgefreezer, we got the freezer in the stock-room, which is ours, we we just bought it,wh, my parents bought it about three years ago, for ourselves. Then we got the big fridge in the kitchen for all the foods like we use every day, then we got erm, oh w no, we got six fridges, and then we got the pie fridge, got all the p pies and put the cakes in as well, and we got another deep freeze. We keep the ice-cream and at the pa the pizzas and the ready meals that we cook.
[speaker009:] Oh, you got quite a variety of foods.
[speaker004:] Yeah, quite a variety, and then we got the drinks machines. Do you do desserts? Well, apple tart, but you know, things we bring in, apple tarts erm, custard slices,a the occasional eclair erm, yeah, we do quite a range, actually.
[speaker009:] Mm.
[speaker004:] Yes, we got six freezers, one, two, three, four, five, six, you know for, it's not that big... it's quite a lot, really. Mm. Well, we got a lot of storage space, but, because we get deliveries three days, three times a week, Mm. you know. Don't we don't hold a lot of stuff for any period of time, Yeah. because it's all just coming in and going straight out again. Mm. 'Cos, Like the ice-cream and stuff, I mean, you know, ice-cream a box of ice-cream won't be there more than a week. 'Cos erm like Like their individual portions. So erm, you know, it's there that, although we've got a lot of storage space, Mm. The turn-over of food and the selling of food, you know. I mean, Things obviously, like herbs and stuff... Steve only orders once in a blue moon. Yeah. Mm. And and like the dry store, erm, with all, it's got like the rice in it, the custard in it, all those sorts of things, I mean, you know, he might order that stuff once a week, rather than having it come in three days a week. But then, there might be joints of meat and the ice-cream and all the desserts and all the all, I mean, we have had fresh veg, we're not allowed to put peas on the carvery. Mm. Had to have six fresh veg on the carvery Do you? at all times. That's hard going then, isn't it? , that's hard work, you know, you have to prepare all that veg, and [cough] And so, if So if So if erm, if they're not used, they've got to be thrown away, they can't be sort of used again the next day, the veg. Well, most veg you couldn't use couldn't use up, could you. No. I don't suppose. I mean, you just have to control it, You don't cook, you don't cook as much as you need, you might have your potatoes prep but you don't cook them if you don't need them. Mm. Erm, you know, if they're sitting there in water and they've been peeled and they're ready to cook, they won't be cooked until they're needed to be cooked, you know. Mm. And erm, oh well, you know, they might have cauliflower cheese prepared to to put out, you know, they might. Say they needed it at eight, they thought they might need it at eight o'clock and then turned out they didn't, because one body else came in the restaurant, then they'd just stick that in the fridge over night, and put it out the next morning. Yeah. But, like if it's been out on the deck, the only things off the deck that they can save, is like Ratatouille, they save that, erm, and like but it's unused Mm. nothing else really. [yawning] everything else has to be thrown out []. 'Cos there's that what were they doing they'd be doing and the bread the bread and milk comes every day and then I think the meat, meat comes once every week, like. My bread I get from Tesco's. Do you? I get from the Co-op next door. Yeah, sometimes Tesco's, sometime. I used to pay this friend to go like into Tesco's. Mm. Sometimes James go up or Dennis goes up. Mm. If not they go to the Co-op, but Tesco's bread is cheaper. Erm, but. I mean, we, we used to have, like, we'd have meat come twice a week, they're the butchers, and then we'd have coming, maybe, erm, once a week, and then like the dry goods, er, erm, we'd have another day, where erm, you know, you have different things, basically coming every day. Mm. and the milkman would come and everything else, and now it's all central distribution, and erm, meat, you know, do central distribution, for the whole thing, and erm, they, all the companies that used to deliver to us individually, they deliver to the central depot, and they, in turn, distribute it to all the houses, Mm. and it's a much better system, overall, which is, you know, you don't have to ring up some many different people every week. Yeah. Mm. Ringing up for one order, so it does work out better now. It's really funny, because, we know our... [shouting] Hello, [] Bet it's Hi. She's just walked in [LAUGHTER] [] I had a feeling I knew it would be you. [LAUGHTER] Hi yeah. There's no one else that walks into our house, without ringing the bell. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker009:] [LAUGHTER] Just goes for it. []
[speaker004:] How are you. Very well, thank you, how are you? We bought you a drink [LAUGHTER] Lovely and sweet Bit disappointed in you. [LAUGHTER] You didn't do very well over the weekend, did you, 'cos I was watching them and they didn't do that well. I know, he didn't really have a good he had a good day in the Mail on Sunday, though. Mm. [LAUGHTER] oh right. [LAUGHTER] I thought as in... ... Italy, yeah. Oh my life. You haven't got your new clothes on. I know I haven't. [LAUGHTER] You got... you got them down here. Aye? Have you got them down here? No. I told her to bring them down... You haven't even got, you haven't even got your No, sorry. She's got holes in those bloody jean, look at her. I know, sorry. [LAUGHTER] Ar, look at all these apologies she's having to make, you wicked things. [LAUGHTER] I always come round in my jeans. We always give her a hard time. They're so mean to me. [LAUGHTER] What have you lot been up to? Nothing. Just watching the box, And we're just sitting here, talking about food. Mm. [LAUGHTER] Just lazing around, really. How's work going? Really fun. It hasn't been that busy, it's not busy. [LAUGHTER] Isn't it? It's just not like home, at home. Like if I worked at home on Saturday night, and I worked at home on a Sunday lunch-time it would be really, really busy all the time, and like there's four areas to cover in and there's only two areas and I think its too It's so weird though, cos The Rising Sun, it's not as if it's not central, Mm. it's on the way to bloody Richmond, you think it would be busy, wouldn't you? That's weird. Just a small On the main road.
[speaker009:] When we were in there, that Bank Holiday Monday, it was really busy, wasn't it.
[speaker004:] Well.
[speaker009:] Was it really busy, or was the bar service just crap.
[speaker004:] The bar service is crap. Yeah. There's only one person on... Yeah. Erm, I mean, there were people in there, though, No, that's true. you know, I mean, Sunday lunch certainly wasn't any busier than that was. Mind you, anywhere would be busy on a Bank Holiday. Dead. [LAUGHTER] Well, it's not dead, but like, when there are two of you on, you're not exactly taxed. Yeah. Well, when we went to a erm, they phoned, we wen, the woman, we said, ah, with the Rising Sun'll be, do you think the Rising Sun will be full as well, 'cos she phoned for us. And they phoned up, and they were fully booked until about four o'clock, so... a Bank Holiday. Yeah, I mean, there were a lot of people in there on on Sunday. There was peo, there was loads of people waiting in the bar, for tables for the restaurant. But, like, we weren't rushed off our feet, is what I no thank you. People sat at all the tables in the bar, and some tables, there was like two lots of people sat around the same table, sharing a table. And then you had twenty people, well, over twenty people sat in the window, and they all had bar meals, and they'd all been to do with this run, you know, there's a big run through Twickenham on a Sunday morning, going on the way to work. And they'd all been in the run, so they all came in for lunch, and they, you know, it's like twenty bar meals, and then they were coming up to drink, to order drinks, they were doing like ten drinks at a time. But even that wasn't, you know, it wasn't any effort, No not like at oh here he comes. [LAUGHTER] And these take it down off the counter and do it like this, and I'm getting more strength in my hands, now, because I'm using them to do more. Do you think perhap, erm, because it's not so busy, do you think perhaps they've cut back in the restaurant, and that's why you're doing a bit more work... for the restaurant, you know, doing the floaters and things. No, no, that's the way these places are run. Yeah. Well, I thought perhaps it's because it... They haven't got the facilities, facilities couldn't be anywhere but where they are, and that's how, erm, Beefeaters do their, set their bars up. Mm. I see. Bar staff with help with the coffees But they've got more of a concentration on the restaurant, whereas we haven't, we have a busy time and without a busy Yeah, that's true. You know. Mm. Yours is busy both sides, isn't it really. Whereas this is just one bar, with about five regular customers, [LAUGHTER] as far as I can work out. [] Is there any night during the week, where you're not, the bar's not particularly busy, you'd say? Well, I mean, early week, Monday, Tuesday, well, you see, then we have like erm, going. Erm, Who's going say, like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday we won't be that busy. but Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, we have, they'll be darts matches, and they'll be pairs matches, and they'll be... Oh really. there's women darts, there's mens darts, and they might not all come in till about nine o'clock, but they are only like, two hours A very popular pub, yours, isn't it, why do you think that is? Is it because The area, I mean, we back onto a big council estate. Really? And then there's another housing estate over the other side of us as well. Is there not any pubs. No. no. I don't think so. Yeah, I mean, the next pubs are right over the side of the hospital, Really? all the way along to the Windmill, so, like the area we cover, there's a lot of people, and like, the middle part, it's very nice up there, you might, really attracts middle-class people, that we get out, for middle-class, middle-aged people that could go and sit in there for a drink. And there's the other bar. And then the public bar's there, for everyone... else, sort of thing, and erm, you know that that's that but no, not even that, you know, really, erm, I mean, they, the public bars are supposed to be aimed at people of a lower social status.
[speaker009:] Bad innit when they go round giving these areas for people.
[speaker004:] But erm. But that's just the way they'd rather be. Yeah, that's true, yeah. probably local, and, I mean the bar the prices for drinks are always cheaper in the bar, as well.
[speaker009:] Are they really?
[speaker004:] Always. Always have been until now, but now they're the same price everywhere.
[speaker009:] Oh.
[speaker004:] aren't they? But we're the cheapest pub in Twick Twickenham.
[speaker009:] Are you really?
[speaker004:] Are ya. I don't understand it. Well, I do understand it now, because we've looked through it, but I understand it Nor did I I haven't even got it. I was so frustrated with it, I gave up timberland. Yeah. Good old timberland. Alright. [very noisy crackling] I know, it's amazing that they haven't gone downwards, have they. How long have you been doing all this? er, about two years Are they really comfy? Very comfortable, yes. The bloke that I went to out with. picnic. [LAUGHTER] Karl, and I for one decided it was too big for me so I I went round and of course I didn't. How much were they? About a hundred. Oh, about a hundred and twenty-five, now. Can you cancel that cheque? Mm. I have. You have, the cheque, [LAUGHTER] well done, yes [] Well done. [LAUGHTER] Well, I suppose to find out his surname, but I haven't found it out, but they said they would stop it anyway. I mean, again, I don't understand him like, and I don't know. You might know. I don't want to know. [LAUGHTER] Well done. Oh, that's good. So how much did you get? A hundred and forty-seven quid. [LAUGHTER] Was it? Well, it still doesn't give me any money, but it just stops more money going [LAUGHTER] out of my account. [] At least your overdrafts a bit better. [LAUGHTER] Did, do they oh, with a card, they don't charge for cancellations of er, cheques, do they? Yes, they bloody well do. [shouting] They do! [] [shouting] What! [] I thought that was like er... How much? I don't honestly... I didn't know you had to pay if you cancelled a cheque? Yeah. Yeah, real bastards, banks. Yeah, real bastards. Anything. They make their money innit. They charge it. Do you know, the slightest thing that's out of the ordinary, they'll charge you for doing it. It's like you haven't, if you wanna get money out, but you haven't got your card, it's not your branch, you get charged Yeah. for taking money out. I got charged when I did it in Newmarket. Really? that's disgusting, really. Oh yes, it's really bad, I mean, it's your bank. That's how they make their money, though, isn't it? I mean, you know Louise, she erm, was two pounds overdrawn, erm, for about a day, she was sent a letter to say that she'd been charged twenty pounds for the letter, Yeah, my sister and she had a hundred pounds, she put a hundred pounds in to cover the, you know, to put her back into credit. So she's lost eighty, she's lost twenty pounds out of that hundred pounds though. So she said she's, you know Is this account? She, yeah, she was overdrawn for for two at, for a day or something. So she's gonna write a really stinking letter, now. Well, who, who does she bank with? [clears throat] I'm not really sure [] I'm lucky, Nat West don't charge [LAUGHTER] when I miles over my overdraft. [] Don't they? They're quite used to it, I think. Oh, I still have to cancel that cheque, yeah. And that was for the Yeah, but I really Yeah, but I really ought to find out his... surname. Well, if they said they'd cancel it anyway. What's his name? They said they would, but they said you ought to give us the surname. Because when they, they know where it's coming from, sort of. Yeah, but if you've only written one cheque in the past... whatever. Don't know how many weeks it is. Who? What's his first name? Will. Will. Can you remember what what, [LAUGHTER] no [] Have you written down... didn't you write it in the in the margin? I just put rent, you see. Oh. That's what I put. So there's, there's erm, Do you know who I might see, I might see that girl, Michelle who lived 'cos I saw her last Thursday, she was in the classroom next to us. Does erm, Brian now that you can't clear the cheque? Well, she said, right, she said, er, he can't cash that cheque because his account's in Ireland, so can you get him out the cash instead. And I just said, I'm not walking around with a hundred and fifty quids worth of money. [LAUGHTER] Get mugged. Not even even gonna And he didn't say anything more about it? I'm not gonna pay it, [LAUGHTER] because I can't afford to. [] Not going to either, I stayed there one night. No. And I gave them loads of money, When did you write the cheque out, you wrote it ages ago, didn't you? When I was that, first week, the second week, was here. So has it has it gone out of your account? Or is it No, it hasn't gone out, because he hasn't cashed it, you see. He hasn't cashed it yet. Why did he take so long in cashing it? Because his account's is in Ireland, so he Mm. Funny really, not to cash a cheque [LAUGHTER] cheque, you know. Like because their account, you know, if you write, like if I wrote a cheque out to you today, and you didn't cash it for four weeks Mm. in those four weeks, if I don't realize that that cheque hasn't cleared, like I don't even no what cheques are cleared 'cos I haven't got a date written on it. Nor did I. You think you've got more money than what you have. yeah. I'm always like that with Nat West, though. I never know how much money I've got in there. [LAUGHTER] I don't even dare look. [] My mum brought be down yesterday. Oh, did she. That was good. So embarrassing, it was awful. Was it a nice meal. Yeah, it was very nice, thank you. Was she pleased with er, the house The room, Mm. yeah, very pleased. Oh, that's good. Has she brought much stuff down with you? Well, she brought my telly down, my clock radio and some some more things. Not that much, but Normal things. You've got to have down here as well. mm. Our dog bangs, the dog would bang their dog, and Ow Didn't want to go home, and he took them both for a walk. Were you glad you came out with us on Wednesday? Mm. Apart from the fact they... at the end. Did you walk back on your own? Yeah. I thought you walked back with. [shouting] you said you were walking back with Alan and Marie... cooee [] No, they didn't go back in the end. You were hour away from college. [shouting] Katherine! [] You went home? Yeah. At what time. No, I didn't, I got the bus part way, 'cos someone gave me some money for the bus. Oh, Katherine. That's sad. [LAUGHTER] what a nightmare [] Ow, it was fun. back in ready to steps on. Ar, can't believe it about you. it was fine, I just don't do it, I just sort of standing on [mimicking] I'm not walking, I'm not moving [] [LAUGHTER] I can't. Well, you're more likely to get attacked then, you're just standing there. You should have come back. You should have stayed with us. Yeah, I was going to, but then I just grrr [LAUGHTER] The balloon, I can't believe those balloons are still up. [LAUGHTER] You don't have to change the subject. [LAUGHTER] Why what's happened? [LAUGHTER] are you changing the subject. [] Me? [LAUGHTER] balloons. [] No, but I noticed the balloons when I came in, I thought, they've still got those balloons up. They've taken the John's quite good, really take the [LAUGHTER] Where's whatsername today? She's upstairs. [shouting] Ann [] No. Nicole. here. Alright, I'll be down. She's being studious. I wish I was being studious. I did do some of that [running downstairs] She couldn't see the washing when the lights are out. Or can't she be bothered, now, or what. Mm, got to be done. It means I haven't got tights. I haven't got any underwear. [LAUGHTER] Really, why didn't you tell me. I don't know, problem. So, erm, I'm going to the toilet now, and then we'll drive to college, because we've got so much bloody washing, it's not all going to principle French college, and erm, you Have to go home, to get some change. [singing] It's better like that, isn't it? If we do one twenty each. Mm. [yawn] in a minute. Thing is, I I don't haven't got anything of white. All I got white is my underwear. I could put my erm, my dressing gown in, and that's not even a half load. I mean, I haven't got any light clothes. Mm. It's a bit I've got all two towels. Mm, got about I've got T-shirts, but one's really dirty. That one we moved house in. or I like T-shirts. Yeah, I've got nice T-shirts, it's just that I'm really cold. it's bloody cold, innit? Usually I wear T-shirts inside jumpers like, thing is, 'cos I didn't like, my drawers fell down, I don't bother to, bending down to get them. [shouting] Oh, don't tell me more about your bloody I can't be bothered to bend down and get a white T-shirt. [] [LAUGHTER] I don't know. [LAUGHTER] I know. I bent down to get my my night-shirt, it's in my drawer with all my jumpers But what's [LAUGHTER] for me. Thing is, I've got my heater right in front of my wardrobe, and I've to move it so someone'll open my bloody wardrobe. It's so annoying. Ah, my thumb it's cold. Mm. So all these to be done. I've done. You don't want to Friday in. No, I'm not going to out. so much for a little work. How, what, how much have you got to transcribe? Half sides. Half sides. That's gonna be about three minutes, that took about... Yeah, I know but all this tape's not for me. It's for the... Other people? The study. Oh, that's what it is. Yeah. It's not all for me. It's the study. Let's face it, read it all, read it all. Yeah, anyway. they've just changed all the if there's any names on there like, they want use it, Mm. after that they just dump them. Yeah. Yeah. Mm. just stressed out. Mind you, erm, I haven't been conscious about him at all, even when he was on the first of all. Mm. I suppose it was because he used to be so, you know, If you know what it's about. Yeah, well, yeah Yeah, but he won't. If you like him, or he was doing other I have been taped before. My sister's put it on sometimes, and I really sort of oh, Yeah, don't do that, Yeah. don't do that. I'm really sort of stopping my myself from saying things, but If people think they hear,, when they think listening to you, then what you're talking about. Mm. What you're talking about. I think that's what they want. They're gonna be looking at you. Mm. You know. they might have a, they might spend a bit of time topic, but they want, they're just looking at you know... variations in Yeah. I am more aware, like, you know, people, of what people say. I am now. And the other day, the other day, erm, you would say, erm, you know that sheet with silence topic, erm, always the right to choose a topic, and turn taking. Yeah. and it was all split up into the different seminar group, we we had to take one aspect. Each one of us, and and do it, and I had topic turn. Topic, we had the right to choose topic, and then one girl... Come in. one girl, erm, she was saying, she was saying about the turn taking, and the theory is is that people... Hi. Hello. If you're in a big conversation, if you're in a big group. Hi, Nicole. You usually look at that person, and when you coming to the end of your your your speel, you sort of look at the one person. Yeah. and she was there, and I thought Yeah. and like in the extreme theory, in extreme examples, like you you say right it's auto speak Yeah. like Beckie. Yeah. and I just didn't agree with it and I'm trying to sort of, they say in your subconscious you do sort of look at and the last person erm, will look at you, you get Yeah. generally speaks. So you're thinking line, So I've been trying, I've been trying to sort of, I I was arguing saying, I don't think that's true.
[Rebecca:] What's this then?
[speaker004:] Language. I was saying, I don't think it's true at all, but erm, I don't know, I'm trying to figure out whether it's actually true or not. Say replies, that if someone else has got something to say, they'll sa they'll Yeah, that's what I was saying, that was was my argument. I was.
[Rebecca:] Can I make a cup of tea?
[speaker004:] Yeah, of course you can. As I was saying, erm, so many people have got different ideas. Even if you'd been arrest if I put my eyes and rest them on you. What what if you haven't got anything to say? Yeah, that's true. But if somebody answered the question and say something else. Yeah. So I suppose you've got to take it with a pinch of salt and it isn't true so some ways, but I don't know. Yeah, I was arguing black and blue, and I was the only one, sort of saying, oh no I don't think that's right. [LAUGHTER] Oh at least you, you know stuck by what you thought. [mimicking] stuck by your guns []. 'Cos everyone, she was reading this out, and everyone was going, yeah, yeah and it sounded so stupid and I thought, Agreeing with it, Yeah I don't agree with this, I think this is really. I mean, I said I didn't agree with it, but everyone said, oh no, it is true. I made you wrong, and I said, well I still don't agree with it, and I sort of explained exactly what I thought. Did you get much done, Nicole? I thought, Are reading the Alchemist? Yeah. I got into bed, and I was really nice and warm, and I was lying back, I don't really like to lie back when I'm doing something, I like to sit up in bed, I don't generally do work in bed. If I read I like to sit up, if I start to lie down I was like this. Yeah. So I've had to come down and I was in the library. It started coming freezing But there's no room in there, Nicole. It is nice and warm in there. Yeah, I was sitting in the sun as well, over by the window there. I think the warmer you are, the more lethargic you get. That's true. It so annoying with not understanding every line. I've just given up now. Mm. Have you bought the book? No. Oh Jules can't come on Thursday, Nicole. Oh right. Okay. No, wait a minute. She might be going as well. I saw her today. Have a good weekend? Mm. Does anyone else want a cup of tea? No.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, I had a really nice weekend. I didn't do any work.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] Never do. Erm, on Saturday, we erm, Rebecca and Claire and I went to see The Seagull.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] At The Orange Tree. Met Fred. Fred and then they all came round in the evening, and then on S Sunday, went to church and were invited out for lunch, and I went to see my mummy and daddy.
[speaker004:] You went to church in college. No, erm, we go to church... Oh, it's not, course you're not. [LAUGHTER] Erm, not that I wouldn't, I mean, we just, we just in church, you know. Mm. What you been buying? Well, I bought a cup and saucer the other week, in it's really nice, and...
[speaker009:] You see that that plate there, the green one,
[speaker004:] Yeah. Mm.
[speaker009:] Well I've got a saucer like that, it's sort of like a flower and then it's got a cup to go with it. It's really nice.
[speaker004:] Is it really big. Oh, I was asking where you were, wasn't I? She said, where's Nicole? [LAUGHTER] I was worried, I thought you were gonna bunk. [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER] Oh, as if. [] No, there was hardly anybody at our English seminar this morning, it was so funny, he had about five of us sitting there, we go, I'm not surprised... oh no. right every time I come there's less people. Hi yeah. Hi yeah. Was that this morning, Sue? yeah, turned up. Quite a few turned up with us, I thought, I mean I thought I wouldn't know anything, but no one else had read the book. And do you know what, I transcribed some notes for it, me and Miss Sandie or Sandra. Sandra Breakheart. She got erm,blon erm, blondish brownish midbrown hair. Short, very skinny. No, no, no. So, did you finish it, or. No, I mean short isn't it? Have you got that. And you were talking about Erm, well no, I read too much last night. Hi. Oh, right. So I knew the gist, I just Hi yeah. Studied the outlines. No I'm going to do my washing. [LAUGHTER] Oh, right. I'm going to get mine now. Not quite as exciting. No. Erm, I'm going 'cos I've got to go to see whatsit called? So, what notes have you got on it? What notes, I've got on it? Only... Just ones you've written yourself. No, I'm doing it for A level. Well, yeah. A levels or something. Oh, you lucky thing. Yeah, that's what I was thinking. done it. last night. I had to do Valponi as well, which is one of these other ones. Yeah. I did [noise background] as well. Oh, it was shit. Right, I'm off. Mm. erm, I don't know if I'm gonna have a spare ticket, but are you interested in going to the theatre on Thursday if I have. Thursday night? Thursday afternoon. What to see? Two Gentlemen in Veroni at the Barbican. Five quid. Two p.m. Erm. Yeah. What am I doing Thursday night [doing up zip] My realise your walking. Yeah, yeah. Near Yeah. Sorry let you know, I've got to go. Okay, alright. Got it all in. Yeah, I'm not quite... I keep thirty P It's just that I've already mentioned to someone else, and if they can't go, then I'll offer it to you. Yeah, then I'll know if I will be able to go. I'll put your back in anyway. What is in that I'm going. You all going? Bye, can you find your way out. I just said that I'm going [noise background] I'm driving round, Oh, right. Can I have a lift? Yeah, oh, hold on, how many, one sitt Yeah, I'll have a lift. No, there's six of us. I'll walk. Oh no get a taxi. [LAUGHTER] You've got to talk with her. What, now? You tell us, and pretend you're a teacher. They're erm, pretending. Did you do that tape recorder, is that turned off? Oh my I think so. I won't be able to record us. Julie? Coming. [LAUGHTER] Take that outside. You're welcome. recording that, you don't mind, do ya? What was I talking about? The English language. No, I don't think so. Mm. all your secrets out. Don't worry. what money have you got, Maggy. I've got a fiver, I don't know when I can change it, but I want to change it, erm. Right. Erm, I've actually got two pound coins, and two twenty P. That'll do. No. Shove it in If you can get some twenty P Yeah, yeah. And I can start it all off, and then Soap... I can, I can put it all in and everything while you then you can go into your lecture. I don't really care. [singing]
[Rebecca:] I really wanted a nice granary french stick but erm, doesn't have they only had the white ones, so I think I might go to Waitrose, not Waitrose, erm, might get up early tomorrow and go to erm, what's it called, erm, Sainsburys, yeah.
[speaker009:] Sainsburys.
[Rebecca:] Mm, what shall I have, I haven't got any more cakes left. [yawn]
[speaker009:] What did you have for lunch?
[Rebecca:] Erm, and Marmite. [LAUGHTER] No. I had a cake, that's what I had erm, a cake for my pudding. [very loud noise]
[speaker009:] What at lunchtime?
[Rebecca:] Yeah, and I sort of felt a bit bloated ever since. Silly really.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] Do you want a muffin and that?
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Yeah?
[speaker009:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER] []
[Rebecca:] You what?
[speaker009:] I like something as likely it has. There you go. The grocery bill was on the side in the house
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] and he'd spent fifty quid in Sainsburys.
[Rebecca:] [shouting] What, you're joking [].
[speaker004:] do you wanna know how much money my mum spends in Sainsburys at a time?
[speaker009:] I dread to think.
[speaker004:] About eighty pounds.
[speaker009:] But that's for how many of them?
[speaker004:] Yeah, there is quite a few I suppose.
[speaker009:] I mean, is that for five of them, isn't it?
[speaker004:] Yeah, that is true.
[speaker009:] Five sometimes six.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] This is for two. [LAUGHTER] It's all like
[speaker004:] It's a lot of money.
[speaker009:] most of it was fresh produce.
[speaker004:] Really?
[speaker009:] They, it's not gonna last, like, they're still b buying more and more of it. It wasn't like all your basic items, or anything. Mike doesn't eat meat, so like, it's only like, slice of chicken, slice ham and stuff for Maryanne. Most of it is fresh fruit and veg.
[speaker004:] Really?
[speaker009:] There was some booze on there as well, but not much, so erm,
[Rebecca:] Right, a lot of money though, isn't it?
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Fifty pounds for two people. Mind you if he sees. Did you, what did you want on this, did you want some jam, is that alright?
[speaker004:] Strawberry jam? Have you got any butter
[speaker009:] Erm, no I haven't, Claire has, nick some of hers.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] I've got some Marmite, and I'm just
[speaker004:] Do you want some jam?
[speaker009:] Claire's got some Vitalite, I think.
[Rebecca:] Anything will do. [yawn] [singing]
[speaker009:] Mike organized it, for me to go over there and then [LAUGHTER] I didn't need to be there at all, cos noth nobody turned up.
[Rebecca:] Ah.
[speaker009:] So I've er...
[speaker004:] I'm sure they're really grateful for you...
[speaker009:] I don't think Maryanne even knows I've been there.
[Rebecca:] You don't think what?
[speaker009:] Maryanne knows I've been.
[speaker004:] No.
[Rebecca:] Do you arrange it all, then?
[speaker009:] I think, yeah, well he rang me, so erm, I think she was expecting, I think they, when they left the house this morning, he was thinking, he'd be able to get home in time for it, and erm, then he got to work and the day wasn't, hadn't worked out the way he expected. And like, did you hear about that unexploded bomb, in the Second World War, the two thousand pound bomb on the
[speaker004:] News last night.
[speaker009:] No.
[speaker004:] Do you want tea or coffee,? I'll have a coffee, please.
[speaker009:] There was two thousand pound, Second World War bomb, they found in Walton, which is right near the River Thames which is, like, past Hampton Court, and Mike said that he'd have to go out there today, and it's er erm, this guy who he works for, owns a Leisure Centre right beside where this bomb is. So he'll need to go down there with his associates and had to evacuate the Leisure Centre.
[Rebecca:] Oh, really?
[speaker009:] They just found this bomb and they were going to have a controlled explosion at the car park
[Rebecca:] Oh.
[speaker009:] So, that made the day a bit more interesting, but he's been stuck with er, all these upper class councillors that telling him what his job is, and
[speaker004:] Don't go down very well.
[speaker009:] He said, he's not impressed, and er, I think the idea that go [crockery noise] at a meeting today,
[Rebecca:] Yeah, turn that power off before you do any more to that [LAUGHTER] it's silly isn't it []?
[speaker009:] Erm.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Oh, buggery bollocks... you take yours anyway, get on [LAUGHTER]
[speaker009:] Erm, so... [tape stopped and restarted] like all their ideas, on the erm, you know the ideas they were putting
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] were that in, in the borough there's lots of like fallen land, like, you know, Esher Common and things like that,
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] that they thought they could develop and hav hold events on, and er, he said, like we, we came up with some good ideas, put forward some ideas, really good ideas, for things to do on this land, and he said, the trouble is that all these councillors back on to these pieces of land, and he said, er, they don't want people coming along and enjoying themselves on it, because they want to go and walk their labradors on it.
[speaker004:] Oh, I see.
[speaker009:] So it might disturb their neighbourhood, you know, so they weren't very impressed with his ideas.
[speaker004:] Ow.
[speaker009:] So er, he hasn't had a very good day at work, a bit fed up. But Alfie's coming down tonight, and they're going out.
[Rebecca:] Does he come down and visit quite a lot?
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Does he?
[speaker009:] He's his partner in crime, as he calls it.
[speaker004:] Do you think Maryanne's alright about that?
[speaker009:] Oh yeah, yeah.
[speaker004:] All friends together as it were.
[speaker009:] Yeah, no, that's doesn't bother her at all. I mean, they've been on their own for weeks, so. You know, at the w they like to spend their weekends with everybody.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, they don't want to section themselves off, obviously.
[speaker009:] I mean, Mike was like, you gonna stay down [church bells] and I was, I haven't seen anybody at college all week, so I think I'd better go back, actually. But erm, I did tell Maryanne if she wanted to go shopping tomorrow, I shall be around.... [tape switched off and restarted] Oh, God, yeah, I've forgot abo mind you Emily's coming back tomorrow, isn't she?
[Rebecca:] Possibly. But she might not be back till Sunday.
[speaker009:] Oh, I see. Do wh what do you, personally what do you think she'll do?
[Rebecca:] What Em? Sunday I would have thought.
[speaker009:] Really, yeah. I suppose...
[Rebecca:] We've still got all day Monday off as well.
[speaker009:] True. She ain't got all, to rush back for anything, has she?
[Rebecca:] No. [singing]
[speaker004:] This is nice. Nice. Mm.
[Rebecca:] They're nice, aren't they? Now you know why you eat so many of 'em. I wanted to get the wholemeal ones, bloody out in Tescos. The only thing, their bread's a bit crap in there.
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Never get, you know, as big a selection as I'd like to get... in there. But, still beggars can't be choosers, they are cheap, they had loads of offers on them.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] Tins of baked beans, fourteen P.
[speaker004:] Do, what do they taste like, though?
[Rebecca:] Well, I should imagine they're just the same as their normal ones, and they've stuck a, a whacking great white label on them, but I mean, you know, perhaps they're of an inferior quality, I don't know. I haven't tasted them yet. Julia's had them and she said they were fine. Erm, well, rice pudding. Only
[speaker004:] I don't like anything like that.
[Rebecca:] I, I wouldn't buy it, but,
[speaker004:] Emily eats it for breakfast. With jam on it.
[Rebecca:] Mm. Why don't you like it?
[speaker004:] Not that I'd ever tried it, but, that sort of thing, semolina, and all that, I hate it, urgh.
[Rebecca:] Yoghurt, you like yoghurt, though.
[speaker004:] Mm, but, urgh.
[Rebecca:] I got erm, three of those, erm, you know, those diet, sort of, erm, what they called, you know the yoghurts with the two dips bits in it, you know, three of those for ninety nine pence, in Iceland.
[speaker009:] Oh, that's good.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker009:] Yoghurts are expensive, aren't they?
[Rebecca:] They are, that's why I got that offer for three big ones. Actually, they did have six for fifty nine P in Iceland, but the date was up on them like, Sunday, and I thought, I won't get through all the them. Once they start going off... it's not really worth having them, so. Bought me trusted cottage cheese. Some parsnips, some carrots, cucumber, onion, apples. Didn't get the plates, I'm gonna get them tomorrow, it's too awkward to carry [LAUGHTER] but I generally get nothing exciting. Just the bare essentials.
[speaker004:] I've got masses. Really. Like, I've got half a pepper, and a piece of cheese and some, some kind of sp spread. spreads. Erm, a loaf of bread I'm sharing with Teresa. Two packets of Cuppa Soup, but I'm not sure that it wasn't Cuppa Soup, cos I've said to Thomas, I'm not at the moment. Really?
[Rebecca:] Erm, so cheese on toast, and Cuppa Soup for you, then. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Probably be nothing, actually. I eat, I went, when I went round to Maryanne and my baked bread next door, I like I went down, I went in there before, before I went upstairs into the flat, and bought a, a roll for twelve P. Oh, yeah, that was good. Mm. Soft roll, and then erm, I had a Viennese Whirl with it, and I sat and had that with my can of Diet Coke that dad bought a can of drink on the train this morning and never drank.
[Rebecca:] Did you have lunch in a park, did you say?
[speaker004:] Yeah, we had a piece of quiche,
[Rebecca:] That was nice.
[speaker004:] and a hot chocolate, [LAUGHTER] in this park in London. It was really nice, we had a good old drive around, Mm. Hampstead, erm, round Hampstead, round Highgate, had to drive up there, it's so nice.
[speaker009:] Really?
[speaker004:] Lovely shops and everything, and er, it's all like round corners and everything, really, and some of these, dad's sort of, he marked the most that's open on Sundays. There, there's one street, it just like Gaps and everything, like, you know, it's a really lovely road, you know, and erm, it's just a really lovely area altogether. He showed me some really nice places, and then we went to this park, I can't remember what the park's called. We stopped off there, had hot chocolate and a piece of spinach quiche, but I was, and erm, and he treated me, which was quite amazing, and then erm, That was nice. and then erm, we drove, er then we walked through this park, which was lovely, it had squirrels running all round the place and pigeons and everything, it was gorgeous, and, and because it, it'd been such a gorgeous day, it's just that my fucking nose is cold.
[Rebecca:] It's really bright.
[speaker004:] So in fact, the sun is really hot, when you're in the car. Yeah. So I, I erm, I had a lovely walk through there, and then we went out the other side of it, and it's Highgate Cemetery. Oh. And, this cemetery is like, this, erm, George Eliot's buried there, Karl Marx is buried there, Mm. there's all these famous people that are buried there. And er we didn't actually go in, but I'd love to go back one day and have a look, Yeah. because like, there there's a picture of the gravestone of Karl Marx outside and it looks really amazing, and some of the places, some of these graves that have, some of the, like tributes, are just enormous.
[speaker009:] Really?
[speaker004:] They're just so big, it's incredible. You just can't envisage, you know, why and how they managed to afford such extravagant graves, and it's like on two sides of a road, on one side you can only go in, and if you're on a guided tour, erm, otherwise you've got to, be like, somebody to do with the grave.
[speaker009:] Really?
[speaker004:] You know er personally attached to the grave, or go on a guided tour, and er, like you've got to wear certain bits of clothing, you gotta be like, you gotta be properly dressed, er, you're not allowed to eat or drink in there, there's all these things, like, you know, really
[speaker009:] into that.
[speaker004:] Yeah? But it looks fantastic. It looks, you know, I mean, it's to say that, it sounds really weird, but it
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] so mysterious and strange in there, that it would be really interesting
[Rebecca:] been in there.
[speaker004:] to have a look. He's looked round some parts of it, yeah. and er, like Christmas, erm, they have these things on the telly when there's about, every, every night there's like a fifteen minutes' programme, just before the close-down, of like, B B C One. One? And there's people, like famous people of the telly just sitting and talking erm, and saying prayers every night, and walking around a typical area that means something to them. Oh. And we watched it one night, and it was Mrs Hewitt off Eastenders.
[Rebecca:] Oh, really?
[speaker004:] And er, she was really by Michael Aspel, weren't she, or Michael Parkinson? between them. Yeah. [LAUGHTER] Aspel tomato. Erm, and so, we had a good old walk around there, and like this place where she was, I swear it's Highgate Cemetery where she was talking,
[Rebecca:] Oh, really?
[speaker004:] and like she was pointing different things out about this cemetery, and, I mean, you know, you there can't be many cemeteries
[Rebecca:] No.
[speaker004:] like that in, in London and she was in London, but we missed the beginning of it, Oh. and erm, mum was sorry that Mark had been on about it, she said, oh I bet that's where he goes, and erm, like the park beside it was just lovely, Yes. the whole thing, really, really nice area, and er, all just minutes away from central London, you know. Oh. It was, it was really good. Had a really nice three hours. And er
[speaker009:] Oh that was nice.
[speaker004:] Then he's gone off to Coventry, and then over to Manchester. So er,
[speaker009:] It's quite to get on with your bruv.
[speaker004:] Yeah, because you know, we're always messing about, or around, or, you know, never like you know, together, really Yeah. Because even when I go up to his place, like it's always been, like dropping him off, always being in a hurry. I mean, I sat in his room, had a coffee today, it was like, I actually sat here and relaxed and always being on the move, you know.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, yeah, always moving around.
[speaker004:] I said, you know, I really appreciate it, I mean, the house is gorgeous, but you know, at the end of the day, it's so nice, he's so lucky.
[Rebecca:] Is it?
[speaker004:] And er, you know the people there. The lady that he, he works for, sorry, the erm, she's, have I told you she does outside catering?
[Rebecca:] Yes. [crockery noise]
[speaker004:] And she's doing the outside catering for the World Champion, World Chess Championships.
[Rebecca:] Oh.
[speaker004:] So, like, Schwartz, and is it Kasparov, whatever they call him?
[Rebecca:] God knows.
[speaker004:] Erm, they were actually eating her food. She thought she was up feeding the film crew,
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] and she was actually feeding the champions,
[Rebecca:] Really?
[speaker004:] and erm,
[Rebecca:] Blimey, I bet she's making a bit.
[speaker004:] Yeah. Been doing it for twenty days now, and erm,
[Rebecca:] She's what, say it again.
[speaker004:] She's been doing it for twenty days.
[Rebecca:] Really?
[speaker004:] And they were all very impressed because she'd done twenty different dinners, in twenty days.
[Rebecca:] Really?
[speaker004:] They were given a different meal every day... so erm, she was pleased with herself.
[Rebecca:] Is she married, they got, was there a husband there?
[speaker004:] Oh, yeah. He's a London taxi driver.
[Rebecca:] Oh, really?
[speaker004:] Yeah, and they were married twenty five years on Monday.
[Rebecca:] Oh.
[speaker004:] So Mark said they were out celebrating after he cam and he's working for them next Saturday, she's doing some kind of a function,
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] and er, he's got to do the drinks.
[Rebecca:] Oh, that's good, isn't it?
[speaker004:] So he gets twenty five pound for the for the night, and he hasn't got to start until about nine o'clock anyway... [crockery being moved] so erm that's, that's something for him to do, isn't it?
[Rebecca:] Oh, that's really good.
[speaker004:] Yep.... [washing up] erm, Jay's sister, Tamsin it's her twenty first on Monday, so he was, like, write out her birthday card, right, and he was like, trying to write something funny, so he was constructing this thing, like reading it out to me, and half an hour when I first got there.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] And er, it was very amusing, but repeatable, half the things he wrote in it, and erm, it's very, it was very good, but, he is quite good at that when he sets his mind to it, it usually takes him about three days to do it, but he does like to er, write messages in people's cards. And er...
[Rebecca:] He's a laugh, your brother.
[speaker004:] He's a nut-case. up to him seems a it's Mark, I couldn't believe it. It was like, get on to those bloody phone people, he said, I was on the phone to them for half an hour, yesterday, he said haven't turned up, he said, and I organized m I work around and everything. He said, and then I got you to come along, he said, and it's all for nothing.
[Rebecca:] It's always the bloody way, innit?
[speaker004:] And I said, well go and pick the phone up [LAUGHTER] Oh, yes, we have got a phone, actually [] [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] Before you start whacking your breasts.
[speaker004:] Mm. I haven't had a phone all week. Which it isn't the easiest thing, when you've just moved into a place, is it?
[Rebecca:] No.
[speaker004:] I mean, erm, you know, at least we're all sort of easy walking distance of one another. Like we council with our daily contacts through college, but
[Rebecca:] That's true.
[speaker004:] like, you know, everyone's far away from them.
[Rebecca:] Exactly, they
[speaker009:] Quite a distance, haven't they? especially for emergencies. It's worrying,
[Rebecca:] Mm.
[speaker009:] isn't it to think that
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] someone can't get hold of you. Right, okay, my boudoir, I've just seen a few things together.
[Rebecca:] I should get changed, really, but I'll,
[speaker004:] No.
[Rebecca:] what I'll do, is I'll... if I give you my clean shirt, you take it round to yours. If I want to change, I'll put it, the only thing is, if we do go up the bar, I think I'll be a bit warm, in something like this won't I?
[speaker004:] Yeah, that's the trouble isn't it? But it's so cold out there.
[Rebecca:] I know, it's a bloody, it's such a pain in the arse, because you freeze... to death, bloody getting up there, and then when you get in there, it's so bloody hot. So start with... what the hell... which is really quite aggravating really.
[speaker004:] Sorry?
[Rebecca:] It's quite aggravating, innit?
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] right, she did take that book with her, didn't she?
[speaker004:] Yeah. Was she supposed to then?... [tape stopped and restarted]
[Rebecca:] Right, lipstick, lipstick, lipstick. [singing] lipstick on your collar [] [LAUGHTER] [singing] told a tale on you []
[speaker004:] really.
[Rebecca:] Oops
[speaker004:] You need some more curtain hooks. No, I don't. No. Is that how many there were up there? Yeah. Or have they nicked some?
[Rebecca:] They they tended to spread them out a bit, about the house, you know, just willy-nilly, where they were wanted.
[speaker004:] They're just normal ones, aren't they? Oh, I expect so.
[Rebecca:] I know, does look a bit silly, doesn't it?
[speaker004:] They shouldn't be like that, we should, like, be able to pull cords and curtains as well gathering them a bit. They are gathered even now.
[Rebecca:] You probably can do in that, I just haven't mucked around with it. It just needs somebody to... have a look at it, but I just can't be bothered.
[speaker004:] time,...
[Rebecca:] Right, okay. Right, if I can just give this shirt to you, Annette. I'll get you a bag for it. My hairbrush in there as well... Hmm, sort my life out for me. What else do I, I don't need anything else, do I? It's not raining out there, is it raining?
[speaker009:] It's dry.
[Rebecca:] Are you sure?
[speaker009:] Been dry all day.
[Rebecca:] Okay. Probably start raining soon, erm Do you want to go and sit in the lounge, Joanna? Yeah, okay.
[Kitty:] Sorry, er,
[speaker009:] This is general, got me, got me microphone. micro
[Rebecca:] [shouting] What you done []?
[speaker009:] Wrecking me house. Wrecking our house, sorry, yeah, I don't mean to exclude you. So did you...
[speaker004:] What is it?
[Rebecca:] Oh what to record our conversation.
[speaker009:] This is, this is the micro yeah. This is the whatsit.
[speaker004:] Oh, no doing that. Oh, don't be stupid, Some of us have done it before.
[speaker009:] Erm, it's like nobody turned up. It's like, hang on a minute, when we had our phone connected, none of us were up here for it.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] Well, why, why er, is you know, somebody coming around. So I said, Mike, is there a fa something wrong with the phone, and he said, no. I said, well, they're just connecting it then, and he said, yeah. And I said, or he said, I spent half an hour on the phone, trying to study, he said, she was from Ireland, he said, I couldn't understand a bloody word she was saying.
[speaker004:] Oh dear.
[speaker009:] He was going on and on, and erm, I said, well, I'm sure that if you go and pick it up, it will be working. [LAUGHTER] So he did, and it was working, and he was so, they just connect it from outside,
[speaker004:] Oh, I see.
[speaker009:] from the line box.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] and erm, so er, it was nothing to do with, like coming into the house
[Rebecca:] Oh,
[speaker009:] to connect it. So like, I didn't have to be there for the phone at all. never turned up so
[Rebecca:] Oh, that's a bit out of order, they often do that though, don't they?
[speaker004:] Where's your parents been then?
[speaker009:] Oh, erm, they're in Cyprus, so...
[Rebecca:] Oh, really?
[speaker009:] I pick them up Sunday. Sunday, it's really tight.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, Annette was hoping that she wouldn't have to work on Sunday. [LAUGHTER] It makes the day disjointed obviously,
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] because she's gonna pick 'em up, but she's got to work like you, slap bang in the middle. Yeah, mine, mine used to be something like quarter to twelve, didn't it, quarter to twelve till three, and then they decided to change round, it used to be quarter to twelve to six, didn't it?
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] Whereas, we used to be open all day.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] Got greedy.
[speaker009:] I'm doing twelve to three.
[Rebecca:] Mm. that's alright.
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Plus.
[speaker009:] I wish I was doing more hours, though really, cos like, I got to take the whole day for it,
[Rebecca:] Yeah
[speaker009:] I might as well
[Rebecca:] might as well be there, till later, yeah, I know what you mean.
[speaker009:] I mean, just for three hours.
[speaker004:] Do they give you anything to eat there?
[speaker009:] No. they don't seem to give you any, you seem to have as much tea and coffee as you want, or soda water.
[speaker004:] Lemonade. Lemonade. Or lemonade
[Rebecca:] Really?
[speaker009:] It's all on draught so er, they have stocks and that. But I mean, my dad always invites his staff to have a drink at the end of the evening and I mean, most of them have already been bought a drink during the course of the evening, anyway, so they're entitled to it. But erm, [LAUGHTER] []. So er, I think, I think like, it depends who you're working with as well. Think like, some of them, take
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker009:] sort of
[Rebecca:] Yeah, there.
[speaker004:] What ones can I take then, Rebecca?
[Rebecca:] Oh, well, let me have a look. [clears throat] I don't think you'll find anything in that, you can have that.
[speaker004:] What's it for? They call it word book, and every week,
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] it's a scrapbook, some, some of them went, what do you mean a scrapbook, and he was really offended.
[Rebecca:] Really?
[speaker004:] [shouting] No, not a scrapbook []. A word. It was, well it is, you, you stick in pieces of articles, into a book, you're collecting them. Just any articles? Well, they have to correspond to the lecture, so... the lecture this week was, world population. Had to so it. Like the world,
[Rebecca:] And business?
[speaker004:] the world. Yeah. Yeah. And then, you have to get to about three to four articles on that. I don't know where I'm gonna get them from. And then... World in It, it gets a bit easier, because they go on to like health, age, I know I'll be able to find loads to stuff on age, won't I? World population, erm probably what I'm gonna have to do is, although they, they said you can't do it don't get any ideas about doing it with because it's not possible. It is possible Mm. cos if I find that I can't find something, I'll just have to look like Keep looking as you're going along Yeah, do you know what I mean? So, that's what is. And it's just like, and they want you to make some comment on what you've worked out, which is no problem really, is it? Do you know that newspaper that they brought out, the European, and it's like, just to, just to Yeah. take you through the whole of Europe. Yeah. like world issues, then, Yeah. Because... I know the Telegraph always have a lot of foreign, foreign news. But that's what, but The Sunday Times has always got a world news section at the back in it. Oh, brilliant. So there should be something in there. I found something from the AIDS one the new Benetton advert, have you seen that? No. Is it really sick? Mm. Not really, it's a bit rude, I suppose. It's of erm,photo coloured photograph of, it's either a bloke or a woman, you can't tell, from there to about there, so you can see all the hair and everything it's got on the skin H I V positive.
[Rebecca:] Oh, I think I have seen it. Ah, that's terrible. They're just out to shock, aren't they?
[speaker004:] Yeah, I think it's a good way, and, cos it makes people go, bloody hell.
[Rebecca:] And then they take note of what the issue is, yeah.
[speaker004:] realize, don't they, yeah. So I've got all ready, for me AIDS cos I used to just think oh I don't really, I could just go and get some leaflets on ban on True. Well, I must ad I'll probably end up going down there, and getting the Our local chemist at home. Yeah, they've, they've always got this good stand, haven't they? All this stuff, loads of stuff down there about pregnancy, and measles. [LAUGHTER] Yeah, so they reckoned it's not a scrapbook, but it is really. That's quite easy really, I'm quite happy doing that. Quite like that idea. But erm, yeah, it's alright. I like this girl, cos she's Welsh, just, I can't do her accent, but she kept saying it several times, he was getting really pissed off with her. He'd obviously taken time over building up this little booklet explaining the stuff. She just destroyed it in one go.
[Rebecca:] Really?
[speaker004:] Like he, he was like saying, it's got to be a... the word book, will eventually he was really getting into it and really going into about, you know, how it's really gonna be jam- packed with important information, and she just said, [shouting] so it's just like a scrapbook really [] you know, when if you've filled all that up
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] and somebody said that. It's like, oh yeah, thanks. [mimicking] No, not at all And then the next bit, she says it again.
[Rebecca:] No, yeah, that scrapbook, yeah, that's not got to be in till later, has it? [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER] He was really pissed off []. Oh, you're gonna go down well. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, it's alright, it's okay... but not a lot's going on, really, I haven't been in any activities for ages. There's quite a few erm, posters up, asking you to go along to join, the netball fiasco You're not exactly erm, No it's changed the er... they've got quite a few plays going on, they've got chess going on
[Rebecca:] Really?
[speaker004:] with er, what d'ya call it, Barbara... you know?
[Rebecca:] Oh, right, the musical.
[speaker004:] Have you seen about
[Rebecca:] Er, Barbara Dickson and Elaine Paige.
[speaker004:] Yeah, yeah that one. They've got that one going on.
[Rebecca:] Have they. That should be quite good to watch.
[speaker004:] And er, and they've they're out doing the Rocky Horror Show as well. Surely erm, what's her face, er, Jane was it Jane? No, she hasn't. Yeah, I don't know why. How's she getting on with her drama, do you know? Yeah, she likes that subject, she not that keen on French, cos she thinks she isn't that advanced. Oh dear. It's all completely in French, the whole lesson
[Rebecca:] Oh, that's a bit worrying, innit?
[speaker004:] Everything, once you go in there,
[Rebecca:] Oh.
[speaker004:] you speak French and that's it.
[Rebecca:] Oh, that's really worrying, isn't it?
[speaker004:] I shouldn't be able to do that, ah. Yeah, so she said it's a bit, cos she only got an E for French, and she's not very good at it.
[Rebecca:] Oh God,
[speaker004:] So, she is finding it hard.
[Rebecca:] Yeah. I bet she is.
[speaker004:] So erm,sh I don't know, she might be alright. She's not said about me being out of it, but erm, see if you do that, you see, you get a year in France.
[Rebecca:] Really? That's like your brother, he's doing Spanish isn't he?
[speaker004:] Yeah. Yeah. He's doing Spanish. Is he? take a year out. Really? start a new job as well, Yeah. like he doesn't know if he's going on a bit at the moment, he's just wandering about,
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] we'll see. But I don't know what she's gonna do. But erm, I haven't seen much of her at all this week, because erm, they've all been out, I mean, they went up to London to see Miss Saigon, and they were gonna go out for a meal up there, and
[Rebecca:] Bloody hell, that takes some money, don't it?
[speaker004:] Yeah, but they've got it.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, exactly.
[speaker004:] You know, she's got fifty quid coming in every week.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, that's true.
[speaker004:] Plus a grant.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, she's well away.
[speaker004:] has she. She can afford to do that. So they went up there and did that, and then, I ca they've done quite a lot and then they're going up London tomorrow, I think. So I don't see much of her.
[Rebecca:] So you think they'll probably stay up there next weekend?
[speaker004:] Don't know. I'll see, I might, might go out tomorrow instead of Sunday. I don't know yet, I don't know.
[Rebecca:] What's happening about your car, is Craig going to take it back with him?
[speaker004:] Well, I suppose he might as well, I mean, if you're off work, he might as well have it, mightn't he?
[Rebecca:] Yeah, that's true. Mm.
[speaker004:] Unless I feel like being really vindictive, saying, I want the car. No. I don't need it. I could have done with it, I couldn't get on the bloo they got this internal bus service that runs from each college, cos you have to go to the other colleges for your lectures, and I just sort, there's not enough, and you, you get turned away, and I just thought, I went for that bus Tuesday morning, I was supposed to get it at eight fifteen, and he just said sorry, [mimicking] no more room []. Oh no, so what happens then? So, security guard came over, and if you go up to the next stop, bus, you could come in with them. So we got on that bus, and he didn't like it, this bus driver, [mimicking] oh, you're not supposed to be on here []
[Rebecca:] What, because you hadn't parked your cars there first?
[speaker004:] Yeah, but the thing is, we're not from college, so that means their students are gonna be, like, pushed out. Yeah. So anyway, we got on, and he
[Rebecca:] Well, that's their problem, they should get more bloody buses.
[speaker004:] Yeah, yeah, yeah, the thing was, because it left about fifteen minutes later, at a quarter past eight, there was so much difference in traffic, Mm. half eight, getting on quarter to nine, it was jam-packed and I didn't get into the college. It's a ten minute bus ride. I didn't get into that college until gone half nine. Oh, really? To my lecture. Yeah, I didn't walk in till half nine. The lecture starts at nine. And the bus left at a quarter past eight. Hour and a quarter. I could have travelled home.
[Rebecca:] Yeah. Bloody hell.
[speaker004:] Honestly, it was just sitting there, we were just not moving. Well, you probably know what it's like, I was just sitting there. Is it, is your parking permit saying what college you're at? Yeah, I have to. I'm not allowed to park in their colleges, other colleges. See what I mean? Yeah. So I can't drive there [LAUGHTER] Said you can't get on the bus either []. [LAUGHTER] No. That's what I said. Well, the good thing is, where Southlands is, which is on the south which is a very nice area. Well, it's not that nice, but there's a hell of a lot of little roads, all around it, it's not a like Roundtree is, is it? It's just on a little main road, but it's situated almost in this housing estate. They must say, God they must get pissed off with it, so I've already looked around, and there's loads of parking places, Mm. there's no yellow lines, there's loads of little roads. That's true. I mean, I could park it there, if Nicole didn't want to drive. But the, the bus, the erm... staggered. You got a bus at eight fifteen, and you got another bus at one o'clock, and you got another bus at three o'clock, and another bus at six You serious? and, and if you wanna come home, there's supposed to be a bus at half past four, and our lecture finished at quarter to four, so you like, three quarters of an hour to get to the bus, right, and then it didn't turn up. So we had to wait for the next bus, which was six o'clock. Oh no. It's a long time. We were sitting like this, sitting on the pavement, with our umbrellas up Imagine what it'd be like, when it's really cold. And I thought to myself, oh gosh, just drive up there,
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] it's only a ten minute drive.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] I picked the right time. See that's the thing, if I wanna go and do my studying, I can't just go, I have to... and, and dinner starts at erm, if I've got a lecture, my lecture is sort of one o'clock. Just before one o'clock and the bus goes at five past one. So I haven't got time to get any dinner. No. See what I mean? Well, what about No. So I have to get a bit, er jump on the bus, and then erm, either get something to eat at their college, but then, by that time, you see, cos dinner starts at quarter to twelve, it's all gone. And we went there last time, and all they had left was chips and this fatty stew. Er, that's And that's it. No veggies or nothing, no salad. [mimicking] No veggies [] No.
[Rebecca:] Oh dear
[speaker004:] So, it's, alright it's not a major problem, but that's the only difficulty with it is it's not, it's good having the bus service where you don't have to pay, right, if you don't, like I didn't realize the bus went at five past one, and I was all ready to go, and er, it was ten past one, and I thought, oh no, so I had to wait till three o'clock. Do some work. That's a bit silly really. Yeah, and then the next bus from six o'clock, is eight o'clock. And that's the last bus home. You would have thought these buses would It's only a ten minute, it's about a ten minute journey from Digby to Southlands. Fifteen to Southlands to Whiteland. It's all round in a circle, it's not like then, I don't know why. How peculiar. Yeah, it is a bit of a pain. But the people who Q T S course, have got a lot of work. Have they? Mm, much more than me. I'm glad I'm not doing that. Really? Loads of assignments have been set already. They're really quite heavily bogged down, and they were to do them all, er one day at school.
[Rebecca:] Really, bloody hell.
[speaker004:] Yeah the teachers seem to do nothing do they?
[Rebecca:] Really?
[speaker004:] I mean, Ann finished lectures, Ann's finished lectures yesterday, she's a secondary teacher and she doesn't have a lecture again until after Christmas. Really? And she's got another two weeks off now, until she goes into schools and then she's in the schools full-time, but even so, she won't have, she didn't have exams. She had exams last January, didn't she, and she hasn't had exams since last January, she won't have until next... during June. Really? And like, she has, like, although she's doing secondary teaching, she has it easier than anybody.
[Rebecca:] Mm.
[speaker004:] At this stage, anyway. I mean, it'll probably get harder. I wouldn't mind doing that, if there was, if I could do secondary teaching.
[Rebecca:] Really?
[speaker004:] Mm. But I wouldn't wanna do primary or junior, just
[Rebecca:] Well do, would you be, is it T T S, secondary, T T S, weren't it?
[speaker004:] No, but primary Well, in T T S T T S they can't do secondary. Only do primary and junior. Oh, no in, in our college they're doing secondary. Cos I asked them about it, and they said I'd much rather be doing that. Mm, yeah I would really. Small ones, I just don't think there's much, get much out of it get much, getting much out of it.
[Rebecca:] I mean, some, some people at our section which is four and five year olds.
[speaker004:] It's not bad.
[Rebecca:] It's like being in a play-group, innit?
[speaker004:] Yeah. It's like taking Yeah. But they don't, they don't do it. [sneeze] Mm.
[Rebecca:] Have you found out when the
[speaker004:] Yes. When is it? February. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] You've got to have one before then.
[speaker004:] That's when you said.
[Rebecca:] You've got to have one in November. Surely they did have one last year, didn't they their outing. Kerry would have had one.
[speaker004:] Well, I looked at my list and it says February, and I've got a list of my lectures for every week.
[Rebecca:] Really?
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] That sounds odd though, surely. Does have one?
[speaker004:] Next term's a long term as well.
[Rebecca:] Is it?
[speaker004:] We did agree to meet, but I don't same time tomorrow. And I asked him I said, what does this reading week mean, and he went, oh, just do what you want, really.
[Rebecca:] Cos I've got a reading week in three we two weeks, two weeks.
[speaker004:] I don't know when it is.
[Rebecca:] I've got a reading week in two weeks. Yeah, I've got a week off.
[speaker004:] Oh. Well, I'll ask Ian, they, they might not have told us, because, I don't know, they would have told us, wouldn't they? They should do really. I've got a list of every lecture on my booklet. They give you a booklet for each subject, and I've got a list, a lec a lecture every week, until February, when it just says reading week. Oh, perhaps you have got leave. It does seem odd. Claire has a lot longer term than us. I think it's ridiculous, really. Mine are twelve week terms. I think ours is only eleven, that's what we was told. Mine are twelve. I thought it was thirteen, was it? Twelve, twelve and twelve. Could be.
[Rebecca:] No, it's not, it's not as long as thirteen.
[speaker004:] Yours is on eight. You got an eight week term. Yeah, we've got an eight week term, the last term's eight weeks. So long to Christmas.
[Anne:] Cos your the last ones aren't you?
[speaker004:] Mm. What was I saying? Seems odd, I'm sure he showed me, he showed me a reading week before Christmas. That's like what I think mine says. Tight. I'm sure we should. Mind you... I'll ask him, cos he'll know. Perhaps I I should. Yeah, it is due, I'm sure it's due. Yeah. Yeah. Two weeks' time, we've got a week off. I haven't even looked, cos I don't even, I haven't even thought about it, you know. Everyone else keeps going on about it, and all like, oh, I can't go home, cos there's not enough Last year, reading week was, it seemed for ages, wasn't it? It did, didn't it, yeah. It seemed weird, it was so, [cough] oh, it's nearly November, I'm getting worried. That's alright. It's nearly Christmas. Oh, that's alright.
[Rebecca:] Half my year's gonna be gone, and I'm sort of, going for the third year, and it's really heavy. Oh. It's going so quick. But erm... I'm sure you're right.
[speaker004:] Maybe I have done, maybe it's just not printing it. They normally have one a year, they probably just haven't edited up. We had two though, didn't we? Didn't we have one la in the second year, [LAUGHTER] or something, I'm sure we did. We didn't Rebecca.
[Rebecca:] Oh, didn't we [LAUGHTER] oh, that's what it is, then, you get yours in February.
[speaker004:] That's what I'm saying to you. Ah, bit silly though, innit, starting
[Rebecca:] I'm sure we had another reading week.
[speaker004:] Oh, shit, you're just like me, you are. I swear blue in the face that I'm right, and then somebody comes on and goes [LAUGHTER] oh yeah. Well, put it this way, if it isn't on Sunday, it's a bit of a long time, because I come back January the fourteenth, fourteenth, and I've had all Christmas off, haven't I? So I'm gonna be back, like a week, you think they'd make it a bit more... so I've done most of
[Rebecca:] No, I know what I'm thinking of, I'm, if ever, I'm thinking of revision week, cos that was a week, we wasn't it?
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] And then we had another revision week in June. See, there's two revision weeks, and a reading week.
[speaker004:] Yeah, and
[Rebecca:] And then what?
[speaker004:] Of all the things that the transport division Mm.
[Rebecca:] Really, I think they should give us reading week.
[speaker004:] I don't know.
[Rebecca:] Well, only because I don't get one, they give you a weekend.
[speaker004:] Still, can't complain.
[Rebecca:] No, shouldn't have done.
[speaker004:] Suppose to be a reading week. [LAUGHTER] I know, I know, I'm gonna be in it. I've got so much bloody reading to do. I've got loads Has Miss gone She's coming back either tonight or, She gone home already. She's gone home, yeah. She went home last night. She's not gonna be back here very long, then. No, well she wants to go Oh, I see. all right, so she came back. She wants me to go to the theatre though, I don't think she'll enjoy Chekhov very much. Don't you? No, I'm not sure I will. I'm only going cos I got to. No. Yeah, she's coming back tomorrow. She's either coming back tomorrow morning or tonight. Aren't you going to the pictures tonight? No. Thought you was. Too expensive. I've spent too much money already so Did you get my message, then? Yes. It's about an asylum. He's a really nice chap. Is it her He was very young. He was right along the end without a sink. Ah. [LAUGHTER] Yes. [LAUGHTER] without a sink, he's got the only room without a sink [] He, he said, I said is Joanne in, and he went, oh, I don't think she is, actually. And I went, there's a message here for her, if Rebecca phones, I went, yes, I'm Rebecca, oh, right, okay. You leave a message like, and it's like, erm, I'll pop over and see you, [LAUGHTER] and I was like, I mean, he just paused for breath, and I went, well, what time, and he went, well hang on, the message hasn't finished yet. [LAUGHTER] So I went sorry, sorry, and he went, it's alright, and he went in, oh, thanks for that, thanks very much. He went, okay, then. He said, I'll give her the message, I tell her that everything's fine. I said, yeah, tell her that I got the message, and that you know, it's all fine. Okay then, right, see you later. Bye. I spoke to him last night as well. I mean, when I think I was with my bags and things and he went, [shouting] Jo, the message has gone through, everything's fine [] I went, [LAUGHTER] your sister, I relayed that little message which I thought was which I thought was rather comical, you see, and I said, oh did you, and he said yeah. He said, everything's okay, she's got measles. He's a nice bloke. Yeah. He seems like fluid poems. Her and Kate will come and see me at four o'clock [LAUGHTER] and her and Kate will come and visit you. They will not be coming to the cinema, and I was like, what time are they gonna come, and he was like, hang on, I haven't finished yet. four o'clock, and he was like read it and he... [LAUGHTER] oh, only fed ten P in and I got all the information that I needed to know. Yeah, I've written it all out in block. Mm.
[Anne:] He was only seventeen, wasn't he?
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] Is he really?
[speaker004:] Yeah, I think he was bored with this. How can you go to our while you're only seventeen. That's illegal isn't it? To be eighteen. He's just turned eighteen. Yeah, exactly, with like me, late birthday. Well, very late, September. Yeah, he can, I mean look at Shane, he's got a Yeah. very early birthday. Yeah. I'm getting bored with him. Mm. But So he is a year on, behind you Rebecca, you get what I mean. cos I know you've got a late birthday, and that. He be, he be, they be, he'll be in the year below me, but his birthday will be like, mine. Yeah. I see. Has your dad gone back home? No, digs How's your mum cope with that. Is she alright? He's only gone back for Yeah, that's not long. Oh, God. He's going to me erm, yeah, well, actually he wasn't really that drunk, was he, on Saturday, No. Saturday night? But he was talking to me, and he said, he said ah how, how you getting on over there, and he went yeah, yeah, it's alright, you know, but it's not where I want to be, you know, away from me family. I like being in with my family. He said I like being in with me boys. He said, and it's really good, he said, cos I'm, I'm celebrating my fortieth birthday, he said, and I ring my boys, he said, and they listen to the same sort of music I do. [LAUGHTER] He said, whereas my mum over there in the corner, he said, if she had a bash I had to listen to bloody Frank Sinatra, wouldn't I? [LAUGHTER] And I'd go, yeah. It's like yeah. He said, yeah, I like being home with the family. He said, but I'm only going back out there another he said, so it won't be too long. I said, yeah. it's not. Fancy Jane going and having a bust-up down the
[Rebecca:] I'm not surprised, Christ. She's relaying all marital problems, to everyone, wouldn't she. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] They're alike though, ain't they?
[Rebecca:] Did you see her when she
[speaker004:] Busting out of her dress.
[Rebecca:] Erm, your, I think it was Dwayne or was it, it's either Dwayne, or erm, er Bob knocked a glass over, and er, [LAUGHTER] Jane was like erm, trying to like, she was like going Edward move away, I'm trying to sh I'm trying, look, I'm trying to stop people dancing round here, and like, these, all this, this er, glass on the floor, right, Jane was standing there going like this, dancing round all this glass, and like she was going like this, and everyone that walked past, she was going, [shouting] broken glass [] [LAUGHTER] and she was saying, and [LAUGHTER] she was, she kept on going broken glass, they done it. And she's still dancing, it's really funny []. [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] She's ain't she?
[speaker004:] Oh dear. She started crying one
[Rebecca:] Yeah, I know she did, I saw her. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Shouldn't keep smoking and fighting in the middle of the front room. [LAUGHTER] She was crying in the pub.
[Rebecca:] Talking about how much she hated The bloke
[speaker004:] He's so drunk, he don't. [mimicking] She goes, piss off [].
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] So they had another big fight down there, didn't they? Oh dear.
[Anne:] Yeah, I went in the kitchen, and
[Rebecca:] She was pretty upset, though, weren't she?
[Anne:] Well, she upsets herself.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] She's a bit like that. Bit ain't she? Someone walked past her, and spilt all the drink down her front, that didn't go down very well. [LAUGHTER] Trip. Bloody hell, I try and get bloody dressed up, should be looking, stupid sod, drunk, got drink all down me. I think Dwayne, just, he was, just wasn't, wasn't that interested. [LAUGHTER] Can't blame him. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] He was just, oh, it was funny.
[speaker004:] he deliberately, I was standing next to him, he was just leaning on me.
[Anne:] That's Dwayne.
[speaker004:] Just leaning on me.
[Rebecca:] You know that... [tape side a ends] they all disgust me, and er, John went yeah, that's the sort of woman I like. Comes carrying a load of in her hand. [LAUGHTER] It was like, shut up. [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] He's a real prat, ain't he?
[Rebecca:] I was sitting there going, [LAUGHTER] ha ha ha [] got a stuck. I tell
[speaker004:] Oh, Lord. That's a pint glass gone. Naked woman on it. Ain't it, it's like out of a porno mag. It is bad. I don't know how he got that on there.
[Anne:] The
[speaker004:] It's not painted.
[Anne:] But when, when when the colour glass is full, she's got clothes on.
[Rebecca:] Oh, really?
[speaker004:] Never.
[Anne:] Yeah, when he drinks his pints, he knows
[speaker004:] I didn't see that.
[Rebecca:] Good, ain't it?
[speaker004:] Really?
[Anne:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] It's like them pens you get at the seaside. Where do you get that then? Oh you think he bought the glass like it.
[Anne:] Yeah, it's, it's just the same as that.
[speaker004:] Do you think he bought the glass like it?
[Anne:] No, I don't think
[speaker004:] Yeah, but how could Jim do that?
[Anne:] It's just a stick-on thing.
[speaker004:] Oh. [LAUGHTER] I knew before.
[Anne:] [mumbling] []
[Rebecca:] Mm. I think that's good, that is.
[speaker004:] Good laugh. Yeah.
[Rebecca:] So you, what are you going to do tonight, then? Go up the bar?
[speaker004:] Yeah. I think there's a...
[Anne:] I ain't been to the bar
[Rebecca:] Weren't you?
[speaker004:] Oh, although
[Rebecca:] Haven't you?
[Anne:] No.
[Rebecca:] Ah
[speaker004:] Really erm, food. It's something like... it's called. It's not Have a Shave. [LAUGHTER] I know it's not called Have a Shave [].
[Rebecca:] Oh, I saw a poster like that.
[speaker004:] Shaggy...
[Rebecca:] Shag something, in our place. It was a yellow poster and it had shaggy all on it. But mind you, I didn't know what this shag society was about. [LAUGHTER] There was Annie going, and our president was standing there going, aye aye, you seen this, Tom, have you seen this? She like, pointing to this big shag poster, and I thought, Oh God. [LAUGHTER] What's going on here.
[speaker004:] No, I think it's, it's a dis it's a disco, and it's got some kind of title, the shaggy party, or something. I don't know. [mimicking] shaggy [] I haven't seen it. I haven't seen it. The other one was called, erm, flip your wig. Oh, I saw that. Frank said that was really funny.
[Rebecca:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Seventeen Afro person.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Yeah. Erm, so I think we're going to that crap.
[Anne:] I don't care really.
[speaker004:] Right on. The drink's, the drink's cheap, ain't it?
[Rebecca:] Well, it's not... It's right I suppose.
[speaker004:] It's not really cheap is it?
[Rebecca:] It's not at our place, though, is it?
[speaker004:] Isn't it?
[Rebecca:] Not really.
[speaker004:] else's is more, more subsidized than our, though.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, ours is bad.
[speaker004:] But it's still cheaper than a pub. Yeah, yeah. So we'll have... a couple of drinks and that's it for tonight.
[Anne:] Mhm.
[speaker004:] Jane said that last week, cos I thought it was a disco, cos when it first described it me, it was real crap, and there was this colour guy and his friend, and all they wanted to play was black, they looked like they got no bones when they were dancing. You know like, dislocated themselves. It's really
[Rebecca:] Really, oh no.
[speaker004:] And in fact, all they played all night. The funny thing was, I find this really amusing, the bloke who was running the disco, he was putting loads of records on, then going dancing. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] Really, excellent.
[speaker004:] How was he doing that? Yeah, he really did, and the record would end, and then he'd plonk back. So they were just playing the music that they liked. It was only those two dancing all night. [LAUGHTER] Oh, what. That's what made it so obvious, because it was, he would put the records on, and then come out and start dancing, and I thought I'm not going that No, they played that,sh what's it, shake, shake, shake the room, bought that.
[Rebecca:] Oh, she didn't, oh remember the other day, Take That.
[speaker004:] I didn't ask. Oh. I didn't even supposed Would it? She said, yeah. ought to see lounge, she's got Take That disco, and Take That [LAUGHTER] Oh, Jesus, she's driving us up the wall.
[Rebecca:] She's trying to go out and get tickets to see 'em.
[speaker004:] Is she? She's got tickets. That's the trouble, but we got a note through the door this morning from our friend Kerry. Don't buy the Take That tickets. I'll explain later, [LAUGHTER] and she's last night [].
[Rebecca:] Oh no.
[speaker004:] I think it's really funny, cos it's thirty quid she's spent on two tickets, and she's telling us, she's got no money. She's spent fifteen quid on her tickets for the concert. Oh, shit. She's bought the C D of them, this week, and I'm just like, oh my God. Does she really like them, then? Well. I think she's somebody that just like, has to go with the flow, with what her friends are doing, and all her friends back home are really seriously into them.
[Rebecca:] Really?
[speaker004:] I just think what a load of rubbish.
[Rebecca:] How old is she?
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER] She's twenty []. [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] Blimey.
[speaker004:] Yeah, but I thought Take That was for twelve year olds. [LAUGHTER] Well, it is, innit. Yeah, likes a bit of Take That.
[Rebecca:] She don't.
[speaker004:] She does, that's the kind of thing she likes, Fred, innit?
[Rebecca:] Ah, she's sad, ain't she?
[speaker004:] Oh yeah. I bet Kerry likes them, don't she?
[Anne:] She is a sad person, anyway.
[Rebecca:] That's true. Too true.
[speaker004:] Does Kerry like Take That any more, or has she gone off them?
[Anne:] I don't know really. Trouble is
[Rebecca:] You don't communicate any more, do you?
[speaker004:] No, she's a bit odd, Kerry, listening to the Rolling Stones and U B Forty. Bit out her... ain't she?
[Anne:] Especially at the volume she listens to it.
[Rebecca:] I know.
[Anne:] Listens phworgh.
[speaker004:] Really loud?
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Anne:] Really loud.
[Rebecca:] Really loud. Much louder than anybody else. You have to go and knock on her door, cos she can't hear you shouting. [shouting] Is it loud []? Yeah.
[Anne:] She's got to, to, I mean, she could have it that loud at ten o'clock at night, she just doesn't, she doesn't think.
[speaker004:] She doesn't realize that everyone else is in bed... asleep. And, and the telly on as well, cos every night I come... everything going. Including the hairdryer, just [LAUGHTER] Oh dear. She didn't look very happy at your party did she? No. Great big coat on, must have been sweating her eyeballs out.
[Rebecca:] I kept telling her to take it off
[speaker004:] She said it was new, so But she said, I can't be bothered. [LAUGHTER] She's this massive big coat on, and I said to her,sh I said, she said, I said you alright, Kerry
[Anne:] She's too much yeah.
[speaker004:] big ain't it. Makes her look even
[Rebecca:] It's really massive innit. Yeah.
[speaker004:] Lisa had one of them for a little while.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] I hated it.
[Rebecca:] coats.
[Anne:] It's what they go for, I suppose.
[speaker004:] Yeah. I suppose so. It's all the fashion, innit?
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Rather be spivvy. [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] on the back of his it's just so sad.
[Anne:] cut as well, innit?
[speaker004:] I know.
[Rebecca:] My brother, oh, it's sad. My brother's got this mate at school, called Victor. He's got a pair of shearing scissors and he's been doing like, this boy's African, so he's got, you know, Afro hair, which you can do curly-wurly signs on the back of him, it looks pretty neat. [LAUGHTER] But Ryan decided that he'd have his head shaved at the back of his head, so he got this boy to write his name on. It shows you how thick this boy is, he wrote on his name, he spelt it [spelling] R I E N []. Rien. [LAUGHTER] and this is really sad, and he told me mum that he'd been to a hairdressers and done it.
[speaker004:] Oh, did he?
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] How did you know it was his friend done it? Cos of Nat cos Natalie, she's a right little squealer, she is. I don't, Natalie's Samantha's sister. Erm, she, she at school with Ryan, I don't suppose the hairdresser
[Rebecca:] in the same year. Well, my brother had a smack, cos Natalie tells her what Ryan's been up cos she's a bit like that, erm, likes to sort of erm, squeal, you know. [LAUGHTER] She said, have you seen Ryan's hair. I said, yeah, and she went ah, she went, Victor did that. I went [shouting] what []? I went, is this this well hard bloke from Brixton, cos Ryan keeps going on about it, like we I said, is he do, I said, oh, we went to Oxford Street today, and he went, is that anywhere near Brixton? I went [LAUGHTER] I don't think so, Ryan, and he went, ah, cos I wanna go up there, it's well hard up there. I thought, why he's saying that, and then I looked, and Victor comes through now, and he went, yeah, I wan he goes, I wanna go up London and get some clothes, get some really stylish stuff up London, I was like, yeah, Ryan. I said, you only get a bigger selection, that's about it. He said, no you don't. Victor says. And I thought like ah, and then mum sa I told mum, and she went you bastard, he told me that he gone and went to the hairdressers and done that. She went, right I'll get him, and I went, oh don't mum, I said, don't embarrass him. Do you know what she said, she went, what, I'm gonna bloody see that Victor. I went, [shouting] no you're not [] I said, don't do that, it's not nice, mum. I said, you wouldn't like it. She went, oh, she went oh I won't, I'll just wind him up. [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER] And Ryan came in [] and she went oh, she went, I just learned who did er, your er little bit of hairstyling there Ryan. She went, he's pretty good with a pair clippers, ain't he, old Victor. Well, I went [LAUGHTER] ha ha ha [] [LAUGHTER] and she went, yes, I have heard, and he went, yeah, well, well, well, I mean, he just didn't how to spell my name. [LAUGHTER] And she went, you wait,mu my mum went
[speaker004:] She gobbled him up with it.
[Rebecca:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER] My mum went, you wait till I see Victor, she said, I'm gonna bloody have him. Right, see ya, what are you gonna do after
[speaker004:] Erm, bye-bye
[Rebecca:] you've finished?
[speaker004:] I don't know. I don't know.
[Rebecca:] Well, we w
[speaker004:] What time do you finish? Well, we finish at nine, but er, might go up to the bar.
[Rebecca:] Well, I tell you what, if you walk over to Annette's. If, if you want to go to the bar, walk over to Annette's after you've finished, because we probably won't go up until about nine, half nine, would we, and then we'll go up with ya.
[speaker004:] Well, we'll wait until you come round, and then decide what to do. okay,
[Rebecca:] Yeah, that's a good idea.
[speaker004:] And then you know, if you've coming back, I'll drop you back home. Thank you. Rather than walk back on your own. thank you. Have fun.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Bye.
[Anne:] See ya.
[speaker004:] Bye.
[Rebecca:] See you later.
[speaker004:] Oh no, she's got to walk round with him. [LAUGHTER] The thing is, you can't really, you couldn't sort of see this jagged mess. He's made a right mess of it. He shaved up the back, hasn't he? It's odd and even.
[Anne:] Yeah, but, yeah
[speaker004:] And you get this, this bit here [LAUGHTER]
[Anne:] he's all shaved, his hair come back over it.
[speaker004:] See like, long hair here, so it's hanging down, scraggily, [LAUGHTER] so you've got like a shaved head, with all these bits here ain't ya? So it covers it up a little bit, but it looks like he's gone bald.
[Rebecca:] No.
[speaker004:] Because he's like, long bits of hair, like this thick, hanging over, a shaved head, [LAUGHTER] and you know, you know Tina, you know Tina Turner, you know her husband kept on going like this all the time... yeah... mine does that all the time yeah, I go oh pack it in. Like Peter, you know, he does all this, like he keeps going, oh show it to me, I can't I'm trying to grow it. [LAUGHTER] I'm trying it down, like, so it's round here. Do you think it'd be good like that, and I went, yes Ryan it'd look much better. Cos he keeps growing his hair, to sort of there, and then he has it cut off, don't he, he's shaved. Cos he has to have it undercut, cos that's hard.
[Anne:] He's full of being hard, isn't he, Ryan?
[speaker004:] He is, ain't he, just full of it. Oh I've got something, erm, Peter's in prison,
[Rebecca:] Oh no, really?
[speaker004:] Three years.
[Rebecca:] You're joking.
[speaker004:] No.
[Rebecca:] Really?
[speaker004:] I... when I went, you know when I went down, do you remember I told you that I got caught up with him?
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] And like I went down for that one Monday.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] And erm, I knew he was going to prison. It was for something that happened about five or six years ago. He was in a fight with these erm, squatters.
[Rebecca:] Really? And it's taken all this time to come round.
[speaker004:] Yeah, yeah, and now it's come round
[Rebecca:] Three years.
[speaker004:] Three years... er... three years, five years if he misbehaves, and Clayton, you say, eighteen.
[Anne:] Yeah
[speaker004:] Two years if he's good.
[Rebecca:] Bloody hell. I mean, he's been into court but not for that long.
[speaker004:] It's more of a shock, because, yeah, I know, because nobody knew. We thought he would just get like a, a community service
[Rebecca:] from Lee.
[speaker004:] I don't know. I didn't know from Lee. Jim phoned me up and told me, he was like upset.
[Rebecca:] Oh, shit. Oh dear.
[speaker004:] it's sad though, because
[Rebecca:] What has his mates done.
[speaker004:] We're collecting loads of things for him to keep him occupied. Like drawing books and that, and pencils, [cough] you buy him trains and stuff.
[Anne:] What a waste of time, cos he'll only sell them for things he
[Rebecca:] Yeah, course he will.
[speaker004:] It's like, it's ge you know, he's really upset about it, but I'm just thinking Be different if you can do that. Yeah. Yeah, he's really upset, I feel sorry for him, cos he's been upset about it, but
[Rebecca:] Oh dear.
[Anne:] That his brother lied to him, like that.
[speaker004:] Yeah, but he don't know that, does he?
[Anne:] I know.
[speaker004:] He thinks his, you know, he thinks his... I wonder how Julia's bearing up, even though it's all broken up. Yeah, he does, he thinks it's another just that he has a little drink now and then. [LAUGHTER] Now and then. Just a few, yeah. Just a few, just a tipple.
[Rebecca:] Oh, dear.
[speaker004:] Mm, so.
[Rebecca:] Better not let Ryan find out.
[speaker004:] No, why's that? You know what he's like. Big mouth? Yeah. He'd be on about it.
[Rebecca:] He won't find out, will he?
[speaker004:] No, I know. But it's just Ryan really, anybody that's in any shit, Ryan really aspires to. Oh yeah. Like cos he was asking me about Shane [LAUGHTER] Was Shane good at school? Did he, did he used to be naughty and I was like, I don't Ryan, and you got, I bet he did. You know, anybody, and like, he sees, if he sees erm, who else does he relief fund. There's a poster up in erm, and these two people that are drug addicts, and said like, [LAUGHTER] did you see that [LAUGHTER] I'd drawn a pair of ears on one of them, turned around and seen Shane and he's like his mate was the other one, weren't it? Ryan loved that []. Have you seen that poster. [LAUGHTER] Holy Communion. [LAUGHTER] Poor boy. [LAUGHTER] Don't tell him blue eyes [LAUGHTER] Oh dear. I know that's not funny, but, it is funny. [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER] It is [] Ryan just revels in anybody who's been naughty, he think he really is spite which I think is a bit frightening in a child, really.
[Anne:] It is because he'll be
[speaker004:] Yeah
[Anne:] Looks to just led into
[speaker004:] Yeah, he is, he's very easily led, Ryan, you know, and he's very into, you know, getting on with the gang. Which is really sad. But erm, he's a little shit. Called me, he's called me a college crappy, he goes why don't you go back, he goes, why don't you go back to college, you college crappy. He went, you're just a drop-out, you're just sponging off the government. I was like, shut up, Ryan. [LAUGHTER] He's like, I know your sort. fourteen. Yeah. But the sad thing is, he's got he's got quite a bit of brain, ain't he, to come out, you know, little things like, although they're rude, he's obviously aware, but he's wasting it all, ain't he? I know. Quite intelligent. It's like, what was he, he was going, oh that's right, [LAUGHTER] he keeps going, I can't, but they're cold now [] but he was like, at the dinner table once, right, and Ryan and Gran argue continuously, and he was going erm, and he went, Gran, and Gran went, yeah, and he went, do you know what you are, and Gran went no, and he went, well, I can't remember what it's called, he goes, they're this, I think it's a hybrid, he goes, you're a hybrid. He goes, do you know what one of them is, he goes, it's just sort of like evolutionary thing between the ape and man, and he goes, it's sort of part way between, and it's sort of like some sort of creature, and it's half like an ape and half like a human, and he goes, and you're one of them [LAUGHTER] he goes, you're one of them Gran, he goes, you've got a brain like one of them, as well, and Gran just like went... oh shut up Ryan. She doesn't really know what to say. Oh, shut up Ryan, and then he sits there for a bit, [LAUGHTER] and she goes, yeah well, you used to wear national health spectacles. Ha ha ha [LAUGHTER] and Ryan goes, oh shut up Gran. But he's like, when they think they can get any little thing they can think of to wind each other up. It was so amusing. But it just go Ryan is, you know, he's a bright boy. Yeah, I know, it's sad ain't it? But like,Mi Miss said to me, when I went up there, she said, ah I know, she said, you hear a lot of bad stuff about Ryan, she said, but he's a nice, he's a nice little boy really, and she said, he's very polite, he's very polite, he can be very polite to you. She said, and a lot of the time, she said, he's a, he's a little sod, she said, but you know, she said, I mean, it's not all bad things about him, and I said, I've been hearing things about you from Miss, and she oh, what she's been bloody saying, I bet she's been saying I'm crap at English. Yeah well. I said, actually Ryan, she had some good bloody things to say about ya. He sort of went, ha ha, and shut up. Oh he's a little sod. He's, he's funny but it's not, cos if Ryan's, he's not going to get anywhere, because he's just a little shit, basically. Mm. Do with him? [LAUGHTER] Yeah, he is funny. Like, what if I opened the door, right, he didn't know I was coming home, he went, he looked at me and went, what are you doing here, I went, oh thanks Ryan, and he went, no, no I didn't mean it like that, I was just a bit surprised to see you like. I thought, yeah, yeah. [LAUGHTER] I mean, he's all, I mean he walked in the door, he was, I'm coming down the garden, and erm, he walked down the garden and he'd seen me, and he started really smiling. Ah. you alright, and Ryan was giving it, Janna, what's he the Janna, the Janna, The Janna's here. [LAUGHTER] The Janna's here. My Janna. My Janna's here. I was here. Take your shoes off, wouldn't she? Try and get your shoes off. Take 'em. Mm. She said, let your friend sit here. [LAUGHTER] she said, he is your friend. [LAUGHTER] Yeah, but she, she calls him, it's you're her daughter. Yet everybody else you who you are, and Kate is my daughter. Mum says it's not your daughter. [LAUGHTER] You know, I think if we confused her one day, Yeah. we kept asking her, if like she said, if you said to her, where does Joanna live. Joanna lives in her house. Joanna lives with my Aunty Jill, I said, you know, Yeah, but she's got a bit of a problem with that. Because there's so many. She keeps on about all the time, every time I'm there. Where you going now. Whose house are you going to. It's almost like I'm a refugee [LAUGHTER] I felt right I'm like, you know, When you go home now, to which house? Where are you going. We were walk walking to erm the, down the high street and a plane went over, and erm, I think mum must have been saying to her about Aunty Jill being on holiday, and she went, ah, there's Aunty Jill in the plane going to the city. It was really funny. [LAUGHTER] I said, where did she get that from, my mum went oh I don't know. She went, yeah, my Aunty Jill's gone to the city, she's gone to a city. And then she said to me, and then, when I was going, she went to me, would you like to come on holiday, I went, then she went, because of me and mum and dad, we went another day to holiday, we went to beach, and er, mum said, that, yeah, mum said that she was saying, erm, to her, why, why is it not, what was it she said, about the weather, mum was moaning saying it was cold, and she went why, why aren't we go on holiday, mum, and mum said we can't, we can't afford to go on holiday, and she ah, why don't we go to seaside when it's cold. Mum says cos it costs lots of pennies, she went ah, another day, we'll go another day. It's really funny. She's got no concept of time. No, she hasn't age, because she thinks she's... she's been a big girl, and she's now a little girl.
[Rebecca:] That's right, yeah.
[speaker004:] She thinks she's... er, when I was like you, when I was a big girl,
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] I did things like that.
[Rebecca:] Yeah. Whereas not I will do things like that when I get older.
[speaker004:] Yeah, she thinks that she's been big already Yeah, when I was, er she says when I was as big as Rebecca or when I was a big Joanna, it's always the name. What did she say she did Just like, got something on, or you got something.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Yeah. I had one of them
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] when I was a big girl.
[Rebecca:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] I had some like that. Like, like little lies, sort of, you know, she sort of pretends, that's her pretend role. Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Well, yeah, I suppose it, yeah.
[speaker004:] Yeah she, she does that, don't she? She's got this erm, dinosaur, that she like, tied a, a la a bootlace round, this luminous bootlace round it. She dragged it, drags it around, and it's called, erm, little frog, what is it called? Little froglet dog, little my little froglet dog, that's it. Froglet doggie, it's called or something. I think that's what it's called, something really funny. and she calls it my froglet doggie. And you say, who's this, she's says, my, this is my little froglet baby big doggie, or something like that. [LAUGHTER] She puts it in, and you ask her all questions about, she tells you it about it, and it has to be, and it only drinks orange squash, cos that's wh what only Marie only drinks. Marie only drinks orange squash. [LAUGHTER] She goes, it only drinks orange squash. What's it have to drink? Orange squash. Yeah. And likes your light on when it goes to bed. She does. If you go out and switch her light off and leave her in the room. [mimicking] Come back and put my light on []. Really? [mimicking] I don't like it in the dark []. You can, if you go up there. you've done it, she's had to get out and put it on herself. [LAUGHTER] You put my light off, I don't like that, you put my off. My mummy doesn't like that. that, yeah. [mimicking] I tell my mummy of you. Mummy [] Bit of a squealer. Yeah, I suppose she has to be with Ryan Ryan tried to push her down, and get her to fall downstairs the other day. No. [LAUGHTER] step one forward more, edging her away, telling her to balance on them. [LAUGHTER] not very nice is it?
[Rebecca:] They're little shits like that.
[speaker004:] Ah, but then there's quite a big gap though, really. Oh, yeah. It's hardly surprising. I mean, Mark used to pick on me rotten, and he was only four years older than me.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] So, like Ryan's, what, nearly ten, ten years older than her. Mm.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, I'm sorry, yeah.
[speaker004:] Well, Ryan's not...
[Rebecca:] He just gets stressed out with her.
[speaker004:] He does, he does. niggles now and then.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, she, she.
[speaker004:] Like I've him at, watched him a few times, she goes, [shouting] get off [] he says, [shouting] what []
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] he's old enough to carry it off, [LAUGHTER] but me mum says to her, now... erm, she says like what, what do you do Marie, if he's annoying you, and she goes like that she goes Ryan's
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] He's like, [shouting] no I don't [] she's like [LAUGHTER] Leave her alone. Do you want to go and get something to eat, then. I know you're all hungry.
[Rebecca:] Yeah, I've got to go out in half an hour, actually.
[speaker004:] Have you?
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] What shall we do?
[Rebecca:] Got to go and sell some tickets.
[speaker004:] ah, it was alright, er, it was a bit, David did a good performance, erm, and there was this boy in the first year, and he was apparently been turned down by Lambda Do you know who Lambda are, I don't even know who they are. was it RADA?
[Rebecca:] No, it's not RADA. It's Lambda I think it's like RADA. And he's meant to be really hip shit, shit hot good. But erm.
[speaker004:] Well, if he was turned down by RADA he can't be that good, so Erm, he acts like he think he is. [LAUGHTER] I don't know whether he was turned down by them, or he turned them down, or something, I don't know. He's meant to be really good. And he was a little, he was like,try really trying to prove himself as an actor, I don't know, bit over the top, Oh God. and I thought to myself, Oh God.
[Rebecca:] Yes, yeah, he's that sort. But that's not so bad. The good thing about it was, [cough] it was only on for about an hour. Excuse me. An hour and a quarter.
[speaker004:] Was it?
[Rebecca:] Yeah, which was good.
[speaker004:] Ah.
[Rebecca:] So erm, that was quite good. Because it didn't last very long. But it was after so it wasn't really...
[speaker004:] Yeah, too taxing.
[Rebecca:] No, it wasn't too taxing on the old brain.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] So no, no, it was alright. Erm, got back here about quarter past nine, which was great, cos it meant I could watch One Foot in the Grave. And that
[speaker004:] that one really annoyed me last night, that did.
[Rebecca:] Did it?
[speaker004:] I can't stand it, I felt sorry for him. I end up feeling sorry [LAUGHTER] for him every time I watch it []
[Rebecca:] Yeah, I do. Do you watch that Clive?
[speaker004:] No, I don't
[Rebecca:] Oh, it is good. What about Absolutely Fabulous. Did you see that?
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] And do your exams on the first of our work... in June.
[Rebecca:] Bells!
[speaker010:] Usually write about, the best thing, now if you call the register erm... here.
[speaker004:] In the classroom?
[speaker010:] Classroom.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] Actually it's behind Liz.
[speaker006:] Yeah, it's here.
[speaker004:] Yeah me.
[speaker010:] Okay.
[speaker004:] Cairan
[speaker010:] So, but... we've gotta find it out.
[Rebecca:] Why? [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] So erm
[Rebecca:] It's intact.
[speaker010:] Okay.... Further announcement is that... due to popular demand there are four extra tickets... for the Winter's Tale. So, if you didn't get your act together last week... and you want to go to the matinee performance of Winter's Tale on the third of November. Erm
[Inga:] [cough]
[speaker010:] [keeps shuffling microphone around] the tickets were so they want tickets but they haven't actually sent any money, so if you get in before them... erm, you can have the tickets. Especially whoever pays their money first. It's five pounds... Thursday the third of November, a matinee performance of A Winter's Tale. There's... er already about twenty people going. Erm... I have... the other. Erm... if you want to come along to... it's a black comedy. Ya.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER] Mhm.
[speaker010:] Cairan?
[speaker006:] Yes?
[speaker010:] Difficult aren't they?
[speaker006:] Aha.
[speaker010:] That's why I'm gonna say now... why? What makes reading Johnson... so difficult?
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker006:] [clears throat]... The language.
[speaker010:] Okay.... I don't know what, we can just talk about the language
[Inga:] [clears throat]
[speaker004:] You have to look up every second word. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] Okay. Well I guess, look at every second word. What... what bothers you?
[speaker004:] It's just, it's just so erm specialized.
[speaker010:] Right. Okay.
[Inga:] [cough]
[speaker010:] Cos it's specialized. And by that, you mean?
[speaker004:] Well just... well if, because it's all... a lot of it's to do with this alca alchemical
[speaker010:] Okay.
[speaker004:] alchemal... whatever it's called.
[speaker010:] Specialized.
[speaker004:] The process.
[speaker010:] Mm.
[speaker004:] Which I'd know nothing about, er but just... highly specialized in itself.
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] And every, every word that I... stumbled on
[speaker010:] Mm mm.
[speaker004:] and when I looked it up it had about six other words to go with it.
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] D'ya know what I mean? And, and obviously it was ridiculous, every second word I was having to look up and then I'd get all that and it moves onto the next one.
[speaker010:] Yep.
[speaker004:] Which is ridiculous.
[speaker010:] Anybody had
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker010:] this experience?
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker010:] Erm... okay, the first word was erm... it talked about alchemy. Any other problems with the language? Either... other areas where it's very specialized and you had to look up words, or other difficulties with the
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] language?
[speaker004:] It's not everyday English.
[speaker010:] It's not everyday English. What at the moment, at th right, so a lot of, erm
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] Yeah. Ah but that is a good distinction. [LAUGHTER]... Stereo. Erm... ahead... in the sense that
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] we're used to a lot of Shakespeare's archaisms because he was studying them at A level and Shakespeare's got so a special sort of band of them that he uses. Even so, I... they can go and look up that lot of words in Shakespeare. But Johnson... they're often old words... that are totally out of use... erm... and... we're not even used to Johnson's vocabulary because
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker010:] it's not taught in schools. At least not part... the mainstream part of our culture. Any other reasons for the language difficulty? Or that the speech is difficult or the, any, any reason that there's a, a page that's difficult to read?
[Inga:] Er, it strikes me with the, with the comedy, he's trying to be so funny that he shoots off at all these angles and not having
[speaker010:] Aha.
[Inga:] left, sort of boundaries.
[speaker010:] Okay. So... erm... well, you might like to say that
[speaker004:] Mm mm mm mm.
[speaker010:] he's very... fast... er, deduced... comedy. There's a lot going on... at a very fast speed. Which makes
[Ann:] Well I thought it was quite farce like.
[speaker010:] Sorry?
[Ann:] I've seen the play and I thought it was quite like a farce. You know
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Ann:] like
[speaker010:] Okay. But
[Inga:] [cough]
[speaker010:] this is rather what... what it, makes it difficult is that... I had a copy as well farce... right, but don't say farcical. That's got different meanings. Er, like farce... okay? As in this.... Any other things that made it... made it difficult for you to read?... So it's only the language? The language, if it had been translated in modern language there'd be no, no problem? Were there are any reasons?
[speaker009:] It's supposed to be a play, I suppose you have to watch it. When we were reading it I found that I was just reading it as a book and the... and that all the coming about you forget who's in, who's there and who's not there.
[speaker010:] Yeah.... Right? Yeah. More, again, much more by the shape of it, an intensely visual dramatic play, that relies on you being able to see
[Inga:] [cough]
[speaker010:] spatially... in terms of space... on the... stage. People knocking on doors, people hiding behind things, people coming on in costume. You know, on the page you can't work out... why erm, is suddenly called... erm... nuns, somebody called the Captain, you know, you, you, you think these are three different characters. On the stage you wouldn't make that mistake, you'd be able to keep track of the identity. So, another reason... that just adds that... is the element of disguise. In Shakespeare... you know, you haven't got that many disguises going on. And, you'd be able to get one laugh, that's the idea. It's a modern gag idea that... you know, Violet dressed as man or... but in, Johnson... ha there have numerous... kinds of disguises, each
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker010:] to different effect. Each calling different people. Okay? Right. We've got some idea as to why, why we found it difficult to read. Which also help us understand the kind of comedy altogether, erm... that. Let's see if we can refine those... like us looking at the first two lines... of the play.... Erm
[Inga:] [cough]
[speaker010:] [cough]... okay. We'll read them through and pause for a while and try to think of the, also in terms of the physical, you know, erm... staging. Erm... okay, who's gonna be Face? I'll have... Jo as Face... I'll have Monica as... Sottle, and we'll have... Mia as Don. Okay? Just the first
[speaker004:] Mhm.
[speaker010:] ten or twenty lines. Right, off you go.
[speaker004:] [reading play] At least I will. [reading] How are your wits? Why don't you run for us?
[speaker007:] [reading] Oh don't be ridiculous!
[speaker004:] What to do, a little bit of pantomime.
[speaker007:] Ro rode out of the woods tonight.
[speaker004:] No don't keep suffering. Forever while she breathes I'll go and see... and fetch some water, will you come?
[speaker007:] Will you have the? betrayal. Hark! I hear somebody.
[speaker004:] Yeah. I shall mar all of that he has made and foraged. This way! This way!
[speaker007:] Why? Who am I then my love? Who am I?
[speaker004:] I'll tell you, since you know about yourself.
[speaker007:] Did you know?
[speaker004:] Yes she belongs to time not long past. The good honest that kept your master's worship house when he requires. Will you please go out? Since translated so that I'll be the Captain. By your needs such as those []. With the amount of my money all this must [].
[speaker007:] [].
[speaker010:] Okay, we'll sto stop there. Now... even in that had a fairly dry reading through.
[Inga:] [cough]
[speaker010:] Are there any things you want to add to that list, just looking at that? Di different language and er, and what's going on.
[Inga:] Yeah. In I think... the people were speaking faster.
[speaker010:] Alright.
[Inga:] You, looking through it and almost laughing at the.
[speaker010:] Right. I think that... almost, we've got another... aspect of... erm... [writing on board] comedy, comedy... it's really on the basis of arguments, fighting... complication between people. Which, as you quite rightly say... you really need to hear, hear the voices going on.... and I'll get some people
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker010:] along the middle in a moment and, and do it. Any, any other things? Did anybody snigger on anything
[speaker004:] No.
[speaker010:] in those thirty lines? Come on, there are rude words in there.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] I mean
[Inga:] I grinned at farts.
[speaker010:] Good!
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] Okay.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] Brunt, and a bit of a at the moment. Erm I mean Shakespeare did not, correct me if I'm wrong, use words like fart and, certainly doesn't use words like fuel gauge, have a leg over things like that, and things like, okay? So it's rude language. Which is funny. I mean, we are all er very sympathetic at the end of the twentieth century, but, you know, we can still laugh when somebody says fart on stage. Erm... there are other examples of that. You'll be glad to know that... in line four and five, [reading play] What to do? Lick figs out of my []... he's actually saying lick piles... from my... and, you know the audience replies... fig... fig. And the actor could, you know, draw attention the part of the anatomy he's talking about. I mean, this is not
[Inga:] [cough]
[speaker010:] this is not his sense of humour but it is visual, it involves the audience. Like, if you break off a line like, lick figs out of my... something, you're getting the audience going because the audience is supplying the... rude bits. Okay?... Any other... things that were a problem about that clip?... Okay. Forget that funniness. Why is it different from Shakespeare? What's the difference between that opening scene... and say the opening scene... in Twelfth Night or Winter's Tale? Were they di different?
[speaker009:] There's no asides... view.
[speaker010:] Right. That's another problem actually I hadn't thought of that. It's all... but everybody's... erm... everybody's involved from the word go, so... and the structure the... so think about that point. No, are no asides. Erm... I suppose there are later on in the play er th... characters speak to each other and say very good that stupid berk over there kind of aside, but... what you don't get is... any structures of characters... as such. You never get told what different characters are like... in th er by somebody else. You don't get introduced to characters, you don't plunge... straight in. Er... yeah, I have thought of... a very different one. I mean they don't, er, in the middle of things.
[speaker009:] You're not really given any background either.
[speaker010:] Yeah. So
[speaker009:] Shakespeare always usually gives you a bit of... you know, you just got the two gentleman speaking clear and.
[speaker010:] Yeah. Exactly. And we accept those things. You know, give us a chance to get into the play and get comfortable on our feet and we'll have a go, well, Johnson doesn't give you that option does he? It's straight in there... there's a fight between three, two men and a woman, you don't know what's going on, they're just abusing each other and... and the picture
[Inga:] [cough]
[speaker010:] is there. Now Johnson it brilliant for doing abuse. There's this... wonderful put down. I'll have please.. Erm... okay. So in a very different world to that of Shakespearean comedy, a must harsher abrasive... world... erm... again th... that bit where she's ge get, do I get the impression that most of you found yours much more difficult to get into
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] than Shakespeare?
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Inga:] Mm mm.
[speaker010:] Yeah? Does anybody... have this...?
[speaker004:] Er, mm
[Inga:] Erm, I found it was like reading Shakespeare when I first started reading Shakespeare.
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[Inga:] Cos it's... I think, different types.
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[Inga:] You get used to Shakespeare.
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Inga:] It's, it's, you get used to the way he works.
[speaker010:] Okay, I think, I think that is, that is a point. Again, that came up this morning as well. That Shakespeare's so central to our heritage i you learn him at O level, you learn him at A level, you get used to him. Erm... he's part of our language... and, and therefore, you know, to go on to Johnson it's very different. Like you say, it takes much more time to get into it. But I think Johnson does make it harder for us. There are no characters to get involved with... as the there are in... in Shakespeare. We can't really imagine ourselves... you don't really have sympathy for any of the characters in the. They're all... fairly sort of silly characters. Whereas in, in Twelfth Night or whatever, we might actually feel involved within the, the people in the play. Certainly. Okay, well I'll leave all those up there. Erm... can you look at scene, act four, scene five in my edition. Now I discovered this morning there is actually act four scene three in some people's editions. Okay? Erm, so act fi act four, scene five. And the stage direction at the beginning of this, enter Doll in her bitter talking with Sir Epicure Manhom.... Has everybody got that scene? Enter Doll in bitter talking with Sir Epicure Manhom. Okay. Can you divide yourself up into groups of four first of all please? I'll do it for you if you, you want? And leave a bit of space. Right. For those who aren't totally sort of in control of the plot... and I probably should include myself as one of them, what's happening in this scene I want you to act out. What's happening in this scene? Doll... is a prostitute, okay?
[Inga:] [cough]
[speaker010:] First things first. Who is working with... Sottle... who's planning to be the alchemist, okay? So he's probably fiddled a lot of things... to get money from people. The alchemist is getting money, I'm sorry, for people who know this... inside out, but I'll just explain it. Erm... the alchemist is conning people promising them that he'll turn base metals into gold. One of the people he's conning is Sir Epicure Manhom... who wants a life of ease and luxury and has been giving... the alchemist loads of money in order to tu to, to perfect this and... funny enough the alchemist hasn't managed, hasn't managed to do this, to get the person's money. Okay. So that's who Epicure Manhom is. One day, when he is, somewhere back in act two, one day he is visiting the alchemist he catches sight of this woman, Doll, quite obviously a prostitute, probably an a an absolutely... erm... catches sight of her and says, I must quickly think up some reason why this woman is, is in the house... cos... Sir Epicure Manhom thinks the alchemist is a pure, homely... er priest-like creature yet in fact, he's running a whorehouse. Okay? So,has... [LAUGHTER] it's worse than Neighbours []. Erm, think... erm... so he's sort of bluffing, okay? I'll just find a scene where he does this. Er er... in act two, scene three... okay? Er erm... quite a long way, there's that, that line... erm... two twenty.... Okay? Face had just realized that Sir Epicure Manhom has... erm... seen Doll, which he shouldn't have done, and... Manhom calls Face out and says stay Lungs. That's what Face is called at the moment. [reading play] I dare not Sir. Say man what is she []? Now Face is bluffing here. [reading] A Lord's sister sir., pray thee stay []. And he sort of bluffs a bit more. [reading] She's mad sir []. Still trying to explain why a Lord's sister is staying with the alchemist, okay? [reading] She's mad sir. Send hither, he'll be mad too. I warrant thee, why send hither? Sir, to be cured []. You know, he's, he's thinking on his feet. He's trying to find reasons for this, this woman to be in the house. Meanwhile Sottle off stage is more, is calling why rascal? And Face [reading] low you hear sir []? He's going out to spend some. Okay. Manhom believes that, believes what basically? They look, er round that line, two three five... two three six... and Face is saying [reading] you're very right sir. She is a very rare scholar []
[Inga:] [cough]
[speaker010:] describing Doll Collan here, a whore who is seen wandering around the stage most of the time, [reading] she is the most rare scholar and has gone mad with studying Brampton's works. And here but name a word such in a Hebrew she falls in her fit and will discourse her learned genealogies as you would run mad too to... to hear her sir []. Now, so, Face is trying to sort of put off Sir Epicure Manhom by saying, you know, this a mad woman who's done too much learning... nice little attack on women here by Johnson, who, who... is one of the biggest misogynists in the world, erm... a woman who's gone crazy with learning... and who knows nothing because er she's just a prostitute and therefore she's thick. Okay? That's the joke. But th again, the funny thing is, even funnier, is that... Manhom lusts after her, gets distracted from this idea of getting all this money and sa saying, [reading] how am I going to have conference with her, Lungs []? Erm... and Face said, [reading] Oh! For a mad woman... acceptance of her []. Okay? So, Face promises to get an introduction... to this woman who Manhom fancies and erm... and Manhom, okay. That is the background. Next time we see them... they, they have met and... and Face sends them off to have a private conference. Okay? So you now have act four, scene five. Enter Doll and th they're talking. Will you please try and act it out like we did the Twelfth Night... the bit with Mrs, and see whether you can revive your idea of why... Johnson, what is the nature of, of Johnson's comic art. Okay. But hear guffaws... within minutes.
[speaker004:] Right.
[speaker010:] Do you want me to divide you up? Are you, [LAUGHTER]... do you want... class.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] You ne need four in a group. There's gonna be one over so somebody be the walking around peasant. I don't mind right now.
[speaker004:] [classroom chatter]
[Rebecca:] Just move my mike.
[speaker010:] I think one of you lot's gonna have to go over and join these three over here.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] Yeah. Go on. You brave soul Chris.
[speaker004:] Oh, do it now?
[Rebecca:] Oh!
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER] [classroom chatter]
[Rebecca:] Right.
[speaker004:] Well I haven't actually done it so I don't know what's going on.
[Kitty:] I've only read up to the bit where he's standing near the hooker.
[Inga:] Right. So what's the job?
[speaker006:] So how much have it, have we got to read? The whole of the thing? It isn't that long.
[Rebecca:] It's about act two, scene three really.
[speaker006:] I've put in act four, scene five.
[Kitty:] . Oh yeah.
[speaker004:] The bit where Doll and Manhom comes in.... The bit after Alexandra.
[Kitty:] Okay I'll be... Doll.
[Rebecca:] Yes. Okay. I'll possibly.
[speaker004:] Ah. Mr Manhom.
[speaker006:] I'll be Doll.
[Rebecca:] Alright, I'll be Manhom as well.
[Kitty:] But after Alexandra
[Rebecca:] Sorry?
[Kitty:] can we do... are we doing act four, scene five?
[Rebecca:] Er... that'll be act five.
[Kitty:] [LAUGHTER]... You're the clever one.
[speaker004:] [reading play] [] [classroom chatter]
[Rebecca:] I only see it as that... I don't understand her bit, I think she's just out to take the piss. I do I'm, you know, I'm learning enough, Ancient Greek. Sorry.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[Kitty:] Or whatever it is.
[speaker010:] It must be some.
[speaker004:] Erm... don't know, sorry. And er, I don't know, I think it's all about skivers isn't it? Cos as soon as they go it's all gone a bit
[Rebecca:] When I saw it I didn't think it was that funny. I didn't think, you know
[speaker004:] Yo ho ho ho!
[Kitty:] When did you see it?
[Rebecca:] I saw it about a year and a half ago. And I, when I read it, I hadn't looked at this, but I never thought it was really, I didn't sit there going
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] you know, it was
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] all like, ooh! Who's at the door? No it's the wrong person. Oh my God!
[speaker004:] Oh.
[Rebecca:] All that sort of thing. You know, it's like, real sort of like... you know, a farce.
[Kitty:] It's weird.
[Rebecca:] Yeah. It's just like the people really.
[Kitty:] People, yeah I know.
[speaker006:] Basically.
[speaker004:] , you know
[Kitty:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] less of that.
[Kitty:] [sighing] Oh dear [].
[speaker010:] How's it going you lot?
[Rebecca:] Hello.
[speaker004:] Oh hello.
[speaker010:] Have you worked out what's going on?
[speaker004:] No.
[speaker010:] Okay. [LAUGHTER]... How far have you got?
[Rebecca:] We've read the whole scene, but
[speaker010:] You've read the whole scene. Right.
[Rebecca:] can't remember much.
[speaker010:] Erm... what... what, what stage of [LAUGHTER] deciphering are you at []? [LAUGHTER] Have you got to []?
[Kitty:] [LAUGHTER] [].
[speaker010:] Okay. Erm... have you got
[speaker004:] Tricky too.
[speaker010:] what, what Sottle is doing when he comes in on the scene?
[Kitty:] No.
[Rebecca:] Isn't he trying to make him feel guilty... Manhom and this woman?
[speaker010:] Yes.
[Rebecca:] But he's er
[speaker010:] Yeah. His lust for a whore.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] And that's why, and then erm... he's trying to put, they try and blame Manhom that... er when the... er furnace thing stops he, that's all his fault is what
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] we thought.
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] So, I can understand what's going on, but it's like when I saw it, I saw the R S C production,
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] and like, and they were going, oh it's th the funniest play ever written!
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] And all this lot. And I went to see it and, you know, it was very slick... they said, oh
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] who's at the door? No it's someone else. Oh quick, put a
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] on.
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] But I, I never really... thought it was rip-roaringly funny.
[speaker010:] Perhaps if you don't really like farce... as a... as a kind of comedy then
[Rebecca:] I suppose, yeah I'm not really in on them.
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Cos even when I, I've been to see like, you know ones I just sit there and tend to go, yeah.
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] Yeah. But you've gotta either be really in them or sort of out
[speaker010:] Sort of back seat?
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] Very different kind of humour where... no, I, I, unfortunately I agree with you.
[Kitty:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] But I, I'm hating, but I mean... yeah I could see its cleverness. And
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] real... physical cleverness.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] The staging was just brilliant!
[Rebecca:] Yeah, it's really visual.
[speaker010:] It's
[Rebecca:] It's like when they did the erm... you know when she comes on as a fairy
[speaker010:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] kingpin fairy, she sat on someone's head and she had this massive gown all over her, and that was really visual. Erm
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] he we wanted to her get off he just ran up to this erm, ladder and she just grabbed onto him, he just pulled it away.
[Kitty:] Is that?
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] It's really hard, yeah.
[speaker010:] You cannot visualize something taking place.
[Rebecca:] It's really wordy isn't it? It's really sort of.
[speaker010:] And also, I mean, so many of the, the jokes just are... very quick jokes.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] They're based on maybe one word in a sentence but if you miss that, you've missed it. And that doesn't really matter in the theatre because you carry on
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] along by the visual gags, so neither of them when
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] you're reading it, you feel you've got to... you've got to follow the... follow the script. And the other thing about visual things, let's, let's say... there is a reference to somebody having piles, but they make it a visual gag
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[Kitty:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] whereas on the page it is... you know
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] schoolboy humour.
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] You know?
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] Erm... I mean, nevertheless, obviously it's just somebody on the scene is a bit
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] and that free way of talking... about pain. And wrote it like that and published it like that. Something that Shakespeare never did. He didn't take anything and take it to the publishers, there you go. And he was a very conscientious playwright.. So, you know, to part like him, you've gotta resent him.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] That's th the lying stake. Anyway
[speaker004:] Well the second bit on, don't you think you reach a point where it keeps going, the actual crap, and you go, well why are they doing it then?
[Kitty:] Yeah.
[speaker006:] It's really shit, yes, but let's just
[Rebecca:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker006:] carry on and see this.
[Kitty:] Can you get it on video this one?
[Rebecca:] No, I don't think you can.
[Kitty:] Tt!
[Rebecca:] It took ages for me to be able to get a
[speaker010:] Well, I tried to get a video cos I wa I wanted to use this section to actually watch it.
[speaker004:] Mm mm.
[speaker010:] And sort of stop it
[speaker004:] Yeah. Yes!
[speaker010:] every few minutes. I know. And I, I couldn't get one.
[Rebecca:] Tt! Oh.
[speaker010:] So, it was, it was, I,a as soon as I knew I'd be teaching this I thought the only way
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] to get them this across is, is to actually see it.
[Rebecca:] Is there a video of it?
[Ann:] I don't, oh
[speaker010:] Apparently not, but erm
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] there may be, I just... I went into one video shop and I asked the le erm, some people here.
[Inga:] Have you tried the library?
[speaker010:] No.
[Inga:] No. Library in
[speaker010:] ... here?
[Inga:] Twickenham.
[speaker010:] Or in Twickenham?
[Inga:] Twickenham. It's really good.
[speaker010:] Is it? Oh!
[Inga:] Yeah, so join up.
[speaker010:] [LAUGHTER] Thanks John. Commission [].
[Rebecca:] Plug, plug there.
[Kitty:] Yeah.
[Inga:] [LAUGHTER]... No it's really good, you can have them for like two days and it's only a pound, it's really good.
[speaker010:] Oh!
[Inga:] You get everything too.
[speaker010:] Well I'll look into that one. I think i this could be fairly crucial that you actually see it. Erm if I could have your attention for a minute. What, any other things that you'd got, but I talked to... each group individually, erm... but if you want to share any of your thoughts with... everybody else... I'm standing in the way. Any illustrations... for the scene we've just been doing and the things we've already been talking about, or any new ideas. Johnson's way of doing comedy.... No,, you got anything extra to say?
[Ann:] Er er... only we the bit about... how they both
[speaker009:] The way she to
[Ann:] at the same time.
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] Right. Okay, so... I mean they sa they all do say they'll be talking at the same time, but... as I say,th that bit goes there. And, oh I'm talking about this bit now in a minute
[speaker004:] not... wrong.
[speaker010:] The thing to bear in mind about Johnson is that he's a very, very, self-conscious professional kind of writer.
[Rebecca:] [whispering] He knocked down so many other
[Inga:] He was fat.
[Rebecca:] ones though [].
[speaker010:] He was probably fat as well. Yeah. He was, but in fact, he drunk far too much.
[Rebecca:] Sorry.
[speaker004:] It's alright.
[Rebecca:] Erm
[speaker004:] That explains it then doesn't it?
[speaker010:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker004:] Oh dear.
[speaker010:] [LAUGHTER] It certainly
[speaker004:] Well he,
[speaker010:] would be
[speaker004:] he, he
[speaker010:] that fat people only
[speaker004:] in
[speaker010:] smoke.
[speaker004:] in, in, in his plays he... he's not very nice about women because... he was sexually frustrated.
[speaker010:] Oh no he wasn't.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER] He wasn't.
[Inga:] No, no, I beg your pardon,
[Rebecca:] [LAUGHTER] Are you talking about you John []?
[speaker010:] No.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] I, I feel that probably professional status thing and this is not a therapy session. Erm
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] sort of... erm... no,Johns Johnson a, er, an interesting sexual life... erm... and he's not
[speaker004:] Very.
[speaker010:] frustrated.
[Inga:] Yeah?
[speaker010:] No. I think, I think... he
[Inga:] Whose
[speaker010:] and enjoy it.
[Inga:] Over there. Someone.
[speaker010:] So, no, no, afraid not. Erm... and er, but he also had a... major drinking problem. He was also the son of a builder... which wasn't a particularly great thing to be in, be in England which is, you know considerably more snobby than, you know and, what he did, set out to be, somebody who earned his living by writing, and that was a new idea. You didn't earn anything by writing. If you were Shakespeare
[Rebecca:] Sorry.
[speaker010:] you got a protection from an aristocratic person who, who looked after you, and he wrote not by his. Johnson said no, I'm gonna write these plays, I'm gonna earn money for them, and then I'm gonna publish them, I'll earn money from the publication. So he did a whole edition, a folio volume about that big, and that's the kind of volume that the bible be published in, it shows sort of what... weight was attached to this... erm... and he published his plays. Now, plays in that stage were the things that were... performed two or three times then forgotten, here is Johnson saying, no, I'm gonna write down all my plays, I'm gonna publish them, you're gonna read them... you're gonna read them as if they were learned things. He'd got this great idea of a type of an author. Now, at this you may not have sympathy for that... but... it's significant in circles I've seen that you just don't...... that Johnson has bothered... to write out... exactly how that play should be acted out, he's trying to stay in control of his plays. Shakespeare, we don't know what Shakespeare wanted... to do on stage, he doesn't give you any idea... at all. Johnson wants us to know exactly how his plays should be staged, he's a... he's an actor's... playwright. He's somebody cares about how actors can... form actually on a stage, what's possible. He, he explores every single dramatic possibility. Okay. Let's get on with it. Erm... this group also mentioned, and... other people did as well just that acting plays is dramatic irony. I mean there is that biography... as soon as she gets disguised. But it's just so, it's just the driving force really... in this whole play... that the audience... knows what's going on. And then other characters, erm, particular, other characters don't. Any other things? Did your group come up with anything... new Bob? No?
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] You lot? Come up with anything new? No? You can't do any better than this?
[speaker004:] No.
[speaker010:] Well there's a couple of things I will, I'll, I'll add then before we're shutting up about this. One is... I don't know whether any, any of you noticed but... come to that part when I reached this book, and the whole load of jokes on this page are topical... they'll be appreciated by the audience at the time. There are political jokes
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker010:] there are jokes about other plays, there are jokes about... bits of London... it's topical. Okay? That's another reason that Johnson is much harder to understand than Shakespeare. It's great for people like me who do research into... politics and literature because... you know, Johnson's like a key to ev whatever he's thinking at the time. Johnson's making a gag about it, you know, everybody wants to learn about it, but for us... it's much more difficult in, in the twentieth century. Erm... the other one, that I wanted to bring up in this, the reason I suppose, the second one to remember, is the idea of satire. And, for the sake of brevity I'm gonna give you some [LAUGHTER] definitions [].
[speaker004:] Oh.
[speaker010:] Do people mind me just... telling you things? No? Okay. Say so, I mean... you don't have to do this. Er, when... oh well, okay. Everybody got... an idea
[Rebecca:] [cough]
[speaker010:] of all this is going?... [cough]
[speaker004:] Ooh dear!
[speaker010:] Okay. Johnson, just debating, we're getting on to the whole idea of Johnson's world... and the link... though it worked out the same I'd say. Okay. The link is satire. Okay. Now this is a simplified construction, somewhat. Two basic definitions. One... the oldest... which comes from pre-Roman times, okay? Means, basically, thespian merrymaking. With any sort of... thespian... celebration... and this is pre-Roman okay?... Perhaps involving... you know, the leaders of the village becoming servants and servants becoming leaders, or women dressing up as men or... you know happy. All these things go on as a
[Inga:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] for the evenings. Erm... the other one is... Roman, which is one that some of you, I hope, will be a bit familiar with... and... a highly cultivated... kind of literary tact.... What brings both of these together basically, and this, if you want, is your working definition is... is thought of... attack through... mockery. Okay? So it's like you're attacking something... through mockery. It can be, sort of, for festive purposes, you're just poking fun at the priest or something
[Inga:] [cough]
[speaker010:] erm... then you'd probably spring over there, you know what I mean. Erm... but in Roman style it's a highly cultivated kind of literary attack.
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker010:] Okay. Both these kinds are inter-related... so, that's really a sort of quite an artificial... separation. And, the tricky thing about satire... there's a lot more
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] to be said about definitions but, particularly satire, is it's very difficult to distinguish satire from other types of comedy. Like with irony, remember the first week?, which I'll never forget it, tried to
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker010:] erm... make me explain the difference between irony and sarcasm. And I was still worrying about it. Waking up at night... I can't actually differentiate between the two very easily. Erm... I bore people, I might be at a dinner, I say look, what about irony and sarcasm? Anyway, after I've
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] This is true. This has become very sick. Erm
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] his idea of satire actually [LAUGHTER] is []... erm, if I hear satire, it's another one of those slippery things, you know... where does... begin? And where does comedy end? Where does irony come into it? You know, things like this, so take care with these things, they get very difficult to distinguish... other kinds of comedy. Okay. Turning to Johnson... which is what we're here for... there are two erm... versions, if you like, of the satire, particularly as Roman kind of satire which are relevant, okay? One is very pure satire, and he comes up with this idea as well. Erm... attacking... the social... forms... and customs... of the time. I mean most satire does that... but it's what Johnson's satire does... particularly well. Okay? There's another category... of satire
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker010:] which, if you like... Johnson's made his own. If you're gonna ru talk about the comedy... of humours... you ma more than likely gonna be talking about Johnson. Okay? And this is where humours... has nothing to do with humorousness. Get that in your head. Comedy of humours basically means... personality traits carried to excess. Manias. Okay. Sorry to digress. A comedy of... aspects of which are to be taken to extremes. Okay? So a modern humour on the stage might be... a really sort of over-the-top virilous feminist. Okay? That'll be our modern style of... erm... humour. Right. That's it. Now... the next, I want you... to look at... the verse prologue of the play. It comes just before act one, scene one. The verse prologue. Okay? In particular... lines eleven to the end. Okay? So just skim through the first ten lines... then eleven to the end really concentrate on. I wa I want you to tell me... if... what is Johnson saying that his particular comedy of humours... this play... is doing? What, what's its purpose? What is the purpose of Johnsonian comedy? Comedy to Johnson.
[speaker004:] [cough] [cough]
[speaker010:] Okay.... Go for the last couple of lines... whate whatever stage you're at.
[Rebecca:] [clears throat]
[speaker010:] Okay. Who wants to tell me... what Johnson is saying about the, of Johnsonian comedy?... Anything other than a guess. Er religion, Johnson. I don't think religious belief, as such. I think his hypocritical... extremism is in fact. I'm not asking you to do these now, but they're useful for your... erm, this was a handout given to people last year that I was... got given. And... if you're... wanting to spend more time on Johnson at any stage, this is sort of there's something that I sort of don't trust... producing some... er, you know a play to... a load of boxes but erm, la la la, and sheets as well. Sorry. You can finish looking later on. And you want four there.
[speaker004:] We can share ours.
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Ann:] We haven't got a copy.
[speaker010:] Erm... if you like, you filled in all those boxes... in your spare time... you come up with a whole list of these... follies of... human beings. But... there's always a but... if there's really a moral lesson... it's all just like an observation. There are four... if you're greedy and lustful, hypocritical... stupid... whatever, you're going to be easily conned. But does Johnson... so he's attacking... these people for doing that... but does he... is there any sort of...
[Ann:] Not really.
[speaker010:] border of ora morality about that? Well maybe that's it then.
[Ann:] He's punishing them.
[speaker010:] For those of you who don't realize... about five minutes, but... yeah, basically nobody's punished... at all. And whilst in a Shakespeare play... well, let me just give the, give the ex... erm example that... if this was a Shakespeare play... for example, and... you, you had all these characters in disguise conning other people and whatever, by the end of the play everybody would be out of their disguises... and... marrying each other and all the bad people would have been consigned, you know, to stage off
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker010:] erm, maybe not to be totally finished off, but, you know,th they're off the stage and you just end up with this, sort of, festive marriage business. In Johnson, none of that happened. And in fact, a nice bit of reading the play was that... I bet, and Johnson's gonna sort it out, he's gonna sort it out, he's gonna, he's gonna... you know, expose... Sottle, and Face, and Doll as wicked... and to reassert all the, you know, nice... values, like self-knowledge, er, and romantic and forgiveness and all these things. And he's got two opportunities to do that. In Surly, d'ya remember Surly? The one he... hoists... Sottle and that lot time dressed up as Spanish captain and cons. But in the end Surly's moved, sort of shoved off stage. He doesn't get anywhere. And the other one is when Ludwitt comes back... th the master of the house. You think yeah, yeah! Ludwitt's gonna clear all these people out, punish them. blood. But he doesn't. But look at the scene in which Ludwitt comes back. Act five, scene five. Er erm... sorry, not act five, scene five... erm... act five, scene three. The end of act five.
[Rebecca:] [cough]
[speaker010:] Scene three.... From line seventy
[Rebecca:] [cough]
[speaker010:] five... from about seventy three whatever. Ludwitt overhears Face talking to Sottle who's still in the house. Okay? Erm... who wants to, who wants to do Ludwitt?... Er... Katherine.
[Rebecca:] [cough]
[speaker010:] Right Katherine. Erm
[speaker004:] I'd rather not.
[speaker010:] You'd rather not. Okay. Erm... John. Ludwitt.
[Inga:] Okay.
[speaker010:] And... Face... er, next on the list is
[speaker006:] [whispering] Next one comes to me [].
[speaker010:] Andrea.
[Ann:] Yeah, I'll do Face.
[speaker010:] Okay. So that's Face and Ludwitt. Okay. From, oh is it so?
[Ann:] Oh right.
[Inga:] [reading play] Oh is it so? Then you converse with spirits. Come sir! No more... may your, may your tricks degenerate the truth the shortest way.
[Ann:] [reading] Dismiss this rabble sir! What shall I do? I'm catched.
[Inga:] Good neighbours, I thank you all, you made a part. Come sir, you know that I am an indulging master and therefore conceal nothing. What's your medicine? To draw so many, several sorts of wild fowl.
[Ann:] Sir! You won't want to effect mirth and wit, for here's no place to talk... on th in the street. Give me the leave to make the best of my fortune and only pardon me the abuse of your house. It's all I beg. I'll have you to a widow in recompense that you should give me thanks for... and make you seven years younger, and a rich one. Tis but your putting on a Spanish clock. I have her within. You need not fear the house. I was not visited.
[Inga:] But for me you came
[speaker010:] It was not visited.
[Inga:] Ha?
[speaker010:] Sorry, it was not visited.
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[Inga:] But for me you came sooner than you expected.
[Ann:] It is true sir. Pray you forgive me []?
[Inga:] Well, let's see your widow [].
[speaker010:] Okay. What, what did Ludwitt? I mean, from the first line it's... says, what shall I do, I'm catched? Think he's been caught. And what happened?
[speaker006:] Well he back up again.
[Rebecca:] [cough]
[Inga:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] You don't know?
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker010:] What's the tricky bit?... Face has been caught in the act... using his master's house a house as a brothel and... er
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker010:] a place for... you know, false alchemy. Ludwitt comes back, all the neighbours are clustering around trying to get in, Ludwitt, first of all he sends away the neighbours
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker010:] he asks Face to tell him everything... and what does Face offer him?
[Ann:] The widow.
[speaker010:] A widow. And what does Ludwitt do?
[speaker006:] Yeah, yeah I'll pay.
[speaker010:] He accepts it. [LAUGHTER] Yeah, that's right I'll pay this time []. Yeah. And, and
[Rebecca:] [cough]
[speaker010:] , you know... no difficulty. The point that I'm trying to make is that... Johnson made it plain, yes, that greed makes you gullible, lust makes you gullible, er er, you will be conned, but nobody gets punished. I mean... what is the point of... saying he's going to... better us... yet all he's doing is pointing out these follies. He's not saying, you know, you will suffer for them... except by humiliation.
[Inga:] Well that lady gets punished but then he's not like taking this... so sort of view that there's... any sort of order in the world. He's
[speaker004:] [cough]
[Inga:] sort of you, and people do get their broken up, and you say, oh well Face gets away with it, but he's the only one, everyone else... sort of gets on their face.
[speaker010:] But, the very fact
[Inga:] So, so, so
[speaker010:] that Face survives basically
[Inga:] Yes.
[speaker010:] arch... as if he has a
[Inga:] Right, Face... Face is, is... a brilliant, and, and like
[speaker010:] So that he's getting
[Inga:] better
[speaker010:] his reward?
[Inga:] [clears throat]... He's not getting his reward but it be... too simplistic to say... oh well, if you're gonna be bad you're gonna get, but this
[Rebecca:] [cough]
[Inga:] doesn't happen like that.
[speaker010:] No.
[Inga:] What he probably is saying is that... you more than likely get unless you actually.... The majority of people get things done... through the greed and the lust... and therefore, also religion.
[speaker010:] So, are you saying... that Johnson, despite the fact that he was dealing with human types, human beings, was actually more realistic in terms of how the world as a whole works... in that, bad people do get away with things... if they're good enough?
[Inga:] I think, yeah I think, that, that he's structured and like the, like plays like King Lear, where... there's this sort of unspoken erm... good guy at the top that sees that anything is punished that's bad, and people get their just desserts.
[speaker010:] Yeah. Well... hopefully we're gonna do about King Lear. But, yeah, I take your analogy that there are plays in which time, or the gods, or God... sort things out.
[Inga:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] And, and, yeah. Okay. And people get exposed and... all the rest of it. Right.
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker010:] Okay, so it's often the anarchist... that's erm... as far as we got. Erm... crass value judgment time please. Who likes Johnson, and who likes Shakespeare? First of all, anybody like Johnson better than Shakespeare?
[speaker006:] I do.
[speaker010:] You do. Why?
[speaker006:] Just cos erm, I don't really like Shakespeare. It's a bit more, it's more humorous to me. I, it just appeals more. I'm not really a Shakespeare fan.
[Inga:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] But you can't really sort of put your finger on any
[speaker006:] It's just the setting of it as well, at the back. You know, it's set in London. It just appeals to me more.
[speaker007:] I think Shakespeare appeals to me more because I can understand it.
[speaker010:] Right.
[speaker007:] Because I can't understand this. I just get frustrated with it.
[speaker010:] Right.
[speaker007:] And perhaps if I can understand it more, then
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] I'll be able to appreciate it.
[speaker010:] It makes you feel that you, you, being able to see this play
[speaker007:] Yeah. I'd erm
[speaker010:] then you, you, you'd be able
[speaker007:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] get a much better, better chance. I mean which, yeah, cos, cos we need it underlined. again, that, that has a visual... but erm, his Shakespeare. Why do you think we all Sh study Shakespeare? Why is it a
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker010:] kind of a national icon? Because... we don't have to see him. People like you and me, I earn my living by reading Shakespeare but it's not like you're supposed to do anyway, you know. But, the fact is you can read over it, you can study it in a very literary way, you just can't do the same thing with Johnson. It's very much, you know... erm... stage, a stage. Well okay, those of you who liked the Shakespeare better, for whatever reasons, even if it's just because you didn't get to grips with Johnson, which of the plays, first of all, erm... did you find most interesting?
[speaker004:] Dunno.
[speaker010:] Wi who's read, read Twelfth Night and found that one most interesting?
[Rebecca:] I thought, I liked Twelfth Night cos it's funny.
[speaker010:] So, as a comedy, Twelfth
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] Night.
[Rebecca:] Better.
[speaker010:] But most of you said that Twelfth Night wasn't the funniest... play of these three scintillating [LAUGHTER] comedies chosen [].
[speaker004:] [LAUGHTER]
[Rebecca:] Ha!
[speaker010:] Definitely have to [LAUGHTER] []... demonstrate. Erm... but you liked Twelfth Night?
[speaker004:] I've seen Twelfth Night and
[speaker010:] Yeah. And that, yeah. Again, we're back to this idea that, you know, it's ridiculous stuck in a drama course and not... and, and looking at them just as, as text. Did anybody like the Winter's Tale? I'm more interested, I'm more interested in why is that?
[Ann:] I thought it was the tragic comedy like life really. Like
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Ann:] not just... either one or the other, or.
[speaker010:] It was all a mixture.
[Ann:] I dunno.
[speaker010:] Yeah. What have you thought?
[Rebecca:] Er er... it was more sort of solid er er... where er... Twelfth Night seemed to jump.
[speaker010:] Solid?
[Rebecca:] Well, I'm not very good with words. Erm, it was more erm... well Twelfth Night you had all these different characters and they're coming in and out and they
[speaker010:] Mm.
[Rebecca:] were jumping all over the place and the action moved
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] so quickly
[speaker010:] Right.
[Rebecca:] but wi with the Winter's Tale, I managed to grasp what was going on.
[speaker010:] Right.
[Rebecca:] It was a
[speaker010:] It was developed more
[Rebecca:] it was more compact, you know
[speaker010:] at the ending.
[Rebecca:] Yeah.
[speaker010:] Yeah. Right. Yeah, I think that's true, I think it's a very... well structured
[Rebecca:] It's like
[speaker010:] play.
[Rebecca:] it's like... isn't it? Sort of, all to do
[speaker010:] Yeah.
[Rebecca:] with the children and
[speaker010:] Yeah. Yeah. He's, he's got a. Erm... well I feel we haven't really done justice to Johnson. Well maybe I should have given him two weeks instead of one, but, anyway. Erm Can I have just have about... John Donne and what's gonna happen over the next few weeks? Erm, we've finished a bit earlier today.
[speaker004:] Could have done. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker010:] ... Erm... okay. We've technically got three weeks of Donne, mostly by reading... ne er, the week after next. Ya? What I said to the other group, partly because they... had a, an hour before the lecture is that... I'll use next week with them, as, as an introduction to the poetry of this period. Now, I can either do that with you, very sort of general introduction trying to place Donne in comparison with other poets an and just... really getting the basics of Donne... or, since you'll have had, just had a lecture... we could go on and do... some more sort of specific complex things. Any, any strong opinions either way? Would you like an introduction?
[Rebecca:] So what's sor what's happening in the lecture? Is it like er introduction or
[speaker010:] Erm, the lecture is on erm... tell you
[Rebecca:] Mhm.
[speaker007:] Question of styles.
[speaker010:] question of styles. I'm not actually sure, who's giving it?
[speaker007:] Fay.
[speaker010:] Well... yeah, she's probably gonna be, now, I, no it's either that she's going to be... well certainly, an introduction to the kind of... methods that Donne... Donne uses... which I, I'm supposed to follow up on. Is it, it tells you though what, what interests is erm... I, I love the virtue of this period so, yeah, it's a good excuse for me to sort of
[Rebecca:] Mhm.
[speaker010:] erm... share.
[Inga:] Do we like, do this now? Sort of every, sort of
[speaker010:] Right.
[Inga:] impression, or is, like if you
[speaker010:] That is in your book
[Inga:] read something
[speaker010:] actually. I it's in the Craig
[Inga:] and you can read something
[speaker010:] edition.
[Inga:] you can read something like that?
[speaker010:] Yeah. Rather than doing it in erm
[Inga:] Then you that, but it'll be useful right now
[speaker010:] when you.
[Inga:] to actually talk about it.
[speaker010:] Right. Okay. That I'll... well that, yes I'll say... can you use this week... to make sure you understand when Donne was alive. And it's not a stupid. But, exactly when he was alive... basically what happened in his career. I don't normally sort of insist on people looking at the, the biographical background for the, but it's crucial with Donne... for you to pick up on a lot of the
[Inga:] [clears throat]
[speaker010:] meanings of, of it. So, make sure you know what... about his life and his times. If you can, erm, I don't know how many of you have a sort of religious background anyway, in terms of you know, things like Sunday school and whatever, but if you can just... get yourself familiar with the basic points of difference between Protestant and Catholic faith. That might help you as well. Erm... can't think of anything else... er er... that I can suggest... just to erm
[Ann:] What have we gotta do?
[speaker010:] Hmm? Right. Basically I'm gonna do... a collection of love poetry with you... a selection of religious poetry... focusing on the holy sonnets... in the religious poetry. We'll do those two areas quite thoroughly... in seven hours. The thing you probably won't have much time to do in seven hours is erm... his sermons, which really do tie in with the
[speaker004:] [cough]
[speaker010:] religious poetry. Give you the, the... the prose side of the poetry, but raise the, the. And I'm gonna try and squeeze in some work on his satires... as well. Erm... which are called elegies, just to confuse you. Erm... so those are the three or four areas we'll be doing, is reli i religious poetry, love poetry, and the satires, which are actually called elegies. Okay? Erm, would you like me to, to actually... say erm, the particular poems? I mean, I was gonna... let you have them next week, but if you'd like some to sit down and look at... erm... I'll find my... things if I can. Oh oh! Oh well
[Rebecca:] I don't care.
[speaker010:] Alright, I don't think she did them.
[speaker007:] Er erm
[speaker010:] Okay. Right. Could you look at... The Anniversary... this is all in the Craig edition, okay? The Good Morrow. Love's Alchemy. The Dream.
[speaker004:] [whispering] []
[Rebecca:] [whispering] I know, just for you [].
[speaker010:] The Relic.
[Inga:] [cough]
[speaker010:] The Sun Rising. The last one, Women's Constancy. These are all love poems, okay?... Right. I have here, if, if anybody wants, erm, a work sheet that... erm, I was gonna give out and then I... I thought, probably wouldn't get done. So, but if you'd like it on... The Alchemist, and you feel you really haven't got through to The Alchemist, it's here, okay? Just take one off there.... [leaving classroom]