[Robert:] Brian has agreed to join us as Edinburgh Theatre Manager and David hopefully will be but the tape, erm... for Brian's benefit is, is the first feature film that's been... made available on video with an audio description built into it
[Brian:] Mhm
[Robert:] so it is erm something of a step forward, erm... we've had material in the past which you may have seen which was recorded from the telly, a couple of years ago in nineteen ninety
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] erm what was that woman called from America? Can't remember but people from Boston in, in
[Iris:] Margaret
[Robert:] No Lori
[Iris:] Oh yeah
[Robert:] from the Description Video Services in Boston, there's a lot of described telly in America
[Brian:] Mhm
[Robert:] er and we obviously are trying to push S T V and B B C into this as well, but you know and film, we're talking to film people as well erm, but this is the first er feature film that's been done so Marcus who normally from R N I B in London, I think it's my opposite number, the answer erm is quite excited about it. So
[Iris:] You want to see it
[Robert:] press the button...
[Iris:] you see past me?
[Jane:] Yes I can, thanks
[Iris:] no you can't [LAUGHTER]
[Jane:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] What it is, it's a formula extract which is repeated twice, once with the soundtrack, well once without, once as, as a sort of regular broadcast
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] then with the description on it
[Iris:] With and without
[Robert:] With and without, yes as they say
[Jane:] Before and after
[Robert:] Before and after...
[Brian:] So what happens in the finished article?
[Robert:] Well what it is, it's going to be available as a video cassette with the soundtrack
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] in it
[Brian:] Mhm
[Robert:] as a whole film, which I'm gonna want a copy
[Iris:] It's going on sale in September I think
[Robert:] it's going on sale in a couple of weeks
[Jane:] Eighteenth of September, yes
[Robert:] erm
[Jane:] I put it on, I've suggested people put it on the Christmas list, I think it would be a good Christmas present
[Iris:] First video movie on the description, yes released Hear My Song, twenty six pounds
[Jane:] No three for twenty six
[Robert:] Three for twenty six pounds, and ten pounds is a hell of a subsidized price
[Jane:] ten pounds or three for twenty six
[Brian:] Mm
[Jane:] at the end of September
[Iris:] Mm
[Robert:] What do you think about it?
[Brian:] I like it
[Robert:] Right... is that actually running Jane?
[Jane:] Oh well no, it doesn't seem to be. It is running but it's not showing us anything which is interesting
[speaker002:] ...
[Jane:] thing's plugged in
[Robert:] Is that channel nine on the telly?
[Jane:] Channel nine on the telly, mhm, there's the right one... that's all in the right places... don't know... We're not going to see it after all
[Brian:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] It doesn't look like it
[Jane:] strange isn't it? There must be nothing on it.
[Iris:] Try spinning it forward a bit, might be
[speaker002:] ...
[Jane:] It's a very short thing really isn't it?
[Robert:] Mm...
[Iris:] Ah
[Robert:] No, that's not it
[Jane:] No it's not, it's definitely channel nine that's the video channel
[Iris:] Ah
[Robert:] That's not it either
[Iris:] It isn't anything...
[Robert:] Mm
[Jane:] It's not tuning at anything, oh...
[Robert:] Oh well, we'll, we'll tell you about it instead
[Jane:] Sorry about that
[Brian:] Miracles of technology
[Robert:] Erm, it's
[Iris:] I'll give you a selection of songs from it
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] Erm, is it a new film?
[Iris:] No it must be a year old or something
[Robert:] Right
[Jane:] Yes, it's
[Iris:] it's comparatively new
[Robert:] Right, because I knew nothing about it, yeah, so
[Iris:] it seems to have been quite a reasonable picture, you know, it's quite well
[Robert:] as a film
[Iris:] Mhm As you probably know it's presently showing at the cinema, and is a story of an Irish tenor Joseph Locke
[Robert:] You must've got an extra sheet than me because one of the things I was moaning about this morning erm, maybe you've got a different
[Iris:] Do you want a copy of this?
[Robert:] maybe you've got a different letter than the one I've got
[Iris:] Maybe you have a that is the letter
[Robert:] because
[Iris:] and that is... what is audio description on video, audio description and Hear My Song
[Robert:] Oh it's that song, yes, right, I remember that one coming on
[Iris:] other uses of audio description
[Robert:] Yeah
[Iris:] television, cinema, theatre
[Robert:] Yes I've got the information sheets
[Iris:] You've got that
[Robert:] I got a different letter from this
[Iris:] Right
[Robert:] I've got a letter from
[Iris:] cos that's the one
[Robert:] Marcus rather than, from than this
[Iris:] And you've got all these
[Robert:] Yeah
[Iris:] things, yeah?
[Robert:] Yeah
[Iris:] Roster and things
[Robert:] Yeah. So I'm not quite sure what the long term connection with er talk is
[Iris:] Right
[Robert:] and I'm not entirely sure, Marcus did phone me and say, at one point, when he was making up the mailing list, he's had three hundred copies of that made of the extract and he was kind of you know, sniffing around for who to send them to
[Iris:] Right
[Robert:] erm, so you, that's when he said he would send one to me, but he's obviously sent them to, and Cath's, Cath's had one
[Iris:] Has Cath had one? Maybe she'd pass it on to me
[Robert:] Erm, erm
[Iris:] I would like to think
[Robert:] so there's one at, there is one at and there is also one erm
[Jane:] Yes because it would of come to from that's where mine came from
[Robert:] But I'm not sure, I, Doug has got one, Doug is my chairman, chairman of the Arts Committee erm
[Jane:] Mhm
[Robert:] I'm not quite sure why he's got one apart from, unless Marcus just decided to send one to him, but he's sent it to home, so I'm not quite sure what Marcus is mailing
[Jane:] It's voluntary organization so your
[Robert:] yeah
[Jane:] Mhm it could be that
[Robert:] but it would've normally come to us here you see at
[Jane:] yes
[Robert:] anyway Duncan
[Jane:] Anyway
[Robert:] Duncan phoned me on Friday about something else and said oh have we had this tape, so I said yes, and he said have you seen it and I said no not yet, and he said, erm but he thought it was quite good... erm
[Iris:] It's Cathy aye just bring
[Jane:] Alright, hello Cath
[Cathy:] Hi there Sorry I've been to disability Scotland
[Robert:] Oh right
[Iris:] There's a nice swivel chair there
[Cathy:] Oh it's smashing feel particularly voluble [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jane:] No important
[Cathy:] Important that was lovely I haven't seen
[Jane:] Have you not? Do you want to take your coat off?
[Robert:] Now, can I introduce you to, I don't think you two have met.
[Brian:] We've, we've met before at
[Cathy:] yes
[Robert:] you have met?
[Brian:] Yeah
[Robert:] You have
[Jane:] Do you want to take your coat off then?
[Cathy:] Yes I'm fine, I'll just leave it here, that's right.
[Jane:] You sure it's alright there, do you want some coffee?
[Cathy:] Oh that would be wonderful if it's not gonna cause, oh yes that's
[Robert:] And I should
[Jane:] Do you get a copy of
[Brian:] yeah
[Robert:] And I should explain, the microphone in the middle of the table and the man over here with the tape recorder is tape recording this meeting
[Cathy:] Oh no [LAUGHTER] no
[Jane:] So everybody in the world knows you were late
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jane:] so I wasn't really late, it was in the wrong place.
[Robert:] So the purpose of the, of the tape recorder is
[Cathy:] Yes
[Robert:] is to do with the
[Jane:] Milk and sugar Cath?
[Robert:] development of dictionaries and the use, the use of English so we have been assured in, that, that, anything we say will be divorced from apparently all proper names and phone numbers will be bleeped out
[Cathy:] That's okay, no problem at all
[Robert:] so we're to ignore it. What we were just saying Cath was, we was just trying to look at the, the tape that's just come from Marcus, the erm the film and
[Cathy:] Have you seen it?
[Jane:] It won't
[Robert:] We haven't we were just gonna look at it but Jane has a technical knock, not speaking to each other
[Jane:] It won't show, no
[Cathy:] It's awful
[Jane:] Is it?
[Robert:] And now, well I said
[Brian:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] what I was just gonna say was that Doug, Doug had phoned me on Friday and said had I seen it and I said no and he said it's quite good he said
[Cathy:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] it's four minutes without the description, then four minutes with it and, and I thought that doesn't concur with what Cath said to me on Thursday afternoon
[Cathy:] The technology that's not fair, the technology is good and, and very obviously gets over what it's supposed to get over, that's terrific, but wait till you see this subject matter
[Robert:] But the actual but the actual extract as, as Cath said to me the other day, you know she felt sure and I said to her you know in a full length film they could've actually chosen a better moment
[Cathy:] Aha
[Robert:] because
[Cathy:] and we were talking mainly, an elderly, a female elderly client group, let's be honest you know, in terms of blind you know, and just wait till you see it, it's lovely
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] Erm and I think it's to a couple of colleagues
[Jane:] No it's not working I think it's you know
[Robert:] this morning when, where we all watched it for the first time together and as, as Richard said you know, I'm, I'm squeamish about going to the dentist, so, and it cos er, it's basically there's a scene in the bar where they're pulling this guy's tooth out
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] which is, is not sort of, you know
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] Richard you know
[Cathy:] Could of been a cataract operation, should of been
[Jane:] Could of been, yes
[Cathy:] grateful for it.
[Brian:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] So you know that, that as you know Richard said you know good idea, could make quite a few people, so I think Marcus, if, if Marcus chose that moment he, he really
[Cathy:] Chose the wrong moment
[Robert:] could of chose a better one, erm having said that the second part there's two parts, there's this scene in the pub and then there's this er scene on the cliff top and the second scene one's a bit better
[Cathy:] Right
[Jane:] Oh right
[Robert:] The thing, two things that struck me about it, one of which is that we were not talking about a separate soundtrack, the actual existing soundtrack of the film is merged with the audio description
[Cathy:] Right
[Robert:] is what we've talked about in films and T V is erm having erm... I suppose the integrity if that's the right word of the existing film or programme standing alone and then on separate soundtrack like in the theatre
[Brian:] Mm
[Robert:] you know, there's a description which you can choose to listen to or not
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Robert:] with this film it will be, you know, compulsory, you won't be able to make that choice, erm and the other one, the other thing that struck me just from one of the particular extracts of, of people standing on top of this cliff, erm is, is the way that the importance of, in something like a film where it's, you know, it's done for good, you know the importance of having an actual creative writer
[Cathy:] Yes
[Robert:] doing the writing to get over in the description cos they talk about the swirling sea
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Robert:] there's one or two moments like that, which is possibly a different, you know, if, if, you cou cou you know, putting it on, on to tape
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Robert:] for life, you know,
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Robert:] it's that kind of thing, rather than I suppose to the theatre way, you know, you, you react much more spontaneously, so I thought that was an interesting thing that thing
[Jane:] I just thought
[Robert:] jumped off
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] the page, do. I thought it was interesting as well that the stuff I got from the I and R V with it, was a lot about audio description and the tape and how much it cost and how wonderful this was and it was the first time it had ever been done, but there was nothing, as is always the case, there was nothing actually about what the film was about, it was full of sort of, this is the first time it's done, but nothing about sort of this is the film about, about this, this is what the story's about, you know. It's, it is very akin to that one sort of you know, well here's the audio description you better like it. I mean I suppose it is the first time, it's the only film of its type, you, you know what I'm getting at, it's exactly the same thing we, we tried very hard to avoid in the access guide, actually being able to say what instead of just saying you know
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Robert:] the Lyceum Theatre is fully wheelchair accessible, we actually describe what the theatre, what kind of plays it shows
[Brian:] Yes
[Robert:] erm, you know why it's different from the Travellers which is round the corner
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Robert:] you know, erm what the difference in the work that, that, that they do.
[Iris:] I don't, I'm not quite sure of erm that's, I think that's a different thing. Sometimes say people say to me can you give us of the play, what's it about, cos we don't know what it's, you know about, before we come, which is fair enough, erm, that's very often sighted people don't know
[Robert:] Mm
[Cathy:] Mm
[Brian:] Mm quite
[Iris:] so if blind people are trying to be on the same level terms with sighted people, then, you know, why should they get an
[Robert:] Mhm
[Iris:] I'm, I'm not quite sure, I mean I'd give an if there's one available
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Iris:] for instance there's a nice one for
[Robert:] Mhm
[Iris:] so I gave that and there was nothing, this year the citizens have nothing at their we put people off going, so I'm not saying anything about it, not erm, I don't, I mean, I don't, I could say what the story of Major Barbara is, but then it's not in any of the printed pamphlets for sighted people, therefore, should I, what should I do Cathy I don't know
[Cathy:] No I, I don't I really don't, I think it, in it with
[Iris:] yes
[Cathy:] it's the quality of access
[Iris:] Exactly
[Cathy:] it's not some sort of different, erm, sort of, it shouldn't be a different scenario for
[Iris:] Well that's what I feel, yes.
[Cathy:] and er, very often if you knew... somewhat, you know, obviously modern it would, it would spoil it because you're there
[Iris:] You would, that's right
[Cathy:] to see what it's like really and to feel what it's like and to, no I don't think we should do.
[Brian:] Some things are very difficult to actually work out what the as well
[Iris:] you can
[Brian:] I mean
[Cathy:] You're right
[Brian:] take Marilyn last year, we didn't know what was gonna happen until it happened
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Brian:] and then it happened different every night as well
[Cathy:] I suppose if there's something in the programme then they should
[Robert:] I think that's what I'm talking about really actually is that, I mean if you're, if you're selling a film like you know if, if
[Brian:] It's a marketing line
[Robert:] it is a marketing line
[Iris:] Yes, it is a marketing line, right
[Robert:] as saying, you know, this is a story about this and that and you look at that
[Cathy:] But then I would read it, so if I was in the theatre I would read that so I would know that
[Robert:] Yeah
[Cathy:] before the play started
[Brian:] Mhm
[Cathy:] so blind people should be in the same position there shouldn't they?
[Brian:] Should, yeah, yeah
[Iris:] Yes
[Robert:] So I mean if there is, if there are two lines saying this is the story of
[Jane:] That's right, yes
[Cathy:] Yes
[Iris:] That's
[Cathy:] but then we do that at the start
[Iris:] anyway
[Jane:] Yes you do that
[Iris:] but it's beforehand eh, for instance they have little flowers that tells the story of what's, what the plays about and I think it's fair enough to read that, because a sighted person would go in and pick it up
[Cathy:] Would be reading it
[Iris:] and say what is this?
[Robert:] That's an interesting actually side chart, I mean this is completely off the agenda and things, but erm, I just had some information up from er, from RADA and er
[Cathy:] That's the dates for everything, I see, sorry
[Robert:] One of the things the group in Wolverhampton I think at the Theatre Royal there is, is doing both audio descriptions by sign language I think and one of the things they've, they, they do is meet in the bar
[Iris:] Mm
[Robert:] like half an hour before the show
[Cathy:] Mm
[Robert:] and someone, I don't know whether it's the director, or someone actually says this play is, is the half hour, quarter of an hour, chat say, this is what the play's about
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] you know and the precis you know and I thought that was interesting that they did that, because it's not something we'd thought of really doing, ever
[Iris:] No, no
[Robert:] erm programme notes yes, but not the actual sort of this is the story of two people and this happens and that happens and that also comes in
[Iris:] Yes
[Brian:] Mm
[Robert:] so I was, I was interested to see that, I mean that
[Iris:] No I didn't, I think that was right
[Jane:] I wouldn't of thought that were right, and all
[Cathy:] Mm, the director always, I mean
[Robert:] After show talks yes, maybe to be able to say well what do you think of that and
[Cathy:] Oh yes that's terrific, in fact it would be fun, aha
[Robert:] but er, no
[Cathy:] but no I don't think
[Iris:] That's assuming that blind people wouldn't understand what they're hearing on the stage
[Cathy:] I think, well you see, this is the other thing, yes
[Iris:] that's right
[Robert:] that's right, yes you have to tell them what to look out for kind of thing
[Cathy:] There's enough examples of that and you read, the most peculiar thing I, I think I was telling, I don't know if I was telling Iris I have a notion I had, had it in my mind to tell you and you turned up with this blind girl to do this M C with the video team
[Brian:] Mhm
[Cathy:] the team you know are very, very important people they announce in the room we are from video such and such, you know and just looked at me, this black man explained everything to everybody else and then the guy went over and sat down and explained it all again just blind
[Robert:] [LAUGHTER]
[Cathy:] and m I thought he was gonna start saying something different
[Robert:] Yeah
[Cathy:] but I realize the same thing, I said erm,
[Iris:] She can hear
[Cathy:] she, she actually has heard all this before
[Iris:] Yeah
[Cathy:] and he said oh yes of course, you know, this
[Iris:] [LAUGHTER]
[Cathy:] you don't, you think we've all moved on in things that all
[Robert:] Yeah
[Cathy:] were all so much so it's bad enough if they gather them in the gathering them in the barrel like, the barrel bit, but not the sort of
[Iris:] Yeah
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Cathy:] gathering you get to explain what's going to happen, first of all you done
[Iris:] And does she take sugar?
[Cathy:] Yes [LAUGHTER]
[Iris:] [LAUGHTER] Oh... would you like some more?
[Cathy:] All I was gonna say that, that if that was you
[Jane:] Oh well if there is
[Cathy:] if that was it on the agenda that I miss because of being so early bit in the wrong place
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Cathy:] what I wanted to do is say is what about the publicity can we try and make the very best of this
[Robert:] Mhm, mhm
[Cathy:] erm you know, because I want to do something more clear that's gonna fit in with everybody else
[Robert:] Yeah
[Cathy:] it's an ideal opportunity
[Robert:] Yes I mean, erm
[Brian:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] I can't do anything about it erm... yet because we've only just got it, I mean what, what you thinking of?
[Iris:] There's a bar on it until the eighteenth of September isn't there?
[Cathy:] Oh is there?
[Robert:] Is there?
[Iris:] Yes
[Robert:] That's when they're, that's when they're launching the full
[Iris:] because I mentioned it in Playback because I thought er, trouble is within a and it's just a take on, so I watched what I said, but erm, we mentioned it, we, we didn't see very much about it we just said it's coming up we'll have, we'll let you in for a full details next month so
[Robert:] Mm the other thing we might do is erm... is a at the film council and see if he can help us with, I mean it is a film after all whether he's got er particular contacts
[Iris:] Mm
[Robert:] anything council with media or anything
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] erm
[Iris:] yes that would be
[Robert:] to say you know, this is, you know, this is arrived as it were, and the tape with full things coming in, in the middle of the month and, what, what kind of thing did you have anything in mind?
[Cathy:] No, I, really just to see what, what everyone else was doing, I mean I was thinking of is a little of which she sort of goes into every door, every door in Strathclyde, what a horrible thought, but in fact you know I thought maybe try and do something there, although I don't always get on greatly well with, with the press and publicity people and the women in press and publicity are, are sort of start phrasing once, once the if she says it to me one more time I
[Iris:] No but, I will [LAUGHTER]
[Cathy:] but I mean you know, if
[Iris:] you put that piece of dried heather and you light it
[Cathy:] Light it, yes it does
[Iris:] yes it does [LAUGHTER]
[Jane:] See that it does, yeah [LAUGHTER]
[Cathy:] I think you know, if it's not child abuse or something you know
[Jane:] Aha
[Cathy:] you know, straight to the heart erm, you know fifteen million children abandoned in Glasgow Green there, you know, she's really terribly taken with mind
[Robert:] Not interested
[Jane:] I think the answer to that is, I don't think you're in the right job
[Iris:] [LAUGHTER]
[Cathy:] really is, erm quite annoying
[Iris:] er, yes
[Robert:] fire fighting
[Cathy:] but worth trying that, that would certainly help, but I just wondered even if you know sort of local press, I mean presumably they are in their league for doing this
[Robert:] Well what, what I suppose we should do is find out what R N I B is doing first, that's what we should find
[Cathy:] Yes that would be good, aha
[Robert:] and then we can maybe then think about it, okay well I'll, I'll
[Cathy:] You come back to us then and
[Robert:] Well yeah I mean one by one, maybe if we can hit the Herald and erm The Times and
[Cathy:] The Times is always good for replying things
[Robert:] and the News and the Scotsman
[Cathy:] Aha
[Robert:] and erm and erm, our friend at erm Radio
[Cathy:] The Daily Record
[Robert:] Radio Clyde as well
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Iris:] I'm sure the local press will be interested too if you can involve them that would be a great help
[Cathy:] I would be very grateful
[Iris:] as there will need to be more campaigning before we see the expansionable description in the theatre... and that could be
[Robert:] Presumably R and R B would of contacted the big papers but, obviously not the small local ones
[Cathy:] to help spread the news, I enclose the material
[Robert:] Mm, ah I mean if it was the question I mean I've got that material we've got it, I mean if it was question of sending out, I mean I could do that. Well I'll check with R and R B's press office first just to check before we sort of do things, but I mean it'll be worth, would, would it be worth approaching erm Reporting Scotland and Scotland to
[Iris:] I think so
[Robert:] and, and Good Morning Scotland yeah all these kind of
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Jane:] I would definitely think so
[Cathy:] and the, the free papers I mean that's the one that goes through all the doors
[Iris:] Yes that's the one, that's right, mhm.
[Cathy:] You know everybody gets it then.
[Robert:] Erm... right... what's the name of that nice man that Good Morning Scotland who Neil
[Iris:] Neil
[Robert:] is he still there?
[Iris:] I think so, yes
[Robert:] Oh, cos he did a couple of nice bits for us in the past
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] for I was always keeping up my sleeve for sort of things we might do as opposed to R and M U have done
[Iris:] Mhm
[Jane:] Yeah
[Robert:] this is, that's a sort of reference to sort of
[Jane:] Yes
[Robert:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] get into sort of the voluntary organization
[Cathy:] Enter the cut throat staff you know
[Brian:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] a wrap through R and R B's not a hit
[Cathy:] No
[Robert:] erm, right okay, well I'll look into that, but I think that serves a good point, right moving back to the agenda, erm, note of meeting fifth of August, erm, anything for those of you who were there, that Cath had to run away, that was one of your crises you were having
[Cathy:] Oh god
[Robert:] that's right because you came back again
[Iris:] Right at the end
[Cathy:] It was still it was still, erm quite good that was worth it that day
[Iris:] Was it oh good
[Cathy:] because that location still on the go
[Iris:] Is it? Oh good
[Cathy:] that in, yes
[Iris:] Mm
[Cathy:] lovely location.
[Robert:] Erm, we're, we're using the same agenda which is why conf confusion about venue on the front cos I said to my secretary
[Jane:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] she said what, what agenda do you want, so I said just the same and so she put the same venue, we tend to alter at the meeting she said
[Brian:] yeah
[Iris:] Yes I think it says it's Edinburgh in the front and Glasgow on the back or the other way round
[Jane:] Mm
[Cathy:] That's why I'm late
[Robert:] Yes, yes
[Brian:] [LAUGHTER]
[Iris:] She was still in Glasgow, yeah
[Cathy:] Scotland, I didn't know you were having it here
[Robert:] Well we felt like a change
[Iris:] Yes we felt like a change... why not, come to my lovely office it's lovely isn't it, you can't have it, falls apart when it's moved
[Brian:] [LAUGHTER]
[Iris:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] So, it's the same agenda, so if everybody's okay with that note, I mean most things I think come up
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] I should say that I, I came away from the last meeting with an enormous list of things to do, and I haven't managed to do them all, but they'll emerge as we go through, erm, developments Perth, Perth if inter interrupt me
[Jane:] Perth haven't [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] Perth happened, it has it's pilot, on, on August the twelfth which Iris supervised
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] mm, you seemed to of, I mean you were a bit disappointed there were less, not so many visually impaired people were there, but they, they were sort of casting the net with council
[Iris:] No I wasn't so much disappointed as that I was disappointed that there was only five would be sponsors and that it was we had to give out
[Robert:] Oh right
[Iris:] about sixty headsets and I thought well who are these people we're getting, I think a lot of them were social workers, so that's fair enough
[Jane:] Mm
[Iris:] but erm
[Robert:] I mean certainly the Perth people seem well pleased and
[Iris:] Mm
[Robert:] somewhere I think I managed to remember to bring erm, their erm, their minutes from the meeting I didn't go to last week, but you did erm, erm, no I haven't got them, erm, and they've agreed to go ahead in conjunction with I mean everything is kind of steaming up
[Iris:] It is going that is
[Robert:] erm
[Jane:] the monies
[Robert:] Well they're, they are still waiting for, for confirmation on money, but they've got quite a lot in the kitty already
[Jane:] Mm
[Robert:] because the, the society up in Perth, the Perth belong to a society and had this gigantic legacy and they'd agreed to spend it a miniature amount of it on audio description, so from that point of view there they, was sort of fairly well down the line with the money anyway they, they had
[Cathy:] still giving money into it
[Robert:] erm, they were approaching the District Council weren't they?
[Cathy:] Yes
[Robert:] The Common Good Fund and they, they had you know all I mean you know they had all feelers out for all, all the things, so there are a couple of dates which came up in the last meeting erm for further pilots and then the intention is to just go ahead from
[Iris:] Well they, they said at that meeting they'd hoped to have their system for the next one which is the seventeenth October
[Robert:] Oh right
[Cathy:] Mm
[Iris:] because I didn't know whether I was going to have to bring ours up or not because I
[Robert:] That's right, yeah because obviously the radio system was
[Iris:] Yes
[Robert:] used on, on, on the twelfth of August, erm
[Jane:] So they're going to have their er infra red
[Robert:] so they hoped to have the infra red in by then, yeah
[Iris:] They hope to have it by then
[Robert:] Yeah, I mean what was nice in, in a way was that er I couldn't go to the last meeting I wasn't well, I had a cold er, what was nice in a way was that David who's the general manager and the general manager from Pitlochry had come in, I mean in a way it was a classic case
[Iris:] It was good
[Robert:] of having sort of help set something off and then tiptoe away which has been one of my functions, that, that, that it can happen
[Iris:] Yes
[Jane:] Yes
[Cathy:] It sounds good
[Robert:] and I felt quite happy especially with a bow tie on, you know, it had been, it had gone you know and in a way we sort of could almost sort of
[Cathy:] Can let go of it
[Robert:] let go of it
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] now, so it's, I was well pleased with that
[Cathy:] In saying that go over, erm obviously I'm all for that, but in terms of sort of holding on to what they're doing I just had written down to mention that you know, we didn't have some sort of mechanism to, to share you know
[Robert:] Yes
[Cathy:] either up to information on what's happening all this, you know and I'll I know we'll come on to
[Iris:] Yes absolutely
[Cathy:] that point later
[Iris:] Mhm
[Cathy:] but we must sort of all pull in together as a situation in Scotland now that which really concerns me and I'd away because it's wonderful to have another theatre, but, erm it's just a bit maybe trying to draw up some method to do that.
[Robert:] Is there sort of a team leader of volunteers emerged up there? Or is that, is that still theatre that's doing that?
[Jane:] Not yet I think at the moment they're organizing it, yes
[Robert:] Yeah, or is it the Society for the Blind or is it sort of between the two?
[Jane:] No it's the theatre
[Robert:] It's the theatre is it?
[Jane:] I think Diane's organizing it all
[Robert:] right
[Cathy:] Good, that's good it's a theatre
[Iris:] Very good it's a theatre
[Jane:] She can keep doing it
[Robert:] Mm
[Jane:] erm
[Cathy:] No
[Jane:] it all depends whether they want to do it or not
[Robert:] Yes
[Jane:] sometimes it's easier if you find to pass it on to someone else
[Iris:] Oh yes, I mean I just wouldn't of got anywhere with it
[Cathy:] Oh aye, no, no
[Jane:] but I'm hoping to pass Glasgow onto someone else [LAUGHTER]
[Cathy:] It's quite interesting that it's the theatre that's doing it, I was on a course last week in Sussex, a management course and there was Bradford theatre companies were there erm, from all the different theatres and they, they organize it and they organize the volunteers
[Jane:] Oh really?
[Iris:] That is the, that is the
[Cathy:] they do the training now
[Brian:] How, do they do that through a friends group or?
[Cathy:] Yes, friends of the theatre
[Brian:] Right
[Cathy:] it's quite interesting that they do it
[Iris:] Yes
[Robert:] Well it's a perfect opportunity for friends to
[Cathy:] That's difficult in the setting up stages
[Robert:] Mm
[Cathy:] you know, it's whoever takes it on really
[Iris:] I think that's we all, we all visualize it
[Jane:] Ours is always
[Iris:] I mean the closer it is to the theatre the better
[Jane:] Yeah
[Iris:] the contacts are and everything and I think that's much better if it can be got down to that eventually
[Cathy:] And you're getting people who are interested in the theatre
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] Yeah
[Cathy:] Oh, right from the beginning when we talk to citizens about using their friends of the theatre I nearly fell about you know
[Iris:] And yet I have three, I have three good friends of the theatre involved
[Cathy:] Do you, ah, mm now
[Iris:] one of them's the chairman [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] Yes, yes
[Cathy:] We have friends of the Lyceum involved
[Robert:] There is historically, I mean it maybe the same at the as it is at the Lyceum that there is kind of historically a certain amount of, not exactly friction, but I mean something that has
[Iris:] That is
[Robert:] sort of got kind of an odd relationship between the friends
[Cathy:] Yes
[Robert:] and the management literally
[Iris:] Mm
[Cathy:] I suppose they see themselves as
[Robert:] I suspect it's the same in the
[Cathy:] Yeah
[Brian:] The sort of suffering chart
[Cathy:] Yeah
[Jane:] Aye, aye
[Iris:] But I think it's an ideal thing cos people who remember the friends are always interested in the theatre
[Cathy:] Yes
[Iris:] and that's such a good start
[Brian:] And be able to pass on the enthusiasm
[Iris:] Yes, Mhm, yeah
[Robert:] And we also, I mean it was also felt that you know the friends mechanism of the newsletters and get together
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Iris:] yes
[Robert:] you know
[Brian:] Mhm
[Robert:] is a way of getting erm
[Cathy:] Mhm, spread the word
[Robert:] I don't know maybe it may just be come down to sort of the individual theatres I suppose
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Robert:] that's the thing
[Cathy:] It was quite interesting that all of the theatres and all the theatre staff who were there knew all about audio description
[Robert:] Yeah
[Jane:] Really?
[Cathy:] because I spoke to them all about it
[Iris:] Yes, mhm
[Cathy:] and it was happening in all of their theatres
[Robert:] Mm
[Cathy:] it's just good
[Robert:] it's interesting isn't it?
[Cathy:] that's good, mhm
[Robert:] Yeah
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Robert:] so, mm... so anyway it's apparently it's kind a way in one of the things that Dough who was there, er with Iris on, on, on the twelfth er spotted was that one of his ex students who now works in educational technology or something equally grand in the Northern College in Dundee is one of the volunteers who have come forward
[Iris:] Oh
[Cathy:] Mm
[Robert:] and with her kind of background in, in writing up training package, packages and things
[Iris:] Mm
[Cathy:] That's good
[Robert:] he has, he's not asked her, he's nobbled her to actually get involved in helping with the compilation of the training package
[Cathy:] Training package, mm
[Robert:] once she's sort of you know I mean obviously once she's been through the learning process herself, so Doug came away feeling quite pleased that he'd made that contact and he also sort of made one or two, he, he had one or two wise observations I think about the evening, he made one or two new contacts himself and the suggestion and things, he spoke very well about it, at our committee on our last meeting last week
[Cathy:] Oh good
[Robert:] so eliminate er, it raves about how successful
[Cathy:] Good
[Robert:] the system is. So that was the sort of a contact for training now.
[Cathy:] Good, manage to get the equipment back that the sighted people ran off with?
[Iris:] No, erm, well it's, it's not just, they didn't have, it wasn't too much, there's one ear piece which has come off, but I discovered at, my last, I sent myself last week at the assembly hall to how that could happen
[Cathy:] Ah
[Iris:] because it happened to me, you know the little soft bit?
[Cathy:] Yes
[Robert:] Oh right
[Iris:] I was wearing I had the, the stethoscope behind my neck and I took it off for something, I was holding it up to try and get a better and I discovered that one was missing
[Cathy:] Was missing
[Iris:] and I thought ooh where is it
[Cathy:] Oh, all
[Iris:] I started to look around and I put my hand up and it was lying at the back of my collar
[Jane:] Mhm
[Iris:] so it must come off very easily
[Jane:] must come off very easily somehow
[Iris:] so it, so I'm tempted, not to hand, you know, to take them all off before handing them out
[Jane:] Yes
[Iris:] if I'm giving a single ear piece, cos they won't be quiet, otherwise they will get lost that way
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Iris:] very, very simple
[Robert:] Are they terribly expensive?
[Iris:] Shouldn't think so, I don't know, I haven't managed to contact, to find out
[Robert:] I was just wondering whether it's something, you know, you buy a
[Iris:] Yes
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Iris:] probably aren't that expensive
[Robert:] What happens about hygiene with those as well?
[Iris:] Well in, you could clean them with stuff is
[Robert:] You can clean them?
[Iris:] There's, the thing is they're terribly expensive if you, if you don't exactly have any money
[Robert:] Yeah
[Iris:] [LAUGHTER] which is what the position at the moment
[Cathy:] Aha, I see
[Robert:] mm
[Cathy:] aha, and we will have to think about some sort of contingency fund around to, for replacements whatever that's part of the bigger discussion
[Robert:] Mm
[Iris:] Well, anyway, yes, sorry, that was
[Cathy:] Well
[Robert:] Well not for me, no
[Iris:] Oh no
[Robert:] repairs and renewals are typical are a lot
[Brian:] Mm...
[Robert:] What's the latest from Glasgow then?
[Iris:] The latest from Glasgow is the system is starting up again, we're doing the first one on the twenty fourth of September erm, the Theatre Royal had, we're doing three
[Robert:] Are these, these dates, erm sixth November, fourteenth November?
[Iris:] Yes, sixth November, fourteenth November, what's that?
[Robert:] And the fifth of December, that's the Theatre Royal for Witches
[Iris:] It's sixteenth, I didn't think afterwards, I didn't bring it, wait a minute, sixth, yes, sixth is the Witches cos that's a matinee and ten thirty in the morning
[Robert:] Ten A M
[Cathy:] Well done
[Iris:] schools which we hope erm they all come
[Cathy:] well done
[Iris:] that's the that's right
[Jane:] Yes, mm
[Iris:] Then the fifth of December is on
[Robert:] That's all, that's
[Iris:] oh yes the fourteen of November that's again a Saturday night, er four P M I, I should think we'd probably have good people going,
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Robert:] Right, I haven't done anything about the at all
[Iris:] They're trying, encouraging to Cathy to show some interest
[Cathy:] Oh yes I have
[Iris:] which is more than I have
[Cathy:] and I laid back so that the fashion might I was coming to do all again sort of thing, you know, I mean they suddenly announced who I really I was seeing her, because I wasn't happy about the publicity, the way it had described audio description I didn't think it was good and Alex was unhappy about the way they were describing some language things, which cos they're not doing erm, and we just went in and he just said right just, erm... well I've kept you some seats for a performance on the sixteenth of September, this was about the
[Iris:] Oh aye, twenty fourth of August or something
[Cathy:] Aha, you know, since a week goes on and erm and that's it, aha, not ring me up and say hi there we're thinking of
[Robert:] So if you hadn't happened to of gone you know
[Cathy:] Aha, so if I hadn't haven't, goodness knows, aha, so I mean we, I had a chat with Iris obviously, but it just wasn't on, with other commitments and different things, it was in the afternoon
[Iris:] Apart from anything else, we, we don't just go to the theatre we have, we really tend to wait to be invited
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Iris:] erm, now, and erm, anyway I refused to say anything about the until I could see physically they have rebuilt it, I mean I won't even say yes we'll do it if you do it, I'm going to say you do it and we'll give you a description, because there's no way I'm going to go into that position again, no
[Robert:] Yeah, just to, to fill Brian in with that. They had a great deal of trouble
[Iris:] Mm we hadn't done anything since they rebuilt the St Paul's Theatre
[Brian:] Mm
[Iris:] and they assured us there would be a bit incorporated for audio description, so what it was, was half of us entrance into the lighted sound box, cut off, it was a, sort of triangular, but erm, to see out the window...
[Jane:] This is good, yeah
[Iris:] I, standing on my tiptoes I couldn't see out the window to, to look out to the stage erm, and there was a huge step up, it was about that, which was great for people's bad backs and if you got up on that, erm then you sat on top of a very high cocktail chair, in fact one of our people had to kneel on top of the high cocktail chair, to look, to see down, over the window, down to the stage and they didn't give us a sound feed which would sound familiar
[Brian:] [LAUGHTER] Yes it does
[Iris:] because there's no sound feed and altogether, oh yes, for the second, we, we did two plays and for the second one, they didn't produce a script
[Jane:] No
[Iris:] so I described them how to do it, perched on our knees, looking down, no sound without a script, it was just absolutely ludicrous
[Robert:] Yeah, it's exactly that kind of experience that I think has got me thinking about what I was saying before you came, well before we were just doing the coffee, about the idea of actually starting to draw, well I was calling contracts, but probably it's more better called agreements, about you know, the theatre will do this, we will do that and
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] you know, maybe even have cut-off dates so that if there isn't, you know, a script by such and such a date then we will need to figure out what these dates were, but this is why got more on board
[Brian:] Over the
[Robert:] to give the theatre side more of
[Brian:] The sort of he's doing more than me
[Iris:] Yes
[Robert:] the sort of contracts you would, you know, I mean, you, you have with producers anyway managements
[Brian:] Mm
[Robert:] and, and artists and things that you know, we could maybe, I don't want to make it, you know a twenty five page
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] you know a legal document, but I mean maybe we can reach some sort of middle ground that would be a kind of guidelines and
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] I mean once
[Brian:] The only thing I can see there is the different venues will obviously will have different, differences to cope with that
[Iris:] Of course, of course, yeah
[Robert:] Well that's something we would obviously have to sort of, I mean maybe it's something where... you know I mean with the there's a regularity about it now
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Iris:] Mm, yes
[Robert:] which I suppose it might be difficult to see what had to be arranged for that with you there's a regularity, but you know the Trone is obviously a one-offish basis, I mean we are talking a certain one of
[Iris:] There are certain basics, there are certain basics
[Robert:] Yeah
[Iris:] that if they're not there we can't do
[Robert:] You can't do it
[Cathy:] That's right
[Robert:] Yeah
[Cathy:] and the theatre must know when you're actually going to see the, the show
[Robert:] Yeah
[Cathy:] because you've got to arrange seats
[Jane:] Mm, yes
[Cathy:] That's right
[Iris:] So if the, a script there, at least when you're there
[Robert:] Mhm
[Iris:] erm
[Cathy:] You see the message had obviously got through because that
[Iris:] At the latest
[Cathy:] day he just handed me script
[Iris:] Yeah
[Cathy:] handed me it but even then
[Iris:] that's all you need when you turn up and forget the
[Cathy:] I said
[Iris:] script that's enough
[Cathy:] Well I don't I said, I said I'll take it, but I said that I really don't, I mean I said it's really, I said I've explained very carefully it's Iris who had all that yes, ah, but here's a script, so you see, that had at least got through
[Iris:] That got through
[Cathy:] but I think what we need to do is go down, well Iris and I will go down there, make arrangements will go down, go down the office
[Robert:] And talk it through
[Cathy:] and will have, have, a look
[Jane:] Yes
[Cathy:] have, Iris can have another look, but erm, but it's incredible because I mean that's, that really was
[Iris:] It really was it was [LAUGHTER]
[Cathy:] worse than what I thought
[Robert:] Sorry what I was gonna suggest on that in a way this is kind of preempting something else, you know, the, the bit on the agenda for it, I always put them in its back, back together when I write, erm
[Iris:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] yes, yes maybe you and I can sit down
[Brian:] Mhm
[Robert:] and, and kind of erm some time one afternoon or something and kind of go through these things
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] erm or maybe I'll consider you two down, you know as the describing side
[Cathy:] Yes
[Robert:] the theatre side and just say
[Cathy:] Yes that might in fact be practical in
[Iris:] Yes
[Robert:] and then sort of come up
[Brian:] Mhm
[Robert:] with, with a draft if you like and then we can talk it round, you know
[Iris:] Yes
[Robert:] just so that we can try and work it out, so that you know if we are going to, to go to new theatres like, you know, I think the New Travellers is going to be interested
[Iris:] Yes
[Robert:] but obviously it's pretty busy now but you know we can go to them and say this is what we found, you know
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] as you say
[Iris:] it's all
[Robert:] every theatre is going to be different, but I think there is a basics
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] there are basics
[Iris:] We've already been along there
[Cathy:] Have you? Oh
[Robert:] Have they? Right, well you're already ahead of me in that case
[Iris:] the Friday night as to look at different things
[Robert:] I mean I knew they wouldn't be
[Cathy:] The only thing is I would hope it would be, it would be very simple and basic and nice
[Robert:] Well that's what worries me is
[Cathy:] because I don't want to put them off either, I mean if we've got to the
[Jane:] Oh no
[Cathy:] and said this is what you do, they would of heaved us straight out the door
[Robert:] Yes I think that's something we would have to kind of balance up is, is that kind of making
[Cathy:] Can I no, not, not telling them what to do
[Brian:] No this is, this is what we need and this is what
[Robert:] you need
[Brian:] you need and
[Cathy:] Yes, yes this is what we're giving even though
[Brian:] yeah, yeah, coming up round to
[Robert:] Yeah and I suppose it's always going to be up for sort of negotiation, I mean I
[Cathy:] Oh
[Robert:] have this sort of vision
[Iris:] Yes
[Robert:] you know of, of maybe you know a three or four page thing with maybe different, you know different sheets and, and you know sort of say well now we need to do this, can you do that or shall we bring ours you know
[Cathy:] Oh yes, that's right
[Iris:] yes
[Robert:] and, and sort of when can we have a script you know and you write it down and take thirty per cent of it, or whatever you know, erm, I mean the other thing that Alex has drawn er has drawn up for sign language is this sort of flow chart er, with dates and things working backwards from the event, saying you know we need this by two weeks beforehand we need it back
[Cathy:] You've got to book in yes, yes you have
[Robert:] and, and I was wondering if that might kind of
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] the thing, I mean again it's, it's different, but
[Iris:] I don't think so I think
[Cathy:] If it's any consolation they totally ignore that
[Robert:] Yeah [LAUGHTER]
[Iris:] I don't really, I don't really think it's that that's pinning people down and I think this theatre will be slightly different.
[Robert:] Yeah
[Jane:] Mhm
[Iris:] Because when some plays run for two weeks
[Cathy:] But until there's erm, that's right, I
[Iris:] and some for three weeks
[Robert:] Yeah
[Cathy:] and you wouldn't have the opportunity to go along
[Iris:] No
[Cathy:] and I think, I think the difficulty with that is until you know it, as one person said to Alex in front of me ah well, we, we did exactly what you required and you never brought any audience, there was no audience, do you remember that?
[Iris:] That was really embarrassing
[Jane:] Did he really?
[Cathy:] Now I mean that, that can happen to us, you know that can happen to us
[Iris:] Oh yes yes
[Cathy:] ag again that's why I don't want you to be heavy cos I don't want say to say oh you know you've brought us you know, fifteen pages and we worked our way through it and then you know at the end of the day we do all of it, yeah
[Iris:] Where's your audiences?
[Robert:] Yes, yeah
[Cathy:] I think we'll really have to be cautious and that one
[Jane:] That happened on Saturday
[Iris:] Mhm
[Cathy:] I agree that there are certain things like the sound coming into the might be able to actually see that real smart
[Iris:] Yes
[Cathy:] but I mean other than that, I, I, I'd like to be dead cautious about that, I, I still think it's early days, I know we've made a great success, but it's early days.
[Iris:] And we can't guarantee an, an audience, we can never guarantee an audience
[Cathy:] No and there's still some theatre peo no we can't and there's still some theatre people don't want us
[Iris:] of people
[Jane:] That's right... can you tell me, see, there, this list, are any of these please go touring to other theatres? That's helpful for us to know because maybe even would want to take one of them for instance, that's already been described
[Iris:] Mhm...
[Robert:] Yes, that's us moving onto Edinburgh now mate
[Jane:] Now, oh sorry aye we did get on together
[Robert:] I thought we might
[Brian:] Inverness
[Jane:] Yes [LAUGHTER]
[Iris:] Yes it might, you know
[Jane:] I've got a potential describing Inverness I met her on the train the other day, a friend of my, he says
[Iris:] Aye
[Jane:] asks that
[Brian:] And Aberdeen still very gracious
[Jane:] Yes, he would be very good in there
[Cathy:] Aberdeen still there
[speaker002:] ...
[Jane:] Oh
[Robert:] That's January, right
[Jane:] There's Tooting
[Robert:] well February I suppose, by the time it goes to long
[Brian:] Well the theory was it was even cur His Majesty's Aberdeen and er Theatre Royal, but I don't have any of them confront
[Jane:] Mhm
[Brian:] and we also booked Tour of the Price, Arthur Miller
[Jane:] Right
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] So there might be some touring in the new year?
[Iris:] And they're touring after they've
[Brian:] After the new year, yeah
[Iris:] been here?
[Brian:] after, after the shows, yeah
[Jane:] That'll be, that'll be
[Cathy:] That's good
[Jane:] We're gonna start to send something because we're gonna have to know that in advance because the describers have to be asked if they will be will they be able to travel?
[Robert:] Prepared to travel
[Cathy:] Them to do it
[Robert:] yes and that, that in a way leads me on to the next party, if we're gonna have an agreement between this group or, you know, the other group
[Jane:] Mhm
[Robert:] bit of this group and, and the theatre, the, the next bit is, is an agreement with the describers about who's doing what
[Jane:] Yes, yes
[Robert:] and you know, okay, you're gonna do this show or act three of this show on the twenty third of January and it's going to, that particularly, what not, yeah, erm
[Cathy:] Still find a describer who are prepared
[Brian:] Or if it was
[Cathy:] to travel
[Brian:] if we were going through to Glasgow describers to
[Robert:] Said to do it in reverse
[Brian:] get
[Jane:] You could perhaps get in Edinburgh if they were all busy
[Brian:] what's it here or er whatever or even pick up notes from Edinburgh people
[Jane:] Yes
[Robert:] Yeah, I mean it's that kind of co-ordination, yeah, to get that, to get that, right
[Jane:] Today a co-ordination job that is
[Brian:] Can I tag a wee bit onto that? how about putting smaller theatre companies like communicado targeting certain
[Robert:] Yes
[Brian:] on the tour
[Robert:] well we're sort of trying an experiment Iris is trying an experiment
[Brian:] Communicado, erm
[Robert:] seven, eighty four, one
[Brian:] Seven, eighty four, one
[Robert:] Yes, yes, I mean we've, we've sort of talked about it but not done very much about it, Communicado of course is based on the Lyceum which is something which is worth knowing, erm
[Brian:] Because at the moment I mean they're going into some venues out like the Traverse, who were thinking of doing it anyway, but
[Robert:] Yeah, yes, I mean the situation is yes we have kind of thought about it, we haven't actually done it
[Brian:] Right
[Robert:] that's what it comes down to
[Iris:] Yes
[Robert:] I mean the experiment that's coming up is, is the one week only
[Jane:] Mhm
[Robert:] emergence of the Oxford stage company at the moment
[Iris:] I personally think with these smaller of the theat of the theatre companies who spend their life touring more or less
[Robert:] Mm
[Iris:] it would be handy for them to get
[Jane:] Yes
[Iris:] their own audio describer
[Cathy:] Yes, remember
[Iris:] who would travel with them
[Robert:] With a portable, with a radio systems plug in
[Iris:] Yeah
[Brian:] That would make sense
[Iris:] That really would because I mean they, they
[Brian:] for the preparation
[Iris:] it's much easier if they have somebody attached to them
[Jane:] Yeah
[Cathy:] Of course they would
[Jane:] they know the play, they know the er act they know the whole thing
[Robert:] I mean this, this get mentioned somewhere along the line of, of you know maybe... you know, I mean God knows how you would fund a
[Cathy:] I know
[Robert:] but you know, whether it would be something like, you know
[Cathy:] Yes
[Robert:] the A, one of the A S Ns would of additional responsibility, it wouldn't be absolutely every performance
[Cathy:] You can give the back up team though, you can get people to hand out leaflets and that sort of thing
[Robert:] You can get
[Jane:] It may well be a volunteer who's willing to be
[Robert:] within the group
[Jane:] within, within the group, you know, or volunteer not attached to the
[Robert:] who's not a part, yeah
[Jane:] the company who's willing to come
[Cathy:] Mhm, yes, yes just to go along
[Robert:] I mean you'd need to look at the touring schedules and things
[Jane:] Yes
[Robert:] Maybe what we should do actually is before too long because of the planning involved is actually approach Communicado
[Brian:] Pull, pull
[Cathy:] yeah
[Robert:] to just say you know, what are you doing sort of
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Jane:] yeah
[Robert:] doing next year for a tour, what touring plans have you got
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Robert:] and see if there's any, anything in that, cos you wouldn't be looking at doing every single village hall
[Cathy:] No
[Brian:] No
[Robert:] but you, you could sort of
[Jane:] Mm
[Robert:] try them. You see there's a difference as well
[Cathy:] Mm, if they had someone with them, it wouldn't be a problem
[Robert:] Yeah
[Cathy:] I'm sure it's like joining the circus I wouldn't of thought you'd have a problem getting involved in it
[Iris:] That's right, I wouldn't
[Cathy:] you'd be delighted to go for
[Robert:] mm, well it depends on the touring pattern as well because I mean something like Communicado can sort of kind of do a week here, or a fortnight somewhere
[Jane:] Mhm
[Robert:] another group shown can literally doing one night stands
[Cathy:] Yes
[Robert:] around the country, then you know, did sort of think about that, I suppose Communicado can as well
[Brian:] is there is there a pulling o off people's schedules just now, people sort of central sort of information point
[Iris:] There isn't
[Jane:] No
[Robert:] That's something that we're needing
[Iris:] That's the problem
[Robert:] that's one of the things we're, we're trying to identify of
[Iris:] That's what we do need, yes
[Robert:] a way of doing that
[Brian:] Right
[Robert:] but I mean certainly I think it'll be worth erm
[Iris:] Yeah
[Robert:] looking at the Communicado the touring idea
[Iris:] Erm, I, I did the same thing the tag as I said earlier erm I suggested to them that perhaps as they went out so much perhaps one the company would do it, they sounded quite enthusiastic
[Robert:] Right
[Cathy:] Yes
[Iris:] and one of the girls who I was speaking to, oh I'd like to do that, she couldn't for the, the one that we're doing
[Jane:] No
[Iris:] but erm I, I mean I, they obviously didn't say oh no that'll be a rotten idea, so
[Jane:] Oh no
[Robert:] Mm
[Iris:] I think they might look kindly on it
[Robert:] Yeah, oh we should explore that as, you know, erm... I mean how far have do people like Communicado and erm, yes so if we went to them sort of fairly soon we'd
[Iris:] Yes
[Robert:] have a good idea of what they were doing next, next summer or whatever, yeah... right... right, otherwise Edinburgh, erm everything is in place for the festival descriptions, well everything's in place [LAUGHTER] like curtain up for the Lyceum description, last weekend
[Iris:] Yes, yes
[Robert:] Iris and I standing in the
[Iris:] where were you and I thought he's not, he [LAUGHTER] so what's the position in the future, is it, are we going to have to go through that every time or?
[Robert:] No, no, no, no
[Iris:] Or that
[Robert:] Is that in though?
[Brian:] Now that we know
[Iris:] I must admit I was
[Brian:] now that we know what the problem is, we get, we're on top of it.
[Iris:] I was seething at your sign person because I thought we have no way of doing this for about at least two months
[Robert:] Mm
[Iris:] why the night before, did, was I told oh you'll need an amplifier and she's going to bring in one from her home, her own one in tomorrow morning, I thought I didn't spring it in last week, anything and then that day when I discovered it still wasn't working I just couldn't believe it
[Cathy:] Oh it's
[Iris:] I mean I said to Shaun on a Friday night we'd better decide this, otherwise there's no point in us coming through tomorrow mate, we might as well stay at home and go to the football or something [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] [LAUGHTER]
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Iris:] so
[Robert:] That's it now is it?
[Iris:] That's it
[Robert:] Yeah, put it on top of that one there
[Iris:] Good, great
[Brian:] Erm
[Robert:] Have a bit of trust [LAUGHTER]
[Iris:] I have, that was my job
[Cathy:] You're alright on the night, I'm sure you've heard that expression
[Robert:] Quite
[Iris:] Oh yes, as they were filming at the Lyceum last week they were, it were a good programme I can tell you
[Cathy:] [LAUGHTER]
[Brian:] [LAUGHTER]
[Iris:] [LAUGHTER] Anyway that, that the last thing, the only thing is of course we've missed the, the publication date for your
[Robert:] For the season
[Iris:] for the season
[Brian:] Yeah
[Iris:] which is a pity
[Brian:] yeah, yeah
[Robert:] Well that's of a, one of those things. The erm, we did invite Ingy to come to this meeting just to report about the festival things, but er she, when I saw her, down at the Lyceum, she was sort of doubtful, erm just because you know
[Iris:] Yeah
[Robert:] it's still the first one, she's got a billion things to do, we'll obviously speak to her in the autumn, erm
[Cathy:] Mm, that's good yeah
[Robert:] there wasn't anybody at the assembly hall for the National Theatre, well
[Jane:] I really was disappointed in that, yeah
[Robert:] No, no blind consumers as it were so that was a disappointment
[Jane:] that was too bad
[Robert:] I mean and, and I mean I turned up about half an hour before the end and, and Iris really was looking a, I, I can confirm a picture of dejection
[Iris:] Yeah
[Cathy:] That's very sad
[Iris:] I, I, I thought it was a great pity because I mean it's er a major thing upsetting
[Brian:] Mm
[Robert:] One reason I was disappointed is because what it says in these minutes, Robert's people reported they'd been speaking to the R and Abbey Leisure Service in London that had been considerable interest in the Edinburgh Festival Programme and in everything
[Iris:] Mm, yes
[Robert:] ranging from when I went to Leeds to that seminar and there were people excited about the Festival and you know, two weeks before the Festival speaking to Jane in London, said oh we've had a lot of you know and I said well I'll get back to you in September and tell you
[Iris:] Yes
[Robert:] and she said well I'll be able to tell you how many enquiries we've had and so you know, you were expecting something you know
[Cathy:] Nobody's there, mm
[Iris:] Well at the Lyceum, there was one lady from the South
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Iris:] about
[Robert:] Yes I remember you saying about
[Iris:] that they, just the others are all local, so at least there was one Festival visitor proper
[Cathy:] That's good yes
[Iris:] erm and I know they sold about five or six tickets at least next week
[Robert:] Next week
[Iris:] for this the Church Hill, but I don't know where they're from, I don't know if they're local people or from the Festival
[Cathy:] Aha, I wonder how
[Robert:] One thing that, that we did spend, I mean, I don't know the Festival seems to come in an awful rush this time I suppose cos, cos
[Cathy:] Oh it does
[Robert:] my holiday was later as usual and longer so, you know and there was a couple of other things not related to this which I'd thought of doing and it's sort of they evaporated, but erm, we did spend time talking to Ingy earlier in the year, you know, about publicity and I gave her lists of well such as things obvious things like Playback and Newsbeat
[Iris:] Yes
[Robert:] and Newsbeat dinner piece and I expect you did as well, erm but you know, she was, she was talking about contacts and things like Good Morning Scotland and all of the rest of it and I don't think any of that kind of happened
[Iris:] Mm
[Jane:] Mm
[Robert:] er I mean I'm not sort of trying to point the finger at her, but
[Iris:] No, because it may well be that they said oh we've covered audio description before, nothing new
[Robert:] Yeah
[Jane:] Yeah, that's right
[Iris:] we were covering some this morning or something
[Jane:] Yes
[Robert:] Yes exactly and events overtakes things and, and, and whatnot.
[Iris:] I tell you what I was quite disappointed as that, there was no, didn't seem to be a couple of stair up in the box office either the Lyceum I could see or there's not that there's
[Robert:] On the day
[Iris:] assembly hall has a, has a thing, but
[Robert:] Yeah
[Iris:] erm no I mean it's, it's good to see them on they were, they, the programme on, on the fourth of November will be audio described
[Cathy:] Yeah
[Robert:] Yes
[Brian:] Mhm
[Iris:] for the visually impaired, you know that kind of thing somebody booking their seat will say oh Aunty Mary might be interested.
[Cathy:] Aha
[Robert:] That was the other thing I think about the Festival programme which I think was a bit embarrassed about is the fact that all that information is in such teeny tiny writing
[Jane:] That's right
[Iris:] Yes, yes
[Robert:] which is difficult for me with my
[Jane:] Yes
[Iris:] Difficult for anybody
[Robert:] okay sight to read you know, my, my recently tested sight, and erm
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] oh, er let alone anybody [LAUGHTER]
[Cathy:] Most
[Jane:] Yes he went and got glasses, yeah [LAUGHTER]
[Brian:] As a result of your training er
[Robert:] Yeah
[Jane:] Really, [LAUGHTER]
[Brian:] session
[Iris:] But that's, that, that, that is the bigger thing
[Robert:] So you know, the sight's something else, I don't I don't know, what I'm wondering is what, you know, what, you know
[Iris:] Can do it
[Robert:] what Ingy is gonna come back you know
[Iris:] Yes, er
[Robert:] in a month's time and whenever she comes
[Iris:] Yes
[Jane:] Mhm
[Robert:] to, to, to a meeting for the group for next year, you know, she's gonna say well you know we tried it and nobody came
[Iris:] That's right
[Robert:] we're not doing it again, I don't think she will, but I mean I think we need to be sort of positive about how we are going to sort of
[Iris:] Well I, I erm
[Robert:] build it on
[Iris:] put a, put a very strong piece in Playback this month about audio description and seeing that, it, you know, how disappointed it is for how, I've, I've explained how much work we've put into er, er
[Robert:] Yeah, mm
[Iris:] description and that if people er don't take it up
[Cathy:] Yes
[Iris:] then it's likely to fall apart, because the volunteers are going to give up
[Jane:] Mm
[Robert:] That's right
[Iris:] they'll, they'll see us, a play four times and then go along and no one comes to hear the description
[Jane:] That's right
[Robert:] Mm
[Iris:] so, erm I hope that, that might make few people visit, but then as I said also in it, you can't force people to go to the theatre if they don't want to
[Robert:] Oh you can't you, you, that's what we we're saying this morning
[Iris:] That's right
[Jane:] Mm
[Robert:] you can take you know horses to water, but
[Iris:] Horses to water, mm
[Robert:] you can't get them to drink it
[Brian:] Is that
[Cathy:] Yeah, but I think some works one is transport and I said this before to you
[Iris:] Oh yes, very much, yes
[Cathy:] and this is the difficulty, I'll, I'll take this away and see what I can do with it, I mean there's that East End thing, you know, that arts erm you know
[Robert:] Yes, one
[Cathy:] and the shop mobilities well you know
[Iris:] Mhm
[Cathy:] and I'm just wondering if maybe, maybe we will just have to do a wee bit of work and try and get something on the go to see if somebody will
[Iris:] Yes
[Cathy:] accompany, I don't know that I can offer transport because it's not a very easy thing you know, and we need to try and do, but
[Iris:] Well we now have started this concert and theatre goers group in Glasgow and, and the
[Cathy:] Yes, well this is what I was going to
[Robert:] Yes, that's the other side of the that's right
[Iris:] They've actually started now, they've got a committee, of course I don't know how long it will take them to get going for them, but
[Cathy:] Yes, oh God
[Iris:] you see they likely can get a grant from the Society now that they're
[Cathy:] Exactly
[Iris:] a proper group and er I don't know how they can arrange transport, but I think that's what they're planning to do.
[Robert:] Well it's, do you still have that
[Cathy:] It'll be worth
[Iris:] Mm
[Robert:] transport subsidy schemes, is that still work?
[Brian:] Mhm
[Cathy:] Oh, oh, oh
[Robert:] This is some well
[Iris:] That's right, yes
[Brian:] Mhm
[Robert:] how does it work? Does it still
[Brian:] Erm, you've got to go over a certain size to get... a portion of the fee of paid
[Cathy:] Mm
[Robert:] Mm
[Iris:] Mm
[Brian:] this is from the Arts Council?
[Cathy:] I see, that, that, it's very complicated for blind people
[Robert:] It's complicated for anybody
[Brian:] Anybody
[Robert:] Absolutely
[Cathy:] [LAUGHTER]
[Robert:] ludicrous, impossible to try and organize
[Iris:] Ah
[Robert:] but then
[Cathy:] We've got groups of volunteers who take people to theatre as well as art
[Iris:] Ah, ha
[Robert:] I think the other side of the Festival as well, you mustn't lose track of, is that the Festival
[Cathy:] Yes, it's, I could of brought people through, I should of been able to
[Robert:] the Festival also chooses its own plays, I mean the Festival choose those three plays and whether they were the best three plays to choose
[Cathy:] Mm, yes, aha
[Robert:] you know, but you would of thought the National Theatre, but I mean it's, you know
[Cathy:] I know
[Robert:] the Spanish play in England
[Cathy:] Yeah
[Robert:] but you know
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Robert:] I don't know, it's difficult to know
[Cathy:] Well I don't know, I feel quite guilty because I think maybe I could of done a bit more, but I'll certainly take it away now and I'll have a chat with some of the
[Iris:] Mhm
[Cathy:] maybe meet Alan together rather than separately
[Iris:] Yes
[Cathy:] cos he doesn't, you know, original Council but, but I think we should of, could look inside and I
[Robert:] I think then
[Cathy:] could of brought a group of people
[Robert:] Yes, I think the other side of Iris's point about the theatre and concert goers club, is quite an interesting idea
[Cathy:] Yes
[Robert:] to, to run alongside audio description groups, you could be
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] and this is something I could change my hands slightly about and come back and speak to you [LAUGHTER]
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] for example about, because you know one of the things that I've thought about for quite a long time is the idea of encouraging voluntary organizations, concerned with the disability to get more interested in the arts and that's obviously what Mecca is
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] I thought of Hugh being up in Perth
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Iris:] Yeah
[Robert:] er with the Spastics is
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] taking people to arts events and getting things that way
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] so it's not a way of reaching people with a disability and, you know, that might be that kind of
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] you're talking about, might be one way of getting
[Cathy:] I feel sure if you offer to pick people up and take them home again, you'll be, you'll be swamped you won't know what to do with them
[Iris:] Absolutely it makes such a lot of difference that's right, yes
[Cathy:] It really does and can you blame people
[Iris:] No
[Cathy:] I mean I've just come through there and I had a car today and a girl was telling me her father erm opened his door last week er cataract and the, the wife, the granny blind too and there, the man from the water board was just going to switch off your water, just okay if I check your taps, three hundred pounds out the house
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] Mm
[Cathy:] now, you know, they've been watching them, they know they're a blind couple, I mean blind people feel that vulnerable that you're asking them to go
[Iris:] Mm
[Robert:] Yes
[Cathy:] out so you just, so maybe just, maybe, I've taken a slight hard line to say no, people have got to make a wee bit effort too, but maybe in fact
[Iris:] Maybe they do need the encouragement
[Cathy:] to go back, because to do this to get to this stage and find we're not getting our audiences then, if that's the answer we'll just have to find the solution.
[Robert:] Mm
[Brian:] Is there not two separate problems that we have to find them first and then the, then worrying about getting people to the theatre
[Cathy:] Well I think we can find them through Playback in cases like that
[Iris:] Yes, yes
[Cathy:] I mean if places like that, I mean if you set, I mean she knows this
[Robert:] If you were to press this thing
[Cathy:] if you say in Playback there is an added night performance
[Robert:] there will be a bus
[Cathy:] you might get a phone call, if you say there's an performance
[Robert:] Mm
[Cathy:] you know if you're in this area or that area we'll pick you up and take you home and the phone just doesn't stop ringing
[Robert:] Yeah, there's a bus going
[Iris:] You got, yeah
[Jane:] Yes
[Cathy:] so I think there's a way of getting the blind people
[Jane:] Yeah
[Iris:] Yes I think there is
[Cathy:] but it's, it's just this all for a transport
[Iris:] Yes
[Robert:] Right
[Cathy:] and what you've got to be very careful, cos you can't offer them and not come up with the goods
[Iris:] Mhm
[Cathy:] so it's a bit trying to set up a system
[Robert:] It's got to be consistent as well
[Iris:] Yes
[Robert:] Yeah
[Cathy:] Mm, but I'm, I'm sure, I'm sure we can do more there, you know,
[Iris:] Oh yes
[Robert:] I, I did briefly manage from
[Iris:] I think so, of
[Robert:] mention this
[Iris:] of transport you'll get people
[Robert:] to, to from art link, erm to do the escort service and they, they, they do it, I mean
[Cathy:] Oh yes
[Robert:] what he, he's moving, he's moving actually a bit more towards the East End model in Glasgow
[Cathy:] Is he? Aha
[Robert:] er towards actually, you know, for example he is targeting West and so on, but he's moving away from being a completely response lead
[Iris:] Mhm
[Robert:] so that, you know they sit in the office
[Iris:] Right
[Robert:] and people phone up to ask being a bit more kind of pro active about it
[Iris:] Yes
[Cathy:] Oh I see, right
[Robert:] and his response when, you're doing the audio description as well, you know if the Society for the Blind wants to organize, I mean I mean you can organize every kind of thing why does it have to involve us? But I mean I'm sure there's a sort of, there could be a meeting of, of the sort of ways there somewhere
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Robert:] erm
[Cathy:] If we or organize the transport will you supply the volunteers?
[Robert:] Yeah, I mean there could be a way of sort of coming together
[Brian:] Mm
[Robert:] so maybe that's another area, and that's a meeting we could set up quite easily with, well with Clare who runs it, and erm
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Robert:] with er in Glasgow and that's
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Robert:] whose name I can't remember
[Cathy:] neither can I
[Robert:] er... can't remember Debbie
[Cathy:] I can't remember the guy's name either [LAUGHTER]
[Jane:] [LAUGHTER] It doesn't matter
[Robert:] and brought these, the bloke, so. So
[Cathy:] Right, okay
[Robert:] Brampton is happening is it?
[Jane:] Mhm
[Robert:] Jane the last one
[Jane:] we're talking of Brampton
[Robert:] the Lyceum
[Jane:] Yeah
[Iris:] Is it, what is it definite, I mean as a regular or just the one off or what?
[Jane:] As a regular monthly thing
[Iris:] Mhm, good, that's going to happen
[Jane:] when, when, oh sorry
[Robert:] I was going to, one of the, the many things that I went to away last meeting with was, was the idea of, that I've missed it this time for Playback is a list, a listings kind of mechanism, so obviously this is the first one
[Jane:] Yeah
[Robert:] erm, I was also going to use, erm, the erm R I B kind of format that they use for their listings you know for their leisure lists
[Jane:] Mhm
[Robert:] just because it's the style
[Jane:] Yeah
[Robert:] just go and swipe that
[Cathy:] Mm
[Jane:] Mhm
[Robert:] erm, so it'll be useful to have the Brampton dates
[Jane:] Dates
[Robert:] erm
[Jane:] I haven't got them
[Robert:] and this, is something I would need to
[Jane:] The, the thing is that I've been concerned for some time when it's finally helped,f f found for next month, because
[Robert:] because we've got three things happening on one night
[Jane:] the twenty fourth, yes, of September
[Cathy:] Yes
[Jane:] three, three separate, I mean, if people from sometimes come through to Edinburgh
[Robert:] Yeah
[Jane:] people sometimes come to Glasgow and either of them could go up to Stirling
[Robert:] Yeah
[Iris:] That's right
[Jane:] Three in the one night I think is just
[Robert:] Yeah I feel guilty, I feel guilty about the Stirling one, but when I arranged
[Cathy:] It's very silly
[Robert:] the Stirling date with the woman from the Oxford Stage Companies in time with Robert, it was the beginning of the summer in June or something like that
[Jane:] Yes
[Robert:] and I suppose I should of gone off the Thursday night
[Jane:] it's difficult, cos yeah, the Thursday night was a bad night, any other night might of been better...
[Robert:] but erm
[Cathy:] I'm worried about that because we had a very bad experience in Stirling before so
[Robert:] Yeah
[Cathy:] we really don't need it
[Robert:] I tried to see Liz about that last week, but that's anyway, but, but
[Jane:] Yes
[Robert:] to get back to the scheduling I mean that's something we obviously need to think about
[Jane:] Mhm
[Iris:] I've got Brampton theatre dates, I'll copy that, you can have that if you want
[Jane:] Oh great
[Robert:] Erm
[Jane:] what is it a Thursday as well?
[Cathy:] No Saturday matinee
[Jane:] Oh that's terrific
[Iris:] That is good
[Cathy:] Mhm so that's definitely on, yes
[Jane:] That's ideal, yes
[Robert:] So I think that's something
[Brian:] Just a quick
[Robert:] to think about
[Jane:] You see I think that's, what, what is like the
[Cathy:] They don't tie up with you
[Brian:] No, there okay, no not at all
[Cathy:] they don't tie up with you so you're alright.
[Robert:] Yes, so we need to sort of keep on top of that one and I'm not really sure until we do get our co-ordinator how we cope
[Cathy:] Well, well we see that's, that's why and, and I did seem to go about, I don't Iris's job, but I really wanted to raise that this time, we really have to have someone very, very quickly to protest, call it what you like
[Jane:] Yeah
[Cathy:] but we're gonna have to have somebody
[Robert:] Just to programme it
[Cathy:] because already it's going on, you can see that.
[Robert:] Well
[Iris:] Do we want somebody who will just do, cos I've got, I mean I can get somebody just to do that if that's all you want done, that could be done easily
[Robert:] Mm
[Iris:] in braille or print or braille and print or anything you like, put all the lists together
[Robert:] Mm
[Cathy:] Can I say I think that's like the, the door closing and the horse gone, you know
[Iris:] Mm
[Robert:] Before that
[Cathy:] it's the bit before that
[Iris:] Yeah I thought
[Cathy:] unfortunately and I know and that's how much complicated bit
[Iris:] Yes it is
[Cathy:] and that's can I phoning round everybody keeping tabs, what are you planning over the next three months, aha
[Iris:] That's right
[Robert:] Would it be worth having I mean
[Iris:] I could certainly get all those lists
[Cathy:] You know what I mean, I mean that would and that, and that still necessary that's, that's as well as that
[Robert:] Would it be worth actually having a, having a sort of a planning meeting, say you know for the first half hour of one of these meetings, the next one say that we have, you know, a wall planner, you know, a chart and
[Iris:] Yeah
[Robert:] you know sort of say this is
[Jane:] But is not, I mean it's too late at the moment because both the Citizen and
[Cathy:] It's too late
[Jane:] and the Lyceum have organized it
[Robert:] Yeah
[Jane:] their dates erm... so happens as far as I can see only the twenty fourth of September
[Robert:] Is appropriate
[Cathy:] Is the one
[Jane:] I don't know about the, the after the New Year, but that's very lucky that one
[Robert:] Cos the other problem is Christmas is one that which is coming off
[Jane:] Christmas yeah, aha
[Cathy:] Yeah
[Jane:] well I don't think it matters so much in with the
[Iris:] People
[Jane:] on same date because people are like, more likely to go to their own local pantomime aren't they?
[Cathy:] They all go don't they, yeah...
[Iris:] Mm
[Cathy:] Oh children
[Robert:] So there is a problem about
[Cathy:] you need to watch about children this year because, erm, because of the children at the Royal Blind School
[Jane:] Oh yes
[Cathy:] and maybe you know from Glasgow whatever
[Jane:] the absolutely nothing they've got it, none of the audience paid things.
[Robert:] I remember when I first went to see Mrs
[Cathy:] [LAUGHTER] came over
[Robert:] I don't think, is Mrs still there?
[Cathy:] Yes, aha
[Robert:] She wasn't very keen
[Jane:] No she's not very keen
[Robert:] this was like three years ago
[Brian:] Yeah
[Cathy:] Ah, it's not terribly blind is it?
[Jane:] She is not
[Brian:] This is
[Cathy:] the children will be out of school, they might even be sighted people.
[Jane:] Romeo and Juliet I mean it couldn't of been a better thing for school children
[Cathy:] Wonderful that
[Robert:] Yeah, that was planned that we [LAUGHTER]
[Cathy:] Yes exactly
[Jane:] Exactly and we went to the school, we told them all about it, we phoned the school, we kept saying
[Cathy:] Not even the older children?
[Jane:] it's going to be on, nobody, nobody, not one person. Oh no, no, but I'm sure the children didn't even get
[Cathy:] Because at least all schools have wonderful
[Jane:] to hear about it
[Robert:] Mm
[Cathy:] That's a shame you know, because that's the ideal isn't it, remember those wee titchy things at four
[Iris:] That's right
[Cathy:] all my staff were crying which didn't help [LAUGHTER] had to keep dragging them off to the toilet, they'd never seen blind children you see they'd all seen adults it's fine to be blind to be an adult, but these wee titchy things and there's a little boy saying, you know I was really looking forward to this, this is really exciting, totally blind ooh
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Cathy:] but I mean it was so good, because remember the letter we got from the wee boy with the drawing?
[Iris:] That's right
[Cathy:] Is this great big painting, a mass of colours, you know, but a wonderful time, cos it's the children you need
[Robert:] Mm
[Cathy:] the children are tomorrow's audience
[Iris:] That's right, yes
[Jane:] That's right, yes
[Cathy:] I'm very disappointed with that
[Jane:] if you get the children, yes, not one thing
[Cathy:] Can you not bypass Mrs?
[Iris:] No you're joking
[Jane:] No
[Cathy:] Surely you can bypass if you think
[Iris:] Seems to be our fault if it's anything to do with the Society she doesn't want to know
[Cathy:] Of course, try Jim who'd do it
[Iris:] He's fine, he thinks it's a good idea
[Cathy:] Oh yes
[Iris:] he'll certainly put the information
[Cathy:] he'll maybe do a job by, by putting
[Iris:] Wouldn't bypass
[Cathy:] by woman who went to work
[Iris:] he wouldn't bypass her
[Cathy:] He wouldn't?
[Iris:] No
[Jane:] I wonder if I approached her
[Cathy:] May be a way round is the parent protected teachers
[Robert:] Very possessive
[Iris:] Parent, yeah
[Jane:] Yes I might approach her
[Cathy:] Maybe that's a way round
[Jane:] direct from
[Cathy:] I'll have a go, yes, yes
[Jane:] Yeah
[Cathy:] cos she's all
[Jane:] Mhm
[Iris:] Yeah, oh yes Newspeak's rubbish, but Playback's wonderful, but I think that could be true [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Jane:] I think I might approach her direct and see how anguished we are to get younger people interested in
[Cathy:] That's a shame because children are really the key to this
[Jane:] It's a shame
[Iris:] They are they are the key
[Cathy:] if you can get them going while they're at school
[Brian:] You know, I mean, this is an organization we are quite keen to get these people as well, I mean their publicity
[Cathy:] Of course
[Jane:] Yeah
[Iris:] Yeah
[Brian:] machine isn't reaching them because we don't have any contacts to send
[Jane:] That's right
[Brian:] so perhaps I should
[Robert:] Ring Lucy
[Brian:] try and get a list of contacts or something to, I mean Lucy's quite happy to do it and
[Cathy:] The information we can print
[Brian:] Yeah, the whole lot for schools, you know
[Cathy:] We can get your lists into the braille press and the workshops, I mean
[Brian:] Mhm
[Cathy:] that would help wouldn't it, send that
[Jane:] Maybe, maybe maybe I could do it from the theatre, would, would help
[Cathy:] Mhm
[Robert:] A different, a different a different approach
[Jane:] Yeah
[Cathy:] Yes, because it's not
[Jane:] it could be
[Cathy:] a society it's not
[Robert:] Yeah
[Jane:] We are, we are offering this for our fund
[Cathy:] And these were the dates
[Jane:] That's right, yeah
[Robert:] Yeah
[Jane:] that'll be super
[Cathy:] And get the letter all brailled and everything so it goes down to the
[Iris:] Absolutely That's right
[Cathy:] can braille that for you no problem
[Robert:] Yeah
[Cathy:] and, and er she would sort of say oh and here's a theatre make a wee bit effort yes that might be the answer
[Iris:] That's right, that might be the answer for the braille press, for the school and
[Cathy:] Yes
[Iris:] for the workshop
[Cathy:] And it's directly from the theatre
[Jane:] What about, what, erm
[Cathy:] and that's your braille customer
[Brian:] Mm
[Jane:] would it be any help for
[Brian:] Cos I mean that's what their publicity machine is there for
[Jane:] That's right
[Cathy:] That's right, that's that can be
[Jane:] what about
[Cathy:] brailled easily
[Jane:] what about the pantomime, I mean I don't like to say this but there's a society in Glasgow buying tickets for the children for pantomime
[Iris:] Yes
[Jane:] is there a society here like to do that?