BBC Voices
Conversation in Middlesbrough about accent, dialect and attitudes to language.
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Type
sound
Duration
01:18:04
Shelf mark
C1190/09/05
Recording date
2004-11-25
Is part of (Collection)
BBC Voices Recordings
Recording locations
Middlesbrough
Interviewees
Hill, Debbie, 1971 July 20- (speaker, female, admin. assistant in hospital), Hill, Glynis, (speaker, female, nurse), Hill, Marjorie, 1926 Oct. 06- (speaker, female)
Interviewers
Allport, Sue, 1962 March 26- (speaker, female)
Producers
Radio Cleveland
Abstract
[00:00:00] Speakers introduce themselves, describe where they have lived, how area has changed over time, schools and churches they have attended, childhood memories of local area. Description of leaving Middlesbrough to live in Leeds for six years when younger, what people thought of her speech. Discussion about historical changes to name of county in which Middlesbrough is located, how they identify themselves.[00:14:50] Discussion about changing speech in different situations/with different people, what they think of their own accent. Discussion about attitudes towards swearing and use of swear words, how this has changed over time. Description of how Debbie refers to her grandmother and mother as a result of their relationship. Comment that Debbie is only ever called Deborah when she has done something wrong.[00:24:19] Discussion about living in all-female house except for Debbies twin brother, description of their close sibling relationship. Story about being able to sense how her twin brother was feeling when he went on an aeroplane for the first time. Anecdotes about naughty things they did as children.[00:37:14] Description of Glynis childhood, how she reacted to her only sisters birth when she was nine years old, their relationship now. Anecdotes about younger sister copying things that she did. Reluctance to disclose Glynis age, interviewer works it out; comment that she was also oldest grandchild in the family, how she reacted to other grandchildren born later. Anecdotes about big family trips to Scarborough.[00:45:22] Description of Glynis involvement with Scouts, with the Church; familial closeness with friends at church. Description of Marjories family experiences as a child and young adult; Debbies relationship with her family.[00:55:49] Discussion of words used to describe ACTIONS. Description of games played as children.[01:00:28] Discussion of words used to describe EMOTIONS; PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES. Mention that left-footers is used to describe Catholics. Comment that word used to mean pregnant changes depending on who youre talking to, people used to talk about it behind their hand in the past.[01:09:12] Discussion of words used to describe WEATHER AND SURROUNDINGS; PEOPLE AND THINGS; CLOTHING. Mention words used to mean rich. Speakers re-introduce themselves.
Description
Recording made for BBC Voices project of a conversation guided by a BBC interviewer. The conversation follows a loose structure based on eliciting opinions about accents, dialects, the words we use and people's attitude to language. The interviewees are three generations of the same family.
Texts
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