| Description | Recording of interview by Charles Parker of Betsy Miller (BM) (born c.1886) describing her own childhood and attitudes to her parents and older people. Actuality for the sixth radio ballad 'On The Edge' about teenagers in England and Scotland and originally transmitted on the BBC Home Service in February 1963.
Track 1: Duration (min/sec): 3.18 Description of track: Tape test recording; CP explains he would like BM to talk about her own life and how older people view life and death as society today has lost contact with old people
Track 2: Duration (min/sec): 6.33 Description of track: BM talks about the tendency society has to segregate age groups eg teenagers and old people; that teenagers are treated like a 'herd of cattle' and that they should be able to talk about subjects such as sex; CP thinks should be some caution when people are discussing subjects such as violence and sex and BM does agree; BM never under the pressures of young girls of today of sexual experience and the habitual discussion of subjects such as sex
Track 3: Duration (min/sec): 7.37 Description of track: CP talks about how 'startling' he finds young people in their attitudes to sex and also in their relations with their elders and parents and 'cold analysis of their parents failures'; BM talks about her own parents, she did not know her grandparents; believes in her childhood that young people had more respect for her elders and that she regularly visited her parents; she loved the company of her mother [Isabelle] as valuable socially to her, advised her, sang; BM lived on quite an isolated estate with 7-8 tenants amongst which there were over 70 children and all the families respected their parents; talks about the importance of the established family home [pitch variable; pause at end of track]
Track 4: Duration (min/sec): 5.12 Description of track: [Tape 2] BM elaborates on what 'home' means to her, a sense of security and peace and love. BM talks about their economic situation; her father was a mill manager, lost his job, family moved to [Carmuires] near Falkirk, Stirlingshire and he worked in a chemical business and earned 28s a week; family grew all own vegetables; her parents always provided for all fourteen children
Track 5: Duration (min/sec): 4.28 Description of track: BM recalls her mother singing through all types of family experiences and work; she had a lovely voice and BM learnt the songs; the singing helped to convey the love BM felt at home; her father would sing when 'half barrelled'; he was in the forces
Track 6: Duration (min/sec): 6.25 Description of track: BM describes the family house moves; moved when 7 years old to Carmuires and then when 14-15 years to a company house; still felt part of a community as well as part of a family unit; BM was scared of men when young as saw such few strangers; describes a man 'exposing' himself to her on her way home from school when 9 years old which had a terrible effect on her [pitch variable]
Track 7: Duration (min/sec): 1.19 Description of track: BM was never told ghost stories by her mother, only fairy tales; still aware of violence as a young girl
Total duration: (min/sec): 34.54 |