| Description | Tracks 1 - 23
Track 1 is a recording of Charles Parker singing 'Dracula's Song'. Track 2 is an unidentified broadcast about World War Two and includes extracts from Winston Churchill's speeches. Tracks 3 - 7 are of an interview conducted by Parker at Walsgrave Hospital and Tracks 8 - 23 relate to interviews undertaken by him at Benson Road School.
Charles Parker interviews Bob Marriott at a social event at the Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry on 03 October 1977 (Tracks 3 - 7). Dave is a porter at the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital and a NUPE shop steward and Parker has previously interviewed him as part of this project. In this interview, Marriott comments on the approach to communicating policies taken by the National Front (Track 4). He also discusses the routine use of overtime to cover tasks within the health service (Track 4), low morale within hospitals and workers' attitudes to sickness absence (Track 5). A need for effective training for ancillary staff is identified (Track 6).
Bob Marriott makes observations about Charles Parker's interview techniques and comments on the impact of the tape recorder on interviewees' responses (Track 6 -7).
Tracks 8 - 23 relate to interviews made by Parker with three people at Benson Road Resource Centre, based at Benson Primary School, Winson Green. John Shaw (a home - school liaison teacher) and an unidentified home visitor / teacher share many of these tracks and the importance of effective support for parents and children is discussed, including nursery school provision (Tracks 8 -18). Reference is made to the new James Watt Nursery School, which is completed but cannot be opened because of public expenditure cuts (Track 8). From Track 19 onwards, Geraldine Woodhouse (a basic grade social worker) joins the discussions. The need for political awareness and activity by professionals is considered by John and Geraldine, and their role in liaising between different agencies on behalf of families is discussed by all three.
John Shaw is assigned to Benson Road School but is part funded by the Bernard Van Leer Foundation for childhood development. He describes his role and the relationship between the local authority and other funders. (Tracks 8 - 10). The home visitor / teacher is employed by Priority Area Playgroups (PAP), previously financed by the Van Leer Foundation but now funded by Urban Aid grants. She provides brief details of PAP and also refers to her personal employment history, including her formation of the 'Children from Winson Green' nursery in Gillott Road (Track 13). The locations of various PAP activities in Birmingham are given (Track 17).
Reference is made to the Asian population in parts of Birmingham, and cultural deprivation (in a western sense) and Asian attitudes to integration are discussed. The home visitor describes her contact with Muslim women in purdah (a seclusion of women from external observation) and Charles Parker questions whether the women referred to are from Bangladesh or Pakistan (Tracks 11 - 12).
The Boulton West housing clearance area is discussed, particularly with regard to Council reductions in services to residents in advance of demolition. An assessment is given of the housing stock in Winson Green (Tracks 14 - 15 & 22). Reference is made to the Boulton West Action Group (Tracks 14 & 19).
The adverse impact on 'gypsies' of local authority funding cutbacks is described, and existing facilities for travelling people in the West Midlands are criticised. Public attitudes towards gypsies are discussed (Track 21).
Birmingham Social Services Department is criticised for its approach to spending cuts, as is Birmingham City Council's bureaucracy (Tracks 21 & 23).
Total: 1 hour 05:04 minutes
Dubber's reference number: PLA KF534B0215580 |