| Description | Recording of interviews for the 'Battle of St Ann's' project:
Tracks 1 - 2: the interviews are with Mr James Beckham (Beckman?), Maureen Beckham (daughter-in-law) and family who also feature on the previous recording MS 4000/6/1/66/14; the interview is recorded in their home. The family are residents of St Ann’s; a study by local social commentators has categorised the houses as 'slum dwellings' and where many residents are living in 'poverty', for more information see Sub Series level. The tracks frequently run into each other.
Track 1: A discussion regarding Mr Beckham's relocating to Nottingham. A new discussion about how some residents are uniting to complain and address problems i.e. central heating. 3.41 mins.
Track 2: Continuing on from the previous track a discussion of heating systems and smells, track starts speeding up until the recording is inaudible. 2.28 mins.
Tracks 3 - 10: the interviews are with Mrs Connell and Mrs Yellop; the interviews continue on the next recording MS 4000/6/1/66/16 the interview is recorded in Mrs Yellop's home. Mrs Connell, is most likely in her late 20s or early 30s, she is from St Ann’s but her family (husband and children) have emigrated to Australia; she has returned for a short period to look after her convalescing mother. Mrs Yellop is aged 27 and her family (husband and children) have been residents of St Ann’s for a relatively short time they moved to St Ann's because they could not afford to live anywhere else and it would have been a 5 year wait for a council house. The tracks frequently run into each other.
Track 3: The interviewees identify themselves and give their addresses. A discussion of Mrs Yellop's personal history, about her husband and how she came to live in St Ann’s. The discussion moves onto how she feels about St Ann’s: on the day she moved in she found out the house was due to be demolished and she wants to leave the area. Discussions move onto the stigma of being a resident of St Ann’s. Discussions move onto her children: a boy 10, a boy under 1 and a baby due. The discussion moves onto her concerns about her son's new school; in her opinion he is receiving a poorer quality of teaching in comparison to his old school. 4.32 mins.
Track 4: Mrs Connell discusses her family, they emigrated to Australia 6 years ago and explains that she is back temporarily to care for her convalescing mother. In her opinion this is a terrible area and has definitely deteriorated in the past 6 years. Discussions about the living conditions of residents in St Ann’s, this continues on next track. 3.14 mins.
Track 5: Discussions with Mrs Connell continuing on from the previous track about living conditions: uses a specific example of a neighbour with small children who has poor space and no privacy. A new discussion about the difficulties of getting essential repairs done. 2.50 mins.
Track 6: A discussion involving both Mrs Connell and Mrs Yellop regarding the steps: how dangerous they are, particularly in the winter for the residents and how this stops the milkman and binmen getting to the houses. A new discussion about the development/clearance and the poor communication from the council, this moves onto how Mrs Yellop is determined to move from the area before the birth of her baby, continuing on the next track. 3.39 mins.
Track 7: Continuing from the previous tracks discussion of the expected birth of Mrs Yellop's baby; she has been told that the baby will need to be born downstairs and be kept downstairs for a month because it is so cold upstairs. This flows onto a discussion of the cramped conditions in the house (one double bedroom and one single bedroom for 2 adults and 3 children). A new discussion about the rent and trying to get repairs made, continues on the next track. Mrs Yellop. 3.04 mins.
Track 8: The discussion continues on from the previous track, then regarding painting the house. A new discussion of the clearances making the older residents particularly those who have lived there all their lives demoralised. 3.44 mins.
Track 9: The discussion continues from the previous track regarding the clearances, the rent levels for new houses and how paying the new rents will take a larger proportion of their income. The discussion continues regarding the new houses: they think they are not well designed, to small, very dark, too close together, they have no fences, the houses are overlooked and they offer no privacy: they are disappointed that there was no consultation with the residents about what they wanted or needed, in their opinion they are new modern slums. 3.56 mins.
Track 10: The discussion continues on from the previous track regarding the new housing and the poor planning and design. 2.28 mins.
Total: 33.38
Dubber's reference number: PLA KF5760010580 |