| Description | Tracks 1 - 13: the interviews are with Mrs O'Toole and continues on the following recording MS 4000/6/1/66/20; the interview is not recorded in her home and the location is not identified. Mrs O'Toole is a long term resident of St Ann's. A study by local social commentators about the St Ann's area has categorised the houses as 'slum dwellings' and where many residents are living in 'poverty'. The tracks frequently run into each other.
Track 1: Recording setup, 1.30 mins.
Track 2: The interviewee gives her name and address. A discussion of her time in St Ann's: originally from Ireland, her family history, married 'over here', moved to St Ann's from Derby (because St Ann's seemed a more lively area) and lived in St Ann's for the last 15 years. 3.13 mins.
Track 3: The discussions continues on from the previous track: she has lived in her current house for 13 years: they own the house and in her opinion it is a lovely house. A discussion about the size and condition of the house: 3 rooms downstairs, 3 bedrooms, cellars and a yard with outside toilet; the house is due to be demolished. A new discussion about when she moved in it was a nice area with lovely houses, nice neighbours who had 'all sorts' of jobs. Discussions move back to the clearance: in her opinion people do no wish to leave, people are contented there. Discussions continue regarding the clearance: residents did not get organised to challenge council, in her opinion it is part of the council's role to decide residents' fate. A new discussion regarding her children: they attend a good school in her opinion; their friends are moving out and that they watch the builders knock down the houses. 3.30 mins.
Track 4: Discussions continue regarding the clearance: the house the council have allocated the family for rehousing is in a poor condition so she has refused to take it until it is renovated, although the council have agreed to carry out the work she doesn't know the progress of the renovations; when she last spoke to the housing department she 'couldn't make head no tail'. 3.55 mins.
Track 5: Discussions continue regarding the clearance: about the new higher rents. The discussion returns to how in her opinion nobody wants to go. A discussion regarding the condition of the immediate area around them: lots of boarded up and pulled down houses and one shop left. The discussion returns to her house. 3.00 mins.
Track 6: Discussions continue regarding the clearance: in her row of housing only 2 are now occupied out of 8 houses and other blocks are completely empty. The discussion moves onto her personal view of the clearance: she feels 'it is progress'. The discussion moves on to that she feels a house should have been ready for her family before they were given 9 weeks notice. The discussion moves onto changes in the area since she arrived. 2.54 mins.
Track 7: Silence. 0.16 mins.
Track 8: A new discussion regarding socialising, 'visiting with the neighbours' and the mothers union. The discussion moves onto facilities for the children: guides, scouts, etc. The discussion returns to her opinion that 'everyone was happy and didn't want to go'. The discussion moves onto how she was one of the first to find out about the clearance: 8 years ago she went to the planning department to apply for a grant to build a bathroom, this was refused and the reason she was given was because their houses were to be pulled down: at this time no announcement had been made. 2.47 mins.
Track 9: A new discussion regarding the original condition of the house and the improvements she has made. A new discussion regarding relocating to a new area: worries about having to make new friends and wanting the children to go to the same school. A new discussion regarding the impact of the demolition on their every day lives: not letting the children play out after dark, that they have no television signal and the washing gets dirty. The discussion moves back to that it is unclear what is happening for her family and her house. 3.10 mins.
Track 10: A return to the discussion regarding the impact of demolition on their every day lives: her worries about leaving her house in case it is demolished. A new discussion regarding the composition of the community: different groups at the children's school and a community made up of all nationalities. The discussion moves back to that in her opinion 'nobody wanted to go'. 3.11 mins.
Track 11: Discussions move to how the new housing is being allocated and about moving to new houses and areas: most ex-residents who have moved like the new houses and some feel 'homesick' because it is a big change if you have always lived in the same house and area. 2.58 mins.
Track 12: The discussion returns to how she has had a settled happy life, that St Ann's people are lovely to get on with; that they are resigned to leaving the house and area and she does not feel the council is at fault. 3.09 mins.
Track 13: The discussion returns to acquaintances who have been relocated missing the area and settling in to new houses and areas. 2.37 mins.
Total: 36.12
Dubber's reference number: PLA KF5760011280 |