| Description | Recording of interviews for the 'Battle of St Ann's' project:
Tracks 1 - 11: The interviews are with Geoffrey Oldfield, Ken Fleet & Jean Burnet who were members of the social study group into 'slum dwellings' and 'poverty' in the St Ann's area. They are also featured on MS 4000/6/1/66/21 - 22 and the recording continues on MS 4000/6/1/66/24, the location of the interview is not identified. Geoffrey is employed by the council housing department, Jean is employed by the probationary service and Ken was an accountant for a textile firm but has since changed jobs. The tracks frequently run into each other.
Track 1: The discussion with Geoffrey Oldfield continues on from the previous track regarding resident action, there is a strong residents' association in The Meadows, he feels the study raised awareness that they can apply pressure. The discussion moves on, he feels that people St Ann's blamed each other rather than taking responsibility as a community. The discussion moves on to that Nottingham has a history of civil protest, that the problems have there roots in the past and a discussion about housing solutions. 3.26 mins.
Track 2: Discussions with Geoffrey Oldfield regarding criticism of the survey: some asked 'why they did not do something for the community instead of poking their noses in'; he felt the immediate reaction particularly from the press was that the survey was trying to condemn St Ann's and the people within it, when they were trying to illustrate what was happening within the community. The discussion moves onto the study groups disappointment that the report was generally not well received and not well received by the people of St Ann's, (the track starts to speed up making it difficult to make out the dialogue). 3.19 mins.
Track 3: The discussion continues with Ken Fleet regarding the response of the St Ann's residents to the survey: many claimed it was not true and argued against the findings, (the track starts to speed up making it difficult to make out the dialogue), continues on the following track. 1.01 mins.
Track 4: The discussion with Geoffrey Oldfield continues from the previous track regarding reaction to the survey by St Ann's residents: they wrote to papers and spoke to reporters making statements 'we are not poor' and 'poor but proud' defensive reactions possibly due to to the stigma of living in poverty. The discussion then covers that the residents felt 'got at' or somehow condemned this made some members of the group wonder wether they had done the right thing; and in many ways these emotions blurred the impact of the study. 1.44 mins.
Track 5: Jean Burnet is introduced to the discussion covers: name, address and background. The discussion moves onto that she became involved in the survey through a colleague who intimated that they needed more people. Discussions then move onto the basis for her interest in the survey; her father claimed sick benefits this meant that she grew up in a relatively poor family, because she did well at High School she gained a place at the Boots Secretarial School and now works for the probation service. 3.06 mins.
Track 6: A discussion with Jean Burnet regarding her view of others in the study class. The discussion moves on to how at first she was petrified to go out and interview people in their homes: she was unsure that people would cooperate, most people were nice but some were rude, continues on the following track. 3.36 mins.
Track 7: The discussion with Jean Burnet continues on from the previous track about conducting the questionnaires; when people refused to do the survey she didn't blame them and would probably have been dubious if she was asked to participate. The discussion moves on to how they constructed the questionnaire and were therefore very familiar with it and the questions were open ended to lent themselves to dialogue: the survey was 12 pages long with over 50 questions, answers to questions such as number of rooms etc. had to be written down, it was laid out so you could tick responses to reduce the amount of writing. 3.16 mins.
Track 8: A discussion with Jean Burnet regarding her view of the people she interviewed: the housing conditions were a revelation: small, little privacy, no gardens a tiny yard, damp and the 'closeness together on top of each other'. The discussion moves on to the fact that the old people didn't 'neighbour' with the new people who came into the area: the old people blamed the new people who came into the area for the deterioration of the area. 3.18 mins.
Track 9: A discussion with Jean Burnet regarding her view that residents complained to each other but complaints were not directed to the right authorities. The discussion moves on to the residents being more dispirited since the survey: before the survey the residents didn't see themselves as being a depressed lot or so different from other areas and were more content; she questions whether the survey was wrong to comparing/imposing them to a higher/middle class standard. 3.09 mins.
Track 10: A discussion with Ken Fleet of how the survey showed large numbers were dissatisfied with the area. The discussion moves on to how to help address the issues in the area and that in his view people coming from outside to attempt to help reinforces the apathy and was telling them how they should live their lives. 2.33 mins.
Track 11: A discussion with Ken Fleet of the effect of survey on his life: when he started the class he worked as an accountant in the textile industry, he joined the class due to an interest in politics and sociology, from a stable working class background he won a scholarship to go to grammar school and from there went on to train as an accountant. The discussion moves on to how the survey may have influenced him to leave private industry to work in a role that may have more impact/influence on these issues and his views on the solutions for areas such as St Ann's, the recording ends mid-sentence. 2.17 mins.
Total: 32.31
Dubber's reference number: PLA KF573E0534780 |