| Description | Recording of interviews for the 'Battle of St Ann's' project:
Track 1 follows on from MS 4000/6/1/66/1 and MS 4000/6/1/66/2, MS 4000/6/1/66/3, MS 4000/6/1/66/4 and continues on MS 4000/6/1/66/6. The recordings are interviews with Ken Coates regarding the survey undertaken by the social study group into 'slum dwellings' and 'poverty' in the St Ann's area: for more information see Sub Series level. The tracks frequently run into each other.
Track 1: Discussion of coupons. 0.56 mins.
Tracks 2 - 11: interviews are with Mrs Bob Lawson; the interview is recorded in her home. Mrs Lawson is a long term resident of the St Ann's area; a study by local social commentators has categorised the houses as 'slum dwellings' and where many residents are living in 'poverty'. Interviews continue on MS 4000/6/1/66/6 The tracks frequently run into each other.
Track 2: A discussion about cars blocking the street and preventing it being cleaned. Then discussing the length of time she has lived in St Ann’s, her childhood and general up bringing. A discussion regarding how in her opinion this used to be a very respectable area and now it is not. 3.10 mins.
Track 3: A discussion following on from previous track about how the current parks are not safe, etc. Discussions return to the neighbourhood during her childhood: what her neighbours were like and what type of employment they had. Discussion returns to her opinion that it was a very nice area where people had maids when she was young and that now the area had really gone down; that some of the reasons for this lies with the people who have moved in. A discussion about how there were areas that were taboo when she was a child. 3.04 mins.
Track 4: A discussion regarding her mothers views. The discussion returns to her up bringing: lived in the area all her life, church going and attending the Blue Coat School. After leaving school at 15, she worked in a shop selling coats for 5 years, then went on to work as an Orderly at the General Hospital (she couldn't afford to train as a nurse) for 3 years and finally worked at Trent Engineering where she met her husband. Her husband is/was an engineer and came from a near-by area. 3.08 mins.
Track 5: A discussion following on from the previous track about the engineering work and her marriage. Discussions continue of how the area has gone down since she got married in 1945: people had moved out/migrated to the new council house estates where there was new housing with bathrooms and gardens. Discussions of how and why they bought their house as sitting tenants in 1958; one of the reasons they stayed in the area was because of their family. 3.15 mins.
Track 6: A discussion regarding the size and condition of the house: 2 rooms downstairs, 3 bedrooms, a cellar and yard with outside toilet; their house has no damp. New discussion of the migration of original residents to the council estates and how she does not know many of the newer residents in the area. 3.06 mins.
Track 7: A discussion about the coming move from the house which is due for demolition: apprehensions about of moving because of 'the memories' in the house and missing the neighbours. Discussions regarding that the house has been compulsory purchased and how she thinks the clearance is right: the area is in the way of development. A discussions about the clearance area. A discussion regarding that they have accepted that they are going but with regret. 4.16 mins.
Track 8: Discussions about being displaced/relocated, this leads to a discussion regarding her family: children and the expense of being a student, etc. 3.19 mins.
Track 9: Discussions regarding the erosion of standards of the area and the role of local organisations such as councils etc. and the lack of information about how the clearance is going to take place. This leads into a discussion about voting and councillors. 3.01 mins.
Track 10: A discussion about a visit to the housing department for information and consultation, compulsory purchases and how they feel powerless etc. The discussion moves on to how she is embarrassed by the state of the street and the pork farm factory. 2.46 mins.
Track 11: A discussion following on from the previous track, about how people don't care about the houses they live in and then regarding making complaints to the council. A new discussion regarding older people who have lived in the area for a long time naming Mrs Wilson. 3.22 mins.
Total: 33.25 mins.
Dubber's reference number: PLA KF5760017080
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