Transcript of spoken language

I remember having chilblains when I was about eleven years old tw eleven twelve years old (.) terrible chilblains on my hands (2 ) and the (.) assistant matron she said pure laziness you don't get chilblains unless you're lazy (.) she said (.) go and get a bucket of water (.) put soda water Jeyes fluid in it (.) and you can scrub the stone corridor from one end of the building to the other (3) that was how hard they were (.) yes they did bandage them up afterward (.) but I've never forgotten that ever

we were happy in our ways but the children are just as happy today I know I've got gr grandchildren (.) and uh I see what they do (.) and they have their times planned out and (.) I don't quite understand it all with their computer�s and what have you but (.) they're happy and you know we had eh rough and tumbles and the cold in the school rooms and things where they've got all the central heating (.) and em (.) another thing teachers nowadays don't knock the children about like they did in our days (.) it's just nice to see em (.) they have far too much re..in my way of thinking(.) but they're happy and I wouldn't like to see it otherwise

When I first arrived I think I was probably terrified (.) in the early years you got (.) willy sticked as they call it (.) she used to creep up and down the corridor to catch you talking (.) and(.) you'd get caned or (.) you'd have your mouth washed out with soap (.) as a punishment (.) the first house-parents we had there(2) she (.) absolutely loathed me (.) she would starve you(.) you would have bread and water for a week you would be (.) slapped by her (.) and then she slowly built up a regime of interesting punishments one of which was sleep deprivation (.) this went on for a month (.) then she devised (.) another punishment which was em skipping (.) I had to skip from when I got up in the morning (.) till breakfast (.) from after breakfast till school (.) from after school till tea (.) from after tea till bedtime (.) every day for a month

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Transcripts from R4 The Century Speaks