… that’s a fancy looking one, isn’t it? Where does the tape go? Will it pick my voice up? I know I’m a bit raspy. It’s my jazz-singer voice. Have you got what you need? Was she nice to you? I know she comes across as a cold fish but she’s got a heart of gold underneath it, I swear. Is it warm enough for you? I can’t tell. Always too cold, me. John used to say I must have slipped and come down hard on an icicle. How’s that for cheeky? He doesn’t make those jokes any more. Doesn’t know who he is half the time, poor thing. I half thought the flu would finish him off but we’ve all got lucky, touch wood. Go on, touch it. The bread board, just next to you. He doesn’t know me from Adam these days, but they’re all still fighting to save his life, as if he’s even in there any more. We might make seventy years married if he hangs in a few more months, though I doubt we’ll celebrate. It’s been five years since he even got my name right. Sorry, can we stop a second? It creeps up on me, with John. I think I’ve got myself all settled and then there are tears running down my nose and landing in my lap and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable – not with what you’ve seen. Could you …

Transcript 0019, recorded November 30, 2016

This house, it were. This kitchen. Me, there, standing by the sink, giving the dishes a wipe with a tea towel and listening to the wireless. There was rain on the way, according to the weatherman and my chilblains. I had the curtains open and with the dark outside, the kitchen window served us like a mirror. I’d got used to it by then, of course. It was 1970 when we moved in so I’d had time to get a feel of the house and the street and the people. Council property but good and sturdy. John was Brampton born so it was nothing unusual for him, but we’d spent most of our married life out at Lower Denton, near Gilsland, where you’d be lucky to see anybody other than the postman for days on end. We had to move, though. No doubt about that. There’d been bother. A rumpus. 1967 it was. That was when her ladyship and me first became friends. I’d tell you all about it but I’ve promised that story to Cordy’s grandson and it makes me get the shivers when I think about it.