University of Edinburgh Archive and Manuscript Collections

Scope and Contents INTVEEs live in a ten-storey block of flats. They are married with no children. INTVER describes the common vestibule as "scrappy looking, draughty and bare, the name board has an incongruous air of quality". The flat is described as "pleasantly deocrated in the modern style and well furnished with rugs and sitting suite and table and nice new wireless and 17" television. INTVER explains to the INTVEEs that the project aims to study the changing patterns of suburban life, life and work in...

Scope and Contents INTVEE lives with her husband and two children. She and her husband are both Catholic. She is enthusiastic about Wardieburn but complains about the lack of playing space for children - they come home plastered in dog muck and cuts from broken bottles left in the long grass. She and her neighbour [also present] think Pilton Park lacks essentials for both young mothers and older people; until recently there was only one bench and OAPs would run along after lunch to make sure they got a seat....

Scope and Contents Leith: INTVEE's chief memories of Leith are "the dark stair, gaslight on the stair and in the house, only one outside lavatory for four families and no bath, having to go to the public baths every week" Her family had slept in one room - her mother and five children, when she moved to Pilton she only had to share with one sibling. Her mother was reluctant to be re-housed.Neighbours: INTVEE does not see much of her neighbours, she speaks to people at the van but nothing more and...

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INTVEE's husband gets up at half past five and makes is tea and porridge and is quoted as saying "none of that coffee and toast stuff". When he is speaking to neighbours she tells him not to speak so Leith-y. She likes to blether but not at the coffee mornings which her neighbours have, she's not used to having time to herself to spend like that and she doesn't think she speaks posh enough.

Scope and Contents Topics include: Accommodation; Leith; health.Accommodation: INTVEE lives on the first floor, her daughter sleeps on a bed-settee in the living room and her son has a bedroom to himself at which INTVER expresses surprise and suggests it should be the other way round. Mention of a rule relating to the back greens that prohibit children from entering to play.INTVEE has her children's names down for Trinity and Wardie schools and will move if they get Leith. She grew up...

Scope and Contents Summary includes brief thoughts on neighbourhood, neighbours, leisure and alcohol, church, Leith.Neighbours and Neighbourhood: INTVEEs both very enthusiastic about the area and husband quoted as saying "Lovely, I wouldn't change it for a thousand pounds". They say hello to the neighbours and might occasionally borrow some tea or sugar. Male INTVEE discusses the snobbery of church going people - getting dressed up just to look at each other and gossip.The children were...

Scope and Contents INTVEE and her husband have lived in their house for 5 years. She says there is no communication with the private occupants on the other side of the road. While in the queue for the van she heard one private resident make a comment about the corporation tenants having it easy at the expense of people like her paying £4000 for a £3000 house. INTVEE reminded her that some of them had not had an easy life and that some of their husbands had been disabled as result of First World War. Her...

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Male INTVEE says everyone knew each other well in Leith because families lived in single streets or stairs for at least two or three generations. Visiting occurred at all times of the day or night. This was also because of the Depression, people helped each other out in times of need. They got an exchange on account of male INTVEEs ulcer, so he would be closer to his work and be able to go home for lunch.

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A resident who had previously been interviewed visited the office to say another resident had berated her for giving their name as a potential interviewee. She says she assured this person that she had done no such thing and that the interview had been very pleasant and involved no gossip. She had been offended when she had been told "You Newhaven folks would go talking your heads off all round the place".