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Soundscapes of London Deptford Village by Tim Sutton and Return to London Bridge by Julian Lorkin. Both works were produced while Tim and Julian were students at Goldsmiths College and both pieces were broadcast on LBC 1152am and jointly won a Silver Medal at the International Radio Festival of New York in 1998. You can listen to these programmes in Real Audio as you follow the scripts below. The sound files are suitable for modems of at least 28.8 and for the latest versions of Real Player. Listen to Return to London Bridge Deptford Village by Tim Sutton Echoed narrative voice: In 1947 writer Dustin Thompson took a train from Central London to New Cross. Begin Train sound. Narration continues: As he walked into Deptford he decided this was not a slum- the next worst thing. A workman's quarter. Cross fade with wet slimy footsteps. Narration continues: A mean, grim place. Only the sunshine redeemed it from despair. He felt a deepening of the shadow. A darker greyness. There were no high spirits and there was no fun. Thompson came to find a church. Church Bell sounds. Narration continues: Roofless. Burnt out with its iron gates hanging loosely from their rusted hinges. The shattered tombs were eerie and depressing. All he saw were those old grey slums of Deptford. Church bells. Slowed down. Domestic clock chimes. Slowed down. In stereophonic effect. Church bell cross fades with train sound, footsteps in wet sludgy weather. Actuality of modern cityscape. Montage of modern atmosphere with church bell. Cross fade with old funfair music. Cross face with the sounds of Deptford Market. Old Man Interview: See that building with the two pigeons on it. Um? I was born there. Nineteen Hundred and Six. That's eighty eight years ago I think. All of London's changed. This now is like a village street in comparison to what it was then. Awwww pubs galore up on the Close. There was no stalls down here. On a Saturday night...cause we had the Royal Naval dockyard...the other dockyard...we had all these barges come round from the East Coast there...These pubs. Cor! The Saturday night... Fade out. Focus on footsteps on pavements. Train. Traffic. Children playing in playground. Pub singing. Old Man Interview: Spittoons and sand on the floor. When you see 'em come out, set about one another and then go back in again. Oh it used to be lively then. Sound of knife sharpening. Market atmosphere. Older ladies talking. Short burst of old funfair music. Old Man Interview: Just makes (Short burst of old funfair music)'em wonder As I said makes them wonder now whether to come down or not. Actuality of Sound of Market Trader: You'd be shopping same time as him...twenty four. Short burst of old funfair music. Interview: This has been about the quietest day I have known. Montage of Market sounds. Laughter. Cross fade with interview. Interview: You look round now at the market place there's no one 'ere. Old woman: A bit of eh...honky tonk. Interview: There used to be...when you opened up in the morning...there used to be a crowd here. When you opened up ready. Modern funky music. Sounds of younger customers. Afro-Caribbean woman: It would be nice. Yeah. Quick edited sequences of shop and market stall sounds. Interview: It wouldn't an hour before anyone comes to you. Woman: Can't say anything really. Man: Laughing. Woman: Change. It's just Deptford. Innit? Short bar of Old funfair music. Interview: So I'd say the market faded right out now. It's terrible. Old funfair music being interrupted and cut faded with sounds of market. Woman: Uh? Mary Smith. Montage of market sounds. Market Trader: Two pounds only ...One pound and a bit cleaner. Montage of market sounds. Afro-Caribbean Woman: Um? Younger man: There's a lot of bad people down there. Muggers and stuff like that. Afro-Caribbean woman: Well what I've noticed is that all the big stores have disappeared. Montage of market sounds. Younger man: All kinds of people. It's a very mixed place. Lots of mixed races an' that. Afro-Caribbean Woman: Speech reversed. Montage of market sounds. Younger man: Not exactly. Montage of market sounds. Man: Passed the time of day at the pub basically. Hahaha. Woman: I was going to Sainsburys. Market sounds. Man: Uh... Market sounds. Younger man: I live just off Bedford Street. New Cross itself. Top of Clifton Hill Rise. Market Actuality. Hurry up before the pub closes. You'll miss out on the last Guinness. Old man interview: Vauxhall and...an all over, over the water..even over the water they come here like. Younger man: But eh? Market Trader Actuality: I told you were bloody trouble didn't I? Eh? Afro-Caribbean woman: Nellie Burton. Cross fade with old funfair music. Market Trader Actuality: What did you think it was? A pound? Burst of shop music. Market Trader Actuality: Ah...A pound. Last bar of funfair music being repeated. between sounds of market. Children. Old man interview: Now..As I say London now is completely finished. Nothing at all. People think this is busy and all the rest. Well it's nothing. You know. In comparison of course. Wireless and television have taken the place. You walk down here...there'd be an old Joanna..an old piano. People singing at the top of their voice. You know..What they had to sing about then I don't know. They had no money then and nothing. The way people used to sing you know. Everybody went by. The whole piano went mad. You know. Now. You hear the radio and noise and like.. That's ah...As I say you hear that now. Louder montage of modern transport and building. Back to narrative voice at the beginning: All he saw was those grey slums of Deptford. Domestic clock slowing down. Last bar of funfair music. End. Duration: 6 minute 49 seconds. Return to London Bridge by Julian Lorkin Tuning across London radio stations. Rush hour news: And Dartford. No London bound platform is available at Gravesend as well. And buses are replacing trains between Gravesend and Northfleet. Facing delays of up to 45 minutes right now. M25 QE2 Bridge has certain lane restrictions. Tooth brushing sound mixed with operatic electronic music. Music continues under: Shower. Kettle boiling. Breakfast cooking. Tea making. Kitchen sounds. Toast being buttered. Dawn birds singing. Church bell tolling. Cross fading with people ordering train tickets at Station. Train announcements on London Bridge platform. Pedestrian crossing bleeping. Shutting of electronic doors. Fast forwarding of radio sounds. Cross fade with new piece of electronic music. Actuality of conversation between people on a train. Young man: and then there was no announcement. No apologies..nothing at all. Young woman: And people will get grumpier and general karma levels of London will go down. Young man: The fares are too high...really too high. Young woman: I'm gutted as well. Young woman: I meant to move out of London but it meant getting a car. Motorcycle actuality left to right of stereo. Young man: The government don't subsidise it, but the price is rocketing. And the service is no good. It doesn't improve. Young woman: I can't believe I'm here thinking how can they do this. Young woman: We've been waiting twenty minutes. Electronic doors opening. Station actuality. Young woman: There are just delays and delays. Can't get worse than that can it? Young woman: College in London and I work in London so I don't have a choice. I have to use the transport. There's no discount for students either. Young woman: I think there may be more cancellations, more cancellations tomorrow of trains delays... Platform Announcements at London Bridge. Young woman: I don't think it works. Prices will just go up and there probably be Less trains. Platform Announcements continue. Young woman: If they're not on time the connection is not easy. I'm staying in London for an exhibition. So I'm staying here. Better than moving out. Platform Announcements continue with increased pace of music. Whistle. Change of Music to more modern style. 'Sky isn't always blue. Sun doesn't always shine. It's alright to fall apart sometimes. Montage of announcements and music. Woman: When the trains are on time. Continue announcements and music. Young woman: From London Bridge to College. It's like. We're not even round every hour. I just think it's really inconsiderate of them. I just think their services are just really lame. Woman: Trains are always late. Just always delayed. This is a public service so..it needs to take into account the public's needs which might not be producing working profits. Announcements of delays and cancellations on station tannoy. Woman: It's awful. A nightmare. Church Bell. Young woman: Just because I think I don't need to travel on British Rail. I always travel on the London Underground. And that's fine. When it's available. It's not excellent. Montage of music. Rush Hour. Church Bells tolling. Pedestrian crossing signal in rhythm. Young woman: It can't get much worse can it? Announcement on platform with music and Rush Hour sounds. 'The London bound train will not stop at London Bridge' Woman: I'm always late for work. 'Stand well away from the edge of platform two.' Electronic train doors opening and closing. Pedestrian crossing signals. Return to operatic electronic style music. Calmer atmosphere. Wind rustling. Church bell tolling. Final toll fast forwards and then slows down to abrupt halt. The end. |