D178
<F Lei3>
<S A. Hardy>
<G M>
<A 68>
<O RETIRED FARMER>
<C LEICESTERSHIRE>
<V SEAGRAVE>
<D 00-04-57>
<I SE>
<L CN S79>
<T 9:44>
<AH Uh that +…
Of course,
we used to make Stilton.
# You know uh.
Well,
of course,
# uh all our cheese of what they did keep,
they ‘d uh +…
# Uh like you know when I say they go bl- +…
When they go blue,
on a Stilton cheese,
aye well,
(of) course they go blue on their own. AH>
<SE Aye. SE>
<AH Whereas you see,
nowadays they [/] they [\] inject (th)em wi(th) something.
You know to # [/] to to [\] make this greenness and look like +…
[!= laughs]
and look as if they ‘ve gone blue. AH>
||
<SE What are the things in it? SE>
<AH Well,
not in Stilton cheese,
you don’t. AH>
<SE No. SE>
<AH that ‘s just simply your # [/] your [\] milk after you curd it,
put your rennet in and curd it and then you # [/] you [\] make it up,
# into the # shape,
you know,
in tins.
And then that d- [/] that [\] does uh ripen absolutely on its own. AH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<AH The Stilton,
well,
like how we used to make +…
How they used to make (th)em the +…
When we xxx made it,,
don’t you see? AH>
<SE But now,
of course they can +…
As I says,
they can # inject some stuff in (th)em to make it +… AH>
<OS Veiny. OS>
<AH [!= laughs]
Make (th)em go gree- +…
uh blue as they call it,
[*afore*] they ‘re [/] [*afore*] they ‘re [\] really ready,,
don’t you see? AH>
<SE I see. SE>
<OS He means the blue veins that are in it. OS>
<SE Yes. SE>
<AH Hmm. AH>
<SE Aye.
Oh. SE>
<AH Oh aye.
There was uh +…
# Oh,
a lot of work attached to Stilton cheese making.
there ‘s +…
Well,
I expect there is to any- +…
Well,
I know there ‘s not so much attached to that uh # Leicester. AH>
<SE No. SE>
<AH The Leicester Red as they call it,
(be)cause there ‘s a # [/] a [\] man up here used to make that.
He # used to make quite a lot on it.
(Of) course he made +…
His pa- parents +…
That used to make this Stilton. AH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<AH And then he ‘s # set out and got into this uh # Leicester cheese,
and (of) course,
he said there were # nothing # like the work attached to it. AH>
<SE Oh.
Oh. SE>
<AH And I do always remember # once when I were a lad,
[!= coughs]
uh # well,
it were when we went to uh +…
I went wi(th) my dad,
we took some # cheese to Melton,
Melton cheese fair,
as they called it,
you know,
you used to have to be up # and off at four o’clock in the morning then,
you know,
and +…
# But if you ‘re going to the market,
be about six o’clock,
first you know,
you ‘d +…
# You [/] you uh you [\] were behind.
And I shall always remember,
# uh when we ‘d got there and unloaded and we went into a # [/] a [\] restaurant place like,
we went to have uh # some breakfast,
and uh [/] and [\] there were some # other cheese makers in there.
And of course,
there isn’t a conversation +…
I th- +…
I can always remember,
# there ‘s this uh other farmer,
and of course,
Stilton cheese it were a # bad # poor price,
if you understand me.
They +…
xxx xxx xxx you used to get five pence and five pence halfpenny a gallon for your milk,
# well then you # you ‘d be at a high trouble perhaps only if you could sixpence for your pound,
for your cheese.
# Don’t you see?
Well,
# of course you +…
There wan’t a deal of profit # left then,
because it uh # used to take about +…
Oh,
a gallon of milk to make a pound of # [/] of [\] cheese.
But I always remember,
# there ‘s uh # my dad and mother talking to this other party,
and there was a +…
# Like similar +…
Well,
I should think it ‘d be uh his daughter,
as were with them,
and # they were on about # changing over to this # red,
making this red and,
# I always remember this # girl saying,
+” Well, “+
she says,
+” I ‘ve turned. “+
She says,
+” I ‘ll forgo my bit of mucky wage, “+
she says,
+” What I get, “+
she says,
+” If he ‘ll turn over and go in for Leicester.
Make Leicester cheese instead of Stilton. “+
She says,
then she says,
+” There ain’t half the work attached to it. “+
(Be)cause she ‘d been somewhere where they made this # [/] this [\] Leicester cheese. AH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<AH Yes.
And of course,
you ‘ve got to have a few more # uh +…
I don’t know what you call (th)em,
but like # you ‘ve got +…
there ‘s # presses,
and that. AH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<AH Don’t you see,
for the +…
this Leicester flat cheese,
but uh +… AH>
<SE I see. SE>
<AH (Of) course Stilton you don’t. AH>
<SE Oh. SE>
<AH No. AH>
<SE And how long does it take to mature?
I mean the old way,
not the +…
rushing it. SE>
<AH Oh,
it take it # [/] take it [\] six months. AH>
<SE Oh right. SE>
<AH Oh yes. AH>
<SE And have you to attend to it # all the time +… SE>
<AH Aye. AH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<AH Oh aye.
You +…
[!= coughs]
# You put (th)em +…
Firstly they ‘re put in tins.
You know,
about that height,
and that ‘s # about six inches +…
six seven inches across. AH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<AH And then you put your curd into there,
[*crump*] it all up wi(th) your salt,
# you know,
and then press it,
keep # pressing it in,
and then there ‘s +…
up the # tins like,
there ‘s holes all round it. AH>
||
<AH And then as it stands,
you had to keep shoving a skewer in,
uh # m- +…
like for this whey to drain out of it.
And then you +…
# You then when you ‘ve done +…
When they ‘ve # been in s- +…
that so long,
as they can begin to stand # up a bit,
you take the tins off,
and as you used to +…
(You) had to put b- uh binders round (th)em you know,
and hold (th)em up.
And you used to have to change of them # uh about every day.
Uh and wash (th)em.
Oh aye.
And then when they got # as they can stand on their own,
and these binders are took [: taken] off,
and they can stand on their own,
then you +…
(Of) course they ‘re on # shelves,
you know,
cheese +…
proper cheese uh rack things,
don’t you see?
and +…
[!= coughs]
And you had to go and turn (th)em every day,
# and then as they [/] as they [\] get uh older,
there ‘s a bit in +…
Well,
then of course uh you don’t have to turn (th)em quite so often,
you know.
Hmm. AH>
<SE And do you get more cheese # for the gallon # for Leicester or # do you never get any more cheese? SE>
<AH Oh yes,
you [/] you [\] could get a bit more I think for [/] for [\] Leicester cheese. AH>
<SE Aye. SE>
<AH A bit more per halfpenny than [/] than [\] the Leicester cheese,
because +…
[!= coughs]
You see,
Leicester cheese uh +…
You could sell it a bit # newer,
than what you could +…
Of course the +…
This +…
Uh if you get Stilton +…
new +…
there ‘s this new Stilton cheese,
like uh (of) course it were a bit better then,
(be)cause it used to get some # [/] some [\] weight,
you know. AH>
<SE Aye.
More moisture in it. SE>
<AH There +…
Aye. AH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<AH Whereas you see,
you got a # [/] a [\] +…
Well,
a cheese as was (the) way you used to make the +…
probably used to be in these here tins +…
Well,
They would perhaps be about sixteen pound.
Uh like when they were just first put in.
And if that cheese is +…
But then you ‘d kept it # and uh it ‘d matured and that,
you know,
well you [/] you [\] +…
It perhaps wouldn’t weigh a [/] a [\] dozen.
(It) used to go right down to that,
you know. AH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<AH Aye. AH>
<SE Did you ever go in for any competitions? SE>
<AH No.
No.
No,
they never went in for no competetitions. AH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<AH No,
there weren’t the +…
[!= coughs]
I sent cheese practically all over +…
Well,
I don’t think you can say all over the world,
but they s- [/] they [\] sent them to # America and India,
Africa.
Different +…
(Of) course they +…
[!= sniffs]
I had a sister +…
She were like within gentleman’s service.
Used to be along with the Lrd Derby’s,
and [/] and [\] that,
well,
of course,
# she had one or two +…
# (She) used to send for (th)em for +…
sometimes,
like uh if any had +…
got xxx nice # ripe one and then of course there used to be some of these people from abroad like # uh # praised this [/] this [\] delicious cheese,
and she used to get another xxx out from (th)em and then of course we sent +…
Mind you,
when it were +…
Say we sent a lot,
but we did send (th)em all [/] all [\] round +…
They used to have special little hampers made,
just as (a) load of cheese,
and pack to pack (th)em in,
to send (th)em. AH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<AH Hmm. AH>
<SE And how did your father learn # to make cheese then?
Was it a # complicated long process? SE>
<AH Well,
no,
I don’t think it is.
Not really that uh +… AH>
<SE Oh. SE>
<AH No.
I don’t think it ‘s uh +…
Well I should think anybody ‘d just seen it once # done.
Of course,
[!= sniffs]
# you see,
there used to be +…
# Uh well most uh farmers years ago +…Well,
I didn’t say most on (th)em,
but the +…
that ‘s the +…
Two or three farmers ‘d +…
you know,
perhaps just make their own # [/] their own [\] drop of milk up,,
don’t you see? AH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
||
<AH Then we ‘ll say this cheese +…
Uh the cheese +…
Of course,
you ‘ve heard you used to get some # [/] some [\] uh thundery weather.
It used to play smoke with the cheese sometimes.
# You know,
we used to +…
# Never dry off as it should do and that,
you know.
And then there ‘d perhaps be certain # uh times of the year,
perhaps if cows got onto the +…
# A fresh pasture.
You know it uh [/] it [\] ‘d sort of make a bit of difference to the curd. AH>
<SE Did it really? SE>
<AH Aye. AH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<AH Aye.
Oh aye.
And we ‘ve had # uh uh +…
(Of) course they used to # like make it the # curd night and morning,,
don’t you see?
And [/] and [\] then perhaps in the summertime,
people ‘d be a bit late with the milk.
Bringing it.
And of course it ‘d uh +…
Oh,
and there ‘s them that +…
It uh [/] it [\] ain’t curded properly,
it ‘s took [: taken] a long while,
[!= laughs]
but uh you know,
the number of times when I ‘ve had to sit up here till (the) middle of the night [*afore*] you could ladle it # into the strainers,
you know. AH>
Transcription by Juhani Klemola and Mark Jones, 1999 See http://digital.library.leeds.ac.uk/381/1/LSE_1999_pp17-30_Klemola_Jones_article.pdf and http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/ach-allc.99/proceedings/scott.html
