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| |  | Radmila Tucker
Born: 19 February 1955
Lives: Kesgrave, Suffolk
Time lived in area: 1 to 4 years
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Radmila describes the difficulties she had being accepted in the UK after coming here from Serbia.
Language of interview: English
Duration: 01:31 (mins/secs)
The participants were asked to describe how they spoke in their own words.
How do you describe your accent: "Mixed - that of an English lady with a European twang."
Have there been other influences on the way you speak: "I spent the first 12 years in Yugoslavia, the rest, 30-plus years here."
Do you have skills in languages other than English?: Yes
Other languages: Serbo-Croat
RADMILA: It's not been easy. If I, if I had a choice of not come here I wouldn't have. I, I've hated some of my early days here. Although I, I progressed, you know, by learning the language and I passed my O levels and A levels and I got to my accountancy course and I did all these things, I didn't find anything easy, A, because people, I don't know, whether it was just because I l, the way I looked, blonde, long hair, whatever, I don't know. They would home on to me, but as soon as they discovered where I was from it would be a complete block, didn't want to know me. In fact I felt more accepted here with you that I've been for this short time, I've told this to you haven't I, than I've been anywhere else. Even my people in the church, um, would invite me to some things but not to others. I don't know whether that's because you know they are so used to their col- colonies and I'm, I don't belong into any of the pigeon holes, erm - INTERVIEWER: Maybe, yes. RADMILA: But also, with the Serbian sector I find, that I said, not many of them have gone through to qualify to anything, they've gone to Cranes or the local factories that would have them and that's where they've stayed, their jops were secure, so from job they go to the pub, from pub to the house and keep within very much within each other. Within, I, I wasn't gonna have that, I said to my mum and dad if I'm, if we're gonna live here, I'm gonna be able to read a book, I'm gonna be able to know what's going on in this country. Be able to, be able to vote, want to be actively taking part in it. If you don't wanna do that then we go back.
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