Transcript

EXTRACT ONE [GRACE]: Did that jacket fit when it arrived? [FINN]: The shoulders were fine, but the sleeves covered half my hands. The photos made them look shorter because the model had pushed them up. I tried doing the same, but they kept falling down. [GRACE]: Couldn't you exchange it for a smaller size? [FINN]: That would make the body too tight. I started the return online, then discovered the label had to be printed. I don't own a printer, so the corner shop did it for twenty pence. [GRACE]: At least the return is free. [FINN]: Yes, if I take it to the parcel point within seven days. The nearest one is inside a supermarket I never use, but it's open late. I've already put the jacket back in the original bag. Actually, folding it neatly was harder than deciding to return it. I'm going to try one in a real shop next time, even if it costs a little more. The shop sends a message when the return is scanned, so I'll know it hasn't vanished between the supermarket and the warehouse. Well, it was still easy enough in the end. EXTRACT TWO [LENA]: How was the lesson on the motorway? [CHRIS]: Actually, less frightening than the roundabout near my house, honestly. The instructor drove onto the motorway first, then we changed seats at a service area. That meant I could watch how he joined the traffic before trying it. [LENA]: What did you find difficult? [CHRIS]: Judging when to move out from behind a slow lorry. I kept checking the mirrors so long that the gap disappeared. The instructor said the checks were fine; I just needed to decide more quickly once I'd seen the road was clear. [LENA]: Are you doing another motorway lesson? [CHRIS]: Maybe after my test. We spent the last fifteen minutes practising parking because that's still where I lose marks. I can park perfectly when nobody's watching, which is not very useful. My test is in three weeks, so I'm booking two shorter lessons rather than one long one. I stay more focused that way. I've also practised the route to the test centre with my dad, but he talks more than the instructor. I'm also practising checking mirrors without moving my whole head, which my instructor notices immediately. EXTRACT THREE [MARCUS]: Have you found somewhere for the family holiday? [TINA]: I think so. The cottage has enough bedrooms and a big kitchen, but it's farther from the beach than the advert suggests. It says 'a short walk', and the map shows nearly two kilometres. [MARCUS]: Would that put your parents off? [TINA]: Not if we drive them down. There's a car park by the beach, and the younger ones can walk. I was more concerned about the stairs, so I rang the owner. There's one bedroom and a bathroom on the ground floor. [MARCUS]: Have you booked it? [TINA]: I've reserved it for twenty-four hours while everyone replies. The price includes cleaning, which avoids an argument on the last morning. We do have to bring towels, though. My brother is checking whether his dog is allowed because the page says 'pets by arrangement'. If the owner says no, we'll choose another place. Nobody wants to spend a week discussing who stayed at home with the dog. We've asked for a high chair as well because my niece refuses to sit still on an ordinary dining chair. [MARCUS]: So you have learned more about the hidden jobs than the coffee itself. [TINA]: Yes, and that's the part I'd need to understand before taking on anything larger.