YTSave com YouTube PURE British English Immersion Natural C Media iyBNOc1TNAo

You can find links to the full videos of these English conversations in the description. And if you need the flipbook guides, just click the like button and write send me the guide in the comments. But now, just sit back and listen. Let's do this. He needs money. I don't know how to say this more clearly. The answer is no. Who on earth was that? My cousin Ray. He really gets my goat. What does that numpty want this time? What he always wants. Dosh! Hang on. Doesn't he still owe you a couple of grand from a few months ago? Yes. I lent it to him to fix his car. And how much has he paid back? Precisely nothing. Not a single penny. What does he want it for this time? You won't believe it. His friend is having a stag do in Prague and he wants to go. And gobsmacked. He's hopeless. What did you say? Well, I told him to bugger off. I should think so. Swanning off using your money. I don't understand it. He's got a good job, but he never seems to have two pennies to rub together. It's because he spends money like water. You're right. He thinks it grows on trees. What did he say when you turned him down? He got in a huff. Good. I hope you asked him to stop paying what he owes you back as well. I didn't. I told him it was a gift. No wonder he thinks you're made of money. I know. I'm an idiot. Let's watch some telly to take our minds off it. Hang on. I'll just make a quick phone call. Who are you calling? Don't tell me. Ray. I'll just tell him I'll pay for the flight and that's all. You're such a soft touch. What are you doing in the coffee shop? Hi. Sorry to bother you. Is this seat free? Of course. Please help yourself. It's packed in here today. You can say that again. I wouldn't have bothered coming in, but after the morning I've just had, I was gasping. Really? What have you been up to? I came to Liverpool for a job interview. No wonder you needed a coffee. How did it go? It's hard to say, but I think it went well. What's the job? HR manager at a hospital. Well, that sounds like a high-powered position. Well, I'd worked in HR for years, so it would be a proper step up. Did any of the questions catch you out? Only the last one really flummoxed me. Let me guess. Was it, have you got any questions for us? That's uncanny. How did you know that? Part of my job's teaching people how to pass interviews, and everyone seems to struggle with that one. So, what's a good question to ask? I'd suggest something like, if I were successful, what do you expect me to have achieved in the first six months? That's brilliant. I wish I'd spoken to you earlier. I'm sure you did just fine. You've got more confidence than I have. I asked about car parking. That won't be the first time they've heard that one. So, what brings you to town today? To Liverpool. I live here, right in the city centre. I'd never been here before. I'm afraid I don't know much about it except football and the Beatles. Oh, and of course the accent. Oh, there's so much more to it than that. The waterfront's stunning. We've got some cracking museums. Do you have to rush off? No, my train doesn't leave for a few hours, so I was going to have a wander around. Well, if you fancy some company, I'd be happy to show you the sights. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, that would be amazing. You're very kind. Think nothing of it. It'll be my pleasure. My name's Steve, by the way. Hi Steve, I'm Kerry. Are you not working today? I mainly create YouTube videos so I can pick and choose my hours. That sounds interesting. What sorts of videos do you make? I teach people how to improve their English. I'll probably make one about our chat today. Let me get you another brew before we head off. I'd love to hear more about it. That'd be boss. Boss? It's how people say great here in Liverpool. If you get the job, you're going to have to learn all the local lingo. Well, that sounds boss. What? The bakers? Hi, how can I help you? Hi, I came in yesterday. I don't know if you remember me. No, I'm afraid not, but we were shorthanded and we were all rushed off our feet. Well, I bought some bits and pieces and none of them were up to scratch. I'm sorry to hear that. Can you fill me in a bit more? Of course. For starters, I got a thick loaf, but when I got home it was clearly thin sliced. I can see how that would be disappointing. That's putting it mildly, to say the least. It was useless for making toast. Tell you what, feel free to help yourself to a fresh loaf. No charge, obviously. Thanks, but that's not all. I fancied a pasty for my lunch. And what was the problem? I'll tell you what the problem was. When I bit into it, there was hardly any filling. I can only apologise. If you buy pasties here regularly, you must know, if anything, we're overly generous with our fillings. Well, not this time. It was stingy, to say the least. Once more, I can only say sorry. And please, help yourself to half a dozen pasties of your choice by way of an apology. That's not all. I've saved the worst till last. OK, let's hear it. I also picked up my sister's birthday cake. And how shall I put it without sounding rude? It fell short of what I expected. Oh no! In what way? We pride ourselves on the standard of our cakes. In this particular case, I'm afraid that pride was woefully misplaced. I'm shocked. Please tell me, what was the issue you had with it? To start, I'd ordered a three-tier chocolate cake. And it was a two-tier lemon flavoured one. I'm not doubting you, but this is hard to believe. We set the highest standards. Well, you have failed to meet them. And that's not the worst of it. What? There was something else wrong with it? When I gave it to my sister, Jane, at her party, the icing said, Sorry for your loss, Norma, instead of Happy Birthday, Jane. It was an absolute shambles. Excuse me, sorry to butt in, but I think I might be able to shed some light on this. Please do. Well, I came in to complain that I ordered a cake yesterday for my brother's wake. When I opened it, it said, Happy Birthday, Jane, on it. Bus stop chat. Excuse me, do you know if the 86 has gone past yet? Not as far as I know. I've been here for about 10 minutes or so. Oh, thank goodness for that. I was worried I'd missed it. Are you in a rush? Sort of. I've got a dentist appointment at half three, and they're right stickless for punctuality. Tell me about it. My dentist's the same. Mind you, they always keep you waiting. Typical, isn't it? One rule for them, another for us. Have you seen the timetable? It says there should be a bus every 12 minutes. I wouldn't hold your breath. Last week, I had to hang about for nearly half an hour. That's shocking. Were you late for work? Luckily, no. I was just nipping into town to meet a friend. What about you? Do you catch this bus often? Most days, yes. I work just off the high street, so it's easier than driving. I can't be doing with all that traffic. I know what you mean. My partner drives to work and comes home absolutely pooped every evening. Does he work far out? He works over in Altrincham. The commute's a nightmare. Oh, I bet. That road's murdering Rush Hour. He keeps saying he's going to look for something closer to home. You know how it is. I do. I was thinking of working from home. Wish I could do that. Oh, just a sec. Is that it coming now? Where? Oh, no. That's the 85. We're after the 86. They look identical from a distance. They do, don't they? Called me out loads of times when I first moved here. Are you not from around here originally? No, I'm from up north. Moved down here about three years ago when I got married. How are you finding it? Can't complain. It took a while to settle in, but it's a nice area. I've always lived here. Born and bred, as they say. Do you never have the urge to spread your wings? Not really. Although I suppose you don't appreciate what's on your doorstep till you leave. I do fancy London, though. London's too full on for me. I went for a weekend last month and I was shattered by the end of it. I'm the same. Give me a quiet life any day. Oh, finally. Here it comes. About time, too. Better late than never, I suppose. Are you going upstairs or down? Down. My stop's only five minutes away. Same here. I hate having to leg it down those stairs when it's your stop. Especially when the driver's in a mood and slams on the brakes. That drives me mad. It's like dicing with death sometimes. Right. After you. Thanks. At least we got a seat. Small mercies, eh? Have a good one. You too. Cheers. Hope you make it to the dentist on time. Fingers crossed. Hiring a car. Hi. Can I help you? Hi. I'd like to hire a car for a couple of days. Sure. When would you need it from? From Wednesday morning until Friday evening. So that's this Wednesday the 11th. What time would you like to collect the car? Half eight in the morning, if possible. I want to make an early start. Great. And you'll be returning it on Friday the 13th before 6pm. Yes, that's fine. Perfect. Do you have a preference for manual or automatic? Automatic, please. I find changing gears a bit tricky around town. We've got a compact automatic hatchback available for two days. The price is £85. That includes standard collision damage waiver with a £500 excess. Sorry, what does excess mean? It's the amount you pay yourself if the car is damaged before the insurance covers the rest. In this case, you'd be responsible for up to £500. Right. So if I accept a higher excess, is it cheaper? Yes, it can be. For example, if you agreed to a £1000 excess, the daily rate would drop by about £5. But I wouldn't recommend it. If anything happened, you'd be liable for a much bigger amount. Fair enough. I leave it at the £500 excess to be on the safe side. No problem. I'll note that. The deposit is £250. It'll be held on your card and released when the car is returned, in the same condition as when you took it. We'll need a credit or debit card in your name for that. Understood. Here you are. So, are you planning on going anywhere nice? I've just flown over from Ireland for a few days and want to visit some friends out in the sticks. Lovely. You've flown in from Ireland then. Do you live there? Yes. I live in Ireland, just outside Dublin. In that case, I'll need to see your full Irish driving licence, please. No problem. I've brought it with me. Great. And where will you be staying while you're here? At the Grosvenor Hotel in Chester. Ah, the Grosvenor. Very nice. But too pricey for me, mind you. It is lovely. I got it for a song through Groupon. Nice one. Since you're visiting from Ireland, we'll also need to see your passport and proof of your permanent Irish address, usually a recent utility bill or bank statement. We'll note your Chester hotel address for the booking record, but that doesn't count as proof of residence. I've brought a utility bill from my home in Ireland, along with my licence and passport. I'll take photocopies of your licence, passport and utility bill for our records. Fine. And what do I do about filling the car up? That's covered by the fuel policy. The standard policy is full to full. We give you the car with a full tank and you return it full. If you bring it back less than that, we'll refill it and charge the difference, plus a service fee. If the gauge isn't full on collection, we'll mark the level and it'll be the same to same. This car runs on petrol. I'll go with full to full. That's easiest. No problem. I'll note that on the agreement. Just a couple more things. You have unlimited mileage with this booking, so you don't need to worry about the distance. Will anyone else be driving the car? There's a £15 fee per additional driver. No, it'll be just me. Good. And will you be taking the car outside of England at all? If so, you'll need to notify us in advance. No, I'll stay local. Great. I've filled in the rental agreements with your details. The pick up on Wednesday at half eight and the return on Friday before six. Please read it through and sign at the bottom when you're happy. All right. Yes, that's fine. Thank you. That's the paperwork all done. And just to let you know, if anything goes wrong with the car, there's a sticker on the windscreen with our 24-hour breakdown number. Give us a ring straight away and we'll sort it. That's reassuring. I'll keep an eye out for the sticker. When you come on Wednesday, we'll walk around the car together to note any existing damage and show you the main controls, lights, indicators, fuel cap and so on. So you're comfortable before you set off. That's helpful. Thanks. You're welcome. We'll see you on Wednesday morning at half eight. Perfect. Cheers. Cheers. We'll have everything ready for you. The Neighbours Steve, you need to get yourself upstairs and have a shower. Marge and Eddie are coming round in a bit. What, tonight? You never said anything about this. Have you got cloth ears? I told you this morning, whilst we were having breakfast. I haven't got the foggiest what you're on about. Are you sure you mentioned it? You were reading your emails and not listening to a word I said as usual. Anyway, they'll be here soon. Oh, that's just marvellous. He's alright, but you know I can't stand Marge. You two-faced bugger. You thought she was great when she dropped off those homemade scones last week. That is fair, but she's so up herself. Steve, don't be horrible. She's just a little over-enthusiastic. Enthusiastic? Are you having a laugh? Last time she was here, she wouldn't stop bragging about how well her son was doing at his new job. Look, I know you two don't get on, but Eddie's alright. You two can have a natter about football. I suppose so, but can't you drop them a text and put them off? Absolutely not. I'm fed up with us sitting in on our own. Seems like all we ever do is watch the Gogglebox. So instead of watching a decent programme, we'll just end up listening to her bang on about sod all for three hours. Right, that's enough moaning. Get yourself upstairs now and grab a quick shower whilst I tidy up. I don't think I need a shower. I had one this morning. Believe me, you do. You hum a bit, and I don't want you showing us up. Charming. So is it just drinks then? Yes, just drinks. Eddie's a teetotaller, so he'll only be having soft drinks, but Marge likes something a bit stronger. Well, don't be overly generous. The more she drinks, the more she blabbers on. Just be nice, Steve. It's always a good idea to get on with your neighbours. Alright, but if she starts mouthing on about her son, who's supposed to be some big mover and shaker in the city, then I won't be responsible for what I say. You'll have to bite your tongue. Now, why don't you put on that nice new blue shirt, the one I bought you for your birthday? Fair enough. And stop being grumpy. Humping. Alright, do you want a round of toast? No, I'm alright thanks. I'll have a brew though, if there's one going. You won't believe who I saw today. Go on, who was it? Sean Bean. The guy from Game of Thrones? Yes, and he was in a James Bond movie as well. Where did you see him? I popped into Boots and he was looking at the aftershave. Are you sure it was him? Not at first, but then a couple of customers also spotted him and asked him for a selfie. Did he say yes? He did. He was very charming really, but before long there was a big crowd around him and he beat a hasty retreat. I wonder what he was doing in Liverpool? I'm sure he used to be married to a Scouser. I didn't know that. Anyway, let me tell you what happened at work today. Go on, but you're not going to beat me seeing Sean Bean. I think I can. It was Rob the Salesman's last day, so he took us all to the pub for lunch. Is that it? Just you wait. Do you remember Cathy, the receptionist? Is she the one that always wears too much makeup? Yes, that's the one. Well, she stayed behind to cover for us in the office. And? Mike, the manager, forgot his wallet and had to go back. And he found her doing it. Doing what? Doing it in the boardroom with Tiny Dave, the security man. Where? I've just told you, the boardroom. No, I mean where in the boardroom? On the table apparently. That must be one sturdy table. Tiny Dave is huge. Anyway, Mike sacked them on the spot. What, he gave them the cards for having a hump? He said he didn't have a choice. Okay, your story wins. I told you. And I think I will have a round of toast after all. Fancy seeing you here. Excuse me, Mr Roberts. Do you remember me? I was in your English class. Well, I taught English for 32 years. You'll have to give me a little more to go on. Right, of course. I suppose I would have been just one of hundreds. This was yonks ago, maybe 15 years. You were always telling me off for talking too much in class. That doesn't narrow it down much either, I'm afraid. Half my students were chattering away when they should have been listening. Fair enough. I was the one who went on The Voice while I was still at school. Year 11, I think it was. Made it to the auditions, but I didn't get through. Oh blimey, yes, The Voice. You sat near the window, didn't you? Always drumming your fingers on the desk when you were thinking. That's me. I'm surprised you remember the finger drumming. Hard to forget. Drove me mad during lessons. But you had a lovely voice, I remember that. We were all quite proud when you got on the telly. Even if I did spend most of my time trying to get you to concentrate on your coursework instead of singing under your breath. Sorry about that, sir. I can see how that would get on your nerves. Don't mention it. So what happened with the music then? I always wondered. Well, getting knocked out of the show was a bit of a wake-up call, really. I kept trying for a few years after school. Did some open mic nights. Sent demos off to record labels. Nothing came of it, but it wasn't all bad. I managed to save up enough to do a bit of travelling. Spent three months in Japan teaching English, if you can believe that. Teaching English? That's ironic. I know, right? Me, who couldn't sit still in your lessons. Then I did a year in Australia, working in bars mostly. I call it my grand adventure. Came back home, got married, and now we've got two little ones keeping us busy. That's lovely. What are you doing for work these days? I'm at the local paper, the Herald. I started as a receptionist, but I've worked my way up to junior reporter now. Nothing glamorous, mostly covering local council meetings and the occasional house fire, but I quite enjoy it. That's brilliant. Always said you had a way with words when you put your mind to it. So, Mr Roberts, not to be rude, but I have to ask, what are you doing sweeping the streets? It's just, well, I never imagined bumping into my old English teacher with a broom. I bet you didn't. It's quite a career change, isn't it? I retired about three years ago. I thought I'd love having all that time to myself, reading, gardening, watching daytime television. But you didn't? Absolutely not. I was climbing the walls within six months. I was always looking for something to do. Then I saw this part-time job advertised with the council and thought, why not? Gets me out the house. And you'd be surprised how many people stop for a chat when you're sweeping their street. Really? Oh, yes. I know more about what's going on in this town now than I ever did when I was teaching. Mrs Patterson at number 43 tells me all about her grandson's football matches. And old Mr Chen, he always wants to discuss the headlines when I'm doing his bit of pavement. That's actually quite nice. Plus, the money's not bad for what it is. Helps top up the pension. And I'm probably fitter now than I was in the last few years of teaching. No more standing in stuffy classrooms trying to get teenagers interested in Shakespeare. Though I bet some of us actually were interested, even if we didn't show it very well. You reckon? Definitely. I still remember some of the speeches from those plays. I'm really impressed. You were a really good teacher. Made it stick in our heads. I bet half the class still remembers your lessons. Well, that's something, I suppose. Though I'm not sure the council would appreciate me getting the local residents to perform Shakespeare while I'm supposed to be sweeping up litter. I should probably let you get back to it. I'm meant to be meeting someone for an interview in 10 minutes. Of course. Don't let me keep you. It's been lovely seeing you again. Really lovely. You too, sir. Take care of yourself. And, well, enjoy the sweeping. Right then, back to work. This litter won't tidy itself. It was nice reminiscing with you. And lovely to see how well things have worked out. Thanks, Mr Roberts. That means a lot coming from you. See you around. Take care. Can you help me? Hi, sorry. Can you help me, please? Of course. Does this train go to Liverpool? Yes, sort of. But you've got to change. What do you mean? It stops at Birkenhead and you'll have to switch trains there. Oh, that sounds a bit tricky. Not at all. It's dead easy. I'm changing there as well. So just stick with me. Smashing. Mind if I sit here? Of course. So you're off to Liverpool? Yes, I normally drive. So going on the train is all new to me. So you're giving your car a miss today. Yes, parking in the city costs a fortune. I thought I'd give this a go. Same for me. I use the train all the time. It's much less of a faff. What takes you to Liverpool then? I make blogs for YouTube. So I'm going to film there. That's interesting. What are they about? They're to help people learn English. Don't you need loads of kit for that? Cameras, microphones, that sort of thing? No. I just use this tiny camera. It sticks to my chest. Like this. That's well good. What about you? How are you spending your day? I meet up with some old schoolmates once a month. That's nice. I've lost touch with all of mine. Same here. Then out of the blue, my best friend from school contacted me. I really should make more of an effort. You should. It's really good to have a catch up. You've convinced me. I'll go on Facebook tonight and track down some of my old friends. Brilliant. Hang on. Shouldn't this train have set off by now? I'm afraid there's a 10 minute delay. There was an announcement just before you got on. Does that mean we'll miss our connection? Probably. But it's no great shakes. They run every 15 minutes. Really? That's amazing. I think I'll stick to using the train from now on. In that case, you should get yourself a monthly pass. Why's that? It'll save you a fortune. Plus, you won't have to bother queuing up for tickets. Great idea. Do you use a monthly pass? No. I'm so old I get to travel free on trains and buses. Come again? You have a pensioner's pass? Yes. No way. You don't look old enough. Stop it. You're making me blush. I mean it. Oh, the doors have shut. Hopefully we're on our way. Hopefully. How do I get to... Hi. Sorry to bother you, but you wouldn't happen to know the way to the Apple store, would you? Sure. It's no bother. Just go back the way you've come from and take the first on the left. It's down there on the right. You can't miss it. Cheers. So I go back the way I've come from and take the first on my right and it's down there. Is that right? Nearly. But you need to take the first on your left. Sorry. I misheard. My brain's all over the place today. So it's the first on my left. My brain's always like that. And yes, it is. Brilliant. Thanks. Hold on. Are you going there now? Yes. Is there a problem? I hate to break it to you, but the Apple store's closed at the moment. You're joking? On a Wednesday? Afraid so. It's being done up. They won't be back open until the weekend. Oh, that's a right pain. I'm in a bind now. Can I ask what you need to go for? I'm such a pillock. I sat on my phone and cracked the screen. I was hoping to get it fixed today. Oh dear. Well, look. All you need to do is get yourself to Ray's Phone Fix. They'll have it sorted in no time. Oh, right. Are they any good? They're the business. And nowhere near as pricey as Apple. Plus, all the work's guaranteed. So you can't go wrong, really. That sounds great. Whereabouts is it then? Carry on this way. Then when you get to the Pelican, cross over and turn left towards the Town Hall. Ray's is along that stretch of road. So I keep going this way until I get to the Pelican crossing. Cross over and basically head for the Town Hall. Have I got that right? Hang on. I'm pretty sure the shop's just past the Town Hall. So if you can't find it, just ask anyone to point it out. You're a star. Don't be daft. It's nothing. Happy to help. Well, thanks anyway. No problem. Take care. How do you get around? Hi, excuse me. Yes, can I help you? Sorry to bother you, but can you spare a few minutes? Sure. I'm carrying out a survey for the local council. Would you mind answering a few questions? It shouldn't take long. No, fire away. All of the questions are about getting around the city. So first of all, do you live here? Not in the city centre, but on the outskirts. So how did you get here today? I drove in. Can I ask why you didn't use public transport? Normally I do, but today I'm doing a lot of shopping and I need my car to get it all home. I see. And where have you parked? I've stuck it in the multi-storey car park. It cost a bomb. Really? How much? 12 quid for four hours. It's such a rip-off. Wow, you'd have to be loaded to park there every day. Tell me about it. That's why I usually take the bus. So you find that cheaper than using your car? It's easier all round. I just jump on at the end of my road and get off. Right in the middle of the city. And what about the reliability? Do you find they run on time? More often than not. Although last week I nearly missed one. What happened? I lost track of the time and the bus was a little early so I had to leg it, but I went flying. Were you hurt? Only my pride, but I missed the bus. Has it put you off going by bus then? No, but I keep a close eye on the time from now on. What about trains? Liverpool has both over and underground trains. Do you use them at all? I don't, to be fair. And why is that? The nearest railway station to my house is a fair distance away. And to be honest, the bus is more convenient. So when was the last time you actually travelled by rail? Ages ago. But I often meet up with my friend for lunch and a chinwag. She always comes by train. Does she arrive at the main station? Yes, that's the one. And what do you think of the facilities there? Shops, toilets, information boards, that sort of thing? It was done up a few years ago and I think it all looks smashing. That's good to hear. The loo's in particular are handy because there aren't any free council ones left in the whole city. I'll jot that down. So when you've got to go, where do you go? There are some ones you have to pay to use. But if you're caught short and they're closed, you have to go somewhere like a department store or a cafe. Back to transport. And what about the ferries? Do you make use of them at all? When I was younger, I used to use them all the time to commute. But now I don't really have a need to. So when would you say you last went on a ferry? Funnily enough, a couple of days ago. I had a meal on the old ferry they've turned into a restaurant. I've seen that. Was it good? It was a bit posh, but nice for an occasional treat. I've heard it costs an arm and a leg. It does, but it was my birthday and someone else was footing the bill. Last couple of questions. What would you say is your normal way of getting around the city itself? I usually walk if it's a nice day. And if it's tipping down? Sorry, I didn't catch that. If it's tipping down, pouring with rain? Then I'd probably grab a cab or these days an Uber. What do you make of the little electric scooters that are all over the city? I've got mixed feelings about them. What do you mean? I totally get that they're convenient and good for the environment. I sense a but coming. But when they ride them on the pavements and not the roads, they're a menace. Right, I get you. Have you had any close calls? One or two. I had to have words with a youngster using one earlier. She was riding like a maniac. Yes, they can be a nuisance. That's putting it mildly. Well, that's all of my questions. Have you got any final thoughts on transporting the city? On the whole, I think it's top notch. There are a lot of different ways to get around. Well, thanks so much for your time. It was a pleasure. Ta-ra. Bye. Remember, you can find links to the full videos of each of these English conversations in the description. And if you need the flipbook guides, just click the like button. And write, send me the guide in the comments. For more British English conversation lessons, check out this link. I'll see you next time.