Video script: help needed for some passages

[AlainK]

Hello,
I'd like to use this video from the BBC with a class :
BBC - Video Nation - BEING HOMELESS by Stephen Hawman
There are a few passages that I don't really understand, and even a few expressions that I'm not sure I got right.
Here is the script that I've made so far, can anyone speaking Geordie fluently help me (if that's a Geordie accent...)?
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BEING HOMELESS
By Stephen Hawman
Stephen’s father was an alcoholic and died when Stephen was 17. Family life was in turmoil and two days later Stephen was kicked out.
I’ve come a long way since I first got kicked out on the streets.
I’m more compassionate now about homeless people, because they are all people, they’re not just something that’s just down and out, thrown out, they are all people.
The first night was the most terrifying, I didn’t sleep at all that night. It was freezing cold, all I had was this coat on and I didn’t know what to do, where to go, because I didn’t have any friends, there was no family people I could turn to, so I was literally alone.
And I just… I was just really frightened, I remember being really frightened, and feeling really, really alone. And I was alone.
And I remember the first night, I just sat, and cried, and cried, and cried.
I hated everyone, I remember I hated everyone, I hated my Mum, I hated my Dad for dying, I hated my family for not looking after when I was helpless, I hated the fact I had no friends to to take us in and just give us somewhere warm to sleep, I hated the fact that I didn’t have a penny in my pocket so I could buy some food, I hated the fact that I was sitting in the freezing cold alone, I hated the fact that I couldn’t even get a hook of anyone.
It was a lonely place and being lonely is – it’s just how hit by ??? to rock bottom. I was really depressed and I was suicidal.
You never get used to the cold, but you could cope with the cold when you are out, you could cope with the cold, but we’re still freezing.
I used to sleep on the bench just down there, I used to sleep on the bench, that’s where I used to sleep. All I did, what was my life, was just wander about, not speak to anyone, just wandering about, not doing anything, not looking after myself, I was filthy, I was dirty, I was ill, I was half - I was always coughing, I was always sneezing, I was really, really thin, I was – most of it I was at least under 8 stone.
And if it hadn’t been… - I made friends with these two homeless people, er… you know, I honestly believe if it hadn’t been for them all, I would have been dead.
Every day they used to come up and used to bring us a sandwiches and a cup of tea, I don’t know where they got these sandwiches and cups of tea from brought, and they’d come up and used to talk with us for a bit, give us my sandwich and cup of tea and then they would go on their way.
And at the time I thought "you know what, I had too all this misconception of homeless people like they’re just down and out, ???, just really, really dirty, had nothing to say, alcoholics, druggies, drug addicts, everything", but a lot of these people are lovely people…

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Comments:
- if it's "get a hook of", I suppose it means "get some help/support from" ? Is it regional or common among young people today?
- I heard "give us me sandwich". OK for "my" pronounced "me" (or "coops" for "cups"), but is it "us" instead of "me", or sthg I don't get? I suppose this is regional, innit?

Thanks,

Alain

[curmudgeon]

Yes here us means me. I am from Scotland but a similar style is used there.

Give us a break, shortened to gives a break, pronounced 'gies a brek'

You might get some further info by searching for 'geordie slang'

Not to sure about 'hook'. It might mean 'hug'

[curmudgeon]

Hi Alain, I just listened to the video. It is 'hug'

I'll listen to it again and see if I can decipher the other areas you've highlighted. A lot of is just Stephen changing what he is about to say in mid sentence and correcting himself. Fairly standard conversational english.

[AlainK]

Ta!

It's also a matter of class accent: I think I understand a Dundonian with a higher education better than a school dropout. Very moving video anyway, I'm sure my pupils will have to use some English to react to the document, at least I would if I were them.
So you are from Scotland? It reminds me of the school year I spent in Dundee, thirty years ago; I've never been back there though, but I remember how friendly the people were. Of course, it was a bit difficult for me to understand them at the beginning, but I soon was able to catch up phrases like "Cam to me hoos, let's have a wee dram lad".
I've given up drinking now, but there are plenty of nice things to do else than getting p***ed, like hillwalking, tossing the caber, etc.
A teacher from Dundee I met here a few years ago sent me a mousepad when he was back. It's still the one I'm using at the moment, with "Grumpy" written on it, and the definition.
These Scots have a mean sense of humour, no wonder I got along well with them...

Thanks again Curmudgeon.

Alain