Regional accents- the last straw.

[Dave2002]

True that relatively few actors can manage a Suffolk or Norfolk accent on the rare occasions they are needed. Sir John Mills, as a son of the Eastern Counties, could manage them very well.

I think that if you go to Norfolk (or maybe also Suffolk) you are very unlikely to hear an accent which was prevalent perhaps 50 years ago. In Norwich, for example, I think most people who speak with an identifiable "regional" acceent now have what is called estuary english or an Essex accent.

The former accent was more or less incomprehensible initially to anyone who came from outside.

[LMcD]

I think that if you go to Norfolk (or maybe also Suffolk) you are very unlikely to hear an accent which was prevalent perhaps 50 years ago. In Norwich, for example, I think most people who speak with an identifiable "regional" acceent now have what is called estuary english or an Essex accent.

The former accent was more or less incomprehensible initially to anyone who came from outside.

I lived in Suffolk from 1943 to 1963 and returned in 1986 - as you suggest, one is much less likely to hear the regional accent nowadays. In our particular case, this is also due to the influx of BT and dock workers.
Gradus mentions Sir John Mills, whereupon a quick trip to Wikipedia revealed told me that I must have passed his birthplace, all of unaware, hundreds of times!

[Serial_Apologist]

I think that if you go to Norfolk (or maybe also Suffolk) you are very unlikely to hear an accent which was prevalent perhaps 50 years ago. In Norwich, for example, I think most people who speak with an identifiable "regional" acceent now have what is called estuary english or an Essex accent.

The former accent was more or less incomprehensible initially to anyone who came from outside.

Our milkman, when I was a child, spoke in a broad Norfolk accent, which, as you say, was almost incomprehensible to us Londoners. However the old Essex accent does indeed have certain quite strong resemblances to Strine, the Australian one. It can still be heard from anywhere rural from approximately Ongar outwards, a reflection of the fact that Essex compared with other counties bordering London is still largely rural and comparatively unsuburbanised; and it remains prevalent along the Essex coastal towns such as Burnham on Crouch and Malden. The "Essex speak" associated with the image of the county cultivated in the 1980s is a derivative of East End cockney speech; given that the latter originally derived from Essex there are many similarities that may seem indistinguishable to an outsider, but can be heard in certain distinct dipthong accentuations. Contrary to many textbook experts, parts of Suffolk do pronounce the letter R in a smilar manner to people from the West Country, but in certain words or parts of words. Here's a link to the Ipswich-born bird imitator Percy Edwards, who can be clearly heard pronouncing the R in "birds" in a 1972 TV interview with Esther Ranzen, and in many other aspects sounding as if he was from Gloucestershire, not Suffolk:

http://www.facebook.com/BBCArchive/videos/529244024115299

[Oakapple]

Leicester University has done some research into the decline of the Leicester accent. If you don't know what it sounds like, Gary Lineker has it but not strongly. I grew up in Leicester and "me duck" was a common form of greeting amongst older people, so I was surprised to learn that the university thinks it means duke and not a type of bird.

[gradus]

Our milkman, when I was a child, spoke in a broad Norfolk accent, which, as you say, was almost incomprehensible to us Londoners. However the old Essex accent does indeed have certain quite strong resemblances to Strine, the Australian one. It can still be heard from anywhere rural from approximately Ongar outwards, a reflection of the fact that Essex compared with other counties bordering London is still largely rural and comparatively unsuburbanised; and it remains prevalent along the Essex coastal towns such as Burnham on Crouch and Malden. The "Essex speak" associated with the image of the county cultivated in the 1980s is a derivative of East End cockney speech; given that the latter originally derived from Essex there are many similarities that may seem indistinguishable to an outsider, but can be heard in certain distinct dipthong accentuations. Contrary to many textbook experts, parts of Suffolk do pronounce the letter R in a smilar manner to people from the West Country, but in certain words or parts of words. Here's a link to the Ipswich-born bird imitator Percy Edwards, who can be clearly heard pronouncing the R in "birds" in a 1972 TV interview with Esther Ranzen, and in many other aspects sounding as if he was from Gloucestershire, not Suffolk:

http://www.facebook.com/BBCArchive/v...29244024115299

Percy came from mid-Suffolk and had an accent much less heard amongst the young today as Dave correctly points out but the real accents can still be found. At it's best the accent was linked to an ability to use language sparingly but vividly, for example 'tempest' instead of storm.

[ardcarp]

Our milkman, when I was a child, spoke in a broad Norfolk accent, which, as you say, was almost incomprehensible

As a child I would sometimes stay with an Aunt who lived in Castle Rising. She had a gardener (whom I 'helped') and I honestly couldn't understand a word he was saying. This wasn't helped by his constant chewing on an old pipe. But I was fascinated by the lilt of his accent and used to experiment with gobble-de-gook Norfolk when I got home.

So many genuine accents from the first half of the 20th century are dying along with many of the dialect words that were used. There were variations within counties too, e.g. in different parts of Somerset, Dorset and Devon. These seem to be getting ironed out as time passes.

[kernelbogey]

Having grown up in Cornwall, I find that radio and tv dramas treat its accent as a sort of all-purpose Mummerset from Central Casting. For many reasons I'm not a fan of the latest version of Poldark, but when I've dipped into it out of curiosity, although I can tell that some trouble has been taken over accents, what is missing is the distinctive intonation of Cornish speakers.

Perhaps our Cornwall-resident members might comment...? Please.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Leicester University has done some research into the decline of the Leicester accent. If you don't know what it sounds like, Gary Lineker has it but not strongly. I grew up in Leicester and "me duck" was a common form of greeting amongst older people, so I was surprised to learn that the university thinks it means duke and not a type of bird.

"Duck" is a form of endearment that covers late parts of the Midlands, including Stoke-on-Trent.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Having grown up in Cornwall, I find that radio and tv dramas treat its accent as a sort of all-purpose Mummerset from Central Casting. For many reasons I'm not a fan of the latest version of Poldark, but when I've dipped into it out of curiosity, although I can tell that some trouble has been taken over accents, what is missing is the distinctive intonation of Cornish speakers.

Perhaps our Cornwall-resident members might comment...? Please.

TV dramas often get accents wrong. The Onedin Line was set in Liverpool (but filmed in the south-west). Not a single Scouse accent throughout the 91 episodes.

[LMcD]

TV dramas often get accents wrong. The Onedin Line was set in Liverpool (but filmed in the south-west). Not a single Scouse accent throughout the 91 episodes.

An egregious omission, admittedly - but one that was surely forgotten and forgiven as soon as eyes were clapped on the wonderful scenery and thoughts turned to the powerful non-maritime images suggested by all those crashing waves?

[oddoneout]

As a child I would sometimes stay with an Aunt who lived in Castle Rising. She had a gardener (whom I 'helped') and I honestly couldn't understand a word he was saying. This wasn't helped by his constant chewing on an old pipe. But I was fascinated by the lilt of his accent and used to experiment with gobble-de-gook Norfolk when I got home.

'Broad Norfolk' tends to be sparing with consonants, and does interesting things with vowels. The former makes it difficult to separate out words and the latter makes for misunderstanding - boat sounds like boot and soap like soup for instance - and the syntax can be a further tangle, with double negatives being popular, and triple negatives used for emphasis when feelings are running high.

[LMcD]

'Broad Norfolk' tends to be sparing with consonants, and does interesting things with vowels. The former makes it difficult to separate out words and the latter makes for misunderstanding - boat sounds like boot and soap like soup for instance - and the syntax can be a further tangle, with double negatives being popular, and triple negatives used for emphasis when feelings are running high.

One of my favourite Norfolk expressions, often used to express disapproval of a third party, is 'I dint say nuffin - BUT I LOOKED.....'

[kernelbogey]

When I were a lad in Cornwall, a normal greeting would be 'All roight?' - and I think it's still heard.

What goes around comes around....

[Serial_Apologist]

When I were a lad in Cornwall, a normal greeting would be 'All roight?' - and I think it's still heard.

What goes around comes around....

All around the SW, I would think, with "My lovely?" or even "My lover?" often added at the end, in Bristol at any rate!

[DracoM]

Regular greeting here apart from 'hello' is far more commonly 'how do?' or 'all reet?'