JohnnyBoy12:
In the early 1970s I was involved with working with some 10 and 11-year-old children in Ecclesfield, which is about 4 miles from the centre of Sheffield. I took them into the city centre and they said 'Ooh, it's a bit like London, isn't it'. Those kids had been to London on a school trip but they'd never been to the city 4 miles from where they lived. I later found out that none of their parents had either!
I love the variety of accents in the UK, and it's fascinating how they are still going strong even in these times of complete mobility, when the world's alot smaller than it was.
In theory everything should have melded into a sort of horrible generic accent by now but it hasn't - geordie, scouse, mancunian, brummie, Hull, Bristol, Stoke, Kent - all these places have distinct accents, which is incredible when you think they're only a few miles apart.
I met many people in Grimsby in the 90s who had never been out of Lincolnshire! Not only were many of them young people in their 20s and 30s - but they were actually proud of the fact! "Never been out the county and never want to!" was not an unusual comment. Sometimes I would meet someone who would say "I went to Yorkshire once!" or "I went to London once when I were a kid. Only time I left Grimsby!"
Very few people in Grimsby ever leave the town or the area. They are very introverted and I was always referred to as a "foreigner" and "bluddy Southerner". I lived abroad until I was 12 and I have spent my life travelling. The only time I was ever called a foreigner and discriminated against was in Grimsby.
Wow, that is amazing, and I thought I had it bad not ever having been all round the world. I have been as far as the Canary Islands, but no further. What is the least distance any ABers or their relatives have ever been away from their home town?
Welcome candy, see how you think the most stupid of questions can open up a debate.
Johnnyboy, did you say the least distance away from hometown ? well its got to be the next town surely of which ours in about 10 miles. We have lots of little rural villages nearby , Do those count > The furthest Ive been is Sweden from the UK
maybe media?? or lack of education in societies? accents being born because not all people were being taught (due to social class) how to speak "properly" so poorer communities would have an accent that was different to richer ones..just a thought :D