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I like the fine edge in this funny vid!
Are you a Londoner?
- Thread starter DirtMechanic
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I worked in London for some while and the video isn't far from the truth. People rarely speak to each other on the streets unless they know the person/s.
It's the same on the trains that run into London. Nobody ever speaks unless there's a crisis which halts the train. When the crisis is over, silence returns.
It's the same on the trains that run into London. Nobody ever speaks unless there's a crisis which halts the train. When the crisis is over, silence returns.
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I was born in South London, in those days it was "North Surrey"
My future wife and I moved into a flat in Soho when we were nineteen.
I changed jobs at the age of 25 in 1965 and we and our three kids, living in North London by then moved to south Manchester.
We're still here.
There were and still are, a lot of ex-Londoners who live in this area.
The first thing I noticed was that Northerners speak more slowly than Londoners.
Then there's the accents, as in London there are regional ones. I could understand them but not so all, mine.
In our first week in Manchester, my wife asked me to go into a big department store and buy her some buttons.
I asked an assistant. "Do you sell buttons?"
"Paper patterns?"
"No buttons, like these," pointing at one on my shirt.
"Oh! You mean bootons!"
Yes, people were more friendly, you were often addressed as "Love" or "Chuck."
It was also evident that many people you met, lived and worked not far from where they were born.
Accents are amusing. Our youngest son's ex wife came from a posh area of West Horton, a suburb of Bolton.
When they moved into a house, she decided they needed another power socket in the kitchen. He told her he could run another from an existing one.
She replied "Ooo" You're picking up the accent!"
To which he replied "No I'm not, I said I could run a spur, not a spare."
As for regional accents. In a converstion with a woman who worked for me, she told me that she originally came from London many years before.
I said, "I can tell, you come from Peckham." She was astonished that I was correct.
Lots of people are unaware of their accents.
My future wife and I moved into a flat in Soho when we were nineteen.
I changed jobs at the age of 25 in 1965 and we and our three kids, living in North London by then moved to south Manchester.
We're still here.
There were and still are, a lot of ex-Londoners who live in this area.
The first thing I noticed was that Northerners speak more slowly than Londoners.
Then there's the accents, as in London there are regional ones. I could understand them but not so all, mine.
In our first week in Manchester, my wife asked me to go into a big department store and buy her some buttons.
I asked an assistant. "Do you sell buttons?"
"Paper patterns?"
"No buttons, like these," pointing at one on my shirt.
"Oh! You mean bootons!"
Yes, people were more friendly, you were often addressed as "Love" or "Chuck."
It was also evident that many people you met, lived and worked not far from where they were born.
Accents are amusing. Our youngest son's ex wife came from a posh area of West Horton, a suburb of Bolton.
When they moved into a house, she decided they needed another power socket in the kitchen. He told her he could run another from an existing one.
She replied "Ooo" You're picking up the accent!"
To which he replied "No I'm not, I said I could run a spur, not a spare."
As for regional accents. In a converstion with a woman who worked for me, she told me that she originally came from London many years before.
I said, "I can tell, you come from Peckham." She was astonished that I was correct.
Lots of people are unaware of their accents.
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It is true, When i moved to South London I noticed everyone had accents. In Edmonton/Palmers green where I grew up no-one had an accent, they all spoke normally
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I went to an old fashioned grammar school in Mitcham.
For what it's worth, amongst others I have an "O" level in English language and English literature.
Every week, in an English class we had a "public speaking" exercise. One of our number had to stand up in front of the rest of the class and give a 2 minute talk on a subject of your own choice.
Any "hand waving," the inclusion of an "umm" or an "err" and you would find a soft blackboard rubber aimed at your head thrown by the master at the back of the class, plus cries of derision from your fellow pupils.
It amazes me that very few people on TV can do it.
Fiona Bruce with her frequent, "Julie Andrews Sound of Music arms spread"
I find particularly annoying.
For what it's worth, amongst others I have an "O" level in English language and English literature.
Every week, in an English class we had a "public speaking" exercise. One of our number had to stand up in front of the rest of the class and give a 2 minute talk on a subject of your own choice.
Any "hand waving," the inclusion of an "umm" or an "err" and you would find a soft blackboard rubber aimed at your head thrown by the master at the back of the class, plus cries of derision from your fellow pupils.
It amazes me that very few people on TV can do it.
Fiona Bruce with her frequent, "Julie Andrews Sound of Music arms spread"
I find particularly annoying.