Accent

Just seen your post fiorentia. Didn't mean to contradict. We just x'd

Kentish which according to my Bristolian mum who despite living in Kent from the age of 12 never lost her Somerset accent is cockney, er no mum. A true cockney is born within the sound of Bow bells, which applies to H.

No Whitewave, I don't think they do. In Italy they speak with regional accents and every region is proud of its dialect. This is regardless of how they perceive themselve socially. The distinction probably lies in use of vocabulary. I love ourBritish regional accents and hope they last forever.

Northern accent despite living in the south for more than 40 yrs. When I first moved down south a shop assistant told me I sounded like Hilda Ogden... I was horrified

Yes Whitewave they do! My mother was an Italian from Tuscany and I was informed that Tuscan Italian is on a par with Oxford English as far as correct pronunciation is concerned. My mother was a peasant farmer's daughter so her version of Italian was riddled with local dialect. However everyone looked down on the southern Italians who spoke with a very strong regional accent, in the same way that the Birmingham accent is regarded over here. A bit unfortunate really as I happen to have a Brummie accent myself!?

Pure northern accent, proper Yorkshire lass .

Wales doesn't have posh accents , just what is posh accent ?

If anything I expect I've got a Derbyshire accent. I do hope I haven't acquired a Leicester accent despite living in the county (and loving it!) for nearly 50 years.

What is a posh accent? Do other nationalities have posh accents?

I used to have an East London accent as I was born there but I sound quite posh now.

I have no idea of England's preoccupation with accents Alea but you are correct about other UK nationalities , in Wales we just accept different parts of the country have different accents but we class them together as Welsh accent , not one accent is thought of as posh, just means one knows which part of Wales a person comes from

No of course it doesn't matter gracesgran but I love regional accents and can now imagine how people might sound when they post. Of course it used - and probably still is associated with class. Private education always seems to produce a particular way of speaking with a particular accent, which is fine, except it seems a shame to iron out individuality.

I am beginning to feel I am missing something The occasional Yorkshire phrase pops into my conversation (I have live here for quite a long time) - will that do?

It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him wrote George Bernard Shaw.
I think this is indeed an Engish issue and preoccupation.
Other nationalities even within the United Kingdom are much more tolerant of provincial accent and idiom.
Like "class" - goodness how hung up on that do some people get?

Mine's Dorset with an overlay of W. Country (they are different) and a touch of the extremely posh. I grew up with a little girl who had just come back from India.

I think accents are dying out which is a shame,

My son moved to London at 20 and he rapidly acquired a London Accent.

Mine's London, too. I love regional accents.

Difficult, Wales has many accents , so nearest is Merthyr accent but not strong

I don't think I have an accent - does it matter?

Cheshire with a hint of Mancunian! Got a posh phone voice! ?

Mines London not sure if that means Cockney or not..

Mostly Geordie, though I haven't lived up in God's own country since I was 17.