Peterborough accent

[anti-pacer]

Can anyone tell me what a Peterborough accent sounds like?

Is it quiet southern or more Midlands or East Anglian?

Thanks

 

[DaleCooper]

There is no such thing as a Peterborough accent and I should know. We speak entirely unaccented English.

 

[anti-pacer]

There is no such thing as a Peterborough accent and I should know. We speak entirely unaccented English.

Which sounds like what exactly?

 

[DaleCooper]

Which sounds like what exactly?

Mellifluous, dulcet and euphonious.

 

[anti-pacer]

Any sensible answers would be welcome.

 

[Mvann]

Eastern european

 

[DaleCooper]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterborough#Linguistics

Peterborough lies in the middle of several distinct regional accent groups and as such has a hybrid of Fenland East Anglian, East Midland and London Estuary English features. The city falls just north of the A vowel isogloss and as such most native speakers will use the flat A, as found in cat, in words such as last. Yod-dropping is often heard from Peterborians, as in the rest of East Anglia, for example new as /nuː/. However, the large number of newcomers has impacted greatly on the English spoken by the younger generation. Common so-called Estuary English features such as L-vocalisation, T glottalisation and Th-fronting give today's Peterborough accent a definite south-eastern sound.

 

[Cowley]

Mellifluous, dulcet and euphonious.

Interesting. How do you say pub then?
Do you pronounce it pub like a southerner or poob like a northerner?
(Please don't say you only go to wine bars for a nice chianti th th th)

 

[VauxhallandI]

Any sensible answers would be welcome.

A cross between a Brummy and a Bristolian

 

[DaleCooper]

Interesting. How do you say pub then?
Do you pronounce it pub like a southerner or poob like a northerner?
(Please don't say you only go to wine bars for a nice chianti th th th)

It rhymes with "loser". I only drink cider and spirits.

 

[Cowley]

It rhymes with "loser". I only drink cider and spirits.

I knew I shouldn't have asked.

 

[Mvann]

I say poob, but then again i only live in Peterborough and most people reckon I've got either a covy or brummie accent, even tho I come from lestar

 

[anti-pacer]

Interesting. How do you say pub then?
Do you pronounce it pub like a southerner or poob like a northerner?
(Please don't say you only go to wine bars for a nice chianti th th th)

I think you'll find it's "pub" like a Northerner, and "pab" like a Southerner.

 

[Cowley]

I think you'll find it's "pub" like a Northerner, and "pab" like a Southerner.

 

[fergusjbend]

I suppose that the persistence of local dialect is strongly related to the geographical isolation of the community. So it seems most unlikley that a city such as Peterborough with its excellent links to London and elsewhere would be able to retain its local accent.

 

[anti-pacer]

I suppose that the persistence of local dialect is strongly related to the geographical isolation of the community. So it seems most unlikley that a city such as Peterborough with its excellent links to London and elsewhere would be able to retain its local accent.

However the nearby Fens have a very distinctive accent despite being even more isolated.

I guess Peterborough has developed into an overspill city for London which would explain that aspect of the accent.

 

[GusB]

I'm quite fascinated by differing local accents too. I've worked in call-centres for nearly 20 years now, and it's not uncommon to hear from 100 different people from all over the country in a single day.

I live in a small coastal village, and the dialect here is very different to what I would hear in the town less than seven miles away. If I was to travel along the coast for 20 miles in either direction, the accents would vary significantly.

When we first moved here (I was five), I was laughed at for using what I would describe as "standard English". It took quite a while to learn the local language, and it was quite frustrating at times, but these days I feel that it's dying out a little and we need to do a bit more to preserve.

 

[coastwallker]

My grandsons were born and live in Peterborough and definitely have an accent although slight. They do the 'a' in bath and castle as 'a' not 'ar' and there seems to be a lack of tts in butter and splatter.

It is subtle but it is there.

 

[DarloRich]

Can anyone tell me what a Peterborough accent sounds like?

Is it quiet southern or more Midlands or East Anglian?

Thanks

it is just generic southern - with a raised inflection which drives me bonkers.

 

[anti-pacer]

it is just generic southern - with a raised inflection which drives me bonkers.

Oh I hate that!

 

[DaleCooper]

it is just generic southern - with a raised inflection which drives me bonkers.

No raised inflection here and I think I'm better informed on the subject.

 

[EssexGonzo]

IN my experience of living near and working in Peterborough, there's a touch of the Fens as in: "Get orf moi laaaaand."

 

[Altrincham]

Can anyone tell me what a Peterborough accent sounds like?

Is it quiet southern or more Midlands or East Anglian?

Thanks

I worked in Peterborough some years ago and found that people from the area generally spoke either with a north Norfolk/fens accent (e.g. Computer was pronounced Compoo-ah) or, they spoke with an accent that gravitated towards London.

I was always led to believe that the influence of the London accent came from times such as the 1960s when a lot of clearance was taking place in London, and Peterborough became an overspill for the northern and eastern parts of London that were being demolished.

I also worked with a number of people who had relocated to Peterborough from Leicester, Nottingham, Birmingham (and even quite a few from Manchester and the North West). Add to this the number of other large employers in Peterborough who could attract employees from other regions and I imagine the accent will continually evolve.

 

[johntea]

I've always found it a weird feeling at Peterborough how I'm only an hour or so away from London but also only an hour or so from Yorkshire

My last memory of visiting was when Grand Central ended up having to terminate there a few years back because of a hot air balloon stuck in the OHLE!

 

[Altrincham]

I've always found it a weird feeling at Peterborough how I'm only an hour or so away from London but also only an hour or so from Yorkshire

My last memory of visiting was when Grand Central ended up having to terminate there a few years back because of a hot air balloon stuck in the OHLE!

If I remember correctly, in the olden days Yorkshire TV and Anglia TV were both available in certain areas.

Someone might be able to correct me on that though.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

As someone who use to be on the radio in Spalding prior to its demise in January of this year (2017), the presenter who was on before me use to pronounce the aircheck of the station as Toolip Wadeeo, however with me it was pronounced in a semi-broad Yorkshire accent mixed with Southern and Westcountry put together - so that local folk could understand me. This unusual mix of accent is normally used on air.

At one time we had a lad who was on before me in the 8 'til 10pm slot (I use to be on from 10 'til midnight before I was given his slot as he pulled out) who spoke in a broad Halifax accent - I felt sorry for the locals who probably couldn't have understood him.

So considering that there was four people from Yorkshire on the station, I wouldn't be too suprised if the "Peterborough accent" has, in some way, ended up with a tint of Yorkshire in it.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

As someone who use to be on the radio.

Out of curiosity, what sort of show were you doing on the radio? Anything to do with railways?

 

[route101]

Peterborough is in a blackhole for accents for me , its not quite north or south . I always thought it would sound more londonish . Ive been to cambridge and couldnt really pick out an accent . id put Lincolnshire in the same boat and as
well as Northamptonshire

 

[gazthomas]

Sounds a bit East Midlands to me.

 

[muddythefish]

Interesting. How do you say pub then?
Do you pronounce it pub like a southerner or poob like a northerner?

Southerners say pab