johannagerwin

A London accent versus ‘lazy speech’

Like Andy, Eileen has been a resident of Cressingham Gardens in Tulse Hill for many years. She grew up in Camberwell and has always lived in Southeast London. Eileen draws a clear distinction between an accent, such as her ‘South London’ one, and what she calls ‘lazy speech’: ‘A lot of people would say thatContinue reading “A London accent versus ‘lazy speech’”

Mirroring a London accent

Ann grew up in Hounslow and now lives in Mortlake in Richmond. She grew up on a council estate, but considers her accent ‘quite neutral’ – something that seems to run through the family. ‘My mum is from Balham and has a working-class background, but you wouldn’t know, and my nan didn’t have an accentContinue reading “Mirroring a London accent”

‘Could be better, could be worse’

Ron is a churchwarden in a small village near Upminster in Essex together with Frank. Ron’s parents were from the East End, spoke with an East End accent, and Ron also spent his formative years in Hackney. However, when his family moved to Upminster in the 1950s, his accent changed, ‘because in those days thereContinue reading “‘Could be better, could be worse’”

Educated, with a twang of London

Boodie spent his childhood in W9, but has lived in the East for most of his life. This is also where we met, in a pub in the East End. He describes his own way of speaking as ‘educated, with a twang of London that doesn’t shift’ and that comes from ‘humble beginnings’. He summarisesContinue reading “Educated, with a twang of London”

Irish North Londoner

I met Ray in a very stylish café in Dalston that he chose. Ray was born in Leytonstone to Irish parents, but grew up in the Irish community in Holloway. He says he is a Londoner and Arsenal supporter, ‘but not British’. Ray calls his way of speaking ‘North London’, which to him stands outContinue reading “Irish North Londoner”

South London girl in the East End

Samantha is one of our students at Queen Mary. She commutes in from Croydon. Her parents are from Jamaica and originally spoke Patois, so this is the language she grew up around. ‘I feel like a lot of sentences and phrases I say may not sound grammatically correct, but that’s just what I am usedContinue reading “South London girl in the East End”

Growing out of a Pakistani accent

During one of my days in the office, I met with Fajar, one of our first-year students, at QMU. She grew up and still lives in the East End. She is of Pakistani origin and has never really been to the north, south, or west of London. Fajar likes the ‘posh accent’ from the newsContinue reading “Growing out of a Pakistani accent”

Abdul Scissorhands in Aldgate East

Hidden away in a quiet backstreet off Aldgate East with its office blocks, there’s Abdul’s barber shop ‘Abdul Scissorhands’. I met him during his quiet hours, after lunch and before knocking-off time. Abdul distinguishes between ‘nice and calm’ London accents and ‘agressive and angry’ ones, the former belonging to ‘posh people’ and the latter toContinue reading “Abdul Scissorhands in Aldgate East”

Tulse Hill is not Brixton

Yesterday, I went to see Andy on the Cressingham Gardens estate in Tulse Hill, SW2, which – as he informed me – is not the same as Brixton, SW9. Andy is a born and bred South-west Londoner: born in Wimbledon and raised in Clapham Junction. ‘It makes me quite upset when people call me aContinue reading “Tulse Hill is not Brixton”

Cockney songs

This week I met with Frank, a true East Ender. He lives near Upminster, in the Essex countryside now, but spent all his childhood and youth in Forrest Gate, E7. Frank has lived in many different places in Essex and would call his own accent ‘East End twice removed’. Having worked in the construction industryContinue reading “Cockney songs”