Faithful followers will remember our London Talks stall at last year’s Festival of Communities at Queen Mary University, where we handed out hundreds of tiny badges with London slang words. As we were observing how much people enjoyed those words, discussed and rated them, and came up with more iconic dialect words and expressions CaitlinContinue reading “Get ready for REAL TALK East London merchandise!”
Category Archives: East London
The Modern Cockney Festival 2023
With the 3rd of March, the ‘Fird of the Fird’ or ‘Speak Cockney Day’, rapidly approaching, it is time for Andy Green and Saif Osmani to get ready for the next run of their Cockney Cultures events. Andy and Saif have been organising activities and talks around Cockney dialect and culture for several years withContinue reading “The Modern Cockney Festival 2023”
Coffee with @TheEastEndPoet
Last week I met with Chris Ross, a.k.a. @TheEastEndPoet on Twitter and Facebook. Chris is a born and bred Cockney, born in Mile End Hospital and raised in Roman Road. He is a retired telephone salesman, dad of one, granddad of six and great granddad of six. And he writes poetry – often about theContinue reading “Coffee with @TheEastEndPoet”
East Ender with a ‘bookworm’ accent
I met Afroza on one of the recent hot summer days, but we stayed cool in a coffee shop basement. Afroza grew up in Bow in a large Bangladeshi family of eight siblings and now lives in Shoreditch with her family. Afroza would call her accent ‘a bit Cockney, a bit posh’. It’s the latterContinue reading “East Ender with a ‘bookworm’ accent”
LONDON TALKS and the Tower Hamlets community
Over the last months, I have interviewed 60 Londoners about their knowledge of and experience with London dialects to find out more about how London dialects are ‘enregistered’, i.e., socially and culturally constructed, for individuals. Last weekend, I had the opportunity to see hundreds of East Londoners react to the project at the QMUL FestivalContinue reading “LONDON TALKS and the Tower Hamlets community”
Pies for old-school Cockneys and people from all over the world
Joe Cooke is the owner of Cooke’s Pie and Mash shop in Hoxton, an East London institution that was founded by his great-grandfather Robert in 1862. According to Joe, his ancestor didn’t just own many pie and mash shops and pubs in the East End, he actually started the pie and mash business by sellingContinue reading “Pies for old-school Cockneys and people from all over the world”
Audience with the Pearly Queen of Clapton
Teresa is the Pearly Queen of Clapton and a true Cockney, ‘born within the sound of Bow Bells’. She grew up in Leyton, East London, and now lives in Loughton, just outside of London in Essex, but her family is from all over East London, ‘so that is where our heart is’. Teresa comes fromContinue reading “Audience with the Pearly Queen of Clapton”
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”
LONDON TALKS 