Hello list! I thought you were all hibernating (except for those in more southern climes). I though I'd pick up the accent thread because I think it's really interesting. When I was just a little bit younger, in the 1950's and early sixties, most youngsters dreamed of only one thing, and that was to get away from Dorset just as fast as they could. Especially Weymouth where I lived because although a jolly sea-side resort for 2 or 3 months a year, for the rest of the time life was so boring that you actually had to fall back on homework to pass the time! We never thought about having an accent at all. There was the way we spoke and the way the 'posh' people spoke. Then in about 1950 we went to some sort of party at what I think was the Conservative Club on top of Portland, and someone had bought along a tape-recorder, huge great thing that must have weighed a ton, with reels at least a foot wide! First time many of us had even seen one, let alone using one. Why I remember this particular detail I have no idea, but I recited "The vulture eats between his meals, And that's the reason why, He very rarely looks as well As you or I!" When this was played back it brought the house down because my accent was so marked - I must remind you that all present were themselves Dorset, so it must have been really something! I left Dorset (and England) in 1965, with my accent, although perhaps somewhat influenced by three years in Exeter, safely tucked into my cardboard suitcase. The years go by, and lots of family 'pass on', and friendships seem to fizzle out. I must point out that at that time everything happened by Royal Mail, the international telephone via half a dozen operators was lengthy and expensive, so I only got to actually speak to Dorset friends and family about once a year. I had noticed that my playground mates, having left "home", seemed to have lost their accents and were speaking "posh", at least to my ears - and I even heard once or twice that I had kept mine and I should get that straw out from behind my ears! The irony of the thing is that I was doing quite a lot of part-time teaching of English - I had to eat while I was going on with studying! So, if ever you meet up with a French person, or even German, who speaks with a heavy 'Pye Hill/Chickerell Road' accent, then there's a good chance he/she may be one of my ex-pupils! I hope I haven't bored you overmuch, Geoff