To once again feel embarrassed to be from Norfolk ?

[blondegirl1979]

i have been watching 'come dine with me' this week, never seen it before but its filmed in Norwich and I used to work with someone who was on it.

I was born in Norwich to parents from London and have lived here all my life, have always detested the way Norfolk people speak (i actaully dont mean to cause offense, its just my opinion, and obviously not one i go around sharing, its just my 'thing' as it were), its always cringeworthy when someone from Norfolk is being interviewed on tv/radio as it seems that the slowest speaking, thickest accented people are always chosen, almost complete with their tractor and all other stereotypes.

I travel around for my job and noone ever thinks im from Norfolk, which always pleases me (yeah, maybe shallow). Anyway my point is: that bloody chip shop woman makes me ashamed to be from norfolk, she didnt help herslef by coming across as so ignorant 'i dont eat none of that foreign muck' etc etc, and eating a meal before going to someones house becuase she couldnt read the menu ????

In her defense, the other 4 people on the program with her were very educated, non accented people who she kept saying she wasnt comfortable with, and i presume that some dodgy editing had taken place - but even so....... Rant over, she just annoyed me, ive been thinking this all week and now i dont seem to be able to make a concise point. Sorry.

1. Delia lives near ME, in mid Suffolk
2. The Norfolk accent is lovely, and sadly endangered I think. Hardly ever hear it.
3. I am from Norfolk, most other people from there are not as stupid as me.

Una - My allotment is in a tiny village that's exceptionally insular, I had one conversation with a proper Norfolk Old Boy who was indignant he hadn't been consulted about some allotment matter or other "I don't know why they asked him" he spat, "He's only been here since 1962!"

I grew up in Norwich. I have to say it did not strike me, in the 1970s, as a particularly warm and loving place especially to my Indian mother who was racially harrassed out of the school where she taught.

Also I had to leave for civilisation the rest of England before realising that it was not customary to have tractors driving down the main streets.

I better come back and say I was joking. I find accents wonderful.

I live near jjandthepud, in a lovely bit of Suffolk on the border.

Missbehiving: yes, i spotted that myself, i will admit that my spelling isnt 100% !!! But im going to put most of the errors down to an ipad, long nails and the fact that i neglected to properly proof read. Point taken though.

A disproportionate number of MNers seem to live in Norfolk. Why is that? Or do I just not notice the threads about life in Kent/Northumberland/wherever? Do we just talk about Norfolk more? Is that because of the accent? Or the crabs? Or the quality of the Look East presenters? So many questions.

Lolol! Beat me too!

Beat me to it I mean, I'm not asking to be thrashed or anything ....

I've told this before but I'll tell it again - when we had 3 unnamed guinea pigs DS1 insisted they be called Susie, Fowler and Watt. Best Names Ever. That's what Look East does to you if you live in Norfolk.

Back in my day, you were a Dangerous Forriner if you hadn't been born in the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.

The National Front was quite popular too.

Disclaimer: it seems quite charming now.

Bleurghuna about the same length of time it takes to get accepted in a Suffolk village which I'm told is about 50 years, but I wouldn't know because I am Suffolk born and bred and from several generations of Suffolk farmers/millers, have family in Norwich as well, I love Suffolk and Norfolk. Have to admit I'm not too keen on hearing myself speak if it's played back to me, I think I do sound like a country bumpkin .

Right so only 45 years left for me and DH until acceptance day! Although we live right near the airbase so our town is flooded with Americans, love the Super Bowl, 4th July, Thanksgiving etc

OP, I am proud to say that I am from Deepest Darkest Norfolk (Norwich just don't cut it. Furrin, that place is) where my family have lived for generations.

Now, I could rabbit on about bloody incomers, in particular snooty bloody Londoners - in particular those who've ruined the Norfolk coast with their poncey restaurants and buying up homes so locals cant afford to live there any more, but as it's the season of peace and goodwill, I won't, for now.

But I may be consulting Mr Clarkson for a few choice quotes to throw back at you

DOn't know Norfolk. Didn't see the program. But unless she was comitting an act of homicide, eating a live dog or expressing racist or homophobic views I susopect you are being ridiculous.

Don't be ashamed because people are 'odd', uncool or slow. In fact I think that is to be celebrate.

Gwan! Tell me she had swastikas tattooed on her arm

I grew up in SE London and we had racists by the bucketload there.

I agree with the few posters who have expressed distaste for this thread.

SO much disdain for people simply or even mostly for their accents. Grow up FFS!

FWIW I have a 'cut crystal' accent. DH is an East Ender. We live in Somerset. My kids have hybrid accents. Just as they should.

ProfYaffle and Strawberry 17

Arf @ Susie, Fowler and Watts

YY to the person who mentioned Wisbech. I spent my teen years in March and worked in a hotel in Wisbech. Twas an interesting experience.
Living in the Fens was interesting too. I will never forget my first Christmas there (having moved from East Lothian) when the reader at church proclaimed 'There was a broight loight shoining in the daaaark'
Love the fact that there are so many different accents in the UK. I came from Essex via the Lothians to the Fens then up to Newcastle, down to Suffolk and now live in Lincolnshire. My accent is a very strange hybrid.

Ah neverputasockin I taught in a fenland school, my favourite Christmas song was to do with bringing Mary wonerful noos

As an aside, does anybody know how long it takes to be accepted as a true Norfolk person?

Centuries.
My poor son didn't stand a chance - at his primary school all of the kids in his class were related in one way or another.
I thought it would be great for him to experience a small village school.
But it was like being trapped in Royston Vasey.