In 'Life is Toff' on BBC 3 Does anyone know what created that upper class speech impediment?

[Noellefielding]

Do people like Francis Fulford actually have a speech impediment which makes him say 'wabbits' for 'rabbits' and 'Vair' for 'There:?

Is that an actual impediment or is it a historical affectation that turned into an impediment? It seems to be so common among that class of person.

I had a friend when I was a student and she was pretty posh, she went to the posh St Mary's, wherever that was, Surrey maybe?
She spoke entirely through a gwitted smile always as if she was speaking to a lovely tiny precious little bunny Wabbit. Her teeth were always visible, she never really used her mouth at all.
She couldn't do her Rs or her Th', she had Wabbits and Foughtfulness.
I guess the learning from peer group/parents and possible impairment must often be hard to distinguish in such cases.

So it's nothing to do with the consumption of vast amounts of red wine then? He always sounds slightly pissed to me.

It's quite interesting, really. Obviously, there would have been mimicry to ensure you were fully understood, when actually speaking to a member of the royal family. But there would also have been an obsequiousness element. Also, the court had its hierarchy, so speaking like the King would have been a status symbol, and those lower down the pecking order would have copied the accent to make themselves seem closer to the inner circle than perhaps they really were.

no problem noelle its a good thread

for you Sunnyb

and

for you Sanityclaus for your festive name and vast knowledge

Yah, he's probably pished ! Probably starts at 11 am.

Oh Noellefielding I have trouble with R and TH too, DP laughs at this. No one else in the family has this problem so I have just assumed its a weird idiosyncratic me thing. I don't think it is anything to do with class.

The Fulford guy is horrible - what a prat.

I can't say 'r' and that is a speech impediment.

Four years of speech therapy did not solve it, although it helped my speech in other ways.

There are long awaiting lists for speech therapy and even children with severe speech disorders may only see a therapist once a month.

Speech therapy is generally not recommended if the child has a problem with just one or two phonomes.

You are asking what could cause this problem - there are many speech disorders including phonological delays/disorders and speech dyspraxia.

mini and kelda Please forgive me; I am really sorry to have been so insensitive.

My irritation with the vile Fulfords has made me prejudiced and thoughtless.

I am Sorry, ashamed and a bit wiser, thanks.

Three things that mumsnet has made me many many many times over the years.....!

Precisely zzzzz.

This thread just brings back memories of being made fun of as a child and as an adult.

Sorry to you too zzzz.

But these programmes do present these people as risible, don't they. One is invited to laugh at them. They call their brother a 'moron' and physically attack each other like animals.

I wonder how much the youngest son's extremely expensive school tried to address his particular needs? Of course it's impossible to tell.

A good friend of mine works in a private school that has a real expertise in special needs and autism. She says that many schools in both the private and public sector deal very poorly with pupils with particular needs. I wonder if they chose the best school for this lad or the school daddy went to.
rubs chin.

The folk in Made in Chelsea talk like drugged up ventriloquists.

The whole show is good looking people muttering like the UnDead with the occasional glass of wine being thrown.

the school they attended is well known for helping children with learning difficulties.
Just because someone is rich doesn't mean they cannot have problems.

It's hard to be objective when the programme makers are laughing so evidently at the subjects and the subjects are only doing the programme in the hope of improving their finances.

This is no different to a freak show is it?

Thanks Sunnyb, fair enough then. I should stop watching such things!

Sunnyb, it can't help the youngest to be called 'thick', 'moron', and to be beaten up all the time can it? I mean that is hardly going to have assisted him in his progress.

But they do all love each other clearly, I guess.

I just watched a clip of it on YouTube and even I felt a bit sorry for him.

He just looked thoroughly sick of being made to look thick for the sake of the cameras. Can't really blame him either.

but yes I agree they have been set up/set themselves up to look amusing.
Some clever editing too.
I think that is why the mother refused to take part.

Sanity clause - I'm not sure about the Habsburg idea, nor what "sere" means in German...

The remarkable thing is that even after 11 years of posh schooling (presumably around £350K) the father agreed his youngest son was virtually illiterate.

I would be fucking furious if after 11 years of any schooling my child was illiterate, let alone if I had paid £350 grand for it.
Speaking as the mother of a child with 'learning difficulties'.

But I do have friends whose kids can't say 'th' and 'r' and they do nothing to get it addressed by speech therapy, also schools don't seem to be able to afford speech therapy either.

What would you like us to do? Health visitors and school don't have finding so whilst they can hear and agree there is a problem won't do anything.

Other than correcting them all the time which knocks confidence what do you suggest.