To not want my child to be the only child at school with a Swindon accent?

[MrsMerryHenry]

I know this thread will cause controversy and some people may accuse me of being accentist, but I'm really not, honest.

We have recently moved from Swindon to Reading (just a hop, skip and a jump up the road, really) and DS is about to start secondary school. However I'm extremely concerned that he'll be in a minority as all the other children will speak with Reading accents. I don't want my child to go to a school with only Reading-speaking children. AIBU?

Gasp! Muppetgirl, how could you say such a thing?

i take it you're a swindionian Mrs MH?

Well I moved from Surrey to Dorset when I was 16 and they all though I was from Australia , so you might just get away with the glamorous stranger thing .

I do feel a square peg in a round hole here in the lovely very West Berkshire...

Is it so different? Reading is a mix of local accents and West Berkshire which is more similar to Wiltshire imo. I think you'd have more of a concern if you were in East Berkshire.

hungerford/shefford is where the west country starts to take over

Swindon girl here and sympathise greatly with your predicament. Our 4 children were all born here so do exhibit the odd swindon tang from time to time.

I find that certain words are worse - bath, laugh, tooth and blast - so just avoid those and you should be fine

Oh and grass, path, scarf

REAL Swindonians have a lovely Westcountry accent, milder than a Bristol one, but still proper OOooh-Arrr !

Lots of people moved to Swindon from London in the 60s so their children have a 'mockney' accent with no trace of Westcountry.

Lastly, the 'transitory Swindonians' (people who moved here for work from surrounding towns still have their bland, Provincial accent (that's you Newbury and Reading lot!)

Personlly, I love a regionl accent and can spot a Swindonian miles off. But then, I moved up North 7 years ago and can't stand the Lancashire accent! I still roll my Rs just to confuse them in the local chippy.

farmgirls -that'll be me then (I come from a land called Newbury...)

I've been told I have an 'Old English' accent. (when I lived in Bedford) I think it goes with my old english sheepdog hair...

gurt lush

Muppetgirl, I'm really from London. Just taking the piss out of another thread.

You're having a laugh, surely