Thursday 14 October 2010

Do the marth

I've never been to Kings Lynn before.  Within a couple of miles, but never visited the town until today.  And I was told that the Norfolk/Lincolnshire border is the North/South divide, as far as the long/short a sound is concerned.  Boston, in Lincolnshire, is only a few miles from Kings Lynn in Norfolk, but there they say 'bath' to rhyme with 'math', whilst in the Norfolk town they say barth, like every other good Southerner.  And most of the bad ones.

9 comments:

Dave said...

I lived in Boston for 13 years. You are quite right.

Unknown said...

King's Lynn is a lovely town, with one of the handsomest market places I know, although the last time I visited it on market day, earlier this year, it was sadly underused.

Z said...

The chap who told me says there are very definite regional variations in the local accent in the Fens, even over quite a short distance. But that one is the specific North/South one, isn't it. I wonder where it happens as you go westward.

We all wanted to go back, Mike, and spend more time there.

Roses said...

I lived in Hunstanton...Hunst'on if you've lived there long enough.

Kings Lynn is not my favourite places in Norfolk.

One of the things I find really interesting is when returning to Norfolk from being oop North, the minute I cross over the water and get caught up in that horrendous roundabout system by the industrial estate, I start to smile. There's just such a Norfolk vibe. I'm always glad to be home.

Christopher said...

Ah, these legendary cities of the fabled East...

Z said...

Dave is fabulous, it's true.

I'm just the same, Roses.

Pearl said...

Yes, but do you have hotdishes or casseroles?

:-)

Greetings from Minnesota,

Pearl

Z said...

Pearl, you and I seem to read most of the same blogs,I've been reading your comments everywhere I've been this evening! Welcome.

MaryP said...

I've been to King's Lynn! Almost 25 years before you, it seems, which I find odd and amusing, given that I live 3000 miles away from it.