Very interesting - as an ex Norfolk man myself. Doubtless you've listened to Alan, The singing postman singing in his broad Norfolk accent? To this day I love to hear him sing. The flip side to this is Tom Jones (say) is a 'Valley's boy born and bred but no trace of accent when he sings.
Ooh, that's more like it: thass, go (come, as I used too hear it) a gutzer, bruck, owd boi- those remind me of back home. Snuck, frit, tret, ahind, amorruh- I remember those, too. Never heard anyone say 'bor' for boy, though.
I grew up in March. People used to say ‘there were an old bor’. Meaning ‘there was a young lad’ (of about 15 or 16.). I think it’s true that the accent varies widely across the fens. Wisbech is pretty different to Ely say.
I remember some of my Nan's neighbours speaking using phrases and words like these (especially Thass a Davil, and Fair to Middlin etc.). My Nan herself spoke RP as do I even though she grew up on a farm in the fen. It makes me sad that I hardly ever hear young people using any of these phrases.
@@jakeyboy261992 Definition 3, it is a casually used insult sometimes used as a term of endearment for someone that is either excessively frugal or just a bit chavvy www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Stig
Arguably the most Anglo-Saxon area of England. Is the official definition of the 'Fen region' Norfolk, Suffolk, parts of Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire?
My grandad had a broad fen accent, my Nan to a large degree, too, but I don't remember any special vocabulary. My mum never spoke like her parents by the time I became aware of that sort of thing, despite living only a few miles from them. Despite spending probably thousands of hours with my grandparents, I can't do their accent properly:(
"You bin 'en?" "Bin bout" "So ee's got us is stuff'en en is it?" "Some. Real. I guess" "Paid?" "Ay. Proper" "Sin im?" "Did and done" "Lets call it a day an be out, en" Hampshire Dialect. 1998.
'bruck' 'thaass' 'fair to middllin' etc, is just a West Norfolk or Suffolk accent :-) from when the Ely Island was connected by boats to the mainland of Norfolk -
We use bruck/brock for broken in the Lincolnshire fens. I've heard fair to middlin my whole life n often say it myself. We also have wesh instead of wash. Giz instead of give. 'Giz it wesh and no one'll know yer bruck it'
