The EMG Presents: British Drama League - Sussex Accent - R W White

[madasnibbor]

Thanks for posting this, I always wanted to hear the original Sussex accent ever since I saw it written down and I couldn't imagine it, a mix of Yorkshire and Bristol in my head. To the people who don't reckon this is a Sussex accent, this is how we spoke round here before the trains arrived and we became another extension of London.

[stuvo1977]

It sounds like a rural New England accent. The guy could be a Mainer.

[nosmallo]

That's terrible! I come from just up the road and nobody talks like that!

[vapourspace1]

This is very old Sussex, erring towards the Eastern end of the County. It's distinguishable by the slurring of vowels, the changing of 'ing' to 'int' or 'ink', the dropping of H at the start, and D and G from the end of the words. All creates the Sussex burr.

I'm not sure this is genuine Sussex speaker though; not enough dialect, and no feminine referrals (everything is a 'she' in Sussex, old Norman throwback).

Anyway, the burr is still 'ere, an' we won' be druv.

[SJDbloke1987]

Im 23, east sussex born and bread and all though my accent isnt identical to this, many of the mannerisms, words, and phrases in there, i use.. and there is deffinatly a hint of this accent in my voice.. i also no people who sound a lot like this.. and there not all "old people" many are my age.. all though i must admit most of them like me self have steered clear of estuary english and like myself have a relativly rural background.. so the old sussex accent is dead yet, there is hope

[Northstander]

I grew up in rural West Sussex and can't honestly remember hearing anyone speaking like that, our accent was more like a softer version of Hampshire. However, if you go down to the coast it tends to sound more like a London accent.

[lotty1234]

Not really, No onespeaks like that :S

[03cburge]

I'm from Battle and this is how my grandparents speak, but no matter how hard I try I can't imitate it.

[lotty1234]

this isnt a sussex accent for fuck sake im a sussex person and that isnt how we speak.

[FaySake]

@lotty1234 - that's right, Sussex people speak with mock cockney accents now, dontcha bruv? This is an example of how people USED to sound - although it's a bit artificial because it's an actor doing his best to give an impression. Now pull yer little baseball cap down tight, put yr hood over it and go jump off the pier.

[ryeseagull]

My great-great uncle had a Sussex burr like that. All passed now.

But, we wun't be druv!

[JFMello1116]

I live in rural Ohio and know some older people who speak nearly this way!

[numbuh53]

What's the accent you're speaking in?

[EMGColonel]

@numbuh53 That is a very good question ! - I was born In Buckinghamshire but live in hertfordshire and went to a Minor Public School, My ancestors were : Languedoc Huguenots , Welsh, Irish, Anglo - Saxon and Norman so : " a Bertie Basset " accent - "allsorts"

A good question - until doing these videos I didn't realise I actually had an accent at all - and on the first one assumed it had been "Hacked into " and the voice of someone else applied - sadly not

Thank you