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Thanks Elizabeth...your study of language sounds fascinating. I had never heard those initials before.

As for me, I just rely on my ear to differentiate cockney from Queen's!!

I lived in London for a short time in the early 1980's and I also have relatives-in-law and friends from London so I have been able to differentiate the social and educational differences in British accents. Infact, I have a cousin-in-law in his sixties, who went to private (or as the British so confusingly say: 'public') schools and sounds alot like Prince Charles!

Warm regards,
In Christ,
Alice

"The Queen's English" is horrible to listen to. RP is so much easier to understand. The vowel sounds of the Queen's English are quaint and unusual. Its not half as pleasant to listening to old radio shows where people made an effort to pronounce things in an intelligble way.

Dont get me wrong I'm a Londoner myself I like accents but if you're going to cross your cultural milieu and address people from sundry places speak in a manner which we anyone can grasp. I dont want to spend my time deciphering geordie (Newcastle accent) thanks very much.

Being myself originaly from the West Country I must admit to being stumped on the odd occasion by the odd Scouse (Liverpool) and Geordie (Newcastle-on-Tyne) when they spoke. At least we can usually all follow someone who speaks clearly and a little bit 'posh'.

*cough cough*

There are still people who naturally speak RP 'in that manner', yours truly being one of them...