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I love the way you say 'I too am not getting into a political argument' after just having posted a huge political rant.

Phil, sorry but Pat died a few years back.   He was a great soldier to serve under he knew every mans name and was courteous to a fault. In WW11 he served in the desert with the LRDG and had

The problem as I see it is too much legal immigration, i.e. Not enough money to go around, too many claiming who have never contributed anything to this country. Benefit levels at this level cannot be

Oh crikey Brew. Far too many connotations there. So being at a loose end as usual, I Googled, and Wiki'd it.

The first statement refers to the line cutting through Central England, ie the Midlands, so in theory, that rules out what Lizzie said, and verifies the idea that it's the A52 or the Trent. However, other sites I encountered quote The Humber to the Mersey, which almost supports Lizzies view. Now my dad used to think it was a line from the Humber to the Severn, which almost follows the original A46, but that was 60 odd years ago before this ridiculous new fangled A46 route. 

So, where does that leave us then ? The Trent / A52, the border with S Yorks . All seem perfectly plausible to me, so the only conclusion I can come to is..... If you feel Northern, then you are Northern. If you feel Southern, then you are Southern.

Its interesting that people who have spent much of their lives away from Nottinghamshire such as Lizzie and Margie still fondly remember their roots, and always feel to be Nottinghamians, be it North, South, Central or good old plain East Midlands.

Me ? I'm as East Midlander through and through.

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Just as an aside, and very slightly off topic. The current A46 is a joke compared with the old Roman road.

As a kid going on holiday to Devon or Cornwall in the 50's, dad would always follow the Fosse Way. I often still use it if I'm on a leisurely day out, and there's no time limit. 

I take the A606 out of West Bridgford to Widmerpool, and join the A46 to Leicester and the M1. Leave at J21, and head towards Leicester and follow the signs for Enderby on the B4114. At the A5, turn left then take the next right which is the B4455. 

Stay on this until at Fullready, it then becomes the A429, and goes through Morton in the Marsh and Stow on the Wold, until you reach Cirencester. Leaving there becomes somewhat clouded, but after crossing the M4, head for Chippenham and Bath. Take the A367, Radstock, Shepton Mallett, Lydford, and then the A303 through Illchester, and Illminster, and this leads to the A30 for Honiton and Exeter. 

I used to love these overnight trips through these delightful villages. Dad used this route as the A38 road was becoming increasingly busy. What have we now ? M1, A42/M42 , M5. Infinitely quicker, but nowhere near as interesting. Happy days !

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Thank you, FLY.  I've just spent a happy 10 minutes following this route on a road map.  (I love maps). 

The middle part of your journey reminded me a little of one  we made in the sixties.  It was in 1965 before we were married.  We travelled overnight from Leicester to Weymouth where we caught an early ferry to Guernsey.  No Satnavs then - just my trusty road map.  

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Well done Margie, I always read maps, as dad always used the AA Book of the Road, and it was an invaluable asset when holidaying.

I buy a 2 1/2 miles to the inch UK atlas every year or so, and sit for hours checking out routes, place names, historical sites. I've been a National Trust member since my early teens, and can guarantee that it's money well spent every year. I was a member of English Heritage too, but sadly cannot afford both the outlay or the time these days.

Madam bought me a sat nav for Christmas years ago, and we've never had so many rows and arguments. It's set for the most direct route, and you can imagine, I've been down the narrowest of cart tracks, through woods and bare heathland. I've threatened to eject it from the window umpteen times, but I've controlled myself. However, it has led me to some amazing places, miles off the beaten track.

Im also a dab hand at reversing for miles through tight lanes in Dorset and Devon. Scratches, lost mud flap, and covered in farm yard muck, but one cannot argue with combine harvesters, horse  boxes, and enormous tractors.

I do have nightmares when on holiday, as all I hear in my head is.... RECALCULATING, RECALCULATING, RECALCULATING !

Yes, give me a map every time.

A little book I bought years ago is also invaluable when on holiday. It's called Just Off The Motorway, and lists virtually everything imaginable.

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We use a Sat Nav and a road map!  As I'm the navigator, I have the map on my knee in the car.  I like to see an overview of where we're going, not just the road ahead, but I DO like the way the SN tells us our ETA and the Irish accent we have chosen for the voice.  Just reread the last sentence and it seems a bit stupid, but it's true! We have realised, though - after ending up towing our caravan up very narrow leafy lanes - that entering just the Postcode isn't very helpful when in very rural areas.

My dad had the same map book as your dad.  That was fine all those years ago when road layouts never changed much - not like these days!

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If you want to talk accents, Margie wit 'til you've been to Eastern and Western Canada then ended up dahn Sahth.  I just tell folks now that I'm mid Atlantic. ;)

 

I always thought that barth parth etc. was just posh BBC talk.:rolleyes: 

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I’m fortunate in that have done many business miles long ago I can find my way around without a map. The only problem was finding the ultimate destination. When I got to the outskirts of a town I would buy an A to Z from a newsagent’s. Now I have a large collection of A to Z’s which are totally outdated and useless. The car satnav is useful for ETA’s and getting you to the ultimate destination. For finding the trickier ones I find the ‘phone app Waze to be especially useful as it gives pop up speed cameras, accidents and hold ups in real time as input by users. I must confess I bought a cheap road atlas from Lidl last week. Belt and braces me!:)

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Always thought of myself as a Midlander. As I live a couple of miles from Hucknall, people always say--Oh, North Nottingham-- Doesn't seem to matter where you live, there's always a north and south. Except Lonndoners of course, who live at the centre of the universe. Bless.

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Exactly the same Phil, used 50K a year as a site manager for a national heating company we will have to compare A to Z's sometime.

 

Just a thought has anyone worked out the number of turns you make these days between town and town, I was very surprised at how few if you stick to the main drag.

 

I always used to join say the M1 at J26, say you are going to Exeter, M1 turn left (1) A42 turn right (2) A42 becomes M42 (still 2) M5 turn left (3) Junction 30 A379 turn right (4) bingo Exeter.

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Same here Phil, and NBL, I was doing well over 50k a year in the late 90's, and most places I delivered to or collected from would fax a map or directions through beforehand, which I always kept in a folder for the other drivers. However, once I been to a place once, that was it. I would never need to refer to the map again. Same with following Forest, invariably when I'd visited an away ground and sussed out the parking and pubs, that was it. 

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Relying on a map is not always the best thing to do. Back in the 1970s I had an Atkinson 40' artic loaded with Stanton and Stavely concrete street light columns for a new development in Lynton. Never been down that way so check map, ah easy follow the A39. There is a B road across the moors but you'd be crazy to choose that way with a big truck right? Wrong!

Arriving at the bottom of Porlok hill, I'd never heard of it, is a sign that says 'steep hill - choose low gear' No problem, change down, change down and keep changing down until we are in crawler gear, Hmm ok it's steep but we are still going  - until the hairpin bend. The tight turn and steep angle put so much twist in the trailer the drive wheels lost traction and that was that. No going forward and the huuuuge queue of very grumpy traffic behind meant no reversing. Finished up with a recovery truck (A Diamond T for those who know what that is) from Taunton, that had to go the long way round and come down the hill to nose on to me and pull me up.

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Yes Brew, Porlock is a bu66er. I've towed caravans up there, but chose my time, when traffic was light.

Diamond T... Now there's a beast.

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Margie, I am proud to say that despite leaving Nottingham over 40 years ago, I still have my Nottingham accent, granted that it does become broader when either back "home" or speaking with relatives. Also when referring in local football here in Northants, I do get some funny looks when telling players to Gerronwithit, or when not giving them a free kick, telling them "There's nowt there".

 

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I bet it's worse when you're strolling round the Deep South mumbling to yourself LL

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9 hours ago, loppylugs said:

My Nottingham accent has tended to come back since I've been on here.  Gerronweit, nowt ta do wi me, etc.. I think Mrs L thinks it's just ode age.:biggrin:

She should be proud that you're bilingual, Loppy!

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I once had a phone call from a Nottstalgian, who wasn't sure if it was me or not, said I sounded posh on the phone. I assured them it was me Mi ducks. After so many years not living amongst 'My People' :) my accent has faded slightly. I haven't picked up the West Mids accent, but I seem to have lost my Nottm twang a bit. I only have to speak quickly wiyaaght thinking fost and it soon surfaces. I will never try to lose my accent, that is why after 50yrs  of living away, I hope it's still  recognisable.............Miducks.

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I used to think that my Nottinghamese had faded almost completely having lived up here in The Broad Acres for almost 50 years, but whenever we are on holiday or travelling the far flung reaches of our Empire, Sheringham, Dartmouth, Berwick etc. , we would invariably meet someone who would say " I know where you come from" and although would sometimes place me from Derby (Aaaagh) always within touching distance of our Fair City.

 

I have started to recover the accent more strongly since joining the Forum and tryin to write dahn like worritwer sahndin like serry.

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Oh dear, everyone wrongly assumes that we all talk like that. We don't, and I HATE it !

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