The Sussex dialect

[Green Cross Code Man]

This is a facinating site. Use the search engine.

http://sounds.bl.uk/Search

It is indeed fascinating. It makes me very melancholic though as so much has been lost.

 

[*Gullsworth*]

See you somewhen....meet you in the twitten......

 

[Cheshire Cat]

As I have lived away from Brighton for a long time now, I can say there is definitely a Brighton/ Sussex accent. I can hear it when up here on the local news, someone is being interviewed from down there.

That's mockney, not Sussex.

I only ever heard one person with a genuine accent when I played cricket against some team in the deepest darkest Weald (forget exactly where). He thrashed our bowling all over the ground.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Sounds West Country to me

Probably because the Sussex accent does sound similar to West Country.

 

[blue-afro-man]

That's mockney, not Sussex.

I only ever heard one person with a genuine accent when I played cricket against some team in the deepest darkest Weald (forget exactly where). He thrashed our bowling all over the ground.

Could that be Ebernoe?

 

[Braggfan]

I was chatting to someone about dialects a little while ago. They told me that apparently Sussex dialect is influenced by French due to our proximity to the coast and because fishing communities on either side of the channel would come into contact. Supposedly Sussex dialect has a feminine tense to it, and there’s an old saying that goes, “Everything in Sussex is a she, except for a tomcat…and even he’s a she”.

 

[curly69]

My Dad still has a bit of an accent and his brother and family have a very thick one. Dad is from Little Bognor and my Uncle was the manager of Little Bognor apple orchards, until Brian Ferry brought it. He has always lived in Fittleworth and I think he played bowls for Sussex years ago but not sure. My Mum's from Petworth and my Nan had a thick accent. My Mum's Brother was killed when the German's bombed the school in Petworth. We visited the memorial for this in which looked like an abandoned graveyard, where all the kids and 2 teachers are buried. Not many left to remember now, but my Mum does, and so do we. We will make sure our kids remember too.

 

[Buzzer]

Here's a wonderful example of the old Sussex dialect, still alive and well. It's John Copper from the famous Rottingdean family and he's describing the Seaford countryside back in the day as told to him by his Granddad, Jimmy Copper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR-Z1lg2Q_4

 

[Buzzer]

I was chatting to someone about dialects a little while ago. They told me that apparently Sussex dialect is influenced by French due to our proximity to the coast and because fishing communities on either side of the channel would come into contact. Supposedly Sussex dialect has a feminine tense to it, and there’s an old saying that goes, “Everything in Sussex is a she, except for a tomcat…and even he’s a she”.

I've heard about the 'she' reference but also I've read about us Sussex folk referring to any and everyone as 'old' - e.g. I bumped into ol' John the other day. I notice that it's something I do a lot, as do a lot of my Sussex born and bred friends and family.

 

[ForestRowSeagull]

My Lewesian Nan had a very strong one, as said above it wasn't miles away from the West Country accent.

 

[Buzzer]

That's mockney, not Sussex.

I only ever heard one person with a genuine accent when I played cricket against some team in the deepest darkest Weald (forget exactly where). He thrashed our bowling all over the ground.

I disagree. There is definitely a Brighton accent that's well-established for over a century. The proof is in listening to old Max Miller recordings from the mid-20th Century, well before Mockney was ever a 'thing'. Miller was born and bred Brighton, lived here all his life and the way he spoke, I still hear all the the time in Brighton and Worthing. I can't put my finger on it but there's a softness to his voice that Mockneys don't have and there's certain ways he says words that are definitely not said the same way in London.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm61yavCp-o

 

[Scampi]

Where i live some of the older folks still have a rural burr and pronounce Seaford c-FORD, not seafud.
Bighton accent is definitely different to a London accent , similar but softer than the south london influenced accent you get in Crawley. I reckon if you gave me a recording of someone who grew up in Whitehawk and someone who grew up in Broadfield i'd be able to tell which was which

 

[cheshunt seagull]

It is indeed fascinating. It makes me very melancholic though as so much has been lost.

You can use this link to access dialects on the British Library site as well: http://sounds.bl.uk/Accents-and-dialects

 

[ofco8]

I disagree. There is definitely a Brighton accent that's well-established for over a century. The proof is in listening to old Max Miller recordings from the mid-20th Century, well before Mockney was ever a 'thing'. Miller was born and bred Brighton, lived here all his life and the way he spoke, I still hear all the the time in Brighton and Worthing. I can't put my finger on it but there's a softness to his voice that Mockneys don't have and there's certain ways he says words that are definitely not said the same way in London.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm61yavCp-o

Yep, now you mention him think I do talk with a similar form of his accent. Problem is it does sound a bit "common", or so my kids tell me.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

Ah! the Coppers of Rottingdean....That takes me back to nights in Brighton folk clubs in the '70's....

My old uncle. long departed this world lived in a cottage near the Balcome viaduct. He had a real "Country accent" as we called it. It was not West Country, not Norfolk, but different.

As a young man in 60's -70's my friends from rural mid sussex had it too. But I have not heard it for years...

 

[jackanada]

It was good to see Goldson step out of defence and play some quality caterwise balls.

 

[T.G]

I remember going into the Trevor Arms in Glynde in the 80's. I was with a friend from Cheshire who had no clue what the locals were saying to him. He looked at me for an interpretation….I had no ****ing idea! Less then 20 miles from where I was born they may have been from Mars. It was a slightly creepy feeling like I'd stumbled into some weird rural badger rodgering cult. We drank our pints and stayed!

 

[Eeyore]

I remember going into the Trevor Arms in Glynde in the 80's. I was with a friend from Cheshire who had no clue what the locals were saying to him. He looked at me for an interpretation….I had no ****ing idea! Less then 20 miles from where I was born they may have been from Mars. It was a slightly creepy feeling like I'd stumbled into some weird rural badger rodgering cult. We drank our pints and stayed!

Class pub. Many a visit over 30 years. There are some generations in that village. It's one place you may still hear the accent.

 

[Mutts Nuts]

Where i live some of the older folks still have a rural burr and pronounce Seaford c-FORD, not seafud.
Bighton accent is definitely different to a London accent , similar but softer than the south london influenced accent you get in Crawley. I reckon if you gave me a recording of someone who grew up in Whitehawk and someone who grew up in Broadfield i'd be able to tell which was which

Seaford does have an R in it as does Ford

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Seaford does have an R in it as does Ford

That's right. And most true Seafordians would pronounce the 'r' when I lived there.