A once-common feature of the Lancashire accent may end up vanishing “within the next few generations”, a new study has suggested.
If you’ve ever been to or met someone from Blackburn or Darwen, or even the more rural areas to the east of the North West region, then you may be familiar with the Lancashire accent’s distinctive ‘strong R’ sound that can sometimes be heard both within, and at the end of certain words.
Or, maybe you haven’t? Well, if it’s the latter you identify with, then you’re not the only one.
That’s because a new study by researchers at Lancaster University has found that this particular feature of the accent is dying out, and it may even have vanished all together in just a few generations’ time.
The ‘strong R’ – otherwise known as the rhotic R, rhoticity, or a feature of rhotic accents – means that words such as “car”, “park”, and “bird” are said with an emphasis on the R sound in east Lancashire accents, and this is not common among other English accents.
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A feature of the Lancashire accent may vanish “within the next few generations” / Credit: BBC | Manuel Harlan (via Curtis Brown)
Most English language accent varieties used in England are non-rhotic, which stems from a trend in southeastern England, and was accelerated in the very-late 18th century onwards.
Rhotic accents are still found in the West Country, some parts of the West Midlands and the East Midlands, particularly the Corby area due to migration from Scotland in the 1930s, and, you guessed it, several areas within Lancashire – most notably in towns and villages that are north and west of the centre of Manchester.
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Notable Lancastrians with the ‘strong R’ accent feature include comedians Eric Morecambe and Les Dawson, actress Jane Horrocks, and Bullseye presenter Jim Bowen.
The ‘strong R’ rhotic speech feature is prominent among older speakers in Lancashire, and while it can still be heard used by the younger generations nowadays, researchers have noted that it tends to be a much softer sound.
Comedians Eric Morecambe, and Les Dawson, and actress Jane Horrocks are famous for using the ‘strong R’ / Credit: BBC
“Accent change is often like a puddle,” explained Dr Danielle Turton, who is one of the authors of the new study.
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“It dries up in most places, and leave remnants around the edges.”
Dr Turton’s paper – which is titled ‘An Acoustic Analysis of Rhoticity in Lancashire’, and has been published in the Journal of Phonetics this week – is the first systematic acoustic analysis of a rhotic accent in present-day England, and has ultimately found that the disappearance of the Lancashire accent might be happening “so gradually that people don’t notice it”.
She continued: “For the youngest speakers in Blackburn, these Rs are very weak, which raises the question of whether future generations will even hear these weak Rs at all, and whether this distinction will eventually fade away.
“In the next few generations, this traditional linguistic feature may be lost.”
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Rio Ferdinand is stepping away from TNT Sports after more than a decade
Danny Jones
Manchester United legend and ex-England international Rio Ferdinand has announced he will be stepping away from TNT Sports, leaving more than a decade with the broadcaster.
Ferdinand has spent the best part of the last 10 years serving as a leading pundit and analyst, as well as hosting his own ‘Rio Meets’ online series – the interview format of which has been replicated on his YouTube channel.
However, after having been one of their main anchors both under the BT Sport and even more so since the inception of the rebranded TNT Sports Football umbrella, the 46-year-old has confirmed he has now quit their regular coverage following the Champions League final this weekend.
In a lengthy statement on social media, the ex-Man United defender, who also played for Leeds, West Ham, Bournemouth and QPR, described it as a “difficult decision.”
Taking time to thank the network for their “tremendous support” over the years, especially those “behind the scenes, whose work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success.”
The talented centre-back retired in May 2015 after more than 500 appearances and 81 national team caps, making an almost immediate switch into punditry and remaining a household name.
Rio has also remained a popular figure at Old Trafford and, indeed, across various parts of Manchester since leaving United in 2014.
For instance, his self-titled Foundation has carried out some truly transformational local outreach across various boroughs, as it has back in his home city of London.
Responding to the news, TNT Sports said nothing more than “Thanks for everything, Rio”; meanwhile, fellow former Red, Danny Simpson (who retired last year and also works as a pundit/presenter for MUTV) added: “You’re going to be missed, bro. Every time you’re on, you give us all the mad insight.”
However, he has promised he will remain in the media industry, continuing to work under the Rio Ferdinand Presents digital brand and pursuing “other business interests”.
With his ‘Rio Reacts’ and ‘Vibe with FIVE’ series regularly raking in millions of views, he might not be on the box during European nights but you’ll still be seeing plenty of him.
Rare bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in more than 30 years
Emily Sergeant
It’s time to say a big hello, as rare bat-eared foxes have now arrived at Chester Zoo.
The two sisters, named Maasai and Malindi, have been welcomed by conservationists after travelling more than 500 miles from a zoo in Paris, and they are the first mammals of their kind to come to Chester Zoo in more than 30 years.
First images show the pair exploring their home in the zoo’s new Heart of Africa habitat – which officially opened to the public back in March, and is the largest zoo development ever undertaken in the UK, spanning more than 22.5 acres in size.
The adorable – but rather unique-looking – bat-eared fox is named after its distinctive oversized ears and is native to the open savannahs and arid grasslands of eastern and southern Africa.
They live for around 13 years on average, and their characteristically large ears help regulate their body temperature and enhance their incredible hearing, allowing them to prey like detect insects moving underground.
The species faces increasing threats in the wild, largely due to the loss of their habitat caused by agriculture, human encroachment, and hunting.
This is why Chester Zoo has long been at the forefront of protecting African wildlife.
Its teams’ have been supporting everything from the safe translocation of northern giraffes to protected national parks in Uganda, to developing cutting-edge AI trail cameras to protect giant pangolins from illegal trafficking in recent years.
Bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in 30 years / Credit: Chester Zoo
“It’s incredibly exciting to welcome bat-eared foxes back to Chester Zoo after a 30-year hiatus,” commented David White, who is the Twilight Team Manager at Chester Zoo.
“Both Maasai and Malindi are settling in well so far, spending much of their time exploring their expansive home and getting to know their new housemates – a family of twelve Cape porcupines. These two species would often come across one another in the wild, so we’ve recreated this right here at Chester.
“In time, we hope to introduce one of the two sisters to a male fox, with the hope that we can contribute to the European conservation breeding programme, helping to ensure there’s a healthy, genetically diverse back-up population in human care.
Emily Sergeant -
29th December 2023 
