Gene Detectives

[DavidWW]

Hi Mary

I've been talking to friends who watched this series of programmes. None of them are personally doing any kind of genealogy research, so I think their opinions could be regarded as "uninformed and therefore unbiased"?

Understood !!, and sounds good.

To a man/woman, they all found it a bit suspect!

Now why would I find that fascinating , - see http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic. ... highlight=

None believed that the programme makers didn't already know who the real rellie was before the "tests"!

Figures.

Only one thought that the facial characteristics might be relevant, and none gave any credance to the "body quirks" theory!

Good to hear this!

One of these friends, by the way, already knows from a study done by an academic group here in Bristol, that he is directly descended from slaves and, as far as he knows, has no white blood in his veins. We met for the first time eight years ago on an IT contract.

However, he and I can wiggle our ears in exactly the same way (Our ears and our scalps move without any discernable movement in any other parts of our heads!). Also, we both have to take Thyroxine tablets for the rest of our lives because of underactive thyroids! We both also have lower than average blood pressure!

According to Gene Detectives pseudoscience, that could indicate we might share ancestry?

Absolutely

Phooey

Completely agreed ...................

David

[sporran]

Hello all,


there are quality programmes about. I have just watched "Shaun the Sheep" (1545 BBC1, repeated 0815 BBC2), and it was another great show from Aardman animators. It was aimed at 5-7 year olds, but a 57-year old had a good laugh.


Regards,

John

[emanday]

I note you were born in Glasgow and went to Bristol - I spent six years in Bristol (at university then the BBC), then moved up to Glasgow.

Have you taken to saying 'girt' and 'innit' a lot yet....?! lol

I'm pleased to say I haven't but I do speak more slowly and carefully to be sure of being understood. Even my kids, both of whom have spent the last 23 years here, don't seem to have done. Mind you, they ARE both "Navy Brats" who grew up in married quarters. They were surrounded with accents from all over the UK, so have what might simply be called a "British" accent. It must have been well and truly "set" by the time we moved here.

[StewL]

Mary

Your post about your children being "Navy Brats" with a "British" accent reminded me of a chap I became friends with while I was in the navy here in Oz. I first met him when he was in Singers with the Australian army, based at Nee Soon. He had a "British Accent", which I found was a result of him being an "Army Brat" then a boy soldier in the British army, later transferring to the Australian Army. I hadnt heard mention of that "British Accent" until you posted, it brought back fond memories of a different time and place in my life.

[Chris Paton]

My dad was a submariner until 1978, and he had that accent for a while - we called it his "posh voice"! After he left, his Carrickfergus brogue returned, until he moved to Bristol and suddenly came up with an English west country accent that defied description. You would have sworn he'd been having to much of the scrumpy...! After the Ladbroke Grove train crash in 1999 (he was the guard on the train crashed into), he moved to Crete - fortunately he didn't turn into Zorba the Greek, and now strangely has the strongest Ulster accent you've ever heard. Bizarre...!

Chris

[DavidWW]

No more bizarre than when my brother moved to Nottingham and quickly lost all trace of his Ayrshire accent; but, 10 years later, within weeks of moving back to Ayrshire, had regained his original accent!

David

[emanday]

What still fascinates my kids is the speed at which I switch back and forward between my normal (now) accent and my natural Glasgow accent during phone calls to Glasgow rellies!

As soon as I hear their Glasgow accent I switch straight into it. Put the phone down, or even speak to my son or daughter during the call, and it switches off automatically, then back on again!

I swear I don't know I'm doing it! My son recorded it one day and it really sounds weird, like two different people

[Jean Jeanie]

Having lived in England for 30 years now I have lost a lot of my accent..............until I return to West Lothian!!

When I come back, my sons take the mickey, as do my friends and neighbours, especially when I refer to the women as "hen".

Jean

[Chris Paton]

Although from Ulster, we lived for a while in Plymouth during my childhood (my dad was originally in the navy), and it was always fun when my granny, originally from Bridgeton, used to come and visit us. She had a really broad Scots accent, and used lots of Scots words, so that the only word I could understand from her with my wee Plymouth accent was "hen".

It's ironic now, as living in Largs, my 6 year old son came home from school a month ago with a poem to learn for his homework, which was in Scots. "My mother said that we hae mice, that open air ticht tins..." etc.
My wife, from Kilkenny in the ROI, got me to do that homework with him, and I was happy to be able to twig the meaning of the whole thing. So I guess 'hen' wasn't the only word of hers that did sink in! lol

Mind you, we did use lots of Scots words in Ulster - many's a time I was condemned as a "cheeky wee hallion"! lol The problem wasthat some Scots words in Ireland mean different things to Scotland. So whilst a 'poke' is a bag to hold your chips in Glasgow, it was an ice-cream in Carrickfergus!

Chris

[DavidWW]

Pokey Hat

An old fashioned name for an ice cream cone."If ye don't shut yer greetin face ye'll no get a pokey hat when the van comes."

David