As you may remember i was very young when I was born.   

But  I’ve aged rapidly ever since 

When I was still very young, we moved to East London.

It was there that I learned to speak with an East End or cockney accent. Some people don’t like accents. I do, i think they are fun. They enhance an already expressive language.

The problem is language can be used to be abusive. It is true  that you can swear in any language. But, correct me if I’m wrong, as far as I know, English is the only language that has words that are offensive regardless of their meaning.

You can say illegitimate, but not bastard. You can say earth, but not sod.

Some words might not be acceptable, but in certain circumstances they might be excused.

Many years ago I was training to be a train driver

 The driver let me drive a goods train that was taking equipment to men working on the track. the train only had brakes on the engine. We were going downhill to the site . The train decided to run away with me.    

 The language used might not be acceptable in my lady’s chamber. but it did seem appropriate in that situation. Even though it was directed at me.

In some situations English might not be used. For  example, when I worked in a kitchen  we used kitchen French. Instead of potatoes we had pommes. the poor old spud got posh.

in other situations English might be used; but not as we know it. In Church, I might use words like redemption or salvation etc.  Good English words, but not in everyday use.

One of the things about language that I enjoy is slang. It is constantly changing and evolving.  We all know about Cockney rhyming slang. For example, apples and pears  – stairs, skin and blister – sister. That has changed very rapidly  because of the media. If they do a show based in London, they will often invent rhyming slang to make it sound authentic. there was a cops and robbers T, V. show  set in the seventies. It was about a specialist police unit called the Flying squad. The title of the show was Sweeney. (Sweeney Todd-Flying Squad)

What I find interesting is how quickly slang can change.  When I worked as a youth  worker in East London, the slang used by the youngsters was very different from the slang I used even in the same area.

When I got too slow to catch the youngsters I hung up my   keep net and retired. But I’ll bet that the slang has changed even more, innit.

One of the things that really annoys me, is the bad press that young people get. Certainly there are a lot of nasty ones around. But, even in our inner cities, for every nasty one, there are hundred or more decent ones just trying to make it. wouldn’t it be nice if  we gave them a chance.

Anyway it’s  been nice chatting to you. Chatting? look up W.W.1. trenches.

See you around.

regards.

B

W.R.Turner