Lucy

I’m from County Durham and went to a notoriously posh uni in Leeds, and quickly became used to blank faces looking at me when I spoke, and lots of people, friends and strangers, repeating things I said back to me because they found it amusing. I didn’t mind it at first, but it started getting pretty annoying and making me feel self-conscious. One day, I came across a video of my friends from London that I clearly wasn’t meant to see, of them blatantly mocking me and mimicking my accent (I thought we were all good friends, and I hadn’t done anything to give them a reason to do something like that).

Other experiences include someone asking me “how did you make it to a Russel Group uni?” and hearing people in a lecture start laughing for no other reason than the lecturer played a video where the kid had a strong Yorkshire accent.

I constantly have to change the way I speak so people at uni, even my own housemates, can understand me and it gets tiring. When I go back home my mam says to me “you can stop using your posh voice now”.

Amelia

From the north east of england bullied by the north west. Mostly the way I say “sure” and “coke”. Just got told a bully “hates my northern dialect”. Wish I didn’t receive this disrespect in 2024…..
Been rejected to speak and kicked to the kerb.