Left Barnsley in 85 and lived in Notts, Derbyshire and Cheshire before coming over the water. I don't think I ever had a strong Barnsley accent but non Yorkies always comment on it. It gets stronger the better I know people (as I know they'll understand me) or when I'm back home. I'm trying my best to perfect a thick West Kerry accent but I just get laughed at round here.
I have lived in the North East for 48 years! The Geordies think I have a Barnsley accent still but my family back in Wombwell think I have a Geordie accent! My son who is an avid Reds fan has a full blown Tyneside accent. He sits very quietly when ever we play a team from the North East.
Lived away since 1989 and all over the world and UK. I like to think I still have my Yorkshire accent but when I go home I get accused of being posh!! My wife finds it hilarious when I am on the phone to my family as I come off the phone with a broad Yorkshire accent, although she is from Cornwall so would find anything funny
Been in Surrey since 1984 and my accent long gone. When I first moved down people had trouble understanding me no problems now. It starts coming back if I am back home for s few days but I don’t think I will ever get the proper Barnsley accent back
Left Barnsley at 18 for uni (except for hols) and whilst I only went as far as Leeds I don’t have much of an accent. My mam never let me speak too broadly anyway, even though she was born and stayed in Grimethorpe. My first ever teaching practice was in a private all girls’ school and they didn’t understand a word I said, I hardly dared speak the whole time I was there as I felt so stupid. I quickly lost my accent after that.
Been in Scotland 12 years, worked in London 25 years, I sound like a cross between Brian Glover, Boycey and Andrew Coltart. Give me 10 minutes back home and nothing has changed. Biggest worry is that my son who’s spent most of his life in Scotland is losing his Barnsley accent.
I left Barnsley in 1970 and have lived all over this country, in Germany and the Persian Gulf. I don’t think there’s much left of my original accent, if ever there was much of one in the first place. I think most people in my position would agree that you adapt your way of speaking to fit in with the company you keep, either at work or socially. It’s not trying to be posh - it’s just making yourself understood. I very briefly met Prince William once in the corridors of power at Air Command. I was only making sure he got from Reception to the CINC’s office safely. I called him Sir, although he was a junior Flight Lieutenant at that time. I’m sure he would have been bemused if I’d said “Ey up pal, coom wi’ me!” or something like that.
Over the years I've lived darn sarth in maidenhead ..lived abroad in mallorca... tenerife and also in setubal portugal.. Whilst I've tried to soften my accent (had to abroad due to nature of work. . otherwise nobody would have understood me lol ) I can honestly say I've still got a strong Barnsley accent to this day....
As a fellow Hemsworth Exile , I only left 1991 , I still have the accent I think , at least nobody doubt me when I say I am from Yorkshire!!! I do have some awesome Singlish sentence contructs though and when talking which can confuse some folk from UK when either using whatsapp or Skype/Phone.
That was the first away trip in the Rover. Nearly killed us as we got on the motorway, never realised that first bend after Dodworth was so tight! Stopped for chicken in a basket and then Molineux. 1-1 draw and back home. Happy days.