Slow you down in Norfolk

[Deleted]

Drivers entering Wiveton in north Norfolk are now met with signs asking them to "Slow You Down".

The winding road through the village, which lies between the holiday resorts of Blakeney and Holt, has seen regular accidents caused by speeding drivers, but residents were reluctant to spoil the picturesque village with a clutter of conventional speed warning signs.

Their unconventional solution has been praised by language campaigners fighting to preserve the county's vernacular.

Godfrey Sayers, chairman of the parish council said many gateway signs to villages failed to give the community a distinctive look.

He said: "We wanted something a bit different and wanted to make drivers think. I remembered seeing something similar in another village in Norfolk, and we decided to do the Slow You Down signs.

"It is early days yet, and nothing will stop regular speeders, but we are optimistic these will help."

The 60mph road is winding and narrow as it twists between pretty flint-faced cottages, then breaks into a sharp bend near the pub and church, where there have been regular accidents.

Prof Peter Trudgill, president of the Friends of Norfolk Dialect, congratulated the village on using the language for a serious purpose while bringing a smile of recognition to the faces of villagers.

He said: "At this time of the year north Norfolk is as full of 'furriners' as it is of natives, and it's good to remind our visitors that they are in a part of England with its own distinctive language and culture."

Mr Sayers said he hoped the signs would be remembered by both locals and visitors through bringing a bit of humour to a subject of great concern in a village of narrow twisting roads, where careful driving was important.

[gyro]

Yes, 'tis true it is a crap bend for driving. Nowt wrong with a bit of humour, but the Norfuck accent is mostly a dreadful accent ...

[gyro]

AKeeping in with funny cuntry folk speak, the Norfolk version in that area of "How are you?" would be "Dew yew be a troshin'?"

Literally translated as "How are you walking?"

[bixaorellana]

Gyro, are younger people losing the local way of speaking, due to exposure to tv & movies?

Because of your contributions in the learn-foreign-words thread, I looked at the sign and was outraged that it didn't read, Slow you down, bor

[gyro]

Of course they are, same as any other regional dialect. Whether you can blame tv & movies quite as much, I don't know though. It's not so much the accent, but the dialect and it's colloquiallisms that are going, like my example. I don't think it's much different anywhere else in the country either, but if you ever came across a REAL country Norfuckian, you'd think he was speaking another language ...

[bixaorellana]

Is this more of a regular accent, not really a country accent?

[gyro]

Can't see / hear that.

Go on Youtube and put in Normal For Norfolk. That's pretty much the local accent at the moment..