R.A. Coates wrote:
> But the inhabitants of Southwell say Southwell, and call Sudh'l the "BBC
> pronunciation"!
>
I thought I was the one who was supposed to be sceptical about "official"
pronunciation? In any case, Cirencester is now so pronounced locally, just
as the well-attested pronunciation "Brickleton" for Brightwalton in
Berkshire is now probably lost. About 25 years ago, in a fit of
historicism, the Parish Council of Hampstead Norris in Berkshire changed the
spelling of the manorial affix and reverted to "Norreys". It would be
interesting to discover how this is now pronounced.
Boarhunt in Hampshire is still pronounced "Borrunt".
John Briggs
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