Cup orf tea anyone?

[Ales Rider]

Hiya!

Sorry if this vid has been posted before, but i just couldn't resist linking it for our WW2 reminiscing!

Funny how if you were in films or on radio at this time (actually right through to the 60's) nyou needed to have an 'Alexandra Palace' (place the BBC broadcasted from) cut glass accent! Absolutely no regional accents allowed here!!!

The title mentions 1941 as the date, however the film mentions nothing about tea rationing, although i guess if it was made as a training film for the tea cart or ministry of food canteen staff, then the rationing wouldn't be a problem as they had all their tea provided for them by the government (i think).

Anyhoos, enjoy!

Ales xx

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vnvYymrCn4g&feature=user

 

[dnjan]

Too bad those six rules are totally beyond the capability of Starbucks employees (here in the States).
But I loved the accents!

 

[H.Johnson]

Perhaps it's worth pointing out that few people actually spoke like that in the 1940s - especially the people carrying out the roles shown in the public service film. It was held by people like John (later Sir and Lord John) Reith, founder of the BBC (who I understand had a pronounced Scottish accent) that you had to use that highly mannered way of speaking in factual broadcasts and in documentary films. This view lingered until the 1950s.

Often, where the actual speakers couldn't manage the 'proper' accent ('received pronunciation' or RP), the words were dubbed by actors - I suggest that this is the case with the 'tea' film. Regional accents were only for character acting (i.e. not documentaries) until Wilfred Pickles came along to read the news. He had what seems now a mild Yorkshire accent, which was amazingly controversial at the time.

On the subject of tea, I recently had some visitors from Japan, who were most keen to learn 'the English Tea Ceremony' and (they insisted) 'the version with scones...'! I think I will send them this film clip.

 

[Ales Rider]

Perhaps it's worth pointing out that few people actually spoke like that in the 1940s - especially the people carrying out the roles shown in the public service film. It was held by people like John (later Sir and Lord John) Reith, founder of the BBC (who I understand had a pronounced Scottish accent) that you had to use that highly mannered way of speaking in factual broadcasts and in documentary films. This view lingered until the 1950s.

Often, where the actual speakers couldn't manage the 'proper' accent ('received pronunciation' or RP), the words were dubbed by actors - I suggest that this is the case with the 'tea' film. Regional accents were only for character acting (i.e. not documentaries) until Wilfred Pickles came along to read the news. He had what seems now a mild Yorkshire accent, which was amazingly controversial at the time.

Yeah H, thats what I was getting at (although probably didn't explain it as well as i could have), when I mentioned about the accents.

Anyhoos, whatever the reason, you gotta love them!

 

[Dudleydoright]

Accents

It's also worth pointing out that in England until the 60's, the cut glass accent denoted education and breeding and represented authority. Regional accents were very blue collar. Very below stairs.

The irony for that typical English upper class accent is that it only dates from the Victirian era and came about because Prince Albert (the German Prince and not the piercing ) spoke english with a very pronounced German accent and people around the court spoke in a similar manner to make him feel comfortable. Think about the pronounciation and repeat the same words with your best English and German accents and see how similar they really are.
DDR

 

[BinkieBaumont]

When the british upper class clipped accent pronounces "cup" as "Carp" I love this send up of the movie "Brief Encounter" it all takes place in a Tea room at a british railway station just after the war I guess you would have to know the original movie to get the point of this send up

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ajC4Az4wscc

 

[H.Johnson]

Brief Encounter was, of course, scripted by Noel Coward, who did really speak like that. The Victoria Wood thing is a remarkably good parody. The tearoom still exists on Carnforth Station.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

"Are those Buns fresh?" (Brief encounter)

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=hubyFqSUaGA&feature=related