:-) ), I'm not from Birmingham nowhere near there, People think I'm stupid because of the way I speak, I left school when I was still very young, The glow of the foundry shops light the morning sky. Black Country, industrial region closely corresponding to the small south Staffordshire coalfield in the Midlands region of England; its name derives from its pollution-coated industrial landscape. This was of national significance at a time when Britain and Germany were engaged in the Anglo-German naval arms race that preceded the outbreak of the First World War. [21] He also writes that "the whole country is blackened with smoke by day, and glowing with fires by night",[22] and that "the 'Black Country' ... is about twenty miles in length and five in bredth reaching from north to south". Perhaps the local Welsh, not knowing the intricacies of Germanic speech, had a say in this aspect of Mercian grammar? Along came the Norse, then the Normans with their French influence. The verb "a" is pronounced in some instances as an "o" with words such as man, hammer, rat, and laugh becoming mon, 'ommer, rot, and loff. Travelling through the region, it is notable that almost all of the names of the towns and districts around the area are derived from Anglo-Saxon words. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The language structure and words used are certainly very similar. Pollyanna Jones (author) from United Kingdom on November 08, 2014: Oh yes, I heard about this! [83] It is also claimed by one Black Country scholar (Peter Higginson) that the character of Bilbo Baggins may have been based on Tolkien's observation of Mayor Ben Bilboe of Bilston in The Black Country, who was a Communist and Labour Party member from the Lunt in Bilston. [84] Both Free Radio (formerly BRMB (Birmingham and Beacon Radio Wolverhampton) and Free Radio 80s (formerly Beacon 303, Radio WABC & Gold) have broadcast since 1976 from transmitters at Turner's Hill and Sedgley, with the studios which were previously located in Wolverhampton being moved to Oldbury and Birmingham respectively. The Dawley district has a proud dialect quite distinct from the rest of the area. Throw these all into the pot, give it a good mix, and you end up with modern English. [28] Burritt's association with Birmingham dated back 20 years and he was highly sympathetic to the industrial and political culture of the town as well as being a friend many of its leading citizens, so his portrait of the surrounding area was largely positive. Walsall Museums Service I suppose it's all related to our entrenched class system and the misguided notion that because someone speaks 'agricultural English' they're uneducated, poor and lower class. Unsightly structures from the 1960s urban development schemes stand awkwardly next to rows of Victorian terraces, built to house the work forces. Many readers will be familiar with the regional languages of Cornwall and Wales, yet there is one at the heart of England that is largely ignored. Just one example, I never have said SID for saw as my Tipton fella did . Finally my cousin stepped in and told me they were just saying hello and that they were glad to meet me. The majority of the natives of this Tartarian region are in full keeping with the scenery – savages, without the grace of savages, coarsely clad in filthy garments, with no change on weekends or Sundays, they converse in a language belarded with fearful and disgusting oaths, which can scarcely be recognised as the same as that of civilized England. [86] Incidentally, the Express and Star, traditionally a Black Country paper, has expanded to the point where they sell copies from vendors in Birmingham city centre.