October 11, 1999 – A Mermaid and the Brummie Accent

It is still quite warm here. I admire the pretty pink roses still blooming on the neighbor’s hedge as I walk to work. It seems strange for roses to be flourishing in October.

Today is a research day. It’s not all work though. I spend an inordinate amount of time making travel plans, deciding where I want to go on the weekends, how to get there, what the train schedules are, what landmarks or museums I want to see, when they are open, what tours are on offer, etc. Half my internet research is travel-related.

At noon, I go to Lloyd’s bank to cash a check, because I still don’t have a PIN number for my ATM card. Sandra promises me that it is being sent to the Lloyds Bank on campus and it will be there tomorrow for me to pick up. I am not holding my breath.

I go to the post office at the Student Guild. The humongous guild building’s central courtyard contains a delightful fountain with a bronze statue of a mermaid. Birmingham Sculptor William Bloye designed the mermaid fountain in 1961 inspired by the heraldic crest of Sir Josiah Mason, founder of Mason Science College, the 19^th century college that was the forerunner to Birmingham University.

The joyful little mermaid is perched on top of a scallop shell surrounded by ocean waves. “Her face is smiling, her arms outstretched, and her body curves up to the sky.” The students love the mermaid, sometimes putting t-shirts on her celebrating various occasions or events.

I eat lunch at the Staff House—pork pie and chips. I have a semi routine of having my hot meal at noon at the Staff House, and then just a light, cold supper in the evenings at the B&B. Tony says I am welcome to use the kitchen and I do occasionally use the microwave, but usually I just eat in my room. I keep a few things in their refrigerator, but it is small, the size of the dorm room refrigerator I had at college.

Unlike the traditional spiced Tortiere, English pork pie is made with cooked chopped pork loin, not ground meat, and a hot water crust pastry similar to a choux pastry. Butter or meat jelly covers the meat to keep it fresh. It is an old, medieval recipe. It is very tasty.

I am beginning to distinguish some of the regional accents. I can now pick out the Manchester accent, which is distinct in some words. When I first arrived, I found the strong Birmingham accent impossible. I didn’t understand half of what Tony said. Now, I hardly notice it.

Some words with a Brummie accent are:

Foyer – flames, burning

Gloss – transparent material used for windows

Loin – shortest distance between two points

Loik – similar, or terms of favorability

Point – large glass of ale or one-eighth of a gallon

Or roit? – Alright? Are you well? OK?

Toy – fashion accessory worn by men around the neck

Troin – form of transport that runs on tracks

Wick – seven days

I eat a light supper of baguette, boursin cheese, and soup and watch some TV before going to bed.

In today’s news: The Queen made an unannounced visit to see for herself the devastation of the Paddington rail crash. She had earlier flown especially from Balmoral in Scotland to the scene of the west London rail crash, which has claimed at least 30 lives. The Queen spent about 15 minutes at the crash site. She reportedly said to the Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner that it was awful and made the point that it was ordinary people going about their ordinary lives and how shocking that was.