G'day Jerry,

Here in Australia, with our immigration history a bit closer than America's (at least for the British component) we get a lot of mixed or toned-down accents about the place. I don't think consciously about accent on British songs: it would be dangerous because I have always known that I tend to be an accent chameleon in conversation, finding (say) English people asking me what part of Englan I come from ... or locals around Sydney's "Little Italy" taking me for a 2nd generation immigrant.

Anyway, what I have to accept is that I will probably let a bit of "accent" creep in ... and I hope I sound like someone who has a lot of Australian accent on top of an older regional accent - or like the son of appropriately egional parents. (I guess that it helps that I grew up with grandparents from Portsmouth and Manchester areas). The Scots and Irish are the bigger probelms and I try only to retain the rhymes ... but I don't panic if there is some vestigial Scots or Irish ... as long as it is never 'stage' dialect.

Regards,

Bob Bolton