Never having been able to do accents myself - I can't really comment. When I get used to a particular accent it just merges into the background. So much so that when I was a University in Edinburgh when I met someone I could not have told you later if they were English, SCottish or Irish. Now as soon as I hear a Scottish accent - I pick it up immediately .

When I first moved here I could tell the difference between Sheffield, Barnsley and Stocksbridge ( think of a 5 or 6 mile triangle with a town at each node)

No chance now

Julie