WRITER Beryl Bainbridge stirred up controversy last week by suggesting that schoolchildren across the country should be forced to have elocution lessons to rid all traces of regional accents.

Speaking at an award ceremony in London, the once-Scouse talking writer claimed that reading standards had not risen for more than 10 years - and she thought that regional accents should be totally wiped out.

She said: "You've got to learn to speak properly. You don't take people seriously who speak badly.

"Have you ever listened to the kids on Brookside? They don't speak the English language. The so-called uneducated now can't spin a sentence."

So, to see what the people of Chorley thought about these comments, reporter Shaun Gibbons and photographer Simon Bolton went owt and abowt . .

Chris Cheetham, 29, from Longfield Avenue, Chorley, thinks that the writer's comments were ludicrous and insensitive.

He said: "She is talking out of her backside! For someone to come out with something like that means that she wants people to have no individuality.

"It's not exactly an intelligent opinion to have, is it?"

Amanda Hull, 31, from Market Street, Chorley, thinks it is not right for Beryl Bainbridge to say things like that - especially when it's centred on children.

She said: "She shouldn't be saying things like that. It means that if everybody spoke the same, everybody would be the same.

"Her comments were not right and it probably upset a lot of people."

Lynne Thompson, 32, Eaves Lane, Chorley, believes her comments are absolute nonsense.

She said: "What she said was utter nonsense. That means everybody will be talking the same.

"Who wants to talk the same as everyone else anyway? Surely, that would be very boring!"

Fazeel Ahmed, 18, from Oakley's Newsagents on Chapel Street, thinks people should speak however they want.

He said: "People should be able to talk the way they want. If everyone talked the same, there would be no individuality.

"No-one should tell people how to talk. It's outrageous, she even had a Scouse accent when she was a child!"

Tracy Henry, 30, from Victoria Street, Chorley, agrees that people should talk how they want.

She said: "It's unbelievable to think that someone can have opinions like this. She should have kept them to herself.

"People should be proud of where they come from and proud of the way they speak. It's silly to suggest everyone should be the same."

And finally, Roy Smith, 60, from Chorley, thinks that Beryl Bainbridge is wrong to say what she did.

He said: "People can't say things like that - it's absolute rubbish to say that, and she should be ashamed of herself.

"If anything, she should be asking people to be proud of their roots - not try and hide them."

ZIf you have any opinions on this topic, or any other, then please write to Chorley Citizen, News Desk, 45-47 Pall Mall, Chorley, PR7 3LT or call us on (01257) 269313, fax (01257) 275038. You can also e-mail us at

jenkins@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.