Are you proud of your voice and how it sets you apart, or would you rather melt into the crowd? Born and raised in Stoke on Trent, my accent has always been distinctly local. I use a short ‘a’ to pronounce words like bath, and often fall over ‘looking for a book’. However, an opportunity to travel around America has opened my ears to the variety of accents out there, and certainly made me appreciate my Potteries tones all the more! Have you ever wondered what your accent says about you? Do you think people judge you for sounding a particular way, rather than focussing on the words you're speaking? Have you ever been conscious of changing your accent to suit a situation, or talking ‘up’ or ‘down’ according to your audience?
 | | Stokie born and bread Owd Grandad Piggot |
I spoke to the creator and writer of Owd Grandad Piggott, Alan Povey. His mischievous character represents everything brilliant, bright and bold in the Potteries accent, brandishing local terms with vigour and employing an accent as thick as muck, duck. With a distinct Potteries accent himself, I asked Alan what a Stoke accent means to him. | 
