Older General British
This speech (scripted carefully of course) is not so very different from GB of today. Notice /əʊ/= [oʊ], /ɔː/ = [ɔ̞]. /aɪ/ has a front starting-point. Notice too how the triphthongs /aɪə, aʊə/ are sometimes, but not always, reduced to [aː,ɑ:].
This is a good passage for attempting intonational transcription, because, being a speech and scripted, it means there are short intonational phrases and a limitation of nuclear tunes to three: low fall, low rise and mid level. The mid levels occur where a longer intonational phrase consisting of a series of steps down to a nucleus is converted by the insertion of pauses into a series of shorter intonational phrases with mid levels. Here is one attempt at an intonational transcription:
Orthographic transcript with intonation marks
Through ˈone of the ˏmarvels / of ˈmodern ˏscience / I am e˃nabled / this Christmas ˏDay / to speak to ˈall my ˏpeoples / throughˈout the ˎEmpire / I ˃take it / as a ˈgood ˏomen / that ˃wireless / should have ˌreached its ˌpresent perˏfection / at a ˃time / when the ˃Empire / has been ˃linked / in ˈcloser ˎunion / for it ˈoffers ˃us/ iˈmmense possiˏbilities / to make that ˃union/ ˈcloser ˎstill / It may ˃be / that our ˃future / will lay u˃pon us / more then ˃one / ˈstern ˎtest / Our ˃past / will have ˃taught us/ how to ˃meet it / unˎshaken.
B2. The abdication speech (1936)
This king’s speech is very odd. It has some features of older GB, e.g. final [ɪ] duty (but not in other words constitutionally, lately, only), [æ] understand, somewhat backed /ʌ/ country, brother, very open finish to /ɪə/ years (though not the expected pronunciation in the thirties-/jɜːz/). Odd pronunciations are ago with /əʊ/ beginning with a very open [ə] (moving towards [ɒ]) and similar, though not as extreme, in know, /aɪ/ with a back starting-point (as in Cockney!)
Orthographic transcript
At long last I am able to say a few words of my own. I have never wanted to withhold anything but until now it has not been constitutionally possible for me to speak. A few hours ago I discharged my last duty as king and emperor. And now that I have been succeeded by my brother, the Duke of York, my first words must be to declare my allegiance to him. This I do with all my heart. You all know the reasons that have impelled me to renounce the throne. But I want you to understand that in making up my mind I did not forget the country or the empire which, as Prince of Wales and lately as King, I have for twenty-five years tried to serve. But you must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility, and to discharge my duties as King as I would wish to do, without the help and support of the woman I love. And I want you to know that the decision I have made has been mine and mine alone. This was a thing I had to judge entirely for myself. The other person most nearly concerned has tried up to the last to persuade me to take a different course. I have made this, the most serious decision of my life, only upon the single thought of what would, in the end, be best for all.
Phonemic transcription
at lɒŋ lɑːst aɪ am eɪbl tə seɪ ə fjuː wɜːdz əv maɪ əʊn aɪ hav nevə wɒntɪd tə wɪðhəʊld enɪθɪŋ bət ʌntɪl naʊ ɪt həz nɒt biːn kɒnstɪtjuːʃnli pɒsəbl fɔː miː tə spiːk ə fjuː ɑʊəz əgəʊ aɪ dɪsʧɑːʤd maɪ lɑːst djuːti az kɪŋ and emprə ənd naʊ ðət aɪ hav biːn səksiːdɪd baɪ maɪ brʌðə ðə djuːk əv jɔːk maɪ fɜːst wɜːdz mʌs biː tə dɪklɛː maɪ əliːʤəns tə hɪm ðɪs aɪ duː wɪð ɔːl maɪ hɑːt juː ɔːl nəʊ ðə riːznz wɪʧ [atɪ] hæv ɪmpeld miː tə rənaʊns ðə θrəʊn bət aɪ wɒnt ju tu ʌndəstand ðat ɪn meɪkɪŋ ʌp maɪ maɪnd aɪ dɪd nɒt fəget ðə kʌntri ɔː ði empɑː wɪʧ az prɪns əv weɪlz and leɪtli əz kɪŋ aɪ hav fə twenti faɪv jɪəz traɪd tə sɜːv bʌt juː mʌst bəliːv miː wen aɪ tel ju ðət aɪ hav faʊnd ɪt ɪmpɒsəbl tə kari ðə hevi bɜːdn əv rɪspɒnsəbɪləti and tə dɪsʧɑːʤ maɪ djuːtiːz əz kɪŋ əz aɪ [aiː] wʊd wɪʃ tə duː wɪðaʊt ðə help ən səpɔːt əv ðə wʊmən aɪ lʌv and aɪ wɒnt ju tə nəʊ ðət ðə dəsɪʒn aɪ hav meɪd haz biːn maɪn and maɪn ələʊn ðɪs wəz ə θɪŋ aɪ had tə ʤʌʤ ɪntɑːli fə maɪself ði ʌðə pɜːsn məʊst nɪəli kənsɜːnd əz traɪd ʌp tə ðə lɑːst tə pəsweɪd miː tə teɪk ə dɪfərənt kɔːs aɪ hav meɪd ðɪs ðə məʊs sɪərɪəs dəsɪʒn əv maɪ laɪf əʊnli əpɒn ðə sɪŋgl θɔːt əv wɒt wʊd ɪn ði end biː best fər ɔːl
This mainstream GB of the time is not so very different from GB of today. But final [ɪ], e.g. in locally, would now be regarded as CGB.This BBC newsreader has a very reduced /əʊ/ (= [o]) when final, e.g. tomorrow. Notice the very short final /s,z/ following a consonant, e.g. intervals, districts. Note also that the speaker uses [ç], a voiceless palatal fricative, in the German word reich
Orthographic transcript
This is the Regional Programme. Here is the Air Ministry's weather forecast for tomorrow. There will be occasional rain in most districts but also bright intervals. Thunder will occur locally. It will continue rather warm. Outlook for Saturday rather unsettled. Here is the fourth news copyright reserved. The German wireless announced tonight the German Government's reply to a British communication and gave the German Government's proposals for a settlement of the Polish problem in the following sixteen points.
Point 1: the free city of Dantzig should return to the Reich unconditionally and forthwith on account of its purely German character and unanimous will of its population.
Point 2: the corridor should decide itself whether it desires to belong to Germany or Poland. For this purpose a plebiscite should be held.
Point 3: those entitled to vote in this plebiscite would be all Germans and Poles who had been resident in the corridor since the first of January 1918 or had been born there. All Germans expelled from the corridor or forced to leave would return in order to cast their vote.
Point 4: in order to guarantee an entirely objective form of voting an international commission would be set up similar to that which operated during the ……..It will consist of representatives of Italy, Soviet Russia, France and Great Britain. All Polish police, military and other authorities would have to leave the corridor at the shortest possible notice except at Gdynia which would remain Polish. The exact frontier between Gdynia and Germany would have to be fixed through agreements between Berlin and Warsaw.
Point 5: the plebiscite would not take place before a lapse of twelve months
Phonemic transcription
ðɪs ɪz ðə riːʤənl prəʊgram hɪər ɪz ði ɛː mɪnɪstrɪz weðə fɔːkɑs f təmɒrəʊ ðɛː wɪl bi əkeɪʒnl reɪn ɪn məʊs dɪstrɪks bʌt ɔːlsəʊ braɪt ɪntəvlz θʌndə wɪl əkɜː ləʊkəlɪ ɪt wɪl kntɪnjuː rɑːðə wɔːm aʊtlʊk fə satədɪ rɑːðər ʌnsetld.
hɪər ɪz ðə fɔːθ njuːz kɒpɪraɪt rɪzɜːvd ðə ʤɜːmən wɑːləs ənaʊns tənaɪt ðə ʤɜːmən gʌvmənts rəplaɪ tu ə brɪtɪʃ kəmjuːnɪkeɪʃn an geɪv ðə ʤɜːmən gʌvmənts prəpəʊzlz fɔːr ə setlmənt əv ðə pəʊlɪʃ prɒbləm ɪn ðə fɒləʊɪŋ sɪkstiːn pɔɪnts
pɔɪnt wʌn ðə friː sɪti əv dantsɪg ʃʊd rətɜːn tə ðə raɪç ʌnkəndɪʃənəlɪ and fɔːθwɪθ ɒn əkaʊnt əv ɪts pjʊəlɪ ʤɜːmən karɪktə and juːnanəməs wɪl əv ɪts pɒpjʊleɪʃn pɔɪnt tuː ðə kɒrɪdɔː ʃʊd dɪsaɪd ɪtself weðər ɪt dɪzɑːz tə bɪlɒŋ tə ʤɜːmənɪ ɔː pəʊlən fɔː ðɪs pɜːpəs ə plebɪsɪt ʃʊd bɪ held pɔɪnt θriː ðəʊz ɪntaɪtld tə vəʊt ɪn ðɪs plebɪsɪt wʊd biː ɔːl ʤɜːmənz ən pəʊlz hu həd bɪn resɪdənt ɪn ðə kɒrɪdɔː sɪns ðə fɜːst əv ʤanjʊərɪ naɪntiːn eɪtiːn ɔːr əd biːn bɔːn ðɛː ɔːl ʤɜːmənz ɪkspeld frɒm ðə kɒrɪdɔː ɔː fɔːs tə liːv wʊd rətɜːn ɪn ɔːdə tə kɑːst ðɛː vəʊt pɔɪnt fɔː ɪn ɔːdə tə garəntiː ən ɪntɑːəli əbʤektɪv fɔːm əv vəʊtɪŋ ən ɪntənaʃnl kəmɪʃn wʊd bɪ set ʌp sɪmɪlə tə ðat wɪʧ ɒpəreɪtɪd djʊərɪŋ ð [fɑːk edɪtɪd] ɪt wl kənsɪst əv reprɪzentətɪvz əv ɪtəlɪ səʊvjət rʌʃə frɑːns an greɪt brɪtn ɔːl pəʊlɪʃ pəliːs mɪlɪtri ən ʌðə ɔːθɒrətɪz wʊd hav tə liːv ðə kɒrɪdɔː ət ðə ʃɔːtɪs pɒsəbl nəʊtɪs ɪksept at gədɪnjə wɪʧ wʊd rɪmeɪn pəʊlɪʃ ði ɪgzak frʌntɪə bɪtwiːn gədɪnjə an ʤɜːmənɪ wʊd haf tə bɪ fɪkst θruː əgriːmənts bɪtwiːn bɜːlɪn an wɔːsɔː pɔɪnt faɪv ðə plebɪsɪt wʊd nɒt teɪk pleɪs bɪfɔː ə laps əv twelv mʌns
B4. The declaration of war (1939)
/a/ =[ɛ] cabinet, have, ambassador, /əʊ/ =[oʊ] Poland, final [ɪ] Germany, very, you = [jʊ], /ɔː/ = [ɔ̞], i.e. more open than now, as in war, more, /aʊ/ very front starting-point, as in now, /ɜː/ in <er> = [ɛː] Berlin, German.
Orthographic transcript
I am speaking to you from the Cabinet Room in ten Downing Street. This morning the British ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government the final note stating that, unless we heard from them by eleven o'clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received and that consequently this country is at war with Germany.
You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to me that all my long struggle to win peace has failed. Yet I cannot believe that there is anything more or anything different that I could have done that would have been more successful. Up to the very last it would have been quite possible to have arranged a peaceful and honorable settlement between Germany and Poland. But Hitler would not have it. He had evidently made up his mind to attack Poland whatever happened. And, although he now says he put forward reasonable proposals which were rejected by the Poles, that is not a true statement. The proposals were never shown to the Poles. Nor to us. And though they were announced in the German broadcast on Thursday night, Hitler did not wait to hear comments on them. Nor did his troops to cross the Polish frontier the next morning
Phonemic transcription
aɪ am spiːkɪŋ tu ju frm ðə kabɪnɪt ruːm (ɪn) ten daʊnɪŋ striːt ðɪs mɔːnɪŋ ðə brɪtɪʃ ambasədə ɪn bɜːlɪn handɪd ðə ʤɜːmən gᴧvm̩ənt ðə faɪnl nəʊt steɪtɪŋ ðat ᴧnles wiː hɜːd frɒm ðem baɪ ɪlevn əklɒk ðət ðeɪ prəpɛːd at wᴧns tə wɪðdrɔː ðɛː truːps frɒm pəʊlənd eɪ steɪt əv wɔː wʊd ɪgzɪst bətwiːn əs aɪ hӕv tə tel ju naʊ ðat nəʊ sᴧʧ ᴧndəteɪkɪŋ haz biːn rɪsiːvd an ðat kɒnsɪkwəntlɪ ðɪs kᴧntrɪ ɪz at wɔː wɪð ʤɜːmənɪ
ju kən ɪmaʤɪn wɒt ə bɪtə bləʊ ɪt ɪz tə miː ðət ɔːl maɪ lɒŋ strᴧgl tə wɪn piːs həz feɪld jet aɪ kanɒt bɪliːv ðət ðɛ:r ɪz enɪθɪŋ mɔː ɔːr enɪθɪŋ dɪfrənt ðət aɪ kʊd əv dᴧn ðət wʊd əv biːn mɔː səksesfl ᴧp tə ðə verɪ lɑːst ɪt wʊd əv biːn kwaɪt pɒsəbl tu hav əreɪnʒ ə piːsfl ən ɒnrəbl setlmənt bɪtwiːn ʤɜːmənɪ an pəʊlənd bət hɪtlə wʊd nɒt hav ɪt hiː əd evɪdəntlɪ meɪd ᴧp hɪz maɪn tu ətak pəʊlən wɒtevə hapm ən ɔːlðəʊ i naʊ sez i pʊt fɔːwəd riːznəbl prəpəʊzlz wɪʧ wɜː rɪʤektɪd baɪ pəʊlz ðӕt ɪz nɒt ə truː steɪtmənt ðə prəpəʊzlz wə nevə ʃəʊn tə ðə pəʊlz nɔː tu ᴧs ən ðəʊ ðeɪ wɜːr ənaʊnst ɪn ðə ʤɜːmən brɔːdkɑːst ɒn θɜːzdɪ naɪt hɪtlə dɪd nɒt weɪt tə hɪə kɒments ɒn ðm nɔː dɪd hɪz truːps tə krɔːs ðə pəʊlɪʃ frᴧntɪə ðə neks mɔːnɪŋ
B5. A royal performer in a children's programme (1940)
The presenter uses GB of its time. Note his /əʊ/ = [oʊ] home, ago and intervocalic /r/ = [ɾ] Margaret. He pronounces <wh> = [hw] everywhere which was old-fashioned GB even in 1940. He pronounces programme as /prəʊɡam/ eliding the second /r/.
The speech of the princess probably represents the CGB of her time. Notice in the first few words she pronounced all as [ɔʊ] which is not now to be considered as mainstream GB but as either popular London, or London Regional GB ('Estuary English'). But in all other respects her speech represents GB or CGB. She has GB pronunciations: final [ɪ] country, /əʊ/ as [oʊ] home, very front beginning to /aɪ/ time, /ɑʊə/ as [ɑː] hour. She has CGB pronunciations: monophthongal unfronted /iː,uː,ʊ/ feel, new, too, good, very open and somewhat backed /ʌ/ country, /r/ as [ʋ] in friends. Notice how she treats the sequence /ɔː/ or /ɒ/ plus voiceless fricative or nasal: often is /`ɔːfən/, Australia is /ɔːs`treɪlɪə/, gone has a vowel blend of /ɔː/ and /ɒ/ as /ɡɒːn/
Orthographic transcript
This is the BBC Home Service. Hullo, children, everywhere. This is one of the most important days in the history of Children's Hour. Some time ago we were honoured by the visit to the studio of the King and Queen with Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret during the broadcast of a Toytown programme. Today Princess Elizabeth is herself to take part in the Children's Hour and speak to the children of the Empire at home and overseas. Listeners in the United States of America will also hear this broadcast. Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth.
In wishing you all Good Evening I feel that I am speaking to friends and companions who have shared with my sister and myself many a happy Children's Hour. Thousands of you on this country have had to leave your homes and be separated from your fathers and mothers. My sister Margaret Rose and I feel so much for you as we know from experience what it means to be away from those we love most of all. To you living in new surroundings we send a message of true sympathy and at the same time we would like to thank the kind people who have welcomed you to their homes in the country. All of us children who are still at home think continually of our friends and relations who have gone overseas, who have travelled thousands of miles to find a wartime home and a kindly welcome in Canada, Australia. New Zealand, South Africa and United States of America. My sister and feel we know quite a lot about these countries. Our father and mother have so often talked to us about their visits to different parts of the world so it is not difficult for us to picture the sort of life you are all living and to think of all the new sights you must be seeing and adventures you must be having. But I'm sure that you too are often thinking of the old country. I know you wont forget us. It is just because we are not forgetting you that I want, on behalf of all the children at home, to send you my love and best wishes to you and to you and to your kind hosts as well.
B6. A literary luncheon (1941)
First to be noted is the vowel /əʊ/ of ago which = [əɡɛ̝̈ʊ] a diphthong definitely considered CGB nowadays and probably also then; it is also heard in note, knows. The speaker also has a very open final [ɪ] history, properly, and a pronunciation of /a/ which varies between Cardinal 3 [ɛ] as, at, actual, activity, back, added, fact, bay and a slightly more open pronunciation in latter, valued. It appears that the qualities of /e/ and /a/ overlap because /e/ is rather open, attention, valued; but /a/ is differentiated by being longer: notice, for example, how long /a/ is in bag.
Orthographic transcript
Mr Chairman, my lords ladies and gentlemen
When I was er invited to come and talk to you this afternoon, a friend of mine who was present added very properly "Of course you’ll also ask some important people". And I I dont think… it really was a proper observation because, goodness knows, I have no claim whatever to your attention apart from the fact that er I happen as it were to have something in the bag or to er misquote an old slogan "You want the best records and er we happen to have them". But [er] I was passed a note few moments ago from a solicitous friend saying that I really didn’t seem to have done very much justice to this er luncheon but in fact I talk to you now with feelings rather of terror than of hunger because er looking down this list of distinguished guests I'm reminded firstly I didn’t — it isn’t very long ago since I had the misfortune to lose most of Mr Priestley's most valued records and it isn’t er so much longer period ago since I played what can only be described as dastardly trick on Mr E D Knott by recording him at the Author's Club when he wasn’t looking or perhaps I should say when he wasn’t listening. [Er..er] Another name on the invitation card takes my mind back some twenty five years when Sanderson Landlaw who was then my headmaster told me that he hoped he'd be able to teach me at least two things er the first was history er and the second was Mr H G Wells. [Er.. heh] and [er] I found it expedient I remember to concentrate on the latter because he was a very close personal friend of Sanderson's and Sanderson had a way of being able to make his his weight felt in more senses than one. As to history well when I look along this table and see so many people who have either written histories or actually made history I realize that for me to begin to talk about the lessons — the historical lessons our records could teach us would be a mere presumption.
B7. The chairman of a lunch (1941)
This speaker shows (maybe consciously stylistic) slight stammering particularly on the word I. This is not transcribed in the phonemic transcription. Notice particularly /a/ nearing [ɛ] Gladstone, alacrity, accepted, habitat, damage, final <y> is [ɪ], in fact it is very open and could be transcribed [ë̞] or [ɛ̝̈] alacrity, curiosity, very open ending to the diphthong /ɪə/ here, close beginning for /eɪ/ names, no sign of [ɒ] in diphthong /əʊ/ before /l/ old.
Orthographic transcript
When it was er.. first suggested to me that I should come here this afternoon.. a- and take the chair for Mr Gladstone, I accepted the invitation with er.. some alacrity.. a- and in the same spirit of idle curiosity which I suspect has brought you here in er such impressive numbers. But when I found among those who who were to be present the name of Mr J. W. Dunne with whom past and present are always, what the prime minister says of British and American concerns, somewhat mixed up together, I understood or I began to understand, what the nature of the procedings was to be. Mr Dunne's normal habitat is the middle of next week er and er, though he failed, I think, to do any serious harm to the stoutly resisting intelligence er of the great man on my right Mr H. G. Wells, er.. he certainly did do irreparable damage to the more shrinking mentality of Mr Priestley because.. dramatists are less er able to defend themselves against ideas because they're less used to them.
Phonemic transcription
wen ɪt wəz [ə] fɜːst səʤestɪd tə mi ðət aɪ ʃʊd kʌm hɪə ðɪs ɑːftənuːn and teɪk ðə ʧɛː fə mɪstə ɡladstən aɪ akseptɪd ði ɪnvɪteɪʃn wɪð [ə] sʌm əlakrɪtɪ and…ɪn ðə seɪm spɪrɪt əv aɪdl kjʊəriɒsɪtɪ wɪʧ aɪ səspekt əz brɔːt ju hɪə ɪn [əː] sʌʧ ɪmpresɪv nʌmbəz bət [ə] wen aɪ faʊnd əmʌŋ ðəʊz hu wə tə bi preznt ðə neɪm əv mɪstə ʤeɪ dʌbljuː dʌn wɪð huːm pɑːst ən preznt ɑː ɔːlwɪz wɒt ðə praɪm mɪnɪstə seɪz əv brɪtɪʃ ən əmerɪkən kənsɜːnz sʌmwɒt mɪkst ʌp təɡeðə aɪ ʌndəstʊd ɔːr aɪ bɪɡan tu ʌndəstand wɒt ðə neɪʧə əv ðə prəsiːdɪŋz wəz tə biː mɪstə dʌnz nɔːməl habɪtat ɪz ðə mɪdl əv neks wiːk [ə] n [ə] ðəʊ hi feɪld aɪ θɪŋk tə duː enɪ sɪərɪəs hɑːm tə ðə staʊtli rɪzɪstɪŋ ɪntelɪʤ…əv ðə ɡreɪp man ɒm maɪ raɪt mɪstə eɪʧ ʤi welz [ə] hi sɜːtnli dɪd duː ɪrepərəbl damɪʤ tə ðɪ mɔː ʃrɪnkɪŋ mentalɪtɪ v mɪstə priːstlɪ bɪkɒz dramətɪsts ə les eɪbl tʊ dɪfend ðəmselvz əɡenst aɪdɪəz bɪkɒz ðɛː les juːs tu ðəm
B8. The landing in France (1944)
This extract sounds relatively modern. Some older pronunciations: /a/ as [æ] and, Snagge, purish vowel in /iː/ overseas, supreme, BBC, /ɛː/ is a diphthong [ɛə] air, [jʊ] for you, diphthong [ɔə] with open [ə̞] force, but modern vowel in /əʊ/ home.
Orthographic transcript
This is London. Londing calling in the home, overseas and European services of the BBC and through United Nations Radio Mediterranean, and this is John Snagge speaking. Supreme headquarters allied expeditionary force have just issued Communique No 1, and in a few seconds I will read it to you. Under the command of General Eisenhower allied naval forces supported by strong air forces began landing allied armies this morning on the northern coast of France. I'll repeat that Communique....
Phonemic transcription
ðɪs ɪz lʌndən lʌndən kɔːlɪŋ ɪn ðə həʊm əʊvəsiːz an jʊərəpɪən sɜːvɪsɪz əv ðə biːbiːsiː and θruː juːnaɪtɪd neɪʃənz reɪdiəʊ medɪtəreɪnɪən an ðɪs ɪz ʤɒn snaɡ (spiːkɪŋ) suːpriːm hedkwɔːtəz alaɪd ekspədɪʃənri fɔːs hav ʤʌst ɪʃuːd kəmjuːnɪkeɪ nʌmbə wʌn an ɪn ə fjuː seknz aɪ wɪl riːd ɪt tə jʊ ʌndə ðə kəmɑːnd əv ʤenrəl aɪzənhaʊə alaɪd neɪvəl fɔːsɪz səpɔːtɪd baɪ strɒŋ ɛː fɔːsɪz bɪɡan landɪŋ alaɪd ɑːmɪz ðɪs mɔːnɪŋ ɒn ðə nɔːðən kəʊst əv frɑːns aɪl rɪpiːt ðat kəmjuːnɪkeɪ…
B9. A visit to a new town (1959)
Fairly modern speech. But notice some local London influence: town = [taːn], celebrated = [`selɪbreɪʔɪd], going =[ɡə̞ɪŋ]. This speaker also has intervocalic [ɾ] in during, and hour = [aː] (both of which may be Cockney influence or just older GB). Notice the weakening of the first /p/ in Pied Piper (the name of a pub) = [faɪd `paɪpə].
Orthographic transcript
When Stevenage received a visit from the Queen, the naming of Queen's Way, the chief shopping street, was performed by unveiling a panel on the clocktower. It was a great day for the new town and during her two-hour stay there, her Majesty included a visit to a butcher's shop, in her inspection of the town centre. Next on the list for the royal inspection a pub. It's run by Wilf Mannion, the former football star. Certainly an occasion to be celebrated and I bet there'll be some photographs going up in the Pied Piper.
B10. A Berlin checkpoint (1961)
Most noticeable of older GB (and present-day CGB) is the consistent use of final [ɪ] Charlie, army, infantry, city, dingy, ready, only. Some use of intervocalic tapped /r/ American, /əʊ/ varies between [əʊ] show, zone, road and [oʊ] clothes. /aʊə/ = [aː] our, /ɪə/ in here is [ɛ̝ə], /a/ varies between [a] back and [æ] strand, tanks. Notice also the very tense voiceless plosives (particularly /p/) and affricates, checkpoint Charlie, papers, points, sector, piece.
Orthographic transcript
This is Robin Day at Checkpoint Charlie, the American Army post with American military jeeps at the ready in the dingy backstreet called the Friedrichstrasse. This is where the Americans have been resisting interference by the East German police with their right of entry from here into the eastern half of this four-power city of Berlin which lies through there. There stand the East German People's Police whose demand last week that all Allied officials in civilian clothes must show their papers led to the tense situation on the border. A hundred yards back inside the American sector, motorised infantry stand by after withdrawal of the tanks which were brought out to enforce the right of American civilians to enter the east sector without showing passes. At the checkpoint American soldiers are on guard in full battle kit complete with bullet proof vests. This where I'm walking now is the border at Checkpoint Charlie between the American zone and the eastern sector. This piece of road twelve yards wide is the only crossing point which is now open to the Americans, the British and the French. This gap in the wall which you can see at either side of the road is all that remains of our right to move as we wish into East Berlin. Since August the thirteenth the wall has gone up right across the divided city. It has transformed what were busy crossing points into silent and deserted cul-de-sacs.