LETTER: Peaky Blinders has almost made Brummie accent sexy

As a lot of my academic work involves examining the role of voice and locality, I was triggered by the new series of Peaky Blinders to think how the perception of the Brummie dialect has been changed by its success.

I must admit after the story moved away from the semi-factual account in the original episodes (due to its popularity), I lost interest.

I congratulate the writers for creating a brilliant series that has grown and put our second city on the map, but for me it's just another gangster story (be it an excellent one so I'm told).

However, whether it's because of the cast or because they have become more comfortable with 'Brummie English' after initially sounding like some strange Scousers, it seems it is now not top of the tree when polled which is the worst accent/dialect in England.

In a funny way it has almost made it sexy.

It is great that the writer Stephen Knight (a Brummie) has insisted that much of the filming is done in the city, and as we know at our beloved Black Country Museum.

I read an article recently where he said even seasoned actors will say to him "we can't do it!" when challenged with a Brummie accent so who knows what attempt they'd make trying our Black Country version, and which variety would they attempt.

Maybe it will never reach the heights of sexiness that some of the continental accents have, but if it makes folk appreciate it and the city and its people more, then long may it go on.

All we need now is for somebody to write a comedic detective story or create characters based on Tommy Munden and 'Arry 'Arrison . What a brilliant idea.

We could get Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer to play them. You could have cases like The Grorty Pud Murders. Now that would be bostin!!!!

Brian Dakin

Rowley Regis