READING the Family Life page and the article on accents (The Press, February 21), made me think.

My husband was born at Beamish Co Durham and was often corrected by his mother on the way he pronounced words; she was born at Sunderland not all that many miles away from Beamish, but even that short distance made a difference in the accent.

As a matter of interest, in the early 1800s when an inspector from the Government was sent to the mining areas of the north east to report on the working conditions of the pitmen, he could not understand them so had to learn their language first.

Fortunately, I was born in a small pit village between Beamish and Sunderland so could understand both husband and mother-in-law.

Mrs M Robinson, Broadway, York.