16 OCTOBER 1999, Page 32
From Mr Roger Ordish Sir: Boris Johnson speaks of John
Peel's 'Liverpudlian sort of voice'. John Peel was educated at Shrewsbury and has bravely confessed on the wireless that he used to talk posh, but has since mended his ways and acquired an 'acceptable' designer- accent. (Hear also Janet Street-Porter, Harry Enfield, etc.) Mr Johnson should perhaps take a leaf
out of the Prime Minister's book and go for the Australian sounds of the post-Neigh- bours generation. For example, Mr Blair gives the same pronunciation to the words 'backbenchers' and 'backbenches' (and — incidentally — treats one much as the other).
Roger Ordish
Marshlands, Kingston Road, Lewes, East Sussex