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Definition of “Brummie”, “Astonian” etc

My question is, do you concider yourself to be a Brummie or are you from the Black Country ? . I was born in Aberdeen St (off the Dudley Rd) in Winson Green. I class myself as a Brummie but i have friends who were born just over the way who insist they are from the Black country. I seem to remember being told that the Black Country starts at Heath St. but i am not so sure. It would be good to put this Brummie or Black Country debate to rest.... Any suggestions ?? Kind Regards..:unconscious: Eileen
 
I think we already have a thread about this. As far as I believe a Brummie is/was anyone born within the Birmingham City boundary. A colleague was born in West Bromwich he used to get upset if mistaken for a Brummie.
 
bernie i thought there was another thread for this subject had only a quick look but cant find it...
 
I think it is the one that asks 'What Is A Brummie' but which drifted into Black Country Lynn.

I found it a bit divisive in some parts.

Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk
 
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There is a site "what is a true brummy (sic)" under general discussion. Having grown up in Hall Green, I agree with Bernard's sentiments. Dave.
 
I also find this debate divisive too, the midlands has always had a very mobile population, so I fail to see why some individuals get so up tight about it.
 
Yes so do I paul - Simply depends upon which side of the border you were born or maybe grew up on. Bit like Yorkshiremen and Lancastrians.
 
I remember the BHA telling me that I was still a Brummie when I joined you. Being born in Brum and only living there a few weeks. My Nan said she wasn't Black Country either, she coming from Wordsley, Stourbridge but Gornall was Black Country where her aunties came from. Nico
 
Hi nico. ,
Yes indeed your gran was correct in telling you that she was black country folk speaking because if you came from either
Gornal,,,or lower normal its falls within the dudley diologue speaking it is stated from years ago way back in time halesowen,,
And stourbridge was just the boarder of the said black country folk speaking people in those days

They was not black country folk along with widely they are not black country speaking people
Normal was way back in time was the old boat people of barges on our canals along with the dirty smokie foundries
There was a lot of old bargeies family on our grand union canal trapping up and down the grand union canals
I could tell you a lot of the old names of these family's but yes normal and lower normal was the glass makers as well
Best wishes astonian,,,,,
 
71 percent but I answered like a Black Country Person. Also Nan said that with grey peas,you ate grawty puddin' one of the option answers with the faggott question.
 
I got 86% and told 'you'm proper bostin' however I'm definitely not from the Black Country, I just knew what the answers would be!
 
Josie,

I suspect that the grey peas you refer to would be dried peas, Usually in a small carton and contained a small tablet which gave the peas a brighter green appearance. They are quite nice and yes, they were often had with faggots and peas. They have been overtaken by tinned 'mushy peas' I think,which are probably not any better but probably more expensive. When I lived at my 'in-laws' home in the early 1960's, when I got married, Sunday lunch was usually roast chicken and dried peas were one of the three vegetables plus roasted potatoes of course.
 
thank you i hadnt got the faintest what one was all i knew was you have mushy peas with faggots ( that was one i guessed)
josie
 
I seem to remember buying dried peas from the Corn Shop by the lb they would then be soaked in water for ages and then boiled up,
 
What is a brummie?

This was touched on in a thread yesterday but was quite rightly moderated/deleted as off topic. Must have been posted about before but I can't find it, so here goes.

Simple definition is probably someone who was born in Birmingham. But what about someone who was born eg in Sheldon before it became part of Birmingham? More interesting what do you call someone who was born in Sutton Coldfield before 1974 when it became part of Birmingham? or born in S.C. after 1974?

I'm also mindful that many famous Brummies weren't actually born in Birmingham.

I'm confused! What do other folks think?
 
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A question I've thought about at times. My earliest 'Birmingham' ancestors were from Harborne and Northfield pre 1840s but I doubt they considered themselves Brummies.

As we get towards the late 19th century there are relatives born Aston, Balsall Heath and a few other places whose birthplace is listed as Bham (and some not) but how much that was due to them or the recorder I don't know.

I wonder if people whose families came from other parts of the country (and beyond) were more likely to consider themselves a Brummie when strictly speaking they were born in Aston etc. As opposed to people whose families had lived in that area for generations.

Judging it strictly on birthplace then I wouldn't be, as I was born in Marston Green Hospital.

And do people in Sutton Coldfield consider themselves part of Bham? I think some/most would like to think they weren't.
 
MWS said:
A question I've thought about at times. My earliest 'Birmingham' ancestors were from Harborne and Northfield pre 1840s but I doubt they considered themselves Brummies.

As we get towards the late 19th century there are relatives born Aston, Balsall Heath and a few other places whose birthplace is listed as Bham (and some not) but how much that was due to them or the recorder I don't know.

I wonder if people whose families came from other parts of the country (and beyond) were more likely to consider themselves a Brummie when strictly speaking they were born in Aston etc. As opposed to people whose families had lived in that area for generations.

Judging it strictly on birthplace then I wouldn't be, as I was born in Marston Green Hospital.

And do people in Sutton Coldfield consider themselves part of Bham? I think some/most would like to think they weren't.
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I think it's a state of mind rather than a set of rules.
 
As someone brought up in Sutton Coldfield I thought of myself as a Suttonion. My Mother and her siblings would have been horrified to be called Brummies! My Grandmother was born and brought up in Erdington and my Grandfather in Kidderminster.
When I moved away, In 1969, Sutton was still part of Warwickshire. Since 1974 it became part of Birmingham but the people of Sutton did not embrace this change. I have found myself happy to be considered a Brummie over the years but my Mother never changed her view.
 
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Posts #337- 342 have been moved to this thread as they cover the same topic. This long thread may contain many previous unseen comments on the same subject. Viv.
 
I left well over 50 years ago as I have written elsewhere. Yet despite the rigours of a King Edwards education and the obligatory remedial pronunciation classes and having worked in an area that required me to speak in standard recieved English I can still be identified as the Brummie I truly am.
WHY? Because I apparently travel on Buzzies. Of all the words, phrases and whatever else you cannot disguise the fact that Passenger carrying omnibuses are Buzzies. I am proud of being born in Birmingham, proud of having one of the finest educations in the UK at certainly the best school. These days not so proud of the amount of time and money spent on election lessons to remove my accent but so relieved that travelling on a buzz marks out who I truly am
 
Spot on Daithelife! No matter what part oi the UK I am in I ALWAYS get picked up on that pronunciation! And I have lived in Wales for the last fourty years.

Dave
 
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