Talk:Wisbech

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is within the scope of the following WikiProjects:

WikiProject UK geography      (Rated Start-Class) This article falls within the scope of WikiProject UK geography, a user-group dedicated to building a comprehensive and quality guide to places in the United Kingdom on Wikipedia. If you wish to participate, share ideas or merely get tips you can join us at the project page where there are resources, to do lists and guidelines on how to write about settlements. United Kingdom Portal Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the assessment scale. (Add assessment comments) Low This article has been rated as low-importance within the UK geography WikiProject. WikiProject Cities     (Rated Start-Class) This article is supported by WikiProject Cities, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to cities, towns, and various other settlements on Wikipedia. For more information, or to get involved, visit the project page. Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the Project's quality scale. (If you rated the article please give a short summary at comments to explain the ratings and/or to identify the strengths and weaknesses.) Low This article has been rated as low-importance on the priority scale.

It's worth remembering that the second syllable of 'Wisbech' is the same as the second syllable of 'cabbage'. Often the media pronounce the second syllable as if it were 'beach', but this is inaccurate.

I'm a little confused by this. The secon syllable is surely pronounced "beach". I was born and raised in the place so I have a little authority on the subject. Epeeist smudge 11:54, 1 March 2006 (UTC)

I was also born and bred in Wisbech, and have carried out research on the local dialect there: a 'beach' pronunciation of the second syllable was used either by non-locals or by middle class people (who are more likely to use 'standard' rather than local pronunciations). Local vernacular speakers of the dialect pronounced the second syllable as 'bidge', to rhyme with Cabbage, as the first commentor suggests.

No they don't or at least not any more. I was brought up in Wisbech and my parents still live there. I've never heard anyone pronounce it like that regardless of class (I went to the Queens School not the Grammar). Say it like you suggest and you won't sound like a local but somone putting on a bad South African accent. Cp6ap 00:50, 25 March 2006 (UTC)

I don't claim any local knowledge, but the the present IPA transcription seems to me to be nonsensical whichever version is deemed to be "correct". Without wishing to take sides, I have changed it to accord with what seems to be majority opinion. Vilĉjo 21:39, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Pronunciation

I was born and raised in Wisbech too, and agree that we always pronounced it as in "beach". —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Dacsmsu (talk • contribs) 19:52, 9 April 2007 (UTC).

It is now pronouned as Beach, it has also in the past been pronounced bitch, beck. The answer to everyone's question is that the present spelling once was spelt 'Wisbeach' like nearby Holbeach & Waterbeach, I was born in Wisbech and still live there today, I just happen to be on my holiday in Oregon, USA at present! Jason Turner, Clarkson Court, Lynn Road, Wisbech, Cambs, PE13 ***....

[edit] The real crime rate?

It would be nice to know what the real crime rate is and how this compares with other places in the UK.