I AM very proud to have been born and raised in this beautiful county and it really annoys me when people from outside the county, what we call ‘vurriners’, do not learn to pronounce the names of towns, villages, and areas, in the way that the locals do.

Some of the worst culprits, because of their wide influence, are presenters of programmes on BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

One place that gets mentioned a lot because it now has a motorway service station, is Michaelwood. One particular presenter, even though he has been told on numerous occasions and by many people that we pronounce the name as Mickelwood, insists on calling it Mike-alwood because ‘that’s the way visitors call it’.

I was once stationed near Alnwick in Northumberland and soon learnt how the locals pronounced the name.

I am sure that if the local radio station there used the incorrect pronunciation there would be a public outcry.

Jim Temlett

Marlstone Road

Cam