Voice Change

George Reynolds, an Essex care worker has been diagnosed with a very rare medical condition known as Foreign Language Syndrome.

Before suffering from a mild stroke, he spoke standard Cockney English like the rest of his family. But after recovering his power of speech, George found his voice had changed involuntarily beyond all recognition. He now speaks with an Italian accent... "I have never been to Italy...the family thought I was taking the mickey", he said.

Although Mr. Reynolds is able to move his tongue from side to side, he is unable to move his tongue up or down.

Researchers at Oxford University have found that patients with "foreign accent syndrome" seem to share certain characteristics which might explain the problem.

A small number of them all had tiny areas of damage in various parts of the brain. This might explain the combination of subtle changes to vocal features such as lengthening of syllables, altered pitch or mispronounced sounds which make a patient's pronunciation sound similar to a foreign accent.

Some patients who suffer brain injuries or strokes occasionally lose their ability to talk in their native accent. The problem often clears up but it can be another highly upsetting blow for patients who have to cope with other disabilities.

Live and Let Live

Britain has emerged as one of the most tolerant nations in the world. A wide-ranging survey of national attitudes, comparing international beliefs and values, has found that the British are more likely to embrace their neighbours whatever their ethnic background. Britons are also more tolerant of casual sex, divorce, and drug use.

However, while Britons are more accepting of alternative lifestyles, they are less trusting of public institutions. Confidence in the political system is half that of many other countries. The World Values Survey was compiled using research from the London School of Economics. About 175,000 people were questioned in 81 countries.

It finds that Britain is one of the more easy-going nations when it comes to who they are happy to live next to. In Britain, 91 per cent are not concerned having neighbours of a different race compared with 68 per cent in Turkey and 83 per cent in Belgium.

Gay people are also less like to be discriminated against in Britain. Only a quarter think homosexuality is 'never justifiable' compared with 32 per cent of Americans, 71 per cent Indians.

The findings confirm Britain's long history of accepting people with different backgrounds and lifestyles, according to Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Commission of Racial Equality. "This is a picture of high tolerance," he said. "Not only are we in general more tolerant than other societies, it's the key to the British character."

Marriage appears to be taken less seriously in Britain than in many other countries and nearly nine out of ten believe that divorce can be justified. 63 per cent believe that casual sex can be justified compared to 51 per cent in Italy and just 6 per cent in Malta.

Smoking marijuana is like to cause less concern in Britain than most of the rest Europe.

The Survey also reveals Britons' growing cynicism towards the political process - confidence in the political system is about 23 per cent.

The study brings gloomy news for British Churches, it shows that only 42 per cent interviewed considered themselves 'a religious person'.

Dr Tom Wright, the Bishop of Durham, was not surprised by the figures " We are right in the middle of post-modernity," he said. "One of the features of that is a do-it-yourself culture with people exploring different parts of spirituality. There is genuine confusion."

However, Philip Pullman, the Survey's author, suggested Britain's growing lack of interest in religion might help explain their tolerance. "The more religion you have, the less tolerant you are," he said. "It sounds as if Britain is a healthy secular society."

The Times

In the fullness of time...

"It was," Mrs Parker-Bowles is reputed to have said, "just two old folks getting married." As such, the people in Windsor on Saturday were taking the wedding in their stride.

The crowd was, largely respectful and respectable: there were perhaps 10,000 spread along the high street for a few hundred yards and they were almost, but not quite outnumbered by police and media.

In 1981, the last time Prince Charles got married, there was a cathedral and state carriages, everyone in Britain had a day off work and there were street parties to toast a fairy tale apparently come true. This time, most of the royals arrived in the back of hired coach and the register office ceremony took 22 minutes. It was, in other words, like second marriages tend to be these days.

Except, of course, that most do not have a 15th century gothic family chapel to repair to afterwards; nor the Archbishop of Canterbury to offer a blessing; nor a Philharmonic Orchestra and a Russian contralto in attendance to sing the Orthodox Creed; nor 800 guests, from the aristocracy of showbusiness rather than the landed classes, to entertain.

Three last-minute objections to the marriage were peremptorily dismissed by Clair Williams, the local Borough's chief registrar, while outside those demonstrators bold enough to turn up were kept firmly in their place.

Peter Thatchell, the gay right campaigner, found himself surrounded by policemen when he tried to produce a poster declaring "Charles can marry twice; gays can't marry once" and they ruthlessly tore down a banner unfurled by an elderly woman which proclaimed: " Illegal, Immoral, Shameful. Duty Before Pleasure. Not fit to be King".

It was not clear what offence either was committing, nor why a police officer was taking photographs of the crowd. Another banner, garlanded with roses, with the message "Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone" was allowed to stand.

At the finger-buffet reception in the state apartment, according to Lord Bragg, one of the guests, the prince proposed a series of toasts: "Up to my parent, Up to my sons, Up to my darling Camilla and Down with the British press."

The Guardian