To celebrate National Geordie Day on Tuesday 16 July 2024, Newcastle-based electric train operator, Lumo, today reveals that ‘Geordie’ has been voted the top accent for putting a smile on your face when you hear it.
The train company polled over 1,000 Brits to find out the accents most likely to bring them joy, with 23% of respondents choosing the Tyneside accent. Famously put on the map by pop and culture icons such as Ant and Dec, Cheryl Cole, Sam Fender, and Marcus Bentley, consumers naturally chose this accent as the winner. This was closely followed by Yorkshire (20%), and Scouse (16%), who followed in second and third place.
The top five accents most likely to put a smile on your face when you hear it.
- Geordie – 23%
- Yorkshire – 20%
- Scouse – 16%
- Cockney – 12%
- Glaswegian – 11%
The Geordie accent was most loved by respondents between 45 and 54 years old, followed by those aged 65 and over, while it was also the most voted by men in the poll.
With a high percentage of its workforce including its on-train teams being based in Newcastle, Lumo is proud to know that the friendly faces on their route, with trains travelling daily between Edinburgh and London, are matched with an accent that customers know and love.
Speaking on the new research, Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director of Lumo, said:
“As a business proudly based in Newcastle, we absolutely love our Geordie community here in the North East and may be biased, but we definitely think we’re the friendliest. Most of our team on and off the trains are Geordies, so it’s brilliant to see the results of our new research and that our accent puts a smile on the faces of others!
“A warm North East welcome is assured onboard our trains, and was recently reflected in our 96% customer satisfaction score. A great achievement for our team.”
As well as recently securing the 96% customer satisfaction survey result, the company was awarded ‘Green Innovation Business of the Year’ at the North East Chamber of Commerce Business Awards earlier this month.
Known for championing its northern roots, Lumo has recently partnered with various local organisations such as Newcastle College and the Discovery Museum, as well as North East charities including People’s Kitchen, helping to engage with communities of Newcastle and surrounding areas.
In response to the result, Sarah Green, Chief Executive at NewcastleGateshead Initiative said:
“It’s no surprise that our region’s accents have been voted the friendliest! Our renowned ‘canny’ nature is one of the North East’s biggest assets and our passionate and welcoming people are often cited as one of the main reasons why visitors want to return to the region time and time again and why businesses want to base themselves and their people here. Paired up with our stunning coastlines, unrivalled countryside and our vibrant towns and cities, our people are rightly proud to be from here and it’s wonderful to see that passion, warmth and friendliness reflected in the way we speak and to know people from around the UK agree – we’re a proper friendly bunch!
“As we continue the work of Destination North East England, we’ll of course look to showcase our reputation for being a friendly, welcoming place to visit, work, live and invest.”
For more information on Lumo, visit www.lumo.co.uk