So, a couple of hours ago I was in a Currys / PC World in Chatham.
I was looking for a flipflange for my gizbot, I engaged the helpful young assistant in conversation and he found one that fitted, great, a positive visit with a positive result.
But then, then, right at the end having had a chat about business phones he asked where my accent was from. "Wales", I answered (it's actually very BBC newsreader neutral, he was clearly very perceptive of accents).
"Where's that?" he said.....WHERE'S THAT!*
I know I'm setting it up for lots of jokes on where it is, but this guy was not some east european or asian new guy struggling with the language or culture. This was a regular home grown early twenties bloke capable of operating a till and reading the spec on a box of cables.
I was walking out of the shop, wondering if he would know what Nuneaton was, nevermind where it was.
* I did check he'd heard me properly though my strong celt / kent hybrid accent and yes, he knew I'd said Wales. So I said it was over the west, by Bristol.