Helen Mead’s column on the North/South divide and how northern accents are viewed by others (Northerners get a bad press yet again, November 11) was interesting.

Fifty years ago when I started my selling career, about 20 of we new recruits from all over the UK had a week selling products from our cars to small independent shops all over the London area as part of our induction course. There was keen rivalry amongst us as to who sold the most.

The four of us from the north were each day among the top sellers.

Discussing this fact on the evening de-brief, the London recruits said that southerners suspected anyone with a local twang, whereas they always trusted someone with a northern accent.

Geoff Robb,

Hunters Close,

Dunnington, York