Anyone who has an interest in English is almost bound to have come across David Crystal.  He's an academic linguist but a great populariser and indeed having now seen him in the flesh I'd say he's a great showman.  It's not a surprise to learn that his son is an actor.

They were both there introducing two books; I Say Potato, a book about accents written in collaboration and The Disappearing Dictionary by David alone listing various dialect words that may no longer be in use but that he quite simply likes.

The talk was engaging and informative and the banter between the two lively and funny.  They demonstrated the reconstructed pronunciation of a Shakespeare sonnet and finished off with an impromptu bit of rap to illustrate changing patterns in the rhythm of English pronunciation.

On the way David dealt roundly with a question about the fears of parents at an unnamed Edinburgh nursery that their darlings were being soiled by the rough accents of their carers.