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Wendy,
that's a surprise, I have never heard Loo, Looe or lieu pronounced that way. Up here in the North-West of England we pronounce all of them the same, with a WHO sound like Few, Dew and Blue.
However, it is the English language and the variations in spellings, accents, dialects and pronunciations make it that bit more fun, I envy foreign people who take the time and trouble to learn our lingo.
And you have to remember that the cockney accent is in a world of its own, not only have you got rhyming slang but they don't even aspirate their H's, which is a crossword compilers tool of wordplay, as in the clue,

Mammal that would be warmer in the east end of London (5)

(H)-otter

....... and of course, we say leftenant

And you pronounce the name Taliaferro "Tolliver".

Do we? Are there even any people with that name in the UK? It looks Italian to me and I would pronounce it accordingly.

You must be confusing it with the likes of Featherstonehaugh (Fanshaw), Cholmondeley (Chumley), Mainwaring (Mannering) and Marjoribanks (Marchbanks).

It's obviously Italian, but an English given name nonetheless. It was carried over to the US, where it was used (I'm sure primarily) by Southern gentry, and it's pronounced Tolliver there too. I believe there's a county by that name- in Georgia, perhaps? I'll look it up...

Aristo, how would you get on pronouncing these good Scottish places - Milngavie,Strathaven and Drymen?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliaferro_County,_Georgia

Good Lord, Joan. I'd approach it with fear and trembling. Of course we have Tucson and Spokane and Wilkes-Barre and Plaistow...

From a genealogy site:
"The Virginia family of Taliaferro (pronounced Tolliver) are descended from London-born Robert Taliaferro or Tolliver, who settled in VA by 1647. He was the grandson of a Venetian, Bartholomew Taliaferro, who had settled in London by 1562. Between 1651 and 1673 Robert patented several sizeable holdings in Gloucester Co., England. He married Sarah Grimes, the daughter of an Anglican priest, and had one daughter and four sons, all of whom produced large and prosperous families."


Read more on FamilyEducation: http://genealogy.familyeducation.com/surname-origin/tolliver#ixzz1kyhNNSG4

But it's also a given name. By the way, it's the T. in Booker T. Washington!

"you say tomAYto I say tomAHto;

you say potatoe I say Quayles eggs..."

Wendy, brilliant idea for a thread.

There are many books & a few documentaries on English "as she is spoke" in various parts of the world. I'll do a search.

@aristo: One was on the amazing regional differences in the US.

@paul: Good one! Bush W (dubya) didn't fare any better.

In Canada surprisingly, considering the size of the country, we don't have any noticeable differences, except for Newfoundland. They speak another language entirely:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/6et6u8
but they have some lively music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FODj93HT5tQ&feature=related

We also have the world's longest border, yet you step across the 49th parallel & your neighbours have a different accent. Even after 200 years. Go figure!