I spent the first eight years of my life in Ireland, so obviously arrived here with an Irish accent. Growing up in east London I soon became a cockney, being young enough to adapt. But when I'm in the company of Irish people, such as at family gatherings I find after about ten minutes I have slipped back into an Irish brogue without realising it. It is just programmed in to me from birth and I didn't realise I did it until an English friend pointed it out. When I was at school I had two good mates, one a West Indian and the other from British Guiana. I found it amusing that they were fully fledged Londoners out in the street, but unconsciously reverted to strong native accents when they were home.