I speak in precisely the way that I was taught at school

By which I assume you mean that schools actively teach non-accented pronunciation. That is a concept so out of the scope of US schools that it's hard to fathom.

It has been a while since pronunciation was taught at British schools, and only the top schools really do this sort of thing, and even then it is probably not taught as much as learnt by those who don't already speak that way.

My oldest aunt and uncle went to a private school and ended up speaking RP (and pronouncing off like "owf") and mum and youngest uncle went to a state school and ended up talking "normally"!

They realley shood teech proper speeling at british skools these days...

Gareth