Last night, while waiting for my goodwife to finish her usual interminable ablutions or whatever in the bathroom, I was channel-surfing on the TV and came across the BBC news. It was being read by a handsome young black man in a euphonius accent, not as plummy as one is accustomed to associate with the BBC, and he introduced a story about Nelson Mandela receiving an honorary degree at Magdalene College Cambridge, which was pronounced by the news anchor and also by a college official interviewed as 'Mawdlin'. I was already aware that Magdalen College Oxford (I believe I am correct with the two different spellings) is pronounced that way, but I thought that was a peculiarity of Oxford.

How does this pronunciation come about, if there is an explanation? Is the church of St. Mary Magdalene pronounced St. Mary Mawdlin?

Are there other wierd examples of Britspeak (other than names like Worcestershire and Cholmondely which would be a YART) that would be informative?