General Chat

John
you remind me of my friend,born in wales but moved to argentina in the early 70s age 10,came back to wales age 21 and married a lad from the R A F and moved to england,they divorced 7yrs ago and she came back to wales(shes in her late 40s now)with her two children,shes very welsh but her children dont speak welsh.
a few months ago we went to cardiff to see John Bishop,she vas very offended when John started to tell jokes about the welsh language,she laughed her head off about the scouse/muslim/irish/scots jokes but found the welsh jokes very offensive and they were mild compared to the scouse jokes.

Robin Lewis is always writing complaints to our local paper a paper where he has a column ,he always writes in english? if hes so worried about the language why use english. :-(

My sister and her husband lived in Ceredigion (nr Aberaeron) for over 20 years. Both are English and don't speak Welsh - they wanted a bit of land and this part of Wales allowed them to afford what they wanted at the time. They made many friends, both 'incomers' and Welsh locals, they contributed to the economy, had various jobs and supported local businesses. They never encountered any prejudice or ill-feeling because they were incomers.

There are prats, idiots and ill-mannered die-hards of all colours speaking all languages.

The pompous old fool has set back his cause by decades with his arrangance and bullying, this what I will always remember him by and I am sure the poor £7.00 an hour cashier will do the same.

Its not a very sexy acccent to begin with is it really ....sorry Mr Daff ;-)

Welsh is a smashing language & like many others, it will die if it is left unattended.

Happily, this will not happen in my lifetime - thank goodness. Let's not murmur too much at any inconvenience.

Rose. What an interesting post. You really got stuck in to that one.

I notice where I live now that Welsh CAN be spoken by a lot of the older people and the younger ones. It has largely by-passed the 20-60 age group.

The younger ones have learned it at school, have gone to Urdd camps and taken part in an Eisteddfod or two. The older ones went to Welsh chapels, amd it was often the language of their childhood hearth and they have a deep affection for the language.

But neither group likes speaking in Welsh. The younger ones because it is not "cool". The older ones because they feel a bit embarrassed about speaking Welsh in public. Not as refined as speaking English.

Like many of us, I love really good poetry. Milton was my favourite - I lapped him up. I doubted I would ever see anything better.

But poet after poet in Wales is superior to Milton. The standard (and there are 1500 years of Welsh poetry) is outstanding. Internal rhyming and the beautiful alliterative flow of Welsh poetry takes it to a higher level than the best English poets can offer. That has been the greatest thrill for me in learning Welsh.

Calon lan yn llawn daioni
Tecach yw na'r lili dlos

A pure heart full of goodness
Is fairer than the pretty lily

while there are Welsh choirs, Welsh will never be lost - there are dozens of Welsh choirs who tour the globe, with new choirs being formed on a regular basis - to spread Welsh through song is a great way to go

Well said, Ann :-D :-D

I remember learning Welsh hymns sung by choirs like Treorchy and Pendyrus. Absolutely wonderful.

You cannot fail to shed a tear listening to something like Myfanwy. And I can imagine with your close link to Pendyrus their singing is so special.

Met a chap today who sings with Pendyrus - lives in a little village called Penrhiwfer. Ernie is his name. He keeps asking me to join - I do keep telling him that I cannot sing unless I am in the bath :-( :-(

Youngsters embarrassed to speak Welsh? Do me a favour! Have you been to pubs in Cardiff? Youngest in particular yaks away with all her friends in Welsh ..lol no idea what world you live in.

Rose, you reiterated what I said but in a much more composed way, you know why ;-)

Apart from S4C theatres showcase Welsh artists, schools still produce musical theatre events etc., it's available if you want it.

I notice John ignored my long post but deferred to you Rose ;-)

Lololol maybe because I have lived here longer than he has and have actually experienced life in the deepest Welsh speaking areas, which we chose to move to by the way.

Sue. Never said what you said I said. Didn't want to comment on your long post as it is a view but not sure any of the points are very valid. I could take issue with every one of them, but you have an opinion.

My experiences are very different to yours. But hopefully equally valid.

Blwyddyn newydd dda - happy new year

:-D

Nice swerve John no answer then? Perhaps if you had read Rose's link you just may have a clue what my long post was referring to, tisn't all about what you think.

or when John and his mates were burning down those little cottages ;-)

Apropos of nothing much in the Welsh/English saga, some may be interested to to know that the Spitfire that was the gate guardian at RAF Sealand was restored to flying condition some years ago. It's to be seen regularly at air shows around the UK.

PS I am Welsh and proud to be so.

Rose. I remember that period very well indeed. Those were days that were quite frightening. I went to pubs then, and sometimes would see para militaries (FWA) in pubs and I really thought the troubles that had started in Ireland might be coming to Wales.

Robyn Ellis mentions in his 1969 book the violence - mainly aimed at the English second homers in those days. He states categorically that it is no way forward and will just alienate local people. But he does point out that peaceful protest (Gandhi style) can be much more effective. So sit-ins, hunger strikes, paint - all of which I saw or was involved in.

I remember one whole village (I think it was Rhyd-ddu) being virtually cleared of local people and the property became holiday homes. And my recollection is that much was done to stem that inflow of people and keep young people close to their home communities.

AnnC I remember driving along the A5 towards Shrewsbury about 1968. My little Ford Popular was plastered with dragon's tongues (Welsh Language Society) and Plaid Cymru stickers. There was a road block. Cottages had been fire bombed in Corwen area and there was a police check on all nearby roads. I would not have minded having my car checked, but then realised my tax had run out!!! I was a very lucky boy - they waved me through :-) :-)

ROFLMAO

No valid counter argument then? I win by default :-D

Now we could discuss migration in the other direction, some of my family in early and middle 1700s through to early 1800s and their reception by some of the English..lolol

However I expect none of my points will be valid again, even though I have written records to refer to.

I am off to engage in sensible conversation with hubby

:-D :-D

Sue ROFLMheadO

I must reconfigure my opinions and my findings on my family tree to agree with you, I can see. Wish my views had some validity too :-( :-( :-(

Funny that, John seems to have ignored my post as well, but that is his right - selective debate.

I left Wales when I was 19 - there were no jobs for me, but although I left the country, the country never left me - and never will. It's for that reason that Wales will not 'die', the culture will not fade, and neither will the language. Past attempts at repression of all have failed, and without resource to anything other than the fact that 'We are Welsh', and proud to be so.
It is that that will ensure continuance, not political bigots, poorly informed 'do-gooders', meglomaniac Druids or bloody Amnesty bloody International.

We are who we are, and more importantly, what we are. WE are Welsh - no matter which bloody language we speak.

My primary language when at home is english, and will remain so. If I go to Pembroke and am called 'Cadarion' by a 'local' who objects to my english prose, he is likely to get a bloody nose, followed by a testicular lecture. However, that is between us Welsh in the South ..... we being somewhat more jocular than those in the North :-D

Sorry MrDaff. Not trying to ignore anybody's posts, but no one else seems to have replied yo you and you did not address it to me anyway. And did not ask anyone tio reply, as far as I can see.

No, Saunders Lewis and Robyn Lewis are not related. Not sure of significance of Robyn being a Sanskrit name or whatever. What had that got to do with price of sprouts?

Rose. Is paramiltaries not the right word for young Welshmen dressed up in army uniforms with army berets and firearms? That was really happening at time. I even remember the name of the Welsh "Martin McGuiness". It was a man from Cardiff area called Dafydd C*****t. Fortunately it never got too serious.

Deleting because I will say too much lol..... but along the lines of the "Welsh McGuiness" I think not! ...I'm a bit too young to remember of course but the Telegraph obit is probably pretty accurate

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1462637/Dennis-Coslett.html

Fourteen eh!!! frightening :-D :-D :-D :-D

In the words of Del Boy - what a plonker.

Dr Robyn is following in a fine tradition of idiocy.

Gwynne