:) [URL]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7702913.stm[/URL]
Hmmm...... Not very clever. I worked for a welsh speaking family when I first started out; that two years instilled in me a respect for the Welsh language.....so this cock up is more than a bit frustrating.
That made em laugh when I saw it earlier. I can see how the Welsh may be a bit annoyed about it. At least it didn't read "will you English bastards keep out of our lovely Country" which is what happens when I go to some of the pubs in Wales . Mostly my experience of Wales and the people is very positive though.
It CAN happen I think. Which unfortunatley desn't do their (mostly just)cause any good. My experince in south wales was ok......once out of school.
I think North Wales is worse due to a lack of population, it has only happened to me twice I must stress and I have probably been to about 20 pubs in North Wales. My aunty's family run a few businesses in North Wales and have never had any problems. YUou just get the impression from some of them they hate the English and tourists, but as usual I bet they don't hate the money. When I see millions of tourists in Manchester I feel proud andf happy that americans/chineese/pakistanis or what ever have come here for a holiday.
Yes, AT, this an old issue....and I think there are two sides....as usual.... I think maybe the English go to Wales expecting it to be an extention of England.....it is not! I think therefore that you have to try to see it from their point of view (or those that care about their langauge and culture...). Its a bit differnt when you ahve foreign visitors in manchester as you are not already having to fight your corner! All IMO of course!
I suppose where you are in Shropshire you're right in the middle of the two. I am only 35 minutes drive from the top part of Wales though. I suppose when we go down to Anglesey camping it is just a good old piss up. Now half the English people there are also doing the same, so I can sort of see why the locals won't like that . Funny thing is all 3 pubs in the village are owned by Mancuncian breweries (Robinsons, Hydes and JW Lees).
Yep, I ahve one family member, who said Wales "was just another part of England".......many years ago. I ddin't argue the point, I know him + the scenario too well. (we were visiting an elderly relative in the Llandudno area at the time)
I don't really see myself as English, I just see myself as British, so in that sense I am no different to the Scotts, Northern Irish or the Welsh. I suppose I have been bought up in environment where you are not allowed to be English unless you support the BNP .
hehe sorry : Maybe when I next drive to rural Wales I will put a load of England stickers allover my car and then put a bit welsh flag on the bonnet, it will be fully seeing the reaction . I am sort of thinking Rodeo Top Gear scenes.
I'm English, lived in South Wales for 5 or 6 of the best years of my life. Lovely country, lovely people. I personally wouldn't venture north of Merthyr without a chaperone.
Wouldn't worry too much, I've just come back from Rhyl/Prestatyn - heard about five people with a welsh accent and that includes people working behind the counter in shops/pubs most of whom were English I think if it went off (oi! piss out out of here Englander!) up there the English would win on numbers alone!
I think that could be true of the resort areas with large numbers of visitors. IIRC the Snowdonia+Bangor area are Welsh Language hots spots.