Distinct lack of Welshness
I AM a doctor of social science at Nottingham University and am trying to enjoy a camping holiday on Gower with my family. It is raining cats and dogs, alas, and I am writing this letter in the lounge of the King Arthur Hotel in Reynoldston.
I sometimes write a column for Nottingham's Evening Post and I enjoy reading your newspaper (irrespective of the weather!) from the point of view of social studies. I was interested, then, to read the short item "Welsh identity is key" (Post, June 30).
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I read "Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood has claimed Wales will be independent within a generation..." And I infer that Wales could be independent by, say 2027.
I am not qualified to write about this Welsh political issue but, on another rainy day last week I visited Swansea University while my wife took our son to a venue in Mumbles.
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My own impression, after looking into the University's library and the bookshop in the Taliesin building, were one of familiarity. The Englishness of Swansea University stood out.
Now, if — as Leanne Wood has proclaimed — Wales were to become independent by (say) 2027/30, I cannot imagine such a Welsh state on being 100 per cent Welsh.
The cost of converting a single library from one Welsh University alone, from English into Welsh, would be prohibitive.
In fact, and I am about to refill my glass with a Welsh bitter, not one person here in the King Arthur is conversing in the Welsh language. The lack of Welsh "speaks volumes" so to speak.
A Gethin
Clifton, Nottingham




Comments
by maxmin
Wednesday, July 11 2012, 3:25PM
“At last I've found a way to shut Muckywind up!”
by mw0cnd
Wednesday, July 11 2012, 3:20PM
“Maxmin Hmm. I find your comments Hilarious
I don't know what your problem is...but I'm going to bet it's really hard to pronounce...You see I am not anti-social I just don't like you. And I'm sorry, but Talking to you seems as appealing as having my teeth pulled out with pliers !!!.you see I don't want to listen to you and your stupid nonsense anymore unlike you I have job of work to do! And cant afford to sit on my backside writing rubbish like you do day in day out! I have always wondered why people bang their heads against brick walls..... then I met you and now understand why. At the moment I am away from my computer working but in the meantime, why don't you go outside and play in traffic? And please Don't bother leaving a message this time I will ignore you and it. :)”
by maxmin
Tuesday, July 10 2012, 12:07PM
“You see Muckywind you keep dropping yourself in it don't you ? You say " But unlike you and your type I'm a internationalist " you have no idea what 'my type is". I like you speak all those languages you mention as well as Russian, Ukrainian, Malay and a smattering of Japanese. So what?
Your excuse for your appalling writing is that you are typing on a laptop. You've lost me there - does it have a different keyboard? I believe most laptops conform to the standard QWERTY layout. Perhaps you have a Welsh one.
And why does typing on a laptop rob you of the ability to use proper grammar and correctly construct sentences?
You sound a rather embittered man who has life pass him by and all you can do now is to fumble away on your keyboard calling people names and being rude and abusive.”
by trunkles3
Monday, July 09 2012, 10:38PM
“mw0cnd - Sorry to hear you've lost your Granma.”
by mw0cnd
Monday, July 09 2012, 6:34PM
“Dear me Mr maxi minus a brain cell!. The 1st thing that I would like to say is Unlike you I have respect for the country that I was born and live in and yes Wales is and always has been a matter of fact a nation with a separate identity and language !.I'm not sure if you are welsh or not but if you are you are a sorry excuse for a welsh man and need hang your head in shame!. But unlike you and your type I'm a internationalist can speak German French and Italian and Spanish which helps with my job have travelled the world ! But have always remained loyal to the place I was born in! & I never forgot my roots and would never talk the place I live in down and if I see someone talking Wales down I will confront them and put them in their place because at the end of the day if some don't like the idea of Wales standing on its own two feet and having a separate identity that's your problem isn't it? .because you people should realise the wheels of progress are turning we have a government the welsh assembly which is here to stay! which will be a full parliament sooner or later in the near future so you see you and others cant stop progress?. Also i see you are still going on about my English grammar! how pathetic I'm writing this on a laptop ! In my spare time and grammars the last thing on my mind I know how to use grammar & the system of rules by which words are formed and put together to make a sentences .but at the end of the day I have more important things to do like working ….”
by Kaiser_Macsen
Monday, July 09 2012, 1:04PM
“I visited the University of Nottingham website and there is no record of an "A Gethin".
Also, there are no references to Mr. Gethin on the internet edition of the "Nottingham Post" (formerly the "Nottingham Evening Post").”
by maxmin
Monday, July 09 2012, 9:23AM
“Abertawe,
Yes you are probably right. If Wales did get it's independence then of course as a full member of the EU it would be obliged to take all the refugees etc from England who will no doubt grab the opportunity to off load them all - in much the same way France is doing.
As you say independence would in all probability mean the end of Wales!”
by weslangdon
Monday, July 09 2012, 9:20AM
“There a quite a few inconsistencies in the letter and the comments of the correspondent, firstly a "generation" this is normally considered to be 25 years. Secondly Wales is a nation of 2 languages, being unable to speak Welsh does not imply that a person is less Welsh. However to be completly fair, you point out that you are not qualified to speak/ correspond on this matter yet you do so, therefore I must conclude that this is either a case of too much beer or simple mischief.”
by abertawejack
Sunday, July 08 2012, 11:46PM
“Lets say Wales will have had it's independence (2027). What now!? The main language then will be Welsh, time for allus English speakers to move out at our first opportunity. Will the last Welsh speaker please hand all key's of our cities/towns to the Poles/Romanians/Italians/Gypsies/itinerants/Indians/Pakistanis. End of Welsh Wales as it becomes United in it's own Kingdom.....oops Princedom.”
by maxmin
Sunday, July 08 2012, 5:28PM
“Oh Muckywind since you sneer at people with doctorates I take it you haven't got one - or even a degree.
You obviously don't have a GCE in English judging by the appalling mess you make every time you try and write something.
Will you be returning to your overseas oilfields sometime soon?”