General Chat

Not long now Sue and have to say it has been a very very interesting thread :-D ;-)

This is posting 991 so 9 more & it hits 1000 so lets see if you can do it for Sue

Remember Barry Island when Butlins was there - the place was always packed. A lot different today - still ok for a walk along the front, but not a great deal other than that. :-(

John that blog doesn't link me to the original Y Cymro article you mentioned, help please.

It was a very sad day when Dan Evans closed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/4199250.stm

I didn't see "uncle Gwyn" after my grandparents died, John, we went down a lot less often.

Gwynne As you may know, one of Uncle Gwyn's daughters married Ffred Francis from Prestatyn or Rhyl. Ffred was one of the big movers within the Welsh Language Society in my hey day and is a most charming man. But one who irritated the authorities (particularly Viscount Tonypandy) more than most.

Fascinating that correspondence between you and Kay. And I thought Sue's thread had died on its feet yesterday :-D :-D

I coulnt belive Gwynne just how many visitors it had in its heyday,,,,,plus a Butlins! the man whos family owned the merry--go-round looked like he was ready to go.....hopefully it will thrive again.

The cafe as you know was featured,,,,,,next time you go it will give you a talking point. :-D

That will be wonderful, Kaye. We were there on New Year's Day having breakfast in John's Cafe. The beach was crowded then for the New Year swim but nothing like it used to be when the trippers came up from the valleys.

Edit for cross posting.

Gwynfor was a friend of the family and "uncle Gwyn" to me, John. A lovely man. Dan Evans shop was not just any old shop it was a big department store.


Gwynne

The progamme about Barry :-D I am assuming this is the history one presented by Eddie Butler. It was fantastic. Eddie did a series of 4 towns last year - Newport, Pontypridd and Bangor (can't remember fourth). And in Series 2 it was Barry follwed this week by Cardigan.

Eddie was born in Newport and captained Pontypool RFC and also Wales. So very much a rugby hero in Wales and rugby commentator who has turned his attentions to his history hobby.

Difficult to believe that, until David Davies Llandinam had a strop with Lord Bute and was not happy to pay Lord Bute 1d a ton to take his coal through Cardiff, that Barry was so sleepy. Barry Island was cut off from Barry town completely.

Then Davies built Barry, Huge docks, railway lines in, a bridge between Barry and the Island. And it became the largest port in South Wales. And the chap who runs the fun fair today (Pat Collins, grandson of the famous one who owned Colwyn Bay and other fun fairs when I was a boy) said they were getting 130,000 visitors a day at their peak between the wars.

Hope that is interesting for some, now that Barry is once again on the map. And the first Plaid Cymru MP (appointed back in 1960's), Gwynfor Evans, was a Barry boy and son of a local shopkeeper :-D :-D

Its very interesting Gwynne....I never knew anyting about how the Island became linked to the mainland ,,,looks like now its going to be turned around with new life put in to it with new investments.....
:-)

Sue. I am not ignoring your question. Had composed a long and brilliant reply about 9am, then a banging at the door and BT had come and wanted all the cars moved in the road. And, without warning, telephone mines have been off till now. So I have been discumvolvulated all morning :-D And my magnum opus has (by an act of God?) been lost for ever.

One thread seems to be oclmenai.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/y-daily-mail-robin-lewis-spar.html

I saw five letters on the Menai Blog. First was saying it was an old story that had already been discussed in Y Cymro. A second was saying that it was "news" because it had appeared in the Daily Mail and on bbc.news on 28 Dec.

A third then said it was part of a long campaign by the Daily Mail throughout 2012 to make Welsh language activists and Welsh campaigners looks silly
A fourth said that some fault was with Spar, who prided themselves as a Welsh speaking store and it should never have got out of hand.

And a fifth said that Dr Lewis was a silly old goat.

And I must stress that nobody (but nobody) mentioned it was Spar where this event took place until the Daily Mail waded in. And, as far as I can see, there was no commotion and no one would have known if Dr Lewis had not written his long and self-congratulatory letter to Y Cymro - which Daily Mail distorted to make him look as bad as possible.

So note to myself - do not buy Daily Mail (paper hates Welsh language). I have never bought the Sun because of Hillsborough. So now 2 papers not on my list.:-(

Thanks so much for posting this, Kaye. I've just watched it on iplayer. My grandparents moved to Barry from the valleys in the 1920s when my grandfather became a foreman in the steelworks.

Every school holiday was spent in Barry when I was a child and we still visit from time to time, although my Welsh family now live in Cardiff.

Gwynne

I also feel that if the Welsh language issue is enforced too ridgedly, then potential investors would be put off locating to Wales because of the extra cost of dual language documentation within the work place etc.

Well Dr L,,will be pleased to read/hear that 20 areas have now signed up to promote the Welsh lanuage,that is good....its all down to the 2011 cenus finding numbers that Welsh speakers have dropped.

I belive its their heritage and should not be left to dwindle away...but hope they keep in mind that without many of the English speaking tourists to put cash in the coffers these are not made to feel intruders.

I watched a programe a day or so ago on the origins and growth of Barry it was enlightening as those on camera had no Welsh accent at all.!!......but there are Welsh speakers there...a place I've never visited.

Edit,,Well put Rose......but maybe because coinage used in Wales carries or did emblems, that included those used in Wales ?like the Crown, :-D

Dr Lewis may well be well educated and highly principled, as I don't know the man I couldn't say for certain and he does sound very stubborn I agree, but I have to disagree with you John that he is wise. I also think he lacks common sense, a failing of a lot of the very well educated people that I know.

A point that has not been made very strongly is that to be a 'highly principled ' man in the request for use of the Welsh language, Mr Lewis might , I feel, be better putting his energies towards ensuring he has the option not just to speak his own language but to pay for his goods in currency printed / minted with his own language on it? Surely it must go against the grain for him to be using 'Bank of England' notes... perhaps a truly principled man would refuse to do so....and it would have to be 'barter or nothing'? ;-)

Scotland has it's own bank notes...why, given that the royal mint is in Cardiff, and that the Welsh parliament has been in place for a number of years has this not been made a 'priority' ?

Good Morning everyone :-D

John
*I repeat people are making half-cocked suppositions that he was rude to the cashier. I very much doubt he was rude at first*, you have also assumed that he went in to the shop to buy local produce, my point is you have assumed alot of what happened also, as I have assumed that he isnt that wise and this epsiode has done him no favours.
I have not having a dig at you John at all, you obviously have a great love of Wales and all that is Welsh as it is now your adoptive Country and that is lovely, how many times do we hear about people behaving as they should " when in Rome" but your opinion of Mr Lewis is that and nothing that you have already posted or points you have made will change my mind and I doubt the other 99% of people on this thread that disagree with you, will change their minds also. Mr Lewis is STILL a pompous little twerp of man that has done Druids no favours what so ever.

I did try to find the report in Y Cymro but failed have you got the link?

Robyn Lewis's letter (and this would not have been reported at all unless he had written) was to Y Cymro, the main Welsh weekly newspaper.

Only I have mentioned this letter - the Cambrian News release in OP seems designed to appeal those who have no great love for Welsh language. It is a typically half accurate news release.

I would like to see a fair translation of that original letter and any responses in Y Cymro. Otherwise, I repeat people are making half-cocked suppositions that he was rude to the cashier. I very much doubt he was rude at first, but think the incident escalated and he is no dounbt a stubborn (highly principled) and opinionated (wise) man. He is not the only one who will not back off if he thinks he has right on his side.

Well I am one of the hang 'em brigade or at the least stick 'em in the stocks on market day so you stand no chance :-D