We’re few in number, but strong in spirit. Well, we have to be to survive all the jokes that come our way. Do you come from the valleys? Do you own a sheep? Yes, okay I don’t think we Welsh always help ourselves. You may see us sporting a Welsh rugby shirt on match days; posting pictures of daffodils on St David’s Day and frequently expressing our surprise at how little it rains in Oxford compared to ‘back home’. I’m not going to lie to you (as our Nessa would say) some of the stereotypes are true. However, there is more to Wales than coalminers, male voice choirs and farmers. I want to clear a few things up about us bubbly bunch.
First, it needs to be established that Wales is not some ancient land hundreds of miles away from civilisation in England. My friends in Oxford always express a look of pity before I set off on the trek back home. ‘Oh gosh, how long will it take you?’ they ask with dread. ‘Under two hours,’ I respond casually. Let me assure you, there is a motorway in Wales. There may be a big bridge which gets you over the River Severn, but after that it’s pretty much plain sailing. No need to climb any mountains or change mode of transportation to tractor. Wales is closer and easier to get to than you think.
Okay, so when you reach the delightful land of Wales you may be greeted with a few signs in some sort of cryptic language unknown to you. Do not be alarmed, the majority of South East Wales have no idea what they say either, as only 20% of the Welsh population actually speak Welsh fluently. Now probably would be the appropriate moment to tell you a bit more about the geography or as I like to think of them ‘communities’ of the wider Welsh community. Very briefly, South East Wales (Cardiff, Newport, Monmouth), is very anglicised. Forget those images of little Welsh archetypal villages, in the South East of our beautiful country you’ll find big shopping centres, great nightlife and some huge sport and concert venues. Cardiff is, of course, the location of the Principality (formerly Millennium) Stadium. In another thirteen years, we might even let you win another Grand Slam!
Go a bit further West, you’ll find the accents get stronger, the hills get taller and the coastlines get more breath-taking. Before long you’ll find yourself in the local butchers being served by ‘Jones the Butcher’ in full Welsh verse before passing Dai the milkman on his daily milk-round on your way back home. It may seem strange but as you go further west down the M4 across South Wales the language and culture changes quite dramatically.
We can’t forget the Welsh Valleys though, for which our nation is infamous. As a matter of fact, I had never ventured into the South Wales Valleys until a week ago, even though they are only a few miles away. I felt like I had gone back in time. Long streets with tiny terrace houses, old church halls and closed down shops are engulfed by magnificent mountains all around. I have to say, I felt a million miles away from the vibrancy of the capital. There was very much the sense of something missing, nothing had replaced the emptiness which the closure of the influential coalmining industry had brought.
Moving onto Mid-Wales, well talk about emptiness, let’s just say there are more sheep than people here. This is not a good place for a heart-attack. Very pretty though. Here you can see just why Wales is well-known for its stunning countryside. The beauty continues into North Wales. Well, how can you get more picturesque than Mount Snowdon? The relationship between North and South Wales shows how Wales is not so much one big happy family, but in fact has gone through a few family feuds. You may hear the Southern relatives from time to time poking fun at the guttural squawks of their Northern in-laws, who speak in a rather ‘different’ dialect and accent to the rounded, rich sounds of the Carmarthenshire clan. So you see, Wales has more to its geography, culture and people than you may think.
If you ever do decide to come and experience the various shades of Wales yourself, I will try to give you a few equivalents of life in Oxford to life in Wales so you’ll feel a bit more at home on your first visit. In need of some drunk food after a night out but there’s no Ahmed’s or Hassan’s in sight? No fear, head down to the renowned ‘chippy alley’ in central Cardiff to taste the finest cuisine the Capital has to offer. We may not be known for our detective dramas like Lewis or Morse, but you may see a few camera crews around filming the next Doctor Who or Pobl y Cwm episode. And as for when you hear someone vehemently mention ‘the other place’. Well, they are not talking about Cambridge, but more than likely our neighbours, ‘England’, especially in the context of rugby.
I hope I have given you an insight into Wales in all its lush glory. Now, come and see for yourself!
