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Welsh? Anyone?

(47 Posts)
JessM Thu 04-Apr-13 07:51:46

I have just been listening to Danny Abse, the Welsh poet, in his 90s, telling a rather shocking story on the Today programme. John Humphries took it in his stride. Didn't miss a beat.
I miss Welsh people. Any other Welsh exiles or any lucky enough to still be living there?

flowerfriend Thu 04-Apr-13 08:50:30

Hi JessM. I'm Welsh and I now live in SW France. We lived in Wales until I was five and then I lived in London for the next 16 years before marrying Mr Flower no. 1 and going back to Wales until 13 years ago, when Mr Flower no. 2 and I moved full-time to France.

Now a widow I love my French home and life but I am just as welsh as ever and cry when we win the rugby and make welshcakes for friends and family. The Frenchies love them.

I missed Danny Abse but will try to find it on i-player.

tanith Thu 04-Apr-13 08:59:41

I can only claim to be half Welsh , my Mum was born and bred in the Rhonda , my sister has lived in Wales for 40 odd years and I visit often , it always feels like I should live there too but my family are all Londoners. I do make Welsh cakes often and I miss hearing the language and accent , my Mum was always using short phrases and such..

Thistledoo Thu 04-Apr-13 09:20:57

Hello Jess M I am half Welsh, spent most of my childhood in Cardiff. My fathers family, which is large, all came from Pontipridd. I have lived in Scotland for 40 years now, and miss the welsh accent. I was taught Welsh in school and can still speak a little, can also still sing the Welsh National Anthem, which I do when Wales plays rugby. I support Wales with a passion. Bora Da lovelies.

JessM Thu 04-Apr-13 10:33:05

Bore da cariadau. Dwy'n dysgu Cymraeg. My spelling may be poor cos i am learning by listening,not writing, using the great free resource Say Something in Welsh.

Mishap Thu 04-Apr-13 10:37:12

Not Welsh, but live a mile from the border. When we go to Brittany and French people ask us where we come from, we always say we live on the Welsh border as they have a soft spot for fellow celts and it helps to ease communication.

Nelliemoser Thu 04-Apr-13 11:35:28

No I am not obviously Welsh but I wouldn't mind being. I love the place. No confirmed welsh ancestors for at least 150yrs back when a Mary Williams married into my fathers family in Chester. I did two years of Welsh when living in Cardiff 1973/5.
I can sing Sospan Fach and Oes Gafr Eto and a few other llttle ditties in Welsh. I can pronounce a lot of Welsh words even if I no longer remember what they mean.

Cymru am Byth.

Flowerofthewest Thu 04-Apr-13 11:46:26

My mother's family hail from Wales - Pembroke, I love Wales, the wildlife, scenery, people. I volunteer on Skomer Island most years and nothing beats it. My Welsh family are a bit odd at times but I don't think that's anything to do with being Welsh it's just them!
confused

Gorki Thu 04-Apr-13 12:33:44

My granddaughter has a Welsh name: Fflur.We preferred this spelling to the French Fleur in acknowledgement of her Celtic ancestry but no doubt the spelling will cause her problems throughout life !

maxdrans Thu 04-Apr-13 12:45:00

I am lucky I live in a small village on top of a hill with a ruined castle called llantrisant. its about 30 miles from Cardiff l am Welsh through and through. Although l cannot speak Welsh both. my children can l get very emotional when Wales win. at rugby and l would not want to live any where else

maxdrans Thu 04-Apr-13 12:45:35

I am lucky I live in a small village on top of a hill with a ruined castle called llantrisant. its about 30 miles from Cardiff l am Welsh through and through. Although l cannot speak Welsh both. my children can l get very emotional when Wales win. at rugby and l would not want to live any where else

maxdrans Thu 04-Apr-13 13:04:04

Sorry computer playing up

Flowerofthewest Thu 04-Apr-13 17:18:20

My great niece is Ffion again to Fs

JessM Thu 04-Apr-13 17:59:46

Maxdrans near the Royal Mint? Or a different one?
William Hague married a woman called Ffion when he was in the Welsh Office. I knew her sister slightly. We all wondered how he had managed to bag a beautiful Welsh blonde.

maxdrans Thu 04-Apr-13 20:52:52

Hi JessM yes our house overlooks the Royal Mint where was Ffion from do you know?

tanith Thu 04-Apr-13 22:26:55

I'm very envious of you maxdrans some beautiful scenery there , we once had a family holiday in a big old stone house near Llantrisant it had a stream running in the garden and maybe an old mill wheel to one side.. it was beautiful.. while on the subject of Welsh names have any of you Welsh member heard the name Gwlythyn? This was my sister and Aunt's name, but I've never been able to find a meaning or indeed any reference to the name online anywhere..

merlotgran Thu 04-Apr-13 23:00:33

I nearly married a Welshman. He played rugby and taught me Sospan Fach. Does that count? grin

Gorki Thu 04-Apr-13 23:21:05

I have no knowledge of Welsh and stand to be corrected but the Welsh name Gwyllyn is pronounced something like Gwithlin.Could this be the name you are referring to tanith?I believe it means "culture"?
Some of the Welsh names are lovely. My daughter had a school friend called Glesni

tanith Fri 05-Apr-13 09:27:42

Thanks Gorki but no it was spelt Gwlythyn and pronounced (Glithin as in pith) I was horrified when I visited my elderly confused Aunt in the home she lived in to find staff routinely called her Gwl because they didn't know how to pronounce her real name and of course that confused the poor thing even more than she was already... Maybe my grandmother made the name up I'm really not sure.

kittylester Fri 05-Apr-13 09:32:24

We lived in North Wales until I was 4, my brothers were born there and I could swear in Welsh - does that count? Love North Wales. sunshine

Gorki Fri 05-Apr-13 09:37:57

It's a lovely name anyway tanith.Some English people find my granddaughter's name difficult to pronounce. They call her Floor. You could say they are "floored".

Galen Fri 05-Apr-13 10:07:34

Maxdrans I think I used to drive. Through Llantrisant on the way back. To Bristol from the holiday chalet we had at Kidwelly.

JessM Fri 05-Apr-13 16:36:43

Diawl kitty you don't do you? Ach y fi.
Ffion that married William H was I think a Jenkins. Her sister was, if I remember rightly called Manon and played the harp! (which surprised me because i did not realise people actually played the harp)
But they were from the upper echelons of the Welsh speaking Cardiff elite and met Manon in a couple of company events.
I was from the middle echelons of Swansea English-speaking bohemia. grin

Lyn147 Thu 11-Apr-13 14:35:32

I am Welsh, now live in Derby but born in Anglesey, left when I married but visit once a month to see my brother. Would love to retire back there.

Oldgreymare Thu 11-Apr-13 16:09:52

I was born in Anglesey too LYN147, as JessM knows! Planning a holiday there soon.....