I started subscribing to Britbox and Acorn about 18 months ago and was surprised at the number of dramas and crime shows either shot in Wales or set in Wales. Most of these shows also featured Welsh actors/actresses, at least one of the shows, “Keeping Faith”, apparently was shot in both languages. I was under the impression the Welsh language was rarely used in everyday life.

The question I’m asking is: Has there been a concerted effort to promote Wales or the Welsh language over the last couple of decades?

exilecanada wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 14, 2025 8:25 pm

I started subscribing to Britbox and Acorn about 18 months ago and was surprised at the number of dramas and crime shows either shot in Wales or set in Wales. Most of these shows also featured Welsh actors/actresses, at least one of the shows, “Keeping Faith”, apparently was shot in both languages. I was under the impression the Welsh language was rarely used in everyday life.

The question I’m asking is: Has there been a concerted effort to promote Wales or the Welsh language over the last couple of decades?

Goes back to the inception of S4C to be honest. But yes, they are very keen to promote the language.
.

Welsh is widely spoken in the North especially away from major towns.

Speaking Welsh is actively taught and encouraged in schools, but more so (I believe) in mid and North Wales. Some family friends we knew moved from Lancashire to Anglesey with 3 small daughters and learning Welsh was pretty much mandatory if you were going to properly fit in. On the other hand my father in law was born and brought up in Cardiff and couldn't actually speak much Welsh at all.

JohnMac wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 14, 2025 8:59 pm

Welsh is widely spoken in the North especially away from major towns.

Yep, pretty much anywhere north of Aberystwyth to be honest.

Many Welsh speakers in rural mid Wales also.

exilecanada wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 14, 2025 8:25 pm

I was under the impression the Welsh language was rarely used in everyday life.

I was doing a cycle trip a few years ago and we use Caernarfon as a our base. Went in a few pubs, one place in particuarly EVERYONE spoke Welsh. And it wasn't anything towards us because we were English, they would happily chat with us in English.

I remember one bloke in particular came in and sat next to an old fella, who proceeded to speak in Welsh. The young guy apologised and said he hadn't spoken since school. Old man said not to worry and started speaking in English and Welsh to him, almost to guide him and make him feel comfortable. A few pints later, they were both speaking away in Welsh. It was really nice to see and very eye opening.

Blue Skies who posts on here is currently learning Welsh (true fact), but that's only so he can show off by finally ordering his pint in Welsh at his local in mid Wales!

Where does he live, DC?

I live in South Wales. There is a pretty big industry in making TV programmes and films here now. Several studios and locations used by filmmakers (Bollywood film for example).

dougcollins wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 14, 2025 9:18 pm

Where does he live, DC?

He'll probably be on here at some point answering for himself, but he's lived in the Midlands for many years and has had the (ever popular with the Sons of Glyndwyr!) "second home" in mid Wales for some time. However he's in the process of moving his principal residence to Lancashire so he's handier for home matches. The bolt hole is staying (I believe!)

Ha ha, I was around when the ‘second homes’ were spontaneously combusting!

I’ve put quite a few Americans onto Hinterland and they can’t believe how breathtaking the scenery is. I told them it is, but my mum lived near Llangollen her final years and if you went up the pass your eyebrows froze off and you came down with your knackers the size of peas.

Welsh has been very much promoted in the non-welsh speaking parts of the country in the last (say) 25 years. As dark cloud says, Cardiff was not a welsh-speaking area, although as the capital, there were always lots of people that had moved from other parts that spoke welsh as their first language, and it had the odd place that was for Welsh speakers - clwb ifor Bach, for example. Now it has welsh language schools (the ex-wife works in one), so has moved on.

Newport was even more anglicised, Welsh rarely heard - but then Monmouthshire had been temporarily "stolen" by the English for a bit in the mid-20th century.

The m4 corridor, including the valleys is very predominantly English speaking, as is much of Pembrokeshire, bits of deeside (far too close to scouse land) but elsewhere in Wales there is a pretty high proportion of the population that use Welsh as their first language.

The village that my dad was from is Welsh speaking, and that is pretty much at the end of the m4. He learned in English in school. In his father's time, the kids were assaulted in school by the teachers if they spoke in Welsh. At that point there was encouragement to eradicate it, so things have very much moved on.

Welsh is very much alive and well. My grandson is learning Welsh as he goes to a school in North Wales and I hear it spoken regularly in the shops around North Wales and Chester.

My late Uncle, spent the largest part of his adult life living in N Wales. He learnt Welsh through his daily activities and working life because it was spoken. I stayed with him a couple of times on fishing holidays in the early 70s. Everyone spoke Welsh, though when we were out, the company we were in would switch between English & their own language when I was with them.

On the North Wales coast the predominant language is Scouse

I’ve lived in Cardiff and Swansea. In Cardiff I hardly hear any Welsh, even in the valley towns nearby. In Swansea I’d hear it a lot more but that was mainly from people from the Swansea Valley (where Connor Roberts is from), Llanelli, Ammanford, Llandeilo. Basically you get to the end of the M4 and Welsh starts there.

Woodleyclaret wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 9:47 am

On the North Wales coast the predominant language is Scouse

Not really, Wraxham accent is kinda a hybrid between the two but they are in close proximity. Still very much welsh sounding.

Probably more mancs and Lancashire living here than scouser. Scousers just tend to come over for the weekends and are just louder then everyone else

TheOriginalLongsider wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 10:11 am

I’ve lived in Cardiff and Swansea. In Cardiff I hardly hear any Welsh, even in the valley towns nearby. In Swansea I’d hear it a lot more but that was mainly from people from the Swansea Valley (where Connor Roberts is from), Llanelli, Ammanford, Llandeilo. Basically you get to the end of the M4 and Welsh starts there.

Spot on. I live in the Amman Valley area.
Anywhere off of the A483 from Swansea to Wrexham they speaks the Welsh language.

My 5 year old grandson only moved from Bournemouth to the Rhondda in May of last year. He can now speak and sing in Welsh. It's taught in every school in South Wales.

There are also Scottish programmes. BBC Alba:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/alba

'Untold Arctic Wars' looks interesting (click on the naval ship picture and it will give you an English explanation) and a while back I saw a nice programme on the restoration of a Clyde Puffer.

Plenty of welsh speakers in Argentina !

FCBurnley wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 11:29 am

Plenty of welsh speakers in Argentina !

What are you Patagoing on about?

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread, it turned out far better than I had imagined it would.

To summarize: Welsh is more likely to be used in the Northern part and in rural areas rather than urban settings. Welsh appears to be alive and well among the young and not so young. Good to know the language isn’t being allowed to die.