Letter: A Welshman hits back…
Friday 24th July 2009, 7:25AM BST.
Letter: Being a proud Welshman living in Shropshire it appears to me recently that many letter writers are having a go at the Welsh. I am not going to sit by without putting up a defence.
First we had the whimpering of Mr G Burns of Newport about signs being in Welsh at the hospital in Gobowen, which is nearer Wales than Newport. Then the moans of Mr Michael Knowles, of Cheshire, about the first Ashes Test being in Cardiff.
Good Lord, don’t these people realise there are far more serious issues to be worrying about. We have swine flu to contend with, we have a recession and we have a war in Afghanistan.
All some people are fretting about is the exit out of a hospital being in two languages and an over being bowled in the principality. Incidentally, I have been to all the Test venues and I was at the Test in Cardiff. What a wonderful atmosphere and a great start to the series.
The England and Welsh cricket team which had funding for their home game in Cardiff courtesy of the English and Welsh taxpayer held out for a brilliant draw. It was so much better than miserable, grey and damp Old Trafford, everyone thought so – except one it seems.
Jason Jones
Market Drayton
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Don’t panic, Jason, their xenophobic views aren’t representative of the more intelligent life you can find here in Shropshire.
Report abuse
about time the union jack was redesigned to show 4 parts and countrys that make up the uk.
amwythig am byth
Report abuse
Always going on about how good Wales is, but not living there. As bad as the Scots.
Report abuse
The comments about the Welsh are nothing compared to abuse received whilst living in Wales as an english family! Have never felt so unwelcome in our lives, hence moved back to England after 8 years. The Welsh are openly rude to the English and it is about time we stood up to them. It always seems that Welsh and indeed the Scots can say what they like about us but not the other way around. I know there are some huge chips on shoulders but it is so racist!!!
Report abuse
It might interest the whiners to learn that in some parts of Shropshire the first language is Welsh, rather than English. So, that’s probably one reason why signs are in Welsh. Incidentally, there should be provision for Welsh-language schools in Shropshire.
Report abuse
Regardless of where people come from, we must all learn to be more tolerant. If someone acts in an abusive/racist way to us then we can either be the same way back, which does nothing but perpetuate and reinforce this behaviour or we can rise above it, and pity the poor ignorant fools who behave in this way. We are all Gods creatures, regardless of race, colour or creed.
Report abuse
Of course signs should be in English and Welsh! They should also be in Polish, French, Swedish, Bulgarian and every other language of the EU. How can we ever hope to build a better society if we persist with intolerance, racialism, prejudice and hatred?
Report abuse
We live in the uk and as such all road signs should be in the main language which is English.No money should be spent on signs or literature in another language than English .However if the welsh in wales wish to pay for welsh signs out of their locl taxes that is fine i have relatives who are welsh and they are fine however in the heartlands of wales i find them rather rude but moan if we do not take and spend money there.
Because a British person wants many things for the benefit of british people they are being seen as intolerant and all the other piffle MR peas body has spouted above. I have no interest in addressing other cultures if it costs the British tax payer money , if i wish to learn or experiance other cultures i will hop on a plane or buy a book and read it. I have no interest in the pc clap trap that is slowley destroying the uk, and making it a laughing stock in the rest of europe .We have mps who are not listening to anyone and if we express an interest of taking care of our own first we are seen as intollerant etc .
Report abuse
So Mr Finch, would you rather Welsh speakers got lost in the hospital and were unable to receive treatment? Or concentrated on translating a roadsign and crashed?
Report abuse
For too many years the welsh have been put down by English colonists now it is time for all you English to leave Wales we don’t want you in our land.
Keep out
the uk tax payer should pay to restore Wales relocate industry here pay for our public services we will not contribute anything
tax the English save the welsh
Report abuse
Jason, Good on you sir.
I live in North Shropshire yet I am a Yorkshireman, & very proud of it. I thrive on the fact that we are all from different parts of the UK with differing accents,dialects, customs etc. Surely we can relate to each other & where we are proud to call home. To be proud of where you come from surely means you can then appreciate other people feeling the same when their origins are from somewhere else? So quite simply “great to see Test cricket in Wales”.
Report abuse
Hmmm…Mr Finch seems to be missing the point, we live in the UNITED kingdom and being British can mean you are English, Welsh, Scottish or from Northern Ireland..there are bilingual signs in Welsh and English in/on border of Wales and Gaelic and English signs in/around Scotland/Ireland. These areas all constitute a part of Britain.
Report abuse
I have not missed the point, the main language of the uk is english end of argument . As for the comment from John smith a bit stupid that one, I doubt very much that we in the uk have a load of welsh people who cant speak english on our highways or wondering about lost. These people would have taken their driving lesson in english and their main language at school would have been english or are we saying they have failed to intergrate?? and can only speak welsh until it comes to wanting something .
Report abuse