feeling proud to be British

It is not wrong for the Welsh speakers to speak Welsh and I have never implied that it is. What was bloody rude was for the English speakers to switch to Welsh to exclude me.
I live in France and don't expect the French to speak English to me - however, they are very kind and friendly towards me and appreciate the fact that I have chosen to live in their lovely country. What a pity that the women of Mold did not see it the same way.
Either my story of my experience is true or it is a lie. 'Questioning' it is just a cop out.

Ana, in a community of people who can speak Welsh then they speak Welsh, I speak Welsh to my grandchildren, they speak Welsh to me, in school they speak English. I post in English, be little point in posting in Welsh. Percentages do not prove what the individual chooses as their first language , people speak in the language they choose . I understand outside of Wales it is difficult for people to understand, it's part of our history, there was a time Welsh was forbidden to be spoken in schools and so children spoke English in school but only Welsh at home . The French speak French, the English speak English, Welsh is spoken only when it is suitable to others , because of the long fight to have our language recognised - it is now an official language in the UK - we have had to adjust to suit what has been demanded of us.

I think we should be allowed to be protective of our mother tongue, God knows there are enough complaints that immigrants should speak English if they want to live in the UK. Why is it different for the Welsh?

I tried to understand the complaints on this thread by a few who complained about the Welsh speaking Welsh, gave thought as to how it must seem to an English person. How about those same posters try to understand what it's like to be condemned for speaking in a language which is the language of one's own country

I remember when we were young , we had a holiday bungalow in Aberystwth . We used to go a lot . my memories are of a warm and friendly people , who spoke English to us even if it was not their firt language !
As a poster said earlier if we go to France we don"t expect them to speak English to us , no way . They do try to though , as they love to practise their English on people .

All lovely memories of two very nice places .

I give up - no point in endlessly repeating that these women were English speakers who simply chose to speak Welsh as a form of discrimination and that I don't expect the French to speak English. If people simply refuse to listen, I may as well save my breath to cool my porridge.

Greatnan just to clarify my post was in response to Anniebach

Greatnan, you don't expect the French to speak English but you expected those women to speak English, you must have been very close to them to hear what they were saying. I am sorry but if I moved into a new house, a neighbour told me not to borrow anything , women at the school gates didn't want to speak to me and a very close neighbour chose not to invite a member of my family into their home my first thought would have been ' what have I done to upset so many people' but you went on to say the French appreciate you choosing to live in their country, so I do now understand ,you didn't feel appreciated for choosing Wales

Annie
[sunshine ] !!

Please stop trying to twist my words, Anniebach. Of course I got close enough to hear them speaking English - I was going to introduce myself at the school gates. And trying to make the injured party into the villain hasn't worked on other threads, so you may as well give up trying.
I was a young mother, hoping to make friends with the other mothers in a normal way. I hoped my little girls would make friends at school - how on earth can you turn that into something unpleasant?

I won't reply to any more of your posts, as you are obviously never going to concede that any of your countrymen can ever be rude and inhospitable, so everybody who has ever found that to be the case must be lying.

Heddwch (peace!), as they say in the Eisteddfod.
Here is today's top BBC news from N W Wales - to raise a smile or two perhaps?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-24017417

Streuth! What is going on here and who is grinding what axe?

Jess

Anniebach, you have not read my post properly either. You included the word them which made it sound patronising.

All visitors to an area which relies heavily on tourism 'help' or contribute to (if you prefer me to put it another way) the local economy. If that were not the case why do so many people in other areas in the British Isles have a smile and a welcome for visitors.

Please don't twist my words.

Just to diffuse this thread for a moment, while you all calm down dears, the late Mr.Gally worked in Aberdeen 30+ years ago as an architect. He had to deal with site staff who spoke the Doric - a completely unfathomable language. When he arrived, they greeted him in their tongue and then said, 'Aye, we'll be speaking the English for you John (which he still couldn't understand owing to the Aberdeen accent!) and as soon as he left, they reverted to Doric. It just needs bit of give and take. When I arrived in Fife 33 years ago, I found the Fife accent incomprehensible but I persevered, and can even translate now for Scots-born friends

Anniebach was wondering where in the Brecon Beacons I came across people speaking Welsh? It was nearly 50 years ago and I wasn't really paying attention as we'd been riding for several days. I only remember it was a pub in the middle of nowhere and there was a lake nearby (Llangorse?) The publican and his family were very friendly - it was his field we were camped in. And my pony was a bay called Rainbow. It wasn't a big enough deal to stop me going to Wales since. It's a beautiful country. My best memory of the holiday was of us galloping on a high flat top in cloud and free Welsh ponies coming out of the mist and running with us. Fantastic.

As a trained translator who has lived in foreign countries much of my life, I do know that the rules of polite behaviour are that you speak in the common language when you are in a group. If that common language is, say, Welsh, then fair enough. But if everyone speaks English and just a few in the group speak Welsh/German/French, Outer Mongolian....then it is rude to speak anything but English.

Rudeness is not confined to one ethnic group - we are all capable of being pain in the bum, but it is hard to forget behaviour that excludes you in a rather unpleasant way.

Nfk, thank you for replying. I learned to ride there as did my daughters, beautiful area. I only stay there now when I spend a few days in retreat, oh how age changes things lol

I can't sit on a horse now - the knees, oh the bloody knees!

JessM, aw in the defence of Llanidloes it is a little town compared to Holyhead lol

I seem to have upset some by trying to explain things, so I am sorry for this, but not for attempting to explain possible misunderstandings.

I think one problem is some think of Wales as if it is a county not a country, we too have a north, south divide , well we have a north/south/west divide lol.

I don't holiday in England, I holiday in Devon, Yorkshire, Shropshire etc. my daughter lives in Lincolnshire not England .

Anyway, Dwlch

Same here, Nfk I gave up riding in my late forties because the pain in my knees became unbearable. I would ride for miles without stirrups so decided to have a few lessons at a Western riding school not far from here. It was certainly less painful but as my horse was literally being put out to grass (he had a dodgy knee as well) I decided to call it a day.

Yes actually Llanidloes is small isn't it (see the link if anyone is mystified - I was for a moment).
So far I am finding everyone in N Wales hugely friendly compared to where I lived in s of england. But maybe partly because I am living in a very small town now and not a city - people behave differently? But have not ventured into shops in the dark heart of Anglesey yet. i am practicing my Cymraeg first

I recommend the RSPB reserve at South Stack Cliffs if you haven't been, jess. Beautiful place and it may still be flowering with heather and autumn gorse.

Oh yes, I have bags - just caught the end of the breeding season for the cliff nesters. Wonderful clifftop flowers in early summer - huge cushions of thrift and bladder campion. Taken aback that RSPB members have to pay to go on the end bit.

I'm sorry Anniebach but if you holiday in Yorkshire - and Shropshire and Devon as well then you holiday in ENGLAND!
How the Welsh sort that out is their problem but if I holiday in Anglesy - which I have often done, then I have been to WALES.

Jess, Anglesey is beautiful and the people are lovely- my roots lol - I hope you settle in quickly and come to love the Island and the people are so friendly, I have relatives and dear friends there.
I wish you joy