feeling proud to be British

Anniebach your anger is tangible, and completely understandable. Many injustices have been carried out by politicians and large organisations, and an apology years later is no compensation.

But expressing this in response to Greatnan's experience of beng treated badly by a few individuals, and stepping up the way you post on this thread to overpower her comments seems rather unfair.

How about starting a different thread to discuss the political disasters that have damaged communities? There are so many, such as Thatcher and the mining communities, the destruction of the steelworks that have left Sheffeld communities bereft, the down grading of shipbuilding and shipping, and cutting through countryside and villages for airports and extra runways, as well as your example of the flooding of villages to create reservoirs across the UK.

Liverpool Council took a private bill to parliment , they wanted to flood a valley in North Wales. 35 of the 36 Welsh MP's voted against but the bill was carried . Because it was a private bill no planning permission had to be sort by the Welsh authorities, no matter that Capel Celyn was of historical importance - a ring of stones were Quakers met before fleeing to America, plus it was one of the last fully Welsh speaking valleys in Wales. Because it was a private bill all authorities in Wales were powerless to defend the valley or the people. This caused a rise in the people who became Welsh Nationalists things became more bested following the flooding in 1965. There were many attempts to plant explosives at Lake Vernwy- the night out first child was born my husband was stuck miles away at Lake Vernwy because of a bomb threat 1969 also saw much anger when prince Charles entered Aberyswyth University to study the language for nine whole weeks, then we had the debacle of his investiture. It was at this time a ' Sons of Owain Glyndwr 'were active - Owain was the last true Prince of Wales. This was also the time when several holiday homes were burned .
Liverpool council apologised in 2005 for their actions in 1965,

So I do not consider this as historical in the same sense as the murder of The Prince of Wales, I lived this period and wonder how those who dismiss the flooding of that valley so lightly would react if Welsh PM's voted for and carried through a bill to demolish an area in England and the whole of England were powerless to do a thing . Was Wales angry? Yep,

I assume those who dismiss the feelings of the Welsh also dismiss the BNP and EDL, and never say that if you want to live in England then respect the English way of life and customs

No, I am no longer angry, just putting the facts to you . And hope some will give a thought as to how they would truly feel if it happened to a place they loved and was of historical importance to them

Greatnan has voiced her opinion of Wales by quoting Dylan Thomas, she is angry because she was hurt, no difference to anyone in Wales feeling angry surely

I don't suppose she did. But if people use such obtuse 'language' they must expect to be misunderstood or not understood at all.

I've just checked the Urban Dictionary - I'm sure AKA didn't mean boner!

I know what a boner is thanks bags, I just don't 'get it' here IYSWIM

am I being very thick?

Time for a bowl of cereal, I think.

Oh! I've just got it!

Aka

If that's not what you meant, aka, perhaps you'd better explain. Obscure acronyms are a daft way of conversing anyhow.

I mean, I'm not going to give you its meaning 'out loud' on gransnet

You'll need to look it up in the urban dictionary, lona Not saying it out loud, so to speak!

Boner?

post traumatic stress boner

Is that a syndrome?

wot?

PTSB

Tee hee greatnan (smile)

The strange thing is that in those countries where I really was an immigrant - Monaco, Belgium and France - I have met nothing but kindness. Perhaps it was because they did not bear any grudges against Britain - or perhaps it is because I am really a very nice person!

Reminds me of a conversation I had with some people last week who had lived in their small town for 35 years so were still newcomers .

The English have historically treated Welsh people (Scottish people, Irish people, Indian people, etc., etc., etc.) very badly in the past and to some extent it's understandable that this has left remnants of distrust and bad feeling. I also think people living outside south-east England get really fed up with the way the various regions seem to have been relegated to the "second division".

I do think that, whatever legitimate grievances one may have, to treat a little girl in such a cruel and heartless way is just downright nasty, and if I were Greatnan I would also find it very difficult to forget. She has clarified that she agrees that this nasty behaviour reflects on the individuals involved and not the country as a whole.

Unfortunately there are always malicious, small minded people who take delight in making newcomers feel unwelcome and I expect most of us have experienced the feeling of being an "outsider"at some time in our lives.

We lived there whilst I was doing my teaching degree,from 1967 to 1971.

I'm reluctant to join in this. I had a Welsh surname before I married and most of my childhood holidays were spent in north wales. Mainly in rented cottages so contributing to the local economy. This was in the fifties. BUT In the seventies my husbands boss lent us a caravan as we were worn out with young children and my mother was dying. The man in question was Welsh highly respected,revered is probably no exaggeration. There was a heat wave and a water shortage. We were told by the "boss"that the garage would supply fresh water. My DH went and asked for water taking a gallon container. No was the reply you English have got Lake Vernwy. My very gentle polite DH was stunned,saying he had two small children(we are talking pre bottled water days) and that Mr X had said that all his guests got water from there. The transformation was staggering and the water was carried back to the car for him. My DH preceded every encounter with the locals by saying Mr X has recommended your shop/pub/bread until we went home. I'm sure it is very different now. We tend to go to Abersoch these days but its really Cheshire by the sea. We have many happy memories of wales. And that one does not colour our attitude but I don't know what decade Greatnan was in Wales I imagine it could have bee n the Seventies when there was bad feeling.

You could just have said 'Yes, it was a great shame you were treated so badly but not all Welsh people are like that'. I would have agreed immediately.

The only one who said ' wonder if I had done something' was me, now that you choose to turn what I would have asked myself into some horrid little implication speaks volumes Greatnan

No more to be said on this for me, I fear I am feeding a need

Of course I understand why the people whose village was drowned were angry with whoever ordered it - but not why they took it out on my family. Yes, I still burn with anger when I remember the look on my little girl's face when she was turned away from the party. Mothers don't forget (or forgive) these things. Please don't anybody bother telling me to 'get over it' which is just condescending. She didn't get over it - her whole time at that wretched school was miserable and I feel it was the start of her emotional problems. Try explaining to a young child that the other children don't hate her, they just hate the English.
Croesu a Cymru - that's a laugh. I understand what Dylan Thomas meant when he said 'Land of my Fathers - and my fathers can keep it.'
The replies on this thread have just confirmed my feelings, especially when it was suggested that perhaps I should have wondered what we had done wrong to be treated so badly. No, I wasn't mentioned by name but the implication was obvious. Jesuitical casuistry!