Where have all the Welsh gone?

There's a fairly busy local forum for Conwy, nannyfran. Are they busy socialising over there at the moment? JuneH is the editor and often comes here for a chat, too.

I am English by birth but lived in Wales for the last twenty plus years till we moved here to France full time last year. I am due back in Cardiff next weekend for a couple of days and then will be back there beginning of December for a couple of weeks.

Thanks for the info, Whenin64, I'll watch out for JuneH.

There's a few more nannyfran. JessM is always on here, and anniebach joined recently. Then there's a few of us with Welsh backgrounds, some on the borders and of course, there's all those people who love to visit and holiday all over Wales. Keep chatting on here, too, won't you?

I hope France has been a successful move, Bez. I shall also be in Cardiff next weekend staying with family. We also hope to take in the Womex festival for the first time, hope the rain keeps off! Enjoy your trip.

I, too, live in France but was born in Llanelli and I am going to Cardiff next Wednesday for two weeks. I shall be there to spend time with my 12 year old GD during her half term and to visit family and friends. Of course, I shall be doing some shopping while there. Cardiff has a brilliant shopping centre these days.

For me France has been a great success. I have a mix of french and british friends and now sing in a choir. Why wouldn't I? I am welsh!

Have a good time in Cardiff Bez and nannyfran.

Thank you, Flowerfriend, I hope you have a successful shop.I agree about the shops in Cardiff.I'm in N Devon and we aren't well blessed with much variety!
Does your choir sing in French? I haven't sung in one since school days, you've reminded me of what I've missed.Have you ever been in the Millenium Stadium for the Welsh Anthem before a rugby match? Magic!

Not been in the Millenium Stadium but even watching and listening to the pre-rugby singing gets me going.

Yes, my choir sings in french mainly but we are doing a couple of songs in english this season too. That's amusing as the french find th difficult to say. I look forward to getting them to sing a welsh nursery rhyme but I am biding my time.

Good luck with that! "LL" could cause a few problems too.

I've even managed to move from Buckinghamshire to Mon. Loving it as I always felt like a foreigner where I lived. Dw'in dysgu Cymraeg as well.
Greatest achievement so far to buy a large granary in Cymraeg.
Siarad Cymraeg anyone?

Unfortunately not, JessM .We had a choice of French or Welsh when I was in school many years ago and as the Welsh teacher was a bit of a dragon, there was no contest at the time.I regret it now, especially when S4C only have a Welsh commentary for the rugby!
Your granary sound interesting, are you converting it for living in, or using it for its original purpose?

LOL no it was a loaf in the local bakers. I asked for it in Welsh and she understood me. Then she asked if I wanted it sleicio and that's where it gets hard as there seem to be about 10 different words for YES in Welsh. I settled on uh-huh with a shake of the head
I our school French and Latin were compulsory and Welsh not well taught, so when it came to options, if one wanted to choose sciences or geography then there was no debate. I think the only people choosing welsh were those who already spoke it.

Obviously one of my more senior moments!I never did read things properly.
I'm not quite the idiot I seem(I HOPE) and will try and read more carefully in future. I wonder if you can learn Welsh on line and would I have the self discipline to do it.?

I have downloaded something called Say Something in Welsh and got DH to put it on my iPod. The first 20 something lessons are free.
I stick it in my ears when out walking or sometimes cooking etc You just repeat, repeat , repeat until it sinks in.
Sooner or later i am going to amaze my teacher in welsh class... when the ssiw learning meets the class curriculum.

Hi I'm Welsh, originally from Newport South Wales, but moved to London many moons ago and settled here. But I will always be Welsh through and through!!

Prynhawn da anniprue. Will you be watching the rugby on the 9th, Wales - S Africa friendly?

Hello anniepru! I came through Newport on the train yesterday on the way back from Cardiff.If you haven't been back lately you probably wouldn't recognise it.
We had a great time at my granddaughters 1st birthday party, the house was bursting with babies and adults, all of whom behaved remarkably well!
The next day she took her 1st steps, which we unfortunately missed as we were waiting on various stations for delayed trains! I hope you all escaped storm damage, we were lucky to get home judging by all the water near the railway lines.
I shall be watching the rugby, JessM, never miss if I can help it.

I'm in Wales! Welsh speaking too, on a good day..

O Sir Fon hefyd! Yr wyf wedi anghofio rhan fwyaf o fy Cymraeg (shouldn't that be fy Nghymraeg.... mutation and all that????)
One sister still there, another moving back, that leaves me 'ar ben fy hyn yn Lloegre!'

very impressive OGM Da Iawn. I have had a bad week with the Cymraeg as lots of work and now visitors. Supermarkets quite good for picking up bits of vocabualry if i remember - the aisles all have the welsh labels above them. Ieuchyd etc

Hello Nannyfran, seems we were once neighbours, I was born and brought up in Aberfan, now live in Powys, Mid Wales. So many changes in South Wales, little in Mid and North.

Welsh is a difficult language to learn and unlike learning French , Spanish etc, rather difficult to find someone to practice your achievements on if you live outside of Wales, quite difficult if you live in South Wales too

I have to giggle at some of the 'modern' words, I'm sure some Welsh language experts put their heads together to 'invent' them.
WhenI was growing up, the 'posh' Welsh always used a mix (Welsh/English) Now you need to go to Holyhead for the same effect ...it always makes me smile!

Oldgreymare , I use the mixed version and am certainly not posh

Habit , my grandfather came to South Wales from Angelsey, couldn't speak a word of English, hence all his life he spoke a mixture of the two, more Welsh than English though

When I was teaching mature students, one of them did an entertaining presentation on "Wenglish".