The Valleys. I need to talk about them.
Most of you don't know Wales and our culture. Of all the countries in the British Isles we are the country that is known the least. As the UK disintegrates my country will be the last to go. Ireland started to go 100 years ago. I don't think it will be long before Northern Ireland joins the Republic. Scotland will go. Wales will be left but we are not England.
Politically we are not strong. But our language is something else. Ireland and Scotland have languages that are spoken by a few but the Welsh language is strong and growing. The Welsh government wanted a million Welsh speakers by 2050. We are very nearly there. Our road signs are in Welsh. Even on the motorway you cannot fail to notice you are in another country as you are told Arafwch Nawr.
But I digress. The Valleys are deep. They are cut into the mountains. Normally no one would live there. Glaciers used to take ice down to the sea. But there is coal. And each valley is a string of houses, homes of miners. And communities. And big towns where the valleys meet. Like Pontypridd. And in the communities chapels and workmen's clubs.
But the coal mines were closed. And no work came to these valleys. Yet you go there today as a stranger. You will be welcomed as if you lived there all your life. Such is the warm hearted nature of the people of the valleys.
When I come home on the train from England, as the train slows down to enter Cardiff station, there is graffiti on the wall of a bridge. It says "Welcome Home". Tears of hiraeth.
Politically we are not strong. But our language is something else. Ireland and Scotland have languages that are spoken by a few but the Welsh language is strong and growing. The Welsh government wanted a million Welsh speakers by 2050. We are very nearly there. Our road signs are in Welsh. Even on the motorway you cannot fail to notice you are in another country as you are told Arafwch Nawr.
But I digress. The Valleys are deep. They are cut into the mountains. Normally no one would live there. Glaciers used to take ice down to the sea. But there is coal. And each valley is a string of houses, homes of miners. And communities. And big towns where the valleys meet. Like Pontypridd. And in the communities chapels and workmen's clubs.
But the coal mines were closed. And no work came to these valleys. Yet you go there today as a stranger. You will be welcomed as if you lived there all your life. Such is the warm hearted nature of the people of the valleys.
When I come home on the train from England, as the train slows down to enter Cardiff station, there is graffiti on the wall of a bridge. It says "Welcome Home". Tears of hiraeth.
