"The commission was to research the history of slate quarrying in and around Blaenau Ffestiniog and help design a museum. It was a bleak November day when I was installing more exhibition units for the museum at Gloddfa Ganol.
Blaenau Ffestiniog was still there. I knew it was. I had just driven from the town to the massive quarry workings higher up the mountains. It was just that I couldn't see the town submerged below the low opaque cloud. The fracas in the corrugated tin covered entrance was increasing in volume, despite the rain lashing through the doorless aperture at an exact horizontal angle that even trigonometry could not refine, and only Blaenau weather could produce.
'Llaeth', the soft, almost sing-song voice from South Wales continued to insist. 'Na, mae'n llefrith!' countered the more guttural Blaenau voice with the "ll" delivered with such ferocity that it ricocheted around the massive slate-built machineshop like a wet wedge of tobacco hitting a spittoon in a John Wayne western.
The old man was, as always when the museum was open, sitting in a crouched position. The trimmed block of Ffestiniog grey slate was about the size of a telephone book and leant against his left knee. A single, well-considered blow from hammer to chisel split the block exactly in half. Again, the same process, until ten perfectly split slates lay on the grey dust floor. The small group of tourists from Rhondda appeared suitably impressed with the demonstration and shuffled away in a regimented block in a curiously automated fashion.
Looking up, the old man's weathered face corrugated like old leather as the smile spread. But the arguments concerning the use of different Welsh words for exactly the same subject in North and South Wales continued a pace with the stubbornly square figure silhouetted in the solid sheet of water noisily cascading off the broken gutter.
That was some 30 years ago. The grey and prematurely old men suffering from silicosis caused by years of exposure to slate dust are now gone. Their stations on the benches around Blaenau Ffestiniog are now claimed by a younger generation clad in joyful primary colours. But the language of those men who toiled (and often died) to roof many of the Victorian buildings around the world lives on and is stronger now than ever.
'Bwrw hen wragedd a ffyn,' I commented in a spectacularly confident voice that you can only achieve by learning it over and over again parrot-fashion to the exclusion of all other normal thought patterns and over a very long time span. The silence was deafening.
I repeated the sentence, this time a slightly nervous tremor was present in my voice. The lady the other side of the bus stop was so securely wrapped up in waterproof clothing and head gear that she was either preparing to row the Atlantic single-handed or going shopping in Blaenau. Her face was still completely unemotional.
'Raining old ladies and their sticks,' I reluctantly offered. 'That's what it means in Saesneg'. 'Ah', she exclaimed as her face lit up, 'Raining cats and dogs. That's what you mean. Raining cats and dogs!' So, lesson 487c/sub-clause 34a states that 'what you learn from your tutor from Cwmystradllyn is not necessarily what will be understood standing at a bus stop in Tanygrisiau!' The kind lady from Tanygrisiau was not laughing because she though I was just plain stupid and did not understand her language, but rather that she considered an idiom from the next valley along somewhat humorous.
Every contact I have with the indigenous Welsh people on my painful route to master their language reinforces my view that the goal posts are forever moving depending on what valley I'm in and whether it's north or south Wales. Dare I mention mutations at this stage? When I realised I had the amazing choice of Bangor, Fangor or Mangor, I knew I was in trouble big time. But, with the kindness and patience of so many Welsh people eager to help and put me right, the route to understanding and being able to expressing this fascinating (if not organic) language has been less painful.
But, us Saesnegs have several secret weapons that few Welsh people know about. If we don't form a queue, we will form a society. Apart from bus stops in Tanygrisiau there is not much around here to queue for so we opted for a society! Tap in www.siop-siarad.co.uk and you will find a site titled: 'Learning to speak and write Welsh for the terrified.' It is a fun, easy to use resource base for anyone learning to write and speak Welsh. Full of easy-going humour, Welsh phrases, idioms, and verbs and (dare we say?) mutations plus details about joining the society! Cymerwch ofal. (Take care)."
your comments
Mike Brady o Ddyfnant
I wish I could share the positive experience of your contributors. It's a hell of an effort to try and cope with a foreigner struggling in your language, especially if you are fluent in the other one's language and know there is an easier way out. I find the Spanish are longsuffering in this respect: neither the French nor Welsh are. The opening couple of sentences are usually ok. Then you come up with a mistake and are usually answered in English, and that's your Welsh conversation finished!Then, talk about mutations... ask why the B, M and M are not mutated in Eglwys! Bach, Porthmadoc and Bron Gwynedd, they wonder what you are on about. Ask why the Tesco signs refer to Llysiau wedi eu rewi, they don't have a clue.Then there is this kind of illiterate Welsh they seem to be promoting now: I saw recently on a notice at a tourist attraction some thing like "Be dani wneud ma" - no apostrophes, nothing. It may represent a colloquial pronunciation, rather like a child's comic, but how can a learner relate this to any grammar or properly written version of the language?Most of the teaching media seem to be in the South or mid Wales idiom, though my early starter book, Welsh made Easy by Caradar, I thought to be a fair compromise. As I move on I find this is rather incomplete in this respect (written I think in the 1930s), but it does explain the links between literary and spoken Welsh. So, trying to find a course where the North Wales verb forms and other expressions are prominent? Haven't succeeded so far. Any suggestions please? I struggle on!
Web team: Try the courses run by Lifelong Learning at Bangor University.
Tue Aug 18 13:54:59 2009
John B from Croydon
Col Bartlett's comments 17th Nov 2008 brings to mind a similar experience that happened to a cousin of mine,who taught French at a school in Liverpool.She had invited a colleague from Paris to stay and visit North Wales. They were on their way to Pwllheli on a bus and conversing freely in French. She heard comments being made from the seat behind and in particular when one said "These bloody foreigners". When the bus was about to pull up my cousin turned around and in impeccable Welsh spoke to the people concerned, who immediately made a hasty retreat in total embarrassment with faces in a shade of tomato%2! 0red. So you never know who is eavesdropping on your conversation.
I have been in London for well over 40yrs and very often hear conversations in Welsh, on buses and tubes - people who are obviously very proud of their native language and heritage. Mine I am glad to say is still fluent. Diolch aam hynny.
Tue Feb 10 09:44:52 2009
Col Bartlett Lisarow NSW Australia
I was born in Bangor and spent my formative years in Conway, Llandudno Jct and Mochdre before joining the RN in 64. My mother's first language is Welsh (she's now 85) and this story is about what was said on top of a London bus in 1968. My mother and her sister Adeline both worked for the same stationery store in Victoria St. Whilst sisters, physically they were chalk and cheese. My mother is about 7 stone soaking wet, whereas Adeline was about 16 stone, stark naked. Anyway, they are on homeward bound bus, when a very large lady sat in the seat in front of them. Adeline said to my mother in Welsh, "Isn't this woman in front of us fat?" At this point, the woman turned around and replied in Welsh, "Not as fat as you my dear!" Dead language, I don't think so.
Mon Nov 17 10:54:29 2008
E.R.Williams
Hia! Just wanted to say I enjoyed this insight, especially coming from Blaenau Ffestiniog. oh and by the way, don't know why the lady didn't understand your saying "bwrw hen 'wragedd a ffyn", I'm relativeley young and living in Blaenau, often use the saying!
Thu Oct 18 09:43:39 2007
Mark from Llandrillo yn Rhos
I was born and bred in the area and two years ago came back to live in North Wales. I am doing my best to learn to speak the language and resurrect some of my 'schooldays Welsh'. I attend numerous courses - evening, occasional day courses with my job and spent a week at Nant Gwrtheyrn. It is a struggle but a worthwhile one and I am refusing to be daunted. Part of the solution I feel is not to get too worked up about mutations (hopefully that will come) and above all to use the language whenever possible - it is the only way to consoldiate and remember! When in shops I find it work! s a treat to say 'Dw'n dysgu Cymraeg' then the shopkeeper (if they speak Welsh) will, hopefully, be more tolerant and English visitors in the queue will probably be none the wiser.
Wed Jan 17 17:24:49 2007
Laurence Roberts
Great piece-very funny.
It's worth pressing on, and most Welsh speakers will be delighted to see people learning - if only more will. Older people particularly, usually have the time and patience to chat in Welsh and can be a delight. So then it's a real 2-way process of gain, for both 'learner' & native speaker.
BTW
nobody will expect people trying out their newly acquired Welsh to get all the mutations 'right', indeed, in many districts they differ from the 'BBC Welsh' of the standard text books-c.f the local nasal mutations around Penmachno, and to Dwygyfylchi on the coast. If in doubt mutate! Just enjoy it!
Tue Aug 8 09:33:42 2006
