Whacky Signs.

[Welchester]

1 hour ago, The Johnster said:

 

 'Come home to a real fire, buy a cottage in Wales'...

 

 

Not the Nine O'Clock News.

[Dunsignalling]

2 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Yes, the grockles have taken over Cornwall, so we'll charge Cornishmen extra to commute to work from Devon.

 

The further East any Cornishman or Devonian moves, the better chance he stands of making a decent all-the-year-round living.

[Dave 46]

10 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

Mainly because they want to know what the welsh speakers are muttering about when they change from English to Welsh as the "incomers" come into the village shop or pub? 🤔

 

Two stories abojut Welsh speakers.

 

I was stopping in Tremadog with a friend for a few days.  We walked int a pub, and the group of three old boys changed from Welsh to English in their chat, and included us in the conversation.  We had a good time chatting to them, although they may have been after us buying them a drink or two.

 

A story told to me by one of my work colleages about another man at the firm.  He was travelling through rural Wales on a train with his daughter.  There were a couple of Welsh ladies in the train discussing (in Welsh, of course) how disgusting it was that the young woman was with the older man. As father and daughter left the train, he turned to them and told them (in Welsh) that he had enjoyed their conversation, and how fortunate it was his daughter did not speak Welsh.

 

 

[Colin_McLeod]

[Jeremy Cumberland]

13 minutes ago, Colin_McLeod said:

Rather obviously photoshopped, with PUBLIC FOOTPATH clearly visible underneath, but I like it nonetheless.

[The Johnster]

2 hours ago, Dave 46 said:

Two stories abojut Welsh speakers.

 

I was stopping in Tremadog with a friend for a few days.  We walked int a pub, and the group of three old boys changed from Welsh to English in their chat, and included us in the conversation.  We had a good time chatting to them, although they may have been after us buying them a drink or two.

 

A story told to me by one of my work colleages about another man at the firm.  He was travelling through rural Wales on a train with his daughter.  There were a couple of Welsh ladies in the train discussing (in Welsh, of course) how disgusting it was that the young woman was with the older man. As father and daughter left the train, he turned to them and told them (in Welsh) that he had enjoyed their conversation, and how fortunate it was his daughter did not speak Welsh.

 

 

 

Story about my chum Steffan, who learned Welsh in evening classes run in Cardiff by Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, the Welsh Language Society.  He was picking it up quite well (he is fluent now), and decided to visit the National Eisteddfod, which that year was in Caernarfon, to try out his newly-learned skills.  As the Eisteddfod is in summer, and Caernarfon is prime tourist territory, there was no accommodation to be had in the town and he managed to find some in a pub in Bangor.  Now, for those of you not familiar with this area, it is very Welsh-speaking. 

 

Now, the other bit of background I must impart is that, on the Eisteddfod Maes, where only Welsh is spoken, those learning the language wear 'D' (for dwsgyr, learner) badges, and natural speakers therefore know to take time and explain things to them.  I've been to the National, as a monoglot English speaker, and managed perfectly well with the limited vocabulary I have; the atmosphere is generally inclusive and welcoming.  Anyway, Steffan had had a day on the Maes and gone 'home' to the pub in Bangor in the evening, and was propping up the bar (a thing that comes very naturally to Steffan, when a local noticed his 'D' badge and began to speak to him.  But all he could hear was gobbledegook; the local argot is performed at a breakneck pace in either language!

 

So he asked the guy, in the best Welsh he could muster, if he'd mind slowing down a bit so he could follow what he was saying.  The guy gave him a very strange look, and spake, slowly with a pause between each word, as if he was speaking to a child or an idiot, thusly; 'I, was, speaking, to, you, in, English!!!'.  You can't make this stuff up!

[PhilJ W]

[Reorte]

Seen on the side of a van this morning:

 

"No persons to be inside this vehicle while it is moving."

[kevinlms]

1 hour ago, Reorte said:

Seen on the side of a van this morning:

 

"No persons to be inside this vehicle while it is moving."

Depends entirely what sort of vehicle. If it's a caravan, absolutely no persons inside while it is moving!

[Reorte]

6 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

Depends entirely what sort of vehicle. If it's a caravan, absolutely no persons inside while it is moving!

A van, not a caravan.

[Hroth]

6 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

Depends entirely what sort of vehicle. If it's a caravan, absolutely no persons inside while it is moving!

 

Not that that seems to bother some people, I mean, who's going to have the tea ready for the next stop?

 

[Dunsignalling]

14 hours ago, Jeremy Cumberland said:

Rather obviously photoshopped, with PUBLIC FOOTPATH clearly visible underneath, but I like it nonetheless.

But what is the significance of the blue arrow sticking out of the car roof? 😉

[Ian Morgan]

2 hours ago, Reorte said:

Seen on the side of a van this morning:

 

"No persons to be inside this vehicle while it is moving."

 

So, my whole scout troop in the back of the van with the tents and gear going off to camp in the late 1960's was a no-no then?

[Hroth]

5 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

But what is the significance of the blue arrow sticking out of the car roof? 😉

 

"This Way Up"?

 

[melmerby]

3 hours ago, Reorte said:

Seen on the side of a van this morning:

 

"No persons to be inside this vehicle while it is moving."

Must be one of those Tesla self driving thingys🙂

[kevinlms]

2 hours ago, Reorte said:

A van, not a caravan.

Plenty of people refer to their caravan as a 'van'. At least that was the point of my previous comment.

[Reorte]

2 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

Plenty of people refer to their caravan as a 'van'. At least that was the point of my previous comment.

I've never heard that before (although I only know one person with a caravan). Is it an Aussie thing?

[eastglosmog]

On 29/04/2024 at 10:40, The Johnster said:

Second homes are a major political issue in Wales, and cause all sorts of problems as well as the nationalist/language issue, but apart from that issue the same can be said of areas in England such as the Peak and Lake Districts, and the North Norfolk coast.  I am always a little surprised that people in these areas seem to protest less in general than us Welsh do at the imposition and the destruction of village life caused.

Its been causing some aggro in this rural part of West Oxfordshire of late.  That and airbnbs.  Been several pages of complaints on our local forum, a lot to do with these city incomers blocking the streets with their 4x4's.

[Michael Hodgson]

4 minutes ago, eastglosmog said:

Its been causing some aggro in this rural part of West Oxfordshire of late.  That and airbnbs.  Been several pages of complaints on our local forum, a lot to do with these city incomers blocking the streets with their 4x4's.

Simple fact of life that the natives of places whose local economy depends on tourism can't stand the bl**dy tourists.

Rather like US troops during WW2 - overpaid, overfed, oversexed and over here,

[Reorte]

5 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Simple fact of life that the natives of places whose local economy depends on tourism can't stand the bl**dy tourists.

Rather like US troops during WW2 - overpaid, overfed, oversexed and over here,

The economy of the place depends on it yet it drives out those people living there anyway.

 

A certain level of tourism can be very good for a place, but start going beyond that and it's damaging, and in the extremes pretty destructive.

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, Dunsignalling said:

But what is the significance of the blue arrow sticking out of the car roof? 😉

 

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

 

"This Way Up"?

 

Is it a SUV?

[Dunsignalling]

2 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Simple fact of life that the natives of places whose local economy depends on tourism can't stand the bl**dy tourists.

Rather like US troops during WW2 - overpaid, overfed, oversexed and over here,

Unfortunately, too few of those active in local economies see much benefit from the dependence on tourism.

 

The seasonal nature and mainly low pay offered by tourism leaves many scratching for a living for the other half of he year and depresses local wages in general, whilst the demand for holiday accommodation and second homes inflates housing rents and in recent times has pushed owner-occupation beyond reach of most.

 

For those determined to stay where they grew up, Japanese-style multi-generational mortgages will soon be a thing.

 

I always made damned sure of working for national businesses on national pay rates, but even that is no longer enough since Covid rammed demand for country and coastal living through the roof.

 

John

[Dunsignalling]

27 minutes ago, Reorte said:

The economy of the place depends on it yet it drives out those people living there anyway.

 

A certain level of tourism can be very good for a place, but start going beyond that and it's damaging, and in the extremes pretty destructive.

And once you drive out enough of those who service it, the whole edifice begins to collapse anyway.

 

Most pubs and restaurants in popular areas have had "Staff Wanted" boards out continuously for the past two years and one beach front cafe I formerly frequented only plans to open during the university summer break this season. 

 

None of that is sustainable. 

 

 

Edited April 30 by Dunsignalling

[kevinlms]

13 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

 

Is it a SUV?

Replace the arrow with a finger and ask again!

[kevinlms]

2 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

And once you drive out enough of those who service it, the whole edifice begins to collapse anyway.

 

Most pubs and restaurants in popular areas have had "Staff Wanted" boards out continuously for the past two years and one beach front cafe I formerly frequented only plans to open during the university summer break this season. 

Here's is an old workers village, which is being revamped to cater for a shortage of hospitality workers. Shows that it's a world wide problem. The shortage has killed off the underpayment of those same people, not too many years ago. It was rife in Australia.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-10/can-revived-bogong-village-ease-vic-alpine-accommodation-crisis/103673830