Being Welsh Or Pure

[joggerjayne]

This seems to crop up when sports events are on (like last week).

You have a friend who supports Wales, and surprises you by saying they're Welsh (the same rule seems to apply to Scottish). The conversation goes something like ...

I didn't know you were Welsh.
Yes, my grandmother was born in Cardiff.

Or ... Yes, my great grandparents were from Swansea.

Or ... Yes, I had a friend who went to Tenby on holiday.

Or ... Yes, I saw it on a map once.

Or ... Yes, I own a Shirley Bassey CD.

Anyone who is a quarter Welsh, or an eighth Welsh, but mostly English, claims to be Welsh.

Is it a purity thing?

To be English, you have to be pure English. If you have any Welsh ancestry, you can no longer be English, and you have to settle for being Welsh?

Or what?

I have a friend who is as English as English, probably never even been to Wales, very English private school voice, makes me sound like a Sussex yokel, but said she'd prefer Wales to win against England in Canada last week.

Nothing against the Welsh. In fact, having stayed at Celtic Manor, I'm possibly Welsh myself. Just curious.

Oh, the other common factor among the fake Welsh people is that they'd never consider living in Wales. Or Scotland. Or wherever.

[boxtops]

JJ, lots of invaders in the south of England came down from the North, they didn't all hop over the Manche.

[albaqwerty]

I had to read Harold Hardrader twice, then clean me specs and read it again.
It's the heat.

Aren't we all a mixture of anglo-saxon, and so on and so forth ?

[Ratty2E]

I will admit to having a tiny drop of Welsh blood but I have never and would never claim to be Welsh. I mean why would you want to, what is so special about Wales? I am English or British if I have to be. The fake Welsh do get on my nerves a bit as do 'fakes' of certain other nationalities who like to affect an accent despite often being many generations English born. Why can't you just be proud of the country you were born and live in or go and live in Wales of wherever else it is that you claim to be from.

[boxtops]

We're all a mixture even back to the last generations

My mother was born in England of an English mother and an irish father
My father was born in Wales of a Welsh mother and an English father
I've married two Scotsmen (at different times) just to be unbiased

:-)

[jno]

whatever is pure English? No ancestor has ever married outside the faith?

[baza]

I must be English as I can't sing (Welsh) , fight when Brahms (Scottish), or play cricket (Yorkshire).

[Baldric]

Tony
Vinnie Jones was born in Watford, but he did marry Tanya JONES,
does that count?

[tonyav]

It must count Baldric, it entitled him to play football for Wales !.

[joggerjayne]

Is Vinnie Jones from Watford?

Well, I suppose that makes him nearly a Londoner.

Slightly unlike Hollywood's most famous (currently) "London lad" Jason Statham, who is from Derby, or Doncaster, or something.

[joggerjayne]

Can you play football for Wales if you marry a Welsh person?

That's a fairly relaxed rule.

[Sharingan]

Bagsy Rhys Ifans ;-)

[joggerjayne]

Rhys Ifans? Really?

Wow, okay.

[tonyav]

Who's he ?.

[joggerjayne]

Hugh Grant's flat mate in Notting Hill.

[Sharingan]

He's a very talented bad lad, and that was probably not his finest hour Jayne!

[tonyav]

Oh yeah, I remember know, thanks jj, the skinny little runt.

[joggerjayne]

LOL ... Shari, I know that, in Notting Hill, he was playing a character who was meant to be unappealing, lol

I just think it was such a memorable performance, if you're trying to explain who he is.

The bit where he opens the door in his pants.

And where he's trying on the tee shirts, and the romantic one says "fancy a f**k?" on the back.

And the bit where he thinks the yoghurt tastes a bit funny, and it turns out to be mayonnaise, so he carries on eating it.

And the bit where he's sitting in the wetsuit because it was the only clean thing he could find.

Brilliant.

[Sharingan]

He's good at doing unappealing for such an attractive man. Ever seen ' Twin Town'- funiest film ever.

[joggerjayne]

No, I don't think I've seen it. I'll look out for it.