Too true Malky.
Not witnessed violence meself but won't argue against those that have.
Having said that I well remember the near riot caused by a nefarious north england club when they went on the rampage in a gentle south wales pub after a Brit Champ race a few years back!!
There's too many inane comments on this thread to be able to quote them.
MarkL - you evidently havn't seen the best of Snowdonia, e.g. Rhosgadfan, Nantlle, Dinorwig, Llanfrothen, Maentwrog, Llanffestiniog, Penygroes.....the list goes on.....it'd be interesting to know where your based - somewhere around Batley or Dewsbury perhaps?
It's interesting how the English always bring up this "anti-english" issue, which is clearly a method to hide all your self-confidence issues of being a purely mono-lingual race who find it irksome that the country next door is composed of a race which naturally speaks two tongues. You should have travelled around parts of Bosnia and Serbia in the late 1990's and then go around bleating re: 'anti-englishness'. I think it maybe leftover from your colonialism period, a bit like the French with Jean Bidel Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
Brilliant post by the legend that is 'Malky'.
I don't think anyone is quite intending it to be on the scale of violent racism and ethnic cleansing. Some of the responses are as a result of IainR's pondering about the lower numbers attending races in Wales compared to those in the Lake District on another thread.Originally Posted by RhosgadMath
I've only raced in Wales once at the Relays and so I can only go off what people say.
It seems clear that one of the issues is that there is a difference between how comfortable people feel in the post race socials that take place.
It also seems clear that some people have detected an element of anti Englishness, rather than just drunkenness.
I think your response tends to underline what they have said. A more balanced response to suggest that if it was the case that they did detect such sentiments, it was most likely an isolated case and that they shouldn't be put off by it as by far the vast majority of Welsh people are like you; happy-go-lucky, chilled individuals who are keen to welcome the English as much as any other visitor, with open arms.
Aye that's what I was referring to as inane.
Otherwise aye Witton, I agree.
Cracking read at the moment:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012...-bosnia-review
You're just worried if we get more visitors your run of easy race wins will come to an end...
Its interesting that you've never won a race outside of the UK, never mind Europe.. suggests an unease with travelling..
On a pitch you get anti-englishness.. but you give and get anything which may get a reaction..
The threats to the english, even in places like Bethesda where people always say it happens, I reckon is massively over played.. same as the locals switching language when an english person walks in rubbish.. I can't say I've ever had anti-english comments outside of a pitch in 9 years in Wales, I've had outsider comments, but they've been rare and been from people you'd expect more from, but otherwise I think its a very welcoming area. The only violence or results of violence I've witnessed has been post Wyddfa and post Faenol and its always been local on local. I don't think runners need to feel threatened its just not good having to avoid pubs for fear of trouble. But the Italians don't stick around like they used to, so I think a lot of runners avoid llanberis post wyddfa..
Hopefully after the success of heavy policing in 2010, and the flare up with seemingly less police last year, we'll have a heavy police precence and it'll be a quiet night..
Is it a case of the Lakes are gone so expensive to live in that all the trouble making scallies have been driven away to live in the neighbouring towns? But snowdonia is still affordable
Pretty much my take on it. About 4 years ago, we were down supporting a Bowland lad on a PBR and were staying at a climbing club hut right at the top of Deiniolen. Heading back to the hut to re-stock the van, approaching midnight, we could not get along the main street of Deiniolen for a pitched battle between the regulars of the 2 pubs that were right across the street from one another and it appeared to be inspired / egged-on by some dubious looking women that were screaming encouragement at the protagonists; as time was tight, we ended up swinging down some back alleys to by-pass the hold-up.
Last summer, again on PBR support, we noticed that one of those pubs had been boarded-up.
That's the only actual violence that I've witnessed in many years of heading down to Snowdonia. Aside from that I really rate Croesor and Llanfachreth as my two all-time favourite villages.
Ian.
I find it equally interesting how the Welsh cling to this notion that they are somehow repressed by the English, which is clearly untrue, but undoubtedly plays a part forming their identity.
Anyone feeling adventurous could check out Cleator Moor in Cumbria.. I can't promise pitched battles but I have heard (a few years back) that a lot of West Cumbria seems incredibly rough (and very deprived).
I always wondered what's supposed to happen when gentrification reaches everywhere. Where would the troublemakers/homeless/jobless end up, if not Morecambe?
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