Wales and the Welsh

 People in Wales are generally immensely proud of their roots, be it village, town or valley. Yet while they maintain their sense of home, I have never been left in any doubt that I am welcome.

Growing up in England, I have moved around the Midlands. West Bromwich, Leicester, Northampton and Coventry are all places I had considered my home. Don't get me wrong, I had a wonderful childhood, but I had never found the place that spoke to my heart.

But from the moment I came to Wales, I felt that I had met a friend I never knew I needed. Everything about this country struck a chord with me. The Welsh are independent of mindset and nonconformist, and I love that. Wales is a land of geographical beauty and diverse wildness, but it is not the magnificent landscape of Wales that makes this home. It has always been the people...

Arenig
James Dickson Innes (1887-1914)
Photo Credit: Tate [CC BY-NC-ND]  

The Welsh are perpetually the underdog. Like my beloved Baggies, [West Bromwich Albion Football Club] they are surrounded by richer, more popular and more glamorous  neighbours but have retained a unique identity... There is a sense of stubborn endurance about Wales and the Welsh which I will always find admirable.

Yet despite this, Wales is in a state of flux. Having its own parliament and government since 1999 has awoken something. The feeling of being Welsh (as opposed to British) is rapidly increasing. Wales is slowly but surely, asserting itself. While the country is ancient, it also feels that it is still trying to work out what it is going to be when it grows up. It has all the pride and depth of a nation while still managing to retain the warmth of a village. Discovering the history of my adopted home has been like reading a thriller, as though I have been invited into an epic story and allowed to make myself a small character.

The Welsh word hiraeth means a deep longing, especially for your home, particularly longing for Wales. It has no direct English translation. The word Cymru itself is the plural of Cymro, "a Welshman", believed to come from the earlier Brittonic, meaning "a compatriot". This encapsulates my experience; a feeling of deep affection and camaraderie.

Am I allowed to call myself Welsh now? I would certainly hope so. As the first-ever Plaid Cymru MP, Gwynfor Evans, said: "Anybody can be Welsh, they just have to be willing to face the consequences."

(Will Hayward, The Guardian, 2024)

Which raises questions. Should Wales leave the UK? Is it desirable or economically viable? What are the risks and opportunities? What do the Welsh people think?