Straeon Wrecsam/Wrexham stories

We begin a series about the Welsh language in Wrecsam as it prepares to welcome the National Eisteddfod in August.

Craig Colville

Whilst working on a cruise ship I remember talking about home with fellow ‘shoppies’ (retail assistants).

The shoppies were from as far afield as India, South America and even one from Prestatyn (It’s a small world)…During the conversation I mentioned my home address – I was met with bemusement.

“Wait a minute your home address mentions trees, a church, two wells and a shire?”

In a name

Far from the soulless numerical digits of some of their home addresses, it probably wasn’t up until that moment that I realised my childhood home address back in Cymru not only reflected the history and heritage of the area, but despite being a ‘non Cymraeg’ speaking area when we moved there, going back just one or two generation, the dominant language in the area was Cymraeg.

Sandwiched between Talacre “End-acres” and Ffynnongrowy “Clear/pure well” our family moved to Tan Lan “Under Parish Church” when I was one as my dad worked at the Parlwr du “Black Parlour” otherwise known as the Point of Ayr Colliery.

It was said that back in the day if you didn’t speak Cymraeg to the pit ponies, they weren’t budging! There’s a fascinating documentary on the decline of Cymraeg in the area on youtube.

Growing up in Tan Lan there were very few opportunities to speak Cymraeg socially and despite campaigns there was no tv or radio reception for Cymraeg programming-however the signal from Merseyside and Manchester was clear as a bell!

Using Cymraeg skipped a couple of generations on my mum’s side of the family. My hen nain didn’t speak it to the kids as it wasn’t seen as popular or useful at the time.

My mum was determined that Cymraeg would not skip another generation and started learning it to help us at school. Such was her passion for the iaith by the time I was taking my GCSE’s mum had gone from no Cymraeg to having a degree in Cymraeg as a first language, had already taught Cymraeg to adults for years, and was in teacher training.

Not far away

Mum is sadly no longer with us.

But whenever I use my Cymraeg I feel that she’s not far away.

While my Cymraeg will never be anywhere near mum’s standard, I definitely inherited her passion for our iaith and Cymru.

I attended Ysgol Mornant, a rural school in Sir Fflint overlooking the Dee Estuary towards the Wirral. The headteacher was terrifying and I only discovered that you were meant to enjoy primary school when I progressed to high school!

For the most part I very much enjoyed Ysgol Glan Clwyd but Cymraeg still felt like a ‘iaith ysgol’ (School language) because out of school there was seldom social opportunities to engage in Cymraeg.

Because of the catchment area most pupils travelled by bus. If your bus turned left towards the more Cymraeg areas you were a labelled a ‘Welshie’, and to the right towards Rhyl, Mostyn and Holywell, a ‘Scouser’!

There was less expectation for us ‘scousers’ to speak Cymraeg out of school, either after finishing for the day or finishing for good.

My friendship group often spoke Cymraeg in the classroom and English in the Corridor. This usually meant being ‘caught’ speaking English and ordered to speak Cymraeg by a teacher.

I don’t think that approach ever came close to changing hearts and minds!

Heading to Aberystwyth University I do regret not applying for Pantycelyn, the halls for Cymraeg speakers.

Despite all my formal education being in Cymraeg I didn’t have confidence that my Cymraeg was good enough to be there. That said uni was three of the most enjoyable years of my life.

Not having the funds to drop everything and go travelling I managed to get a job as shop staff on a cruise ship, but Aberystwyth never left me…In Skagway (Alaska) of all places I was in a shop and heard “Iawn Craig, Sut wyt ti?”

Friends that I knew From Caffi Morgan in Aber saying hello! When the ship was docked in Rio for the carnival I visited the Sambadome and of all the 90,000 people there I managed to speak with a Canadian who spoke a little Cymraeg because her family were from Talybont!

Not strictly Aber but considering where I was, pretty close – Those who say Cymraeg is only spoken in Cymru need to get out more!

Returning home to Flintshire and having not used any significant Cymraeg in years I was lucky enough to get a job as a photographer at a local news organisation.

This gave me the opportunity to use more Cymraeg and gain back confidence in speaking it.

Fast forward a few years and towards the start of the pandemic I was presented with opportunity of a comms officer job that was ‘Cymraeg Essential.’

My friend had been in post previously and said ‘Your Cymraeg is good enough’ – with that encouragement I applied – and got it!

My job role involves using my Cymraeg skills and helping others with Cymraeg on a daily basis as well as encouraging its use. It’s both challenging and rewarding.

My work Cymraeg is formal and correct when it needs to be but socially I use very informal Wenglish with treiglo being an optional lifestyle choice.

There’s a turn of phrase ‘share a smile for someone who needs it.’ Perhaps we can adopt that to Cymraeg by sharing and using the Cymraeg we know to encourage others to use theirs.

Together these small steps can raises everyone’s confidence to use Cymraeg more often.