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Estate agents change house name back to Welsh after online backlash

07 Aug 2020 2 minute read
Sŵn y Don as advertised originally

An estate agents has changed the name of a house originally advertised in English back into Welsh after an online backlash.

‘Sŵn y Don,’ a £695,000 house in Cemaes, Anglesey was originally advertised as ‘Sound of the Waves’ by Lucas Estate Agents, a company based in Menai Bridge.

After being contacted by a member of the public the Managing Director, Bryony Southworth responded in Welsh to say that they had been following the seller’s wishes but had now changed the name back to the original.

Ynys Môn Senedd Member Rhun ap Iorwerth had responded to the original name change saying that it was “disgraceful. The house is called ‘Sŵn y Don’. Don’t erase our heritage.”

When the name was changed he said it was “Very good. Thanks to Lucas Estate Agents for responding so quickly.

“But of course, Cemaes is the name of the village not Cemaes Bay. We need to protect indigenous names.”

 

‘Erasing’

Gorwel Owen had earlier drawn attention to the re-naming on social media saying: “Very disappointed to see how Lucas Estate Agents are advertising this house. Another reason why there is a need to legislate about names.

“The erasing of the culture is a necessary part of attracting the metropolitan market,” he added.

“This is disgraceful by the company,” former Llanelli parliamentary candidate Vaughan Williams, who is a resident of Anglesey, said.

A bill to protect Welsh place names went before the Senedd in 2017 but was voted down.

Plaid Cymru have called for another vote after a petition asking for the Senedd to egislate to prevent people from changing Welsh house names was signed by over 17,000 people.

The Welsh National Party has proposed that council ask for a fee of £10,000 to change the name of any historic building name from Welsh to English.

 

 

 

 


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