‘Hatred for English astounding,’ according to group of walkers
A group of women walkers say they won’t be returning to Wales – due to the ‘anti-English’ attitude of locals.
Amy Hurst, 56, from Clitheroe, Lancashire, claims they were not welcomed while on a walking holiday in Llanberis, Eryri, with seven women, aged between 55 and 70.
They claimed they encountered “astounding hatred for the English” during their four-day trip.
Florist Amy, part of the walking group ‘Women that Walk’ told North Wales Live: “The hatred for the English in North Wales is astounding, we will not be returning.”
Amy explained she first noticed something was awry when they arrived at their Airbnb on Friday, August 30.
She told the website: “When we first arrived there, we were walking down the street when one of us remarked on there being a funeral care place. A guy walking past overheard us and said ‘it’s free for the English!’ It was a bit strange!”
The following night, Amy claimed the group entered a pub where a man said: “Let’s not bother with these they’re bloody English.”
She added: “We had to tell him to leave us alone. We ended up leaving a pub and one of our group challenged the man and asked him why he felt the way he did – he turned into a cowering little boy! We felt a bit scared, it just felt very threatening.”
Any also claimed: “The vibe was awful all round – we were all shocked at how bad it was. I’ve been to Wales a few times – but this was really anti-English and probably anti-women too – I will not be going back.
“It’s hardly Barcelona where they want the tourists out because there are too many,” she said. “I wouldn’t recommend going there to anybody.
“It’s such a beautiful place but the people were just off – we basically just got abused.”
And on their final day, she said a member of the group went to get drinks and the pub turned all the lights out. “They clearly wanted us out as well – I’ve never had an experience which has made me feel like this before,” she said.
Tourism boss Jim Jones said: “I’m saddened to hear this group of ladies had this experience whilst visiting Llanberis. We work so hard to promote North Wales, which has a reputation for being a friendly and welcoming region.”
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Okay cool
It’s is like Barcelona. If they were educated instead of being ignorant saes maybe they would realise we don’t want their tourism
By “we” do you include Welsh people who make an honest living from tourism?
Can’t be an honest person and sell out your culture at the same time. Holidaymakers are perpetuating the cultural rape of cymru
Your first comment is understandable. This one is deranged.
Boo hoo, unlikely it happened the way they said it did anyway. Go walk in England, you won’t have any “”anti-english”” attitude there I’m sure.
It’s like the people of Llanberis have had enough of them keeping them up at night climbing yr Wyddfa and buying up all the houses! Wow no way!!
Not aĺl Welsh people are so ignorant. I think they were unfortunate to meet intolerant people.Can’t believe that lights were turned off when ordering drinks.Stretched story maybe.!
No one should have to explain that not every person within a country is the same. That should be a given and that’s the issue with the colonialist-esque undertone of this group of women’s account. They are painting everyone within that town with the same brush because a few people didn’t welcome them with open arms. They need to get real. If I was in a pub I wouldn’t be able to tell you who else was there let alone where they came from. Yet we’re supposed to believe that a venue turned off its lights to spite a few… Read more »
Some nations throughout the globe are still aware of history when English armies just marched into their countries and took over, looting, changing the culture, forcing their language, grabbing what they could to further the wealth of the English crown and its empire. If they had to give back what they stole they would not have a pot to pee in and no land to stand on. Remember, they too were once the equivalent of today’s boat people over a thousand years ago. Immigrants!!! Is there any wonder that there is a slight ‘hatred’ towards them. It’s time for an… Read more »
Don’t forget the fact that the “English armies” the rank and file were not exclusively English.
Do you mean the soldiers of other nationalities that were highjacked into serving for king and country or face being called conscientious objectors?
Cari dyms eisio sylw. Y math sy’n byw debyg iawn ar eu ffonau symudol ac yn rhoi lluniau o’u brecwast a’u gwinedd arno.
There is no excuse for racism, misogyny or bigotry.
hear hear
Two sides to every story.
Really not possible to tell conclusively how and why things happened from just one side’s account.
Why the reflex assumption that “racism, misogyny or bigotry” were the root causes.
Even if that racism, misogyny or bigotry never actually happened?
The clue lies in “they arrived at their AirBnB”. That platform has a lot to answer for. It’s ruining communities all over the world, including Wales (and Barcelona) and is rarely being held accountable or restricted. I would never stay in an AirBnB. Stay in a hotel or a guest house (or a pub with rooms) and contribute to the tourism economy. Not line the pockets of some property investor who is sucking the life out of the community. Tourists and travellers have to be more mindful about being part of the solution not part of the problem.
Reading some of the comments on here just reinforces what these ladies say they experianced whilst staying in Wales. Some seem to delight in being like that- i would however say the vast majority are better than that and we should be putting these people in their place as they are an embarresment to Welsh people.
“…and we should be putting these people in their place as they are an embarresment to Welsh people.
This is the type of response invariably given by a lot of Welsh people, it’s also the type of response expected of the Welsh (including by us) and often demanded of us by others.
We should develop an alternative response of wanting to know more detail of the circumstances of the experiences around the events before beating ourselves up.
There quotes are not evidential. In fact come across a bit bratty in terms of lights out in a pub. Because many rural pubs shut early. I read no hard evidence. Just hearsay that wouldn’t stand up in court. A vibe is a feeling, we all experience differently. Now if evidence was available, then act on it, yes. Problem is so many of us have encountered loud, needy and abusive English people. With pure arrogance and hate towards us. So no evidence, people will have no sympathy.
Not Grayham, does anyone actually like you? Serious question
Sounds like a made up story to me
I agree.
I’m surprised she didn’t come out with the old “they all started speaking Welsh when we walked in” comment.
So no hard evidence, just a feeling they got. Perhaps they put out bad vibes.
I’m Manchester born and bred and first moved to Wales – purely because a Welsh university gave me a firm ‘first offer’ – sixty years ago next month. I took to the place to such a degree that I stayed on to live and work here for fifteen years after I’d left university, and then opted to move back here in retirement.
I never ever experienced the attitudes depicted here, and my sense is that English folk reporting such experiences usually bring their chip on the shoulder with them when they arrive here.
Reading the article, it seems the problem they experienced wasn’t ‘the Welsh’. It was men, behaving like rude brats. The man brats were probably ‘triggered’ by the sight of a group of women enjoying themselves.
Actually surprised that they were able to frequent Welsh-owned businesses or find that many ‘locals’ to interact with given that the majority of the ‘Welsh tourist industry’ is owned by English people. Here’s my suggestion: come back again in a few years time, there might not be any Welsh people left to ‘ruin’ your holiday!
You have a good point there
We got rid of the EU money now we will chase away the deep pockets of ‘soft’ all year tourism in the land of the ‘Funny Yellow Metal’…!
Those photos suggest they were all enjoying themselves !
True, who wouldn’t, the old place is drop-dead gorgeous…
Re pubs, back in the days of asymmetrical prohibition this happened between counties…
People have short memories the trip over the border for a Sunday beer
There is no place for Racism, Misogeny or Racism.
A welcome mat doesn’t have to be a door mat. Reciprocating to ignorance, arrogance or bigotry will achieve what? Got issues with tourism or second homes or immigration, elect law and policy makers who will do something about it
Some very nasty comments on here, which true Welsh people should be ashamed of.
PS I doubt Nation.Cymru will post this.
“North Wales” should, of course, read ‘north Wales’, or preferably ‘north of Wales’. This isn’t North Korea or North Macedonia. It is the north of the country of Cymru….sorry, Wales – we don’t want to upset any tourists!
Well I would be the same in Scotland, don’t dislike the English, you’re Westminster brainwashed every One.Scotland is my Country NOT UK
Why would a business turn off its lights just to spite a handful of customers? Were they not interested in making money that night or were all the Welsh patrons happy to sup their drinks in the dark in a unified act of cutting their noses off to spite their faces? The air of self-importance in that statement gives the lie away. Also, I don’t really appreciate the way these women spoke about Wales just because they claim to have had a bad experience with a few people (or a whole town apparently because that’s something that happens in the… Read more »
I am not English. I found most of the people in North East Wales to be lovely and friendly. I did my first degree there. So I also had a few negative experiences too. It is foolish to condemn a whole nation because you have encountered a small number of jerks. I am sorry these ladies had a horrible experience with some local bad boys. But as women, they will have had many negative experiences with men. We all have. It is the nature of being a woman. But do we condemn all men? No. So why condemn all of… Read more »
I find this very difficult to believe. There are no Welsh people left in Llanberis are there? The Great Horde swept through with their money and entitlement and wiped them away.
Are we supposed to believe this chip-on-shoulder diatribe? Load of BS if you ask me.
It’s only in north Wales they are arrogant in south Wales it’s totally different, us south Walians call them Gogs.