Where in Wales?

alibongo42

First of all, I realise this query could make me sound extremely rude and ignorant about Wales, and I really don't mean to be. As a Scottish person who gets many "stupid" questions about Scotland, I can see how potentially offensive this may be!

My gran has a great love of Welsh male choirs, and the Welsh accent (which I realise can't be generalised into one accent). I have promised to take her somewhere in Wales for a short break this year, and now don't know which areas to look at.

(Now the stupid bit). Which areas would I want to look at where I can actually tell from speaking to people that we're in Wales (if you know what I mean!), that are also suitable for a short break?

As I said, I'm embarrassed to ask such a question, but I genuinely have no idea whether I'm looking for North, South, East or West!!!

flutterbyuk25

Choirs are all over but there are quite a few where I live (Swansea, South Wales).

Depending on where you are in Scotland, and how you plan to come to Wales, then South Wales would be a good option for you. You can fly directly to Cardiff, then head West towards the Valleys/Swansea/West Wales. Also there is good access via train.

There are literally hundreds of places you could stay, try looking at http://www.visitwales.co.uk/ for ideas.

x

TJ27

Possibly the most well known choir is the Treorchy Male Voice. If you took your gran to see them at, say, the Millennium Centre in Cardiff I guarantee she would not be disappointed. Having said that, there are many other excellent choirs around.

The language is spoken all over but is much more widely spoken in West and North Wales. Personally I wouldn't go on holiday to the valleys and would probably go a little further West than Swansea if I visited. There are some lovely areas to go to, although not as lovely as many areas of Scotland probably!

Here you go:

http://treorchymalechoir.org/eng/index.php?module=announce&ANN_user_op=view&ANN_id=9

If you like male voice choirs, this will be difficult to beat.

Here are more dates. The St Davids day one will be brilliant too:

http://treorchymalechoir.org/eng/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=20&MMN_position=31:31

pollypenny

If you want beaches, go to the Gower, near Swansea. There you'll hear what you think of as a Welsh accent.

For mountains, and some beaches, with lots of castles, try North Wales. In all areas you'll hear Welsh spoken, with more as you go further west. The Clwydian range is a beautiful range of hills and well-worth considering (stay in Ruthin, Mold or even Chester)
I agree with TJ27 about the choirs, although there are choirs in the North, too. Log on to the Pavilion theatre Rhyl site or Venue Cymru in Llandudno for events.
No where is very far from anywhere else. A real treat could be Portmeirion.
Pol

Llefenni

For guaranteed Welsh spoken everywhere you go, take a trip to Caernarfon and Snowdonia, there are also some lovely beaches on the Llyn Peninsula and down towards Harlech (and looooads of castles!). Also travel a little further South and you'll reach Portmeirion (about half an hour from Caernarfon)

Some Links: http://www.visitsnowdonia.info/
http://www.visitcaernarfon.com/

And the brill http://www.visitwales.co.uk/ ::beer:

Iechyd Da, and have a great time!

Penny_Farthing_2

Hi
My vote for the loveliest Welsh accent is Treorchy. It's got the male voice choir too. If you catch a middle-aged Welsh man with a deep voice talking around the Bridgend area, that's often particularly lovely.:o

pollypenny

Penny_Farthing wrote: »

Hi
My vote for the loveliest Welsh accent is Treorchy. It's got the male voice choir too. If you catch a middle-aged Welsh man with a deep voice talking around the Bridgend area, that's often particularly lovely.:o

I agree,Penny. Perhaps you can guess where I'm from!

( Sometimes it depends what the middle-aged man, in his deep voice, is saying! :j

heart_free

Lovely for holidays is west wales......around the Newquay and Aberaeron area

toshtec

The trouble with North Wales is that it is closed.

I am from the South and thought well I have been all over the place how about we do north Wales.

Great so booked a holiday in August mind you should have plenty of places to go and stop for a coffee my wife are addicts.

Sunday night went into Caernarfon found a nice looking pub with a meals sign outside just alongside the castle went in and asked for the restaurant and asked where it was reply sorry but we are closing amazed I looked at my thinking it had stopped but no it genuinly was just 6.30pm we thought ho hum lets look at other places then in the town and found the same thing the restaurants were closing for the night.

Ok lets head for the chippy we saw coming in it was about 7.00 by this time got there and found that too was closing for the night, I headed out of caernarfon on the coast road east towards England stopping at various pubs along the way they were to my amazement ALL closing eventually I found a Harvesters that was still open.

It did not end there another day we headed west towards Pwllheli thinking Butlins BIG place august must be open fabalous promenade pity about all the cafe's they were shut this at 5.30pm no I am not exagerating I travelled all over looking for a decent coffee we could have sitting in the open with a bit of a view and enjoy the evening.

Eventually we found one it was in Criccieth the one cafe that saved our holiday evenings was the "BLUE CHINA TEA ROOM" lets hear it for them.

There was I think in Bangor an extremely long pier that went out into the straits with a sign on it cafe open at end of pier this now at 5.00pm we walked out on this extremely long pier to find the open cafe closed up tight it wqas a beutifull summers day not a cloud in the sky and the jolly place was closed.

Call me a cinik but would you agree with me and my comment in light of my experience that North wales is closed.

Now I live in Neath a small market town down south I can in this town get a cup of coffee at 10.00pm in winter

I can go to Mumbles in swansea a tiny seaside resort like a scratch on a rino's rear in comparason to Pwlleli there they have 2 lovely places right on the water I like to visit, one is Verdi's and the other Castella Mara winter time on weekends Verdi is oopen till 10pm and castella Mara 11.0pm. weekends and during the week

So for views yes perhaps North wales if you like rugged mountains but if you prefer hospitality then you cannot beat South Wales plus you definately cannot beat the Gower, or any of the Choirs you are interested in.

greenface

toshtec wrote: »

The trouble with North Wales is that it is closed.



Call me a cinik but would you agree with me and my comment in light of my experience that North wales is closed.

.

not agree sorry

Sunday night you will find places closing at tea time anywhere but there are still plenty of places open I live in Caernarfon in the summer and every weekend through spring and autumn.Pwllheli too Bangor aswell maybe you were looking for places that were closed so you can moan about it. I do that sometimes with chocolate bars i look for what they havent got.

Cinik (sorry blind cinik)

greenface

back to the op have a look for bryn-fest between Caernarfon and Bangor.Good concerts around August bank holiday at the Faenol Festival one night (sunday normally)(thats when the whole of north wales closes)The festival celebrates all things Welsh. Great weekend great location other nights are good also look it up not sure who is on this year but sometimes big names on fri/sat