I was fortunate enough to spend a very nice weekend in Wales during my semester abroad. My friend and I stayed in Conwy at a lovely B&B called The Old Ship that I doubt exists anymore. We walked the old walled city, explored the bay and even took a trip out to Caernarfon Castle where the investiture of the Prince of Wales takes place. But what I enjoyed most was strolling through the residential neighborhoods where almost every house, no matter how humble, had a name. (Check out the BBC house name generator I just found located on the Random Links widget bar.) I loved the sense of welcoming and rootedness that I felt there.
In my British tv viewing, I haven’t come across many Welsh characters and don’t recall ever seeing a show actually set in Wales so I was very happy to find the first series of the BBC program Gavin and Stacey (2007). Stacey West lives in Barry, south Wales and has met Gavin, a young man from Essex, England, through work-related phone conversations. When they decide to meet in London, a whirlwind love affair begins that takes family and friends alike by surprise. Well, maybe not Stacey’s family…but that’s another post for another time.
So what have I learned about Wales from this series? First of all, the Welsh take a lot of pride in their native language whether they can speak it or not. During a visit to meet Stacey’s family, Gavin’s dad mentions all the money spent on bi-lingual signage. However, when pressed to say something in Welsh, Stacey’s Uncle Bryn can only manage a mangled phrase, admitting his embarassment at not being able to speak his “mother tongue.” In fact only one man in town, Dick Powell, speaks Welsh exclusively and problems arise from the “language barrier.”
I loved hearing dialects, slang and just a general use of the language different from the other parts of the UK I’m more familiar with. Lush (excellent, attractive), crackin’ (brilliant, wonderful) and fair play (well done or correct) are commonly used phrases. I noticed the addition of an “s” to certain verbs such as “I knows” instead of “I know.” In one particularly memorable scene, Nessa, Stacey’s best friend, asks Smithy, Gavin’s best mate the wherabouts of his girlfriend by saying, “Where to she now?” He tells her to speak English or learn Welsh because he has no idea what she’s asking.
Other things I picked up about the Welsh – 1) Sheep shagger was a phrase that was thrown out there quite often. 2) They drank a lot, but then everyone drank a lot. 3) They like omlettes, or at least Stacey’s mom liked making them. 4) Close-knit family, friends and neighbors were central to the characters’ lives. Maybe if we all named our houses it would remind us of the importance of what dwells inside them.
Not sure I’d want to be called a sheep shagger either, but then since I’m female, I think it’s an impossibility. I saw Gavin and Stacey while in the UK at Christmas and enjoyed it, although I must say the beach looked a lot sunnier than the few times I’ve been to Wales.
We have a small joke in our house that all English movies and television shows have the same fifteen or twenty actors just moved around in different parts. And it’s true. We’ve been watching MI-5 (Spooks) and I swear we’ve spotted at least one of the actors in every English movie or show we’ve watched since. One woman we’ve seen at least three times!
It’s a small country and actors/actresses/comedians all seem to keep producing for a very long time. For that I love it.
I also love the fact that gorgeous in England doesn’t necessarily equate to perfect teeth and features. Richard Armitage (be still my beating heart) has kind of a pointy nose and Sean Bean (pitter-pat, pitter-pat) isn’t really handsome just extremely masculine. Sigh. Let me sit here and dream a moment.
Hahaha! We play the same game with American series we get over here. “That’s him out of Heroes!” “Yes, he was in an episode of CSI too.” But if you really want incestuous TV acting, try Australian series. They’ve all been in “neighbours” or “Prisoner Cell Block H” at some time, lol.
The smaller the pool of actors, the better chance they show up in everything I suppose. My husband is currently watching the Midsomer Murders series in order and is constantly showing me guest stars who went on to become well-known…or are on their way down.
If you liked “Gavin And Stacey”, check out “Stella”, produced by Sky TV, and written by the actress who plays Nessa (who also stars in it).
Welcome Ken and thanks for your recommendation. I’ve had Stella on my watch list for awhile but either haven’t found a way to watch it in the States or haven’t had the time to search for it. I’ll have to redouble my efforts!
Hee Hee! Stumbled upon your blog. Always amusing to read about your own culture from an outsiders perspective. You should check out ‘pobol y cwm’ and other delights on the Welsh language telly website http://www.s4c.co.uk. English subtitles usually available. Chwarae teg i ti