Brecon
guest house Wales is a fine place to stay when on a holiday or trip to Wales,
or through it. Brecon is famous for the Brecon show, guest house (secondary suite),
is an architectural term for second, separate accommodation, like a "granny
flat", or "granny cottage", where guests are allowed to stay.
#
guest house (lodging), in some parts of the world visitors, with no local relatives,
are accommodated in a "guest house", which can be similar to a bed and
breakfast.
# al Qaida guest house, dozens of the captives held in extrajudicial
detention in Guantanamo had their continued detention justified because they were
alleged to have stayed in suspect guest houses.
# Guest House (TV series),
is a Pakistani television drama, which is driven by the arrival of new guests
in a Pakistani guest house of the accommodation variety A guest house is a kind
of lodging. In some parts of the world a guest house is similar to a hostel or
bed and breakfast. In other parts of the world guest houses are the only kind
of accommodation available for visitors with no local relatives. Among
the distinguishing features that distinguish a guest house from a hotel or bed
and breakfast is the lack of full time staff. Bed and breakfasts are usually family
owned, with the family living on the premises. Hotels maintain a staff presence
24x7. A guest house on the other hand will have limited staff presence. Because
of the limited staff presence checkin is often by appointment. Brecon (Welsh:
Aberhonddu) is an historic market town in southern Powys, mid Wales, with a population
of roughly 8,000 with around 6,000 in the surrounding area. It was the county
town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed
with the formation of Powys it remains an important local centre. Today Brecon
is a thriving community, and is popular as a holiday destination, being on the
northern edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, affording among the best views
of the Brecon Beacons themselves, a range of hills, including Pen-y-Fan, the highest
point in southern Britain at 886m.
August sees an annual Brecon Jazz Festival held in the town centre, with several open air venues and indoor concerts held in several venues, including the town's market hall and the recently opened 400-seat Theatr Brycheiniog next to the redeveloped Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal basin to the east of the town centre.
Brecon's Speakers Club Brecon Speakers Club opened in January 2008.
The Welsh name, Aberhonddu, means 'mouth of the Honddu'. It is derived from the River Honddu, which meets the River Usk near the town centre, a short distance away from the River Tarrell which enters the Usk a few hundred metres upstream.Before the building of the bridge over the Usk, Brecon was one of the few places where the river could be forded.
guest houses builth wells wales
Guest Houses Builth Wells Wales are also good ideas. Guest houses here canm be fab, Maybe if you are going to see the Built Wells show, you stay in a hotel and your cattle somewhere else, maybe a wagon, ro shed, or the Show places. Builth Wells (Welsh: Llanfair ym Muallt) is a town in the modern day Welsh county of Powys, in what was the historic county of Brecknockshire, mid Wales, lying on the River Wye in the Welsh or upper section of the Wye Valley. In Cilmeri - a village close to Builth Wells - that Llywelyn ap Gruffudd Ein Llew Olaf was ambushed and killed as he tried to rally the men of the Lordship of Builth in December 1282. Builth first emerged in post-roman times, along with Powys. Schools Builth Wells High School is the local bilingual secondary school. In 2000 it was placed 67th in Wales for its GCSE results (5 GCSEs, grades A-C) with a pass rate of 59%. However, according to the latest report by Estyn it now has a pass rate of 77% and is now the 9th best performing secondary school in Wales. Builth Wells High School is also the 2nd best performing secondary school in Powys after Llanidloes High School. Royal Welsh Show Builth Wells grew as a traditional Welsh market town and later a spa, and is well known nationally as the location of the Royal Welsh Showground, home to the Royal Welsh Show (although the showground is actually over the river Wye in Llanelwedd, Radnorshire). Communications
The town is served by Builth Road railway station on the Heart of Wales Line, which is located just over a mile to the north, having lost its more central railway station on the Mid Wales Railway in the 1960s under the Beeching Axe. One of the main Wales north-south trunk roads, the A483 passes the town, using that former railway route. A dedicated cycle route linking the town with Swansea (NCR 43) has been proposed and a 13 mile section of the route from Swansea has already been developed. Sport and leisure Builth Wells is home to local rugby union team Builth Wells RFC also known as 'The Bulls'. Welsh Black bull bronze at Builth Wells Specialized courses in how to run guest houses are available.
In Japan a tenant in a guest house has to pay a substantial damage deposit, and has to pay a cleaning fee when they leave.[ One great thing about using a guest house in Japan is the fact that you usually have free internet in your own room. As well as a P.C. internet area set up in the common room. Private rooms usually have their own ADSL connection. If you bring your own P.C. with an Ethernet card, and your own cable you can simply plug in for free. Builth Castle Owain Glyndwr's forces attacked Builth Castle when it was in the charge of John Oldcastle during the rebellion of Owain Glyndwr and it was repaired in 1409, the bill being £400. Rare Post Box Builth Wells has the distinction of having one of the very few post boxes in the United Kingdom bearing the cypher of King Edward VIII, the uncrowned king whose abdication in 1936 caused a constitutional crisis.
property for sale wales
Property for Sale Wales is a fab idea. Wales has
loads of property to buy. There houses, golf courses, small bungalows, and corttages,
light houses, shops, supermarkets, fields, where you can not builf, fields where
you can build, abandoned homes, I suppose in Brazil, and some places you may be
able to buy ranches as big as Britain,. But there is more places for people tyo
live in Wales. England fully annexed Wales under the Laws in Wales Act 1535, in
the reign of King Henry VIII. Prior to that Welsh Law had survived de facto after
the conquest up to the 15th century in areas remote from direct English control.
The Wales and Berwick Act 1746 provided that all laws that applied to England
would automatically apply to Wales (and Berwick-upon-Tweed, a town located on
the Anglo-Scottish border) unless the law explicitly stated otherwise. This act,
with regard to Wales, was repealed in 1967. However, Wales and England, as part
of a single legal entity, share the same legal system — except for a few
changes to accommodate the autonomy recently afforded to Wales. In this sense,
English law is the law of Wales. (See England and Wales.) English law is regarded
as a common law system, with no major codification of the law, and legal precedents
are binding as opposed to persuasive. The court system is headed by the House
of Lords which is the highest court of appeal in the land for criminal and civil
cases (although this is due to be replaced by a Supreme Court of the United Kingdom).
The Supreme Court of Judicature of England and Wales is the highest court of first
instance as well as an appellate court. The three divisions are the Court of Appeal;
the High Court of Justice and the Crown Court. Minor cases are heard by the Magistrates'
Courts or the County Court. Since devolution in 2006, the Welsh Assembly has had
the authority to draft and approve some laws outside of the UK Parliamentary system
to meet the specific needs of Wales. Under powers conferred by Legislative Competency
Orders agreed by all parliamentary stakeholders, it is able to pass laws known
as Assembly Measures in relation to specific fields, such as health and education.
As such, Assembly Measures are a subordinate form of primary legislation, lacking
the scope of UK-wide Acts of Parliament, but able to be passed without the approval
of the UK parliament or Royal Assent for each 'act'. Through this primary legislation,
the Welsh Assembly Government can then also draft more specific secondary legislation.
With devolution, the ancient and historic Wales and Chester court circuit was
also disbanded and a separate Welsh court circuit was created to allow for any
Measures passed by the Assembly. Wales is located on a peninsula in central-west
Great Britain. Its area, the size of Wales, is about 20,779 km² (8,023 square
miles - about the same size as Massachusetts, Slovenia or El Salvador and about
a quarter of the size of Scotland). It is about 274 km (170 miles) north-south
and 97 km (60 miles) east-west. Wales is bordered by England to the east and by
sea in the other three directions: the Môr Hafren (Bristol Channel) to the
south, St. George's Channel to the west, and the Irish Sea to the north. Altogether,
Wales has over 1,200 km (750 miles) of coastline. There are several islands off
the Welsh mainland, the largest being Ynys Môn (Anglesey) in the northwest.
The main population and industrial areas are in South Wales, consisting of the
cities of Cardiff (Caerdydd), Swansea (Abertawe) and Newport (Casnewydd) and surrounding
areas, with another significant population in the north-east around Wrexham (Wrecsam).
Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), Gwynedd, from the peak. Much of Wales' diverse landscape
is mountainous, particularly in the north and central regions. The mountains were
shaped during the last ice age, the Devensian glaciation. The highest mountains
in Wales are in Snowdonia (Eryri), and include Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), which, at
1085 m (3,560 ft) is the highest peak in Wales. The 14 (or possibly 15) Welsh
mountains over 3,000 feet (914 m) high are known collectively as the Welsh 3000s,
and are located in a small area in the north-west. The Brecon Beacons (Bannau
Brycheiniog) are in the south (highest point Pen-y-Fan 886 m (2,907 ft)), and
are joined by the Cambrian Mountains in Mid Wales, the latter name being given
to the earliest geological period of the Paleozoic era, the Cambrian. In the mid
19th century, two prominent geologists, Roderick Murchison and Adam Sedgwick,
used their studies of the geology of Wales to establish certain principles of
stratigraphy and palaeontology. After much dispute, the next two periods of the
Paleozoic era, the Ordovician and Silurian, were named after ancient Celtic tribes
from this area. The older rocks underlying the Cambrian rocks were referred to
as Pre-cambrian. Wales has three National Parks: Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons and
Pembrokeshire Coast. It also has four Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. These
areas include Anglesey, the Clwydian Range, the Gower peninsula and the Wye Valley.
The Gower peninsula was the first area in the whole of the United Kingdom to be
designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in 1956. Tor Bay and Three
Cliffs Bay, Gower (Gw^yr), Glamorgan. Along with its Celtic cousins in Cornwall,
the coastline of South and West Wales has more miles of Heritage Coast than anywhere
else. The coastline of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, the Gower peninsula, Pembrokeshire,
Carmarthenshire, and Ceredigion is particularly wild and impressive. Gower, Carmarthenshire,
Pembrokeshire and Cardigan Bay all have clean blue water, white sand beaches and
impressive marine life. Despite this scenic splendour the coast of Wales has a
dark side; the south and west coasts of Wales, along with the Irish and Cornish
coasts, are frequently blasted by huge Atlantic westerlies/south westerlies that,
over the years, have sunk and wrecked many vessels. On the night of 25 October
1859, 114 ships were destroyed off the coast of Wales when a hurricane blew in
from the Atlantic; Cornwall and Ireland also had a huge number of fatalities on
its coastline from shipwrecks that night. Wales has the somewhat unenviable reputation,
along with Cornwall, Ireland and Brittany, of having per square mile, some of
the highest shipwreck rates in Europe.[citation needed] The shipwreck situation
was particularly bad during the industrial era when ships bound for Cardiff got
caught up in Atlantic gales and were decimated by "the cruel sea".
Waterfall
near Mallwyd, Gwynedd. Like Cornwall, Brittany and Ireland, the clean, clear waters
of South-west Wales of Gower, Pembrokeshire and Cardigan Bay attract marine visitors
including basking sharks, Atlantic grey seals, leatherback turtles, dolphins,
porpoises, jellyfish, crabs and lobsters. Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion in particular
are recognised as an area of international importance for Bottlenose dolphins,
and New Quay in the middle of Cardigan Bay has the only summer residence of bottle
nosed dolphins in the whole of the U.K. The modern border between Wales and England
was largely defined in the 16th century, based on medieval feudal boundaries.
The boundary line (which very roughly follows Offa's Dyke up to 40 miles (64 km)
of the northern coast) separates Knighton from its railway station, virtually
cuts off Church Stoke from the rest of Wales, and slices straight through the
village of Llanymynech (where a pub actually straddles the line). There may be
property for sale in Wales to buy here. Llyn y Fan Fawr, Carmarthenshire, mountain
range near Llyn y Fan Fach. The Seven Wonders of Wales is a list in doggerel verse
of seven geographic and cultural landmarks in Wales probably composed in the late
18th century under the influence of tourism from England All the "wonders"
are in north Wales: Snowdon (the highest mountain), the Gresford bells (the peal
of bells in the medieval church of All Saints at Gresford), the Llangollen bridge
(built in 1347 over the River Dee, Afon Dyfrdwy), St Winefride's Well (a pilgrimage
site at Holywell, Treffynnon) in Flintshire), the Wrexham (Wrecsam) steeple (16th
century tower of St. Giles Church in Wrexham), the Overton Yew trees (ancient
yew trees in the churchyard of St. Mary's at Overton-on-Dee) and Pistyll Rhaeadr
(Wales' tallest waterfall, at 240 ft (73 m)). The wonders are part of the rhyme:
Pistyll Rhaeadr and Wrexham steeple, Snowdon's mountain without its people, Overton
yew trees, St Winefride's Wells, Llangollen bridge and Gresford bells. There are
properties to buy, Climate * Highest maximum temperature: 35.2 °C (95.4 °F)
at Hawarden Bridge, Flintshire on 2 August 1990. * Lowest minimum temperature:
-23.3 °C (-10 °F) at Rhayader, Radnorshire on 1 January 1940. * Maximum
number of hours of sunshine in a month: 354.3 hours at Dale Fort, Pembrokeshire
in July 1955. * Minimum number of hours of sunshine in a month: 2.7 hours at Llwynon,
Brecknockshire in January 1962. * Maximum rainfall in a day (0900 UTC - 0900 UTC):
211 mm (8.30 inches) at Rhondda, Glamorgan, on 11 November 1929. More properties
too here is a list of, The main building of Cardiff University Parts of Wales
have been heavily industrialised since the 18th century and the early Industrial
Revolution. Coal, copper, iron, silver, lead, and gold have been extensively mined
in Wales, and slate has been quarried. By the second half of the 19th century,
mining and metallurgy had come to dominate the Welsh economy, transforming the
landscape and society in the industrial districts of south and north-east Wales.
From the middle of the nineteenth century until the mid 1980s, the mining and
export of coal was a major part of the Welsh economy. Cardiff was once the largest
coal exporting port in the world and, for a few years before World War One, handled
a greater tonnage of cargo than either London or Liverpool From the early 1970s,
the Welsh economy faced massive restructuring with large numbers of jobs in traditional
heavy industry disappearing and being replaced eventually by new ones in light
industry and in services. Over this period Wales was successful in attracting
an above average share of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the UK. However,
much of the new industry has essentially been of a 'branch factory' type, often
routine assembly employing low skilled workers. Wales has struggled to develop
or attract high value-added employment in sectors such as finance and research
and development, attributable in part to a comparative lack of economic mass (i.e.
population) - Wales lacks a large metropolitan centre and most of the country,
except south east Wales, is sparsely populated. The lack of high value-added employment
is reflected in lower economic output per head relative to other regions of the
UK - in 2002 it stood at 90% of the EU25 average and around 80% of the UK average.
However, care is needed in interpreting these data, which do not take account
of regional differences in the cost of living. The gap in real living standards
between Wales and more prosperous parts of the UK is not pronounced. British one
Pound coin (reverse), depicting the Welsh dragon (Welsh: Y Ddraig Goch) In 2002,
the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Wales was just over £26 billion ($48
billion), giving a per capita GDP of £12,651 ($19,546). As of 2006, the
unemployment rate in Wales stood at 5.7% - above the UK average, but lower than
in the majority of EU countries. As with the rest of the United Kingdom, the currency
used in Wales is the pound sterling, represented by the symbol £. The Bank
of England is the central bank, responsible for issuing currency, although banks
in Scotland and Northern Ireland also have the right to issue their own banknotes.
The Royal Mint, who issue the coinage circulated over the whole of the UK, have
been based at a single site in Llantrisant, south Wales since 1980, having been
progressively transferring operations from their Tower Hill, London site since
1968. Since decimalisation, in 1971, at least one of the coins in UK circulation
has depicted a Welsh design, e.g. the 1995 and 2000 one Pound coin (shown left).
However, Wales is not represented on any of the coins currently being minted.
Due to poor-quality soil, much of Wales is unsuitable for crop-growing, and livestock
farming has traditionally been the focus of agriculture. The Welsh landscape (protected
by three National Parks) and 42 Blue Flag beaches, as well as the unique culture
of Wales, attract large numbers of tourists, who play an especially vital role
in the economy of rural areas. See Tourism in Wales.Some properties have hospitals
in, but some charities hire places in hospitals. Public healthcare in Wales is
provided by NHS Wales which was originally formed as part of the same NHS structure
created by the National Health Service Act 1946 but with powers over the NHS in
Wales coming under the Secretary of State for Wales in 1969 . In turn, responsibility
for NHS Wales was passed to the Welsh Assembly and Executive under devolution
in 1999. NHS Wales provides public healthcare in Wales and employs some 90,000
staff, making it Wales’ biggest employer. The Minister for Health and Social
Services is the person within the Welsh Assembly Government who holds cabinet
responsibilities for both health and social care in Wales. Demographics
luxury homes in wales
Luxury Homes in Wales exist too. A luxury home could be a mansion, or a home fuill of luxury maybe of a modern build. Some may be old mansions, maybe built by the grnety in the era of the Welsh Marches, or may be castles, Wales has allot of Catles it is the land of castles, so some people live in them, and they are sold, just like normal houses, Indeed some castle enthusiats pretend they shall buy them just to look at them. Some will have new houses, some specially built. A modern house, with enviro friendly and eco pally ways. also Some may have great water beds, or luxury stuff. Maybe gates you can open, for security and close, and also great security alrms. Maybe a luxery home would have servants a cook, a butler and maids, and ushc. Also a luxery home may well have a garage for sports cars. Added to this luxery homes may well have double glazed windows, lighting you can change by clapping your hands,. sattelite tv, a jacuzzi, central heating,. new soafas maybe leather, or allergy friendly,. great carpets, great sttauesm, and paintings, and a hallway, and a new kitchen with a work bench, and maybe aeven a exersuize room, and special stuff maybe a huge tv, flat screen etc etc . Some may well vost 200,000 pounds or millions of pounds or Euros.
wales houses for sale
Wales houses for Sale are great ideas. As there are many houses for sale in Wales. You can find sites on the internet listing them, and see in estate agents windows, and also in the local papers. With list of houses for sale and pics of them,. Also they list shops, and flats and properties. So there many houses in the Principality or Republic of Wales to buy for yourself. Wales has many a house for sale, Big , expensive, small, old, new and many styles. Some are farm houses, some detached, and some not. Some have 1 single bedroom, some have many, and some need rapir, some are not in need of reepair, and some are so abandoned it would be cheaper to build a new house. RThere are log homes, stone homes, high m,ountain hillside shepherds homes, and homes in streets where people drive cars past on days. So there are m,a ny homes, even tents and shacks, and also ones in tower blocks, So houses and homes for sale IN WWales is a big subject a real big subject at any moment there are 100s even 1000s of homes for sale in Wales. The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated on a basis of equality. However, even English has only de facto official status in the UK (see Languages of the United Kingdom) and this has led political groups like Plaid Cymru to question whether such legislation is sufficient to ensure the survival of the Welsh language. Walesz houses for sale, canm have numbered names, names, in English or Welsh or even other languages.
Grand World Villas - Find a Villa from anywhere in the world
Grand Global Villas - Find Villas from around the Globe
An Index with links to almost all our sites.
Holiday
to - Great places to go on Holiday to
Holiday
to 2 - More Great places to go on Holiday to
Holiday
to 3 - More places to go on Holiday to
Even More Holidays and Vacations
Vacations
-More Vacation Locations
Find some Cottages in Britain or Ireland and the world
A site stating what have been the world's largest empires ever
Find a Cottage in Britain or Ireland
Find more Cottages in Britain, Ireland, the USA, Canada or the world
breconguesthousewales guesthousesbuilthwellswales propertyforsalewales luxuryhomesinwales waleshousesforsale brecon guesthouse wales guest house builthwells wales property sale wales luxuryhomes inwales wales house for sale breconguest housewales guest housesbuilth wells wales propertyforsale wale plus luxury homes in wales whales houses forsale brecon guest hose wales guesthoses builth wels wales prperty for sale whale luxury home in wales walesouses forsale Brecon gest house Wales gesthouses Builth Wellls Wales property for sle Wales luxury homes in South Wales North Wales houses for sale
Hotel in 23 Hotel in 24 Hotel in 25 Hotel in 26
Hotel in 27 Hotel in 28 Hotel in 29 Hotel in 30 Hotel in 31 Hotel in 32
Cottages in Spain and Holiday Homes
Banks - A page on Financial Affairs
Banks 2 - A page on Financial Affairs
Hotel in 33 Hotel in 34 Hotel in 35 Hotel in 36 Hotel in 37 Hotel in 38 Hotel in 39
The
History Lounge - A place with 100s of Historical articles.
Hotels in some places worldwide
Main articles: Demography of Wales and Demography of the United Kingdom
The population of Wales in the United Kingdom Census 2001 was 2,903,085, which has risen to 2,958,876 according to 2005 estimates. This would make Wales the 136th largest country by population if it were a sovereign state.
According to the 2001 census, 96% of the population was White British,
and 2.1% non-white (mainly of Asian origin).[52] Most non-white groups were concentrated
in the southern port cities of Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. Welsh Asian communities
developed mainly through immigration since World War II. More recently, parts
of Wales have seen an increased number of immigrants settle from recent EU accession
countries such as Poland - although some Poles also settled in Wales in the immediate
aftermath of World War II.
Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff
In the 2001 Labour Force Survey, 72% of adults in Wales considered their national identity as wholly Welsh and another 7% considered themselves to be partly Welsh (Welsh and British were the most common combination). A recent study estimated that 35% of the Welsh population have surnames of Welsh origin (5.4% of the English population and 1.6% of the Scottish also bore 'Welsh' names).[53] However, some names identified as English (such as 'Greenaway') may be corruptions of Welsh ('Goronwy'). Other names common in Wales, such as 'Richards', may have originated simultaneously in other parts of Britain.
In 2001 a quarter of the Welsh population were born outside Wales, mainly in England; about 3% were born outside the UK. The proportion of people who were born in Wales differs across the country, with the highest percentages in the South Wales Valleys, and the lowest in Mid Wales and parts of the north-east. In both Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil 92% were Welsh-born, compared to only 51% in Flintshire and 56% in Powys.[54] One of the reasons for this is that the locations of the most convenient hospitals in which to give birth are over the border in England[citation needed].
Languages
Main articles: English language and Welsh language
English is spoken by almost all people in Wales and is therefore the de facto main language (see Welsh English). However, northern and western Wales retain many areas where Welsh is spoken as a first language by the majority of the population and English is learnt as a second language. 21.7% of the Welsh population is able to speak or read Welsh to some degree (based on the 2001 census), although only 16% claim to be able to speak, read and write it, which may be related to the stark differences between colloquial and literary Welsh. According to a language survey conducted in 2004, a larger proportion that 21.7% claim to have some knowledge of the language.[56] Today there are very few truly monoglot Welsh speakers, other than small children, but individuals still exist who may be considered less than fluent in English and rarely speak it. There were still many monoglots as recently as the middle of the 20th century.[57] Road signs in Wales are generally in both English and Welsh; where place names differ in the two languages, both versions are used (e.g. "Cardiff" and "Caerdydd"), the decision as to which is placed first being that of the local authority.
During the 20th century a number of small communities of speakers of languages other than English or Welsh, such as Bengali or Cantonese, have established themselves in Wales as a result of immigration. This phenomenon is almost exclusive to urban Wales. The Italian Government funds the teaching of Italian to Welsh residents of Italian ancestry. These other languages do not have legal equality with English and Welsh, although public services may produce information leaflets in minority ethnic languages where there is a specific need, as happens elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
Code-switching is common in all parts of Wales, and the result is known by various names, such as "Wenglish" or (in Caernarfon) "Cofi".
Religion
St.
David's Cathedral in Pembrokeshire.
The largest religion in Wales is Christianity, with 72% of the population describing themselves as Christian in the 2001 census. The Presbyterian Church of Wales is the largest denomination and was born out of the Welsh Methodist revival in the 18th century and seceded from the Church of England in 1811. The Church in Wales is the next largest denomination, and forms part of the Anglican Communion. It too was part of the Church of England, and was disestablished by the British Government under the Welsh Church Act 1914 (the act did not take effect until 1920). The Roman Catholic Church makes up the next largest denomination at 3% of the population. Non-Christian religions are small in Wales, making up approximately 1.5% of the population. 18% of people declare no religion. The Apostolic Church holds its annual Apostolic Conference in Swansea each year, usually in August.
The patron saint of Wales is Saint David (Welsh: Dewi Sant), with St David's Day (Welsh: Dydd Gw^yl Dewi Sant) celebrated annually on 1 March.
In 1904, there was a religious revival (known by some as the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival or simply The 1904 Revival) which started through the evangelism of Evan Roberts and took many parts of Wales by storm with massive numbers of people voluntarily converting to Nonconformist and Anglican Christianity, sometimes whole communities. Many of the present-day Pentecostal churches in Wales claim to have originated in this revival.
Islam is the largest non-Christian religion in Wales, with over 30,000 reported Muslims in the 2001 census. There are also communities of Hindus and Sikhs mainly in the South Wales cities of Newport, Cardiff and Swansea, while curiously the largest concentration of Buddhists is in the western rural county of Ceredigion. Judaism was the first non-Christian faith (excluding pre-Roman animism) to be established in Wales, however as of the year 2001 the community has declined to approximately 2,000.[58]
Culture
Main article: Culture of Wales
Wales has a distinctive culture including its own language, customs, holidays and music.
Wales is primarily represented by the symbol of the red Welsh Dragon, but other national emblems include the leek and daffodil. The Welsh words for leeks (cennin) and daffodils (cennin Pedr, lit. "(Saint) Peter's Leeks") are closely related and it is likely that one of the symbols came to be used due to a misunderstanding for the other one, though it is less clear which came first.
In June 2008, Wales made history by becoming the first nation in the world to be awarded Fairtrade Status.[citation needed]
Sport
Main article: Sport in Wales
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
The most popular sports in Wales are rugby union and football. Wales, like other constituent nations, enjoys independent representation in major world sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup and in the Commonwealth Games (however as Great Britain in the Olympics). As in New Zealand, rugby is a core part of the national identity, although football has traditionally been more popular sport in the North Wales, possibly due to its close proximity to England's north-west. Wales has its own governing bodies in rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union and in football, the Football Association of Wales (the third oldest in the world) and most other sports. Many of Wales' top athletes, sportsmen and sportswomen train at the Welsh Institute of Sport and National Indoor Athletics Centre in Cardiff, the Wales National Velodrome in Newport and the Wales National Pool in Swansea.
The Welsh national rugby union team takes part in the annual Six Nations Championship and is the current (2008) holder of that Championship. Wales has also competed in every Rugby World Cup, hosting the tournament in 1999, with a best result of third place in the inaugural competition. Welsh teams also play in the European Heineken Cup and Magners League (rugby union) alongside teams from Ireland and Scotland, the EDF Energy Cup and the European Heineken Cup. The traditional club sides, were replaced in major competitions with four regional sides in 2003 replaced by the current four professional regions (Scarlets, Cardiff Blues, Newport Gwent Dragons and Ospreys) in 2004. The former club sides now operate as semi-professional clubs in their own league, linked to the four regional sides. Wales has produced ten members of the International Rugby Hall of Fame including Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams and Gerald Davies. Newport Rugby Club also achieved a historic win over the 'invincible' New Zealand Rugby team of 1963. A similar feat was achieved by Llanelli Rugby Club in October 1972.
Wales has had its own football league since 1992 although, for historical reasons, two Welsh clubs (Cardiff City, and Swansea City) play in the English Football League and another four Welsh clubs in its feeder leagues. (Wrexham, Newport County, Merthyr Tydfil, and Colwyn Bay.)
Rugby league is now developing in Wales. The Wales national rugby league team was formed in 1907, making them the third oldest national side. Before 1975 and in the 1980s they have been represented by the Great Britain national rugby league team in the World Cup. They have however competed in the 1975, 1995 and 2000 competitions. In the latter two they reached the Semi-Finals. But they didn't qualify for the 2008 tournament, having failed to beat Scotland over two matches. Bridgend based Celtic Crusaders joined National League Two in 2006, were promoted to National League One in 2008, and will play in Super League Europe in 2009. The Crusaders Colts, also based in Bridgend, play in the Rugby League Conference National division. Eight teams compete in the Rugby League Conference Welsh Premier division, which began in 2003. The most successful teams have been the Bridgend Blue Bulls and Cardiff Demons.
In international cricket, England and Wales field a single representative team which is administered by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). There is a separate Wales team that occasionally participates in limited-overs domestic competition. Glamorgan County Cricket Club is the only Welsh participant in the England and Wales County Championship. A Wales team also plays in the English Minor Counties competition. However there has been recent debate as to whether Welsh players (such as Simon Jones) should play for an England team, and not an England and Wales team.
Wales' other bat-and-ball sport is British Baseball, which is chiefly confined to Cardiff and Newport, two cities with very long baseball traditions. The sport is governed by the Welsh Baseball Union.
The Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Môn is a member
island of the International Island Games Association. The next Island Games will
be held in 2007 on Rhodes (Greece). In the 2005 Games, held on the Shetland Islands,
the Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Môn came 11th on the medal table with 4 gold,
2 silver and 2 bronze medals.
Wales played Papua New Guinea at rugby league
on the Kumuls tour of Europe. The match finished 50-10 in favour of Wales.
Wales has produced several world class snooker players such as Ray Reardon, Terry Griffiths, Mark Williams, Matthew Stevens and Ryan Day. Amateur participation in the sport is very high. The rugged terrain of the country also gives plenty of opportunities for rally driving and Wales currently hosts the finale of the World Rally Championship. Glamorgan compete in county cricket competitions and the Cardiff Devils were once a strong force in British ice hockey. Wales has also produced a number of athletes who have made a mark on the world stage, including the 110 m hurdler Colin Jackson who is a former world record holder and the winner of numerous Olympic, World and European medals as well as Tanni Grey-Thompson who has won many Paralympic gold medals and Marathon victories in her illustrious career.
There is also some success in boxing. Joe Calzaghe the half-Welsh, half-Italian boxer has been WBO World Super-Middleweight Champion since 1997 and recently won the WBA, WBC and Ring Magazine super middleweight and Ring Magazine Light-Heavy Weight titles. Former World champions include Enzo Maccarinelli, Gavin Rees, Colin Jones, Howard Winstone, Percy Jones, Jimmy Wilde, Steve Robinson and Robbie Regan.
Two Welsh drivers have competed in the Formula One championship: the first was Alan Rees at the 1967 British Grand Prix, who finished in ninth position, four laps behind the winner, Jim Clark. Tom Pryce was the more notable of the two drivers, as he finished on the podium twice and, at the 1975 British Grand Prix, qualified in pole position. Pryce's career was cut short after he collided with volunteer marshal, Jansen Van Vuuren, killing both instantly. As well as Formula One, Wales have had some notability in the World Rally Championship, producing two championship winning Co-Drivers, those being Nicky Grist, who helped Colin McRae to victory in 1995 and Phil Mills who helped Petter Solberg win the 2003 title. Wales hosts the British and final leg of the World Rally Championship.
Freddie Williams was World Motorcycle speedway champion twice - in 1950 and 1953 - and the country has a professional speedway team, Newport Wasps. The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff hosts the annual British Speedway Grand Prix, the United Kingdom's round of the World Championship.
Other notable Welsh sports people include 11 times gold medal winning paralympic athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson, footballer Ryan Giggs who is currently playing for Manchester United in the English Premiership and is recognised as the most successful player in English football history,[citation needed] BDO world darts champions Richie Burnett and Mark Webster, Beijing 2008 Olympic Gold Medalists and international champion cyclists Nicole Cooke (Road Race), who also won the 2006 and 2007 Grande Boucle - the women's Tour de France, and Geraint Thomas (Team Pursuit), who also rode in the 2007 Tour de France, Commonwealth Games gold and bronze medallist in shooting Dave Phelps and Beijing 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist (10 km marathon) and Athens 2004 Olympic Bronze Medalist (1500 m freestyle), swimmer David Davies, Cyclist Simon Richardson - double gold medallist at the 2008 Summer Paralympics (1km and 3km time trial).[59][60]
Since 2006, Wales has had its own professional golf tour, the Dragon Tour. Notable Welsh golfers include Brian Huggett, Ian Woosnam, Bradley Dredge and Phillip Price. The Celtic Manor in Newport will host the 2010 Ryder Cup.
Media
Main article:
Media in Wales
See also: Media in Cardiff
Cardiff is home to the Welsh national media. BBC Wales is based in Llandaff, Cardiff and produces Welsh-oriented output for BBC One and BBC Two channels. BBC 2W is the Welsh digital version of BBC Two, and broadcasts between 8.30pm and 10pm each week night for specific Wales based programming. ITV the UK's main commercial broadcaster has a Welsh-oriented service branded as ITV Wales, whose studios are in Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff. S4C, based in Llanishen, Cardiff, broadcasts mostly Welsh-language programming at peak hours, but shares English-language content with Channel 4 at other times. S4C Digidol (S4C Digital), on the other hand, broadcasts mostly in Welsh. Channel 4 and Channel 5 are now available in most parts of the country via digital television and satellite.
BBC Radio Wales is Wales's only national English-language radio station, while BBC Radio Cymru broadcasts throughout Wales in Welsh. There are also a number of independent radio stations across Wales including 103.2 & 97.4 Red Dragon, 96.4 The Wave, Swansea Sound, Marcher Sound, Nation Radio, Coast FM, 102.5 Radio Pembrokeshire, 97.1 Radio Carmarthenshire, Champion 103, Radio Ceredigion and Real Radio. Most of the newspapers sold and read in Wales are national newspapers sold and read throughout Britain, unlike in Scotland where many newspapers have rebranded into Scottish based titles. Wales-based newspapers include: South Wales Echo, South Wales Argus, South Wales Evening Post, Liverpool Daily Post (Welsh edition) and Y Cymro, a Welsh language publication. The Western Mail is the main daily newspaper and includes a Sunday edition Wales on Sunday. Both are published by the UK's largest newspaper corporation -- Trinity Mirror. The Western Mail and South Wales Echo have their offices in Thomson House, Cardiff city centre
The first Welsh language daily, Y Byd, was due to commence on 3 March 2008.[61] However, on 15 February 2008, it was announced that plans for Y Byd had been abandoned because of funding problems.[62].
In addition to English-language magazines, a number of weekly and monthly Welsh-language magazines are published. Wales has some 20 publishing companies, publishing mostly English titles. However, some 500-600 titles are published each year in Welsh[3].
Notably, the recent hit revival of cult classic series Doctor Who was and is conceived in Wales (BBC Wales), with many episodes set in Cardiff. Most of the filming and production takes place in locations all over Wales and attracts staggering audiences worldwide. Its adult spin-off Torchwood, fronted by John Barrowman, is also set in Cardiff, with many links to Doctor Who.
Cuisine
Main article: Welsh cuisine
Welsh rarebit.
About 80% of the land surface of Wales is given over to agricultural use. However, very little of this is arable land; the vast majority consists of permanent grass pasture or rough grazing for herd animals such as sheep and cows. Although both beef and dairy cattle are raised widely, especially in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, Wales is more well-known for its sheep farming, and thus lamb is the meat traditionally associated with Welsh cooking.
Some traditional dishes include laverbread (made from seaweed), bara brith (fruit bread), Cawl a lamb stew and cawl cennin (leek soup), Welsh cakes, Welsh rarebit, and Welsh lamb. Cockles are sometimes served with breakfast bacon. [4]
In 2005 the Welsh National Culinary Teams returned from the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg with eight gold, 15 silver and seven bronze medals, and were placed 7th in the world.[citation needed]
Music
Main article: Music of Wales
The
principal Welsh festival of music and poetry is the National Eisteddfod. This
takes place annually in a different town or city. The Llangollen International
Eisteddfod echoes the National Eisteddfod but provides an opportunity for the
singers and musicians of the world to perform.
Welsh soprano Gwyneth Jones.
Wales is often referred to as "the land of song",[63] being particularly famous for harpists, male voice choirs, and solo artists including Sir Geraint Evans, Dame Gwyneth Jones, Dame Anne Evans, Dame Margaret Price, Ivor Novello, John Cale, Sir Tom Jones, Charlotte Church, Bonnie Tyler, Bryn Terfel, Mary Hopkin, Katherine Jenkins, Meic Stevens, Dame Shirley Bassey, Duffy and Aled Jones.
Indie
bands like the Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia, Stereophonics, Feeder, Super
Furry Animals, and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, in the 1990s, and later Goldie Lookin'
Chain, mclusky, The Automatic, Steveless and Los Campesinos!. Other, less mainstream
bands have emerged from Wales, such as Skindred, The Blackout, Lostprophets, Kids
In Glass Houses, Bullet For My Valentine, Funeral for a Friend and were preceded
by Man in the 1970s. The Beatles-nurtured power pop group Badfinger also has its
roots in Wales (both the founder Peter Ham and drummer Mike Gibbins from Swansea).
Another famous Welsh singer is pop icon Jem who has recorded songs for/performed
on TV programmes such as Las Vegas and The OC, and movies such as Eragon. The
popular New Wave/synthpop group Scritti Politti was a vehicle for singer/songwriter
and Cardiff native Green Gartside.
Crasdant, a traditional Welsh folk band.
Traditional
Welsh folk singer and harpist Siân James live on stage at the Festival Interceltique
de Lorient.
is in resurgence with performers and bands such as Crasdant, Carreg Lafar, Fernhill, Siân James, Robin Huw Bowen, Llio Rhydderch, KilBride and The Hennessys. Traditional music and dance in Wales is supported by a myriad of societies. Welsh Folk Song Society (Cymdeithas Alawon Gwerin Cymru) has published a number of collections of songs and tunes. The Welsh Folk Dance Society (Cymdeithas Ddawns Werin Cymru) supports a network of national amateur dance teams and publishes support material. Clear (Traditional instruments society) runs workshops to promote the harp, telyn deires (triple harp), fiddle, crwth, pibgorn (hornpipe) and other instruments. The Cerdd Dant Society promotes its specific singing art primarily through an annual one-day festival. The traditional music development agency, trac, runs projects in communities throughout Wales and advocates on behalf of traditional music. There are also societies for Welsh hymnology, oral history, small eisteddfodau, oral history, and poetry.
The 'Sîn Roc Gymraeg' (Welsh language Rock Scene) in Wales is thriving, with acts ranging from rock to hip-hop which routinely attract immense crowds and audiences. The Welsh-language Rock scene presently is stated as 'the best yet,' with more bands, and more audiences than the 'Sin Roc Gymraeg' has ever seen in its existence. Dolgellau, in the heart of Snowdonia has held the annual Sesiwn Fawr (mighty session) festival since 1992. From humble beginnings the festival has grown to be Wales' largest Welsh-Language Music Festival.
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales performs in Wales and internationally. The world-renowned Welsh National Opera now has a permanent home at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay, while the National Youth Orchestra of Wales was the first of its type in the world.
Literature
Main
article: Welsh Literature
Further information: List of Welsh writers
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (December 2007)
Transport
Main article: Transport in Wales
Arriva Trains Wales.
The main road artery linking
cities and other settlements along the South Wales coast is the M4 motorway which
also provides a link with England and eventually London. The Welsh section of
the motorway, managed by the Welsh Assembly Government, runs from the Second Severn
Crossing to Pont Abraham in West Wales, connecting cities such as Cardiff, Newport
and Swansea.
Second Severn Crossing carrying the M4 Motorway
In North Wales the A55 expressway performs a similar role along the north Wales coast providing connections for places such as Holyhead and Bangor with Wrexham and Flintshire and also with England, principally Chester. The main north-south Wales link is the A470 which runs from Cardiff to Llandudno.
Cardiff International Airport is the only large and international airport in Wales, offering links domestically and to European and North American destinations, located some 12 miles (19 km) south-west of Cardiff city centre, in the Vale of Glamorgan. Since May 2007 Highland Airways, a Scottish Company, has run internal flights between Anglesey (Valley) and Cardiff.
The country also has a significant railway network managed by the Welsh Assembly Government which has a programme of reopening old railway lines and extending rail usage. Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street are the busiest and the major hubs on the internal and national network. Beeching cuts in the 1960s mean that most of the remaining network is geared toward east-west travel to or from England. Services from North to South Wales operate through the English towns of Chester and Shrewsbury. Valley Lines services operate in Cardiff, the South Wales Valleys and surrounding area and are heavily used as commuter lines.
Arriva Trains Wales is the major operator of rail services within Wales. It operates routes from South East Wales to Crewe, Manchester and Cheltenham. Virgin Trains operate services from North Wales to London as part of the West Coast Main Line. First Great Western operate services from London to Cardiff and Newport every half hour with an hourly continuation to Swansea. It also runs services from Cardiff and Newport to southern England. CrossCountry offer services from Cardiff to Nottingham and Newcastle upon Tyne via the West Midlands, East Midlands and Yorkshire.
Regular ferry services operate from Holyhead and Fishguard to Ireland.
National symbols
The Flag of the Princely
House of Aberffraw, first associated with Llywelyn the Great
* The Flag
of Wales incorporates the red dragon (Y Ddraig Goch) of Prince Cadwalader along
with the Tudor colours of green and white. It was used by Henry VII at the battle
of Bosworth in 1485 after which it was carried in state to St. Paul's Cathedral.
The red dragon was then included in the Tudor royal arms to signify their Welsh
descent. It was officially recognised as the Welsh national flag in 1959. The
British Union Flag incorporates the flags of Scotland, Ireland and England but
does not have any Welsh representation. Technically, however, it is represented
by the flag of England due to the Laws in Wales act of 1535 which annexed Wales
following the 13th century conquest.
* The flag of the Princely House of Aberffraw,
blazoned Quarterly or and gules, four lions passant guardant two and two counterchanged
langued and armed Azure.[64] The flag was first associated with Llywelyn I The
Great, who received the fealty of all other Welsh lords at the Council of Aberdyfi
in 1216, becoming de jure Prince of Wales, according to historian Dr. John Davies.
From the 11th century onwards, the Aberffraw family claimed primacy as princes
of Wales as the senior descendants of Rhodri the Great, and included Owain I,
who was known as princeps Wallensium (Prince of the Welsh), and Llywelyn II. The
current claimant may be Sir David Watkin Williams-Wynn, 11th Baronet.
Banner of Owain IV Glyndw^r
* The flag of Owain IV Glyndw^r, which combined the flags of Powys and Deheubarth, blazoned Quarterly or and gules, four lions rampant two and two counterchanged. The red lion on a yellow field represented Powys, and the yellow lion on a red field represented Deheubarth. Owain was the senior heir of both Powys and Deheubarth. The flag harkened back to the Aberffraw flag, linking Owain's rule with the Aberffraw princes of Wales in an effort to legitimize his rule.
The Red Dragon (Y Ddraig Goch) a popular Welsh symbol
*
The red dragon, part of the national flag design, is also a popular Welsh symbol.
The oldest recorded use of the dragon to symbolise Wales is from the Historia
Brittonum, written around 820, but it is popularly supposed to have been the battle
standard of King Arthur and other ancient Celtic leaders. This myth is likely
to have originated from Merlin's vision of a Red (The Native Britons) and a White
(The Saxon Invaders) dragon battling, with the red dragon being victorious. Following
the annexation of Wales by England, the red dragon was used as a supporter in
the English monarch's coat of arms. The red dragon is often seen as a shorthand
for all things Welsh, being used by many indigenous public and private institutions
(eg: The Welsh Assembly Government, Visit Wales, numerous local authorities including
Blaenau Gwent, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea,
and sports bodies, including the Welsh Institute of Sport, the Football Association
of Wales, Newport Gwent Dragons, London Welsh RFC, etc.)
* The leek is also
a national emblem of Wales. According to legend, Saint David ordered his Welsh
soldiers to identify themselves by wearing the vegetable on their helmets in an
ancient battle against the Saxons that took place in a leek field. It is still
worn on St David's Day each 1 March
* The daffodil is the national flower
of Wales, and is worn on St David's Day each 1 March. (In Welsh, the daffodil
is known as "Peter's Leek", cenhinen Bedr.)
Woman wearing a Welsh hat
* The Sessile Oak, also called the Welsh Oak is the national tree of Wales.
The Flag of Saint David (Baner Dewi Sant)
* The Flag of Saint
David is sometimes used as an alternative to the national flag (and used in part
of Celtic Crusaders' crest), and is flown on St David's Day.
* The Coat of
Arms of the Principality of Wales which are the historic arms of the Kingdom of
Gwynedd are used by Charles, Prince of Wales in his personal standard.
* The
Prince of Wales's feathers, the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales is sometimes
adapted by Welsh bodies for use in Wales. The symbolism is explained on the article
for Edward, the Black Prince, who was the first Prince of Wales to bear the emblem;
see also John, King of Bohemia. The Welsh Rugby Union uses such a design for its
own badge. The national sport is often considered rugby union, though football
is very popular too.
* The red kite is sometimes named as the national symbol
of wildlife in Wales.[65]
* Patriotic anthems for "the land of Song"
include "Hen Wlad fy Nhadau" ("Land of My Fathers") (national
anthem), "Men of Harlech", "Cwm Rhondda" (national hymn),
"Delilah", "Calon Lan", "Sosban Fach".
* Dame
Wales, as a National personification, as depicted by Joseph Morewood Staniforth
symbolising the maternal voice of the Welsh 'mam'
Photos of Wales
beachside hotels in galveston, tx
beachfront hotels in galveston, tx
hotels in austinAsheville
NC Hotels and Motels