I think there may be some areas where pubs, and other such dens of iniquity, are closed on the Sabbath in Wales but they are now the exception rather than the rule. I find that the more rural Welsh have become more welcoming in the past decade or so. Before that it was common to be outside a shop, hear a conversation being held inside in English, and it switching to Welsh as soon as we entered. It also happened to a friend of ours (sadly we weren't with him) who is a native Welsh speaker but has no Welsh accent. He and his missus went into a shop, a conversation ensued all about them but not to them. He carried on speaking English until about to leave the shop, then laid into them in Welsh. His missus said she nearly wet herself at the people doing goldfish impressions - mouths opening and closing but nothing coming out.
My wife, also with a totally English accent, spent part of her childhood in Wales and can still understand and speak Welsh. Her experience is like yours, KT53, of conversations switching from English to Welsh when a tourist hove into view.
Another little ploy - she used to do it herself - was to ask questions in Welsh to people speaking English. 15 years later the tables were turned when we were visiting Snowdonia and a person asked us a question in Welsh despite the fact he heard us speaking English. He was flummoxed when my wife answered his question in fluent French.
Perhaps they don't need the tourist's money. They certainly don't deserve it. If it ever happened to me again, i would collect a full basket of stuff off the highest and lowest shelves. Leave it on the counter and walk out
We are open here in SW Wales. Have never seen the pub opposite as busy before. Have had visits by the police twice in the past two weeks, very poor parking on the roads and the pavements, cars parked so badly that walkers have to walk onto the road, roll on the winter! Storms expected in this area for four days so hopefully there won’t be any sitting outside!
Police need to do the same as they have been doing in Snowdonia. Tow away any illegally parked vehicles. Apparently walkers in Snowdonia thought they were joking and didn't move their vehicles. They discovered it wasn't a joke when they returned.
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If it ever happened to me again, i would collect a full basket of stuff off the highest and lowest shelves. Leave it on the counter and walk out
Today's Pppmaster
" Oh I'm very confident, I often get into the 30s"
She got 9, tee hee.
Pride most certainly does come before a fall.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thats 3 beds put to bed for the Winter