CULTURE MINISTER Alun Ffred Jones should learn to keep his eyes more peeled than usual when visiting anything organised by Cadw, writes Clive Betts, currently on holiday from his usual base in the Assembly press gallery..
For years, the Assembly’s guardian of our historic environment has run foul of complaints that it seems to consider itself too much a regional outpost of Historic England.
For long, the concern has seemed to be that it used wording in its displays that seemed, in a subtle way, to accept an Englishman’s view of history. As most paying visitors to its sites are in fact Englishmen, perhaps Cadw has to exercise care in what it writes.
As we passed the Cadw stand at the Royal Welsh show, and spotted no headless civil servants, it would seem that, when the minister opened the exhibition celebrating Cadw’s 25th anniversary, he failed to notice a serious faux pas in the display.
One of the first sentences on the main exhibition board starts off, “The region’s heritage … “
There’s nothing wrong with the words which follow.
But it is a serious mistake to describe Wales as a “region”. This particular board was NOT speaking about an area such as Powys, or the South West, both of which can correctly described as “regions”.
It was talking about all of Wales. A minister such as Ron Davies – unfortunately, he never reached such a rank in Cardiff – would have quickly noticed the words … which he would have followed with a quick, down-to-earth comment which would have ensured a rapid correction within days.
This exhibition is likely to be shown almost unchanged at the National Eisteddfod in Bala next month. If there is sufficient room to show the English version, in addition to the Welsh, be assured we will be checking whether the defective word has been changed.
Far too many organisations treat Wales as a “region”. The Western Mail, for instance, with a title which presumes it is serving a western part of England.
Much of Waless history has been characterised by militant – even military – opposition to England. It’s about time someone reminded Cadw of this.
And that English visitors are more likely to be happy learning about Wales’s fight for its own rights, rather than about the attempts by some in Wales to become as much like their eastern neighbour as possible.
Perhaps when Alun Ffred passes the Cadw stand at the National, he might spare a second to wield his felt-tip on the display. Or, even better, persuade some of his pals in the Cymdeithas yr Iaith stand to travel past with a pot of white paint …
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It wouldn’t surprise me if the crachach running the Eisteddfod saw Wales as a region as well.
I don’t think I have ever heard them speaking up for Wales or speaking about Wales against our ‘betters’ across Offas Dyke. We musn’t upset the piper I suppose.
You only see or hear them during Eisteddfod week and that is only for their own self promotion.
Never mind, I shall stll be there, as I am most years.
Ug. I suspect they can’t win this one, whatever they choose.
In many (most?) parts of “Government of the country” exercises Wales *is* a region, and is listed along with all the other regions in the official statistics.
I had this same problem when wanting to do justice to roughly sized chunks of people in the UK, and I ended up with “Region” as a word that was ambiguous enough to suffice.
I’d be quite interested to see a list of alternative words, and when they should be used. It’s a bit of a headache.
Rgds
A spokesperson on behalf of Cadw, said,” Cadw totally refutes Clive Betts’ allegations. The display is quite clearly an introduction to the area of Wales around the Royal Welsh Show and Mr Betts seems to have read this display in haste. The display in question is ‘Edrych am ddiwrnod i’r brenin? Looking for a day out with a difference?’ and is designed to encourage visitors to the stand to explore the historic attractions in Cadw’s care within close proximity to the region around the Royal Welsh Show itself. The display does not say ‘The Region’ but instead says ‘This region’s heritage…’ and in turn graphically highlights those sites within a one hour radius of Builth Wells and in turn the guidebooks available to those highlighted sites. There is a similar but different display used for Cadw’s north Wales events. This display graphically highlights those sites in Cadw’s care located within the north Wales region and which we hope will encourage visitors to the Maes in Bala to explore the wonderful built heritage surrounding the Eisteddfod during the week.”
Cadw’s wriggling is unconvincing. This organisation is, and always has been, an English outpost in Wales; not just in its hierachy but also in those manning historic monuments for which Cadw is responsible. The employment equivalent of the ‘Welsh not’ seems to be practised by far too many ‘Welsh’ organisations, particularly those operating in rural areas.
But they can only get away with it because we allow them to. If we want change; if we seek more respect, and recognition as a country and – far more importantly – a nation, then it’s up to ordinary people to make a fuss. But for God’s sake, don’t pin your hopes on politicians, of any party.
Someone asked me to describe CADW, and I replied, without thinking, its English Heritage in Wales. I said it in jest but then realised how true my comment was. It is unfortunate but it is a very English organisation, at all levels from Inspectors to Curators and tell the story of Wales from an English viewpoint. I recall several years ago being with the Cambrian Archaeological Association at Llanstephan, when a young Inspector, who was showing us around the castle, said it was built for defence against those people from up in the hills, which included at least half her audience. its only recently reading a critical examination of the work of Emyr Humphreys by Diane Green that unkowingly I`m in post colonial mind frame, in a way my version may differ from some academic theorising, but my identity is formed from all my forebears, who have lived in Wales and made me what I am. From that viewpoint, by I`ve felt for a long time that the appointment of English academics to postions in CADW or History Departments in Wales, is fraught with danger, because their reality is not mine, they see, for example, castles built by the English as still “English” . But the builders came 700 years ago, and by now their descedants are “Welsh”. My view of history is not that of the CADW Inspector, and I think it is sadthey still have this colonial condescension to the indigenous population as if they were in the Indian Civil Service in 19th century Bengal. Incedentally, I think the Cambrian Archaeological Association, partly established in response to the Commission of Inquiry into the State of Education in Wales( The Blue Books), is more about Archaeology these days than Wales, but then I`m only an autodidact thinking for myself.
I think that CADW has certainly in the past been rightly accused of acting like ‘English Heritage in Wales’. However, I sense that times are changing in terms of both their message and spending priorities. With respect to Clive, I think that it was his faux pas and not Cadw’s in the ‘Welsh’ and their explnation is a logical one. As far as English acedemics being employed is concerned, the CADW book ‘The Making of Wales’ was re-launched and largely re-written for their 25th annivewrsary by Dr John Davies,the original author-hardly an English ‘import’.
I know why people feel strongly about CADW but genuinely believe that they are trying to change-give them a break.