If you"re not British...

[Dominique De Bast]

...can you pronounce that name ? (I didn't even try)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHxO0UdpoxM

🤣🤣🤣

[Steve Klare]

The problem is it's a Welsh name and Welsh puts different sounds to the same letters as other languages.

I saw a Welsh place name once. I said I'd never seen a word without a vowel. The Welsh speaker that posted it said "You still haven't: 'w' is a vowel in Welsh.".

-as English speakers, we basically lack the software to pronounce that name!

(I think you'd need to be able to take a really deep breath, too!)

[Dominique De Bast]

I'm lucky there is no film fair, there. Imagine if you need to buy a train or a coach ticket for this place 😶

[Joe Caruso]

I consider myself of the persuaded Anglican, reminds one of the olde English wording in Canterbury Tales

[Brian Fretwell]

The problem is it's a Welsh name and Welsh puts different sounds to the same letters as other languages.

I saw a Welsh place name once. I said I'd never seen a word without a vowel. The Welsh speaker that posted it said "You still haven't: 'w' is a vowel in Welsh.".

-as English speakers, we basically lack the software to pronounce that name!

(I think you'd need to be able to take a really deep breath, too!)

Yes in Welsh W is exactly that double "U" ("UU"). I learnt that from the beer named Cwch, which seems to mean something like "Cuddle".

[Steve Klare]

Mine was "Tan y Bwlch", a station along the Ffestiniog railway.

-as I understand it, pronounced "boolchh" (or "buulchh" if you like!).

This is the problem with learning new languages: you have to adopt these new ways of pronouncing the same alphabet, but then remember to reverse gears when speaking your own language.

I've been taking German a couple of years now, and every so often I pronounce a word like "Shtuttgart" or "Visebier" when speaking English and get funny looks from people!

[Maurice Leakey]

Click to read details of the name.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyll - Wikipedia

[Brian Fretwell]

I have a very big platform ticket for the station there, bought on a school journey in the early 1960's.

[Dominique De Bast]

I have a very big platform ticket for the station there, bought on a school journey in the early 1960's.

Waw. Must be something...

[Steve Klare]

I get the feeling the people in the area have a nickname for the place: two, three syllables at the most!

[Lee Mannering]

Some of our best holidays camping in sunshine and storms...even a flooded camp site with children canoeing past your tent REELY!

Here's a few snaps from the archive.


Festiniog Railway.



The year Lake Bala overflowed and our tents went floating with us all in them in a foot of water. Amazingly just about everyone was laughing and our foster children had a memorable holiday with us.



Wonderful times .... Was testing a new Camcorder for Panasonic at the time but these were shot with a Nikon.

Dom you would love Wales but take some 9-5 or 8mm film with you so much to capture.

[Dominique De Bast]

Nice pictures, Lee. I have to admit I know few of the UK outside London. I visited Harpenden, Blackpool and many years ago Edinburg and Glasgow.

[Maurice Leakey]

Steve
The official abbreviation is "Llanfair PG".

[Lee Mannering]

Don't think I stand much chance pronouncing it Dom and me a Man of Kent having been born on the East side of the river. 😎

[Brian Fretwell]

It's just a shame that the railway in your last picture, Lee, is having financial trouble, it is in administration the operating company is bankrupt, and if facing a sale of all it's assets. The support group is fundraising to buy them.
https://www.llangollen-railway.co.uk/