Welsh Community
The Welsh Language
At the start of the 1960s there was increasing concern that the Welsh language would go extinct. According to Dylan Phillips by the beginning of the 1960s, the Welsh language was on average losing one speaker every ninety minutes, having lost a quarter of a million speakers since the start of the 20th century. This prompted many in Wales towards efforts to ensure its preservation, particularly in Aberystwyth.
There was a resurgence of Plaid Cymru between 1960 – 70 off the back of the work of David James Davies (DJ Davies) who worked to amend the politics of the party to be more left wing and less extremist in their policies. This also influenced a pressure group by the name of Cymdeithas Yr Iaith Gymraeg or Welsh Language Society at Aberystwyth University. They were influenced largely by a radio lecture given by Saunders Lewis – part of the Welsh Movement and one of the first leaders of Plaid Cymru.
Their first protest was to organise a non-violent protest concerning Welsh by vandalising a post office with posters and trying to get arrested and put on trial. When this didn’t work they sat across Pont Trefechan bridge in an attempt to stop traffic. Though this doesn’t seem like much, they later grew to be the largest protest group since the suffragettes in terms of arrests and fines.
Y Blew also made an attempt to popularise the Welsh language. Founded in 1967, they were the first rock band to sing in Welsh and was made up of students from Aberystwyth University. They went on three successful tours of south Wales, largely translating popular songs by groups like the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, who were growing in popularity at the time, into Welsh to perform. However, they did press and release a single of their own in 2004 called Maes B.
The old college was the first college in Aberystwyth and remains today a Grade 1 listed building. Though most teaching in the 1960s moved onto the Penglais campus near the National Library of Wales, administration of Aberystwyth University along with the teaching of the Welsh language and Education remained at the old college.
Prince Charles attended the old college in 1969 in order to try and learn Welsh upon being granted the title of Prince of Wales. This didn’t go too well, however, as he was said to have caused “personal disappointment” to his language teacher and later booed whilst attempting to give a speech in Welsh.
In attending Aberystwyth University it is clear how centred the university is around the revival of a once dying language. The inspiration given to students over the last few decades to break into politics and popular culture to spread the word and encourage the revival of Welsh – along with the impact these influences have had not just on the language, but on other communities and universities across Wales – is easy to see for anyone.
