It is becoming an ever growing realisation that I and (I assume) a great many others are not particularly well travelled within the UK. This is no doubt thanks to the ease of travel to the European mainland through the medium of easyJet or Ryanair, where we can immerse ourselves in great culture, whether it be at the Champs-Elysees, La Rambla, or the Magaluf strip. Amongst young people in the UK its seems to be preferred to go to places beyond the Channel rather than travelling internally. With (fingers crossed) travel restrictions easing within the UK but international travel still appearing problematic, now more than ever we should explore the wonders of the UK.

It was a recent discovery of mine that I have some Welsh heritage through my grandfather. With England’s current form in the Six Nations, channelling this heritage is becoming very appealing. Yet I have never visited the “motherland”. So, during the numerous study breaks that my deadline week has sprung, I have begun to look at the stunning sites and culture which “Cymru” offers. With any luck I will be able to discover my (tenuous) roots to the country. So without further ado, I am going to advertise a country I have never been to but seems truly amazing based on what I have read and heard about it so far.

Here are my findings so far:

Music:

Wales is known for being a land of singers. Watching any Welsh national anthem at a sports fixture is often followed by the humongous sound of the Welsh crowd joining in. The country is home to music icons such as Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey. “It’s not unusual” for Jones to tour around the UK, especially Wales.

More contemporary acts also come from Wales, notably including alternative rock band the Stereophonics. Also Catfish and the Bottlemen, who have achieved a great deal of mainstream success in recent years, hail from North Wales. Wales has clearly contributed to the British music scene for a long period of time.

Sport:

Rugby is by far the most popular sport in Wales, with the national team regularly being one of the best-performing in the Six Nations. From what I have been told, pubs are filled on a weekend with people ready to watch the rugby. The Millenium Stadium (aka Principality Stadium) is one of the largest venues in the UK seating over 70,000 supporters. I’d imagine going to watch a game in the stadium would be much like Wales’ rugby team’s form – unbeatable.

If football is more your game, Wales offers a great deal of viewing. The better performing teams seem to be in South Wales, with Cardiff City and Swansea City both plying their trade in the Championship (Second Division of football).

North Wales appears (for the time being) to be the sorer relation in the world of football. Yet this could change. Wrexham (the third oldest football club in the world) has recently been taken over by American Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. I hope Rob has been informed about the weather in North Wales; it’s not always sunny in Wrexham (another horrific pun… apologies). Whilst the club currently languishes in the 5th division, with this backing it could become a force to be reckoned with and soon a venue well worth visiting.

Cities:

Cardiff is both the largest and the capital city of Wales. Cardiff Castle is a very popular tourist destination.  The city has a lively bar scene, with its substantial demographic, a large number of young people. Definitely not to be missed post-Covid.

The Countryside:

Blessed with 3 stunning national parks. 2 on the coast (Snowdonia and Pembrokeshire) and Brecon Beacons. Snowdonia is also the largest mountain in England and Wales. There is an abundance of wild life to see and a substantial number of hiking spots. Whilst South Wales seems to have the major city, based on my research it would seem North Wales more than counters through natural beauty.

I am most excited about seeing the Isle of Angelsey. In order to complete the Will and Kate Royal Culture tour, I would love to depart St Andrews in the summer for Angelsey, where Will and Kate lived after finishing university (I think they lived in a few places between leaving St Andrews and going to Angelsey, but for poetic purposes we can forget about the places in between). Just off the coast of North Wales, the island boasts (base on google images and what friends say) some truly stunning beaches.

To conclude:

I think in recent years with the growth of cost effective flying and the brilliant things which foreign countries in Europe offer British tourists, it has become all too easy to forget about the wonders of the UK. That’s certainly been true for me. If silver linings can be drawn from the coronavirus, perhaps a revived interest in the wonders of the UK could be a start.