Well, I’m not sure why I put “stupidly” rather than my more usual “foolishly”, but you’re absolutely right to pick me up on it. I think there are two reasons, both of them bad!
It’s self-deprecating. “Why did I take the trouble to email them in my lame Welsh when it’s probably awful?” Bad because it’s (a) almost certainly not true, and in any case (b) if a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing badly. (If you wait until your Welsh is ‘perfect’ before using it with people, you’ll never use it.)
I could have communicated with them much more efficiently in English, because they’re bound to be bilingual and I’m not. But this goes to the heart of “What is the point of using a minority language?” I never really have to confront this when people exclaim over my using Catalan rather than Spanish, because I honestly don’t speak terribly good Spanish – if I try, it’ll end up turning back into Catalan anyway. So although I get brownie points from Catalan speakers, I’m actually just communicating with them as best I can. But that’s never going to be the case with my Welsh, outside of Patagonia – and I have to recognise (like any learner) that it’s still worth making the effort to do it anyway.
So, yes – I was probably right to email them in Welsh, and you were certainly right to pick me up on it.
FWIW, I’ve usually found that they respond fairly promptly and in a friendly manner, whether I write in English or highly imperfect Welsh. Having said that, I’m still waiting for a reply after I contacted them about missing English subtitles on Clic for the most recent RaR episode. I also made the point (laid it on with a trowel to tell the truth), how useful both Welsh and English subtitles were for learners of Welsh.
LOL! My husband always says he’d never live in England, because it’s “too murdery - look at all that happens in Midsommer!” Fortunately, I’d rather live in Wales anyway.
It is. They filmed both the Welsh and English versions at the same time. Must have been confusing jumping back and forth between languages for the actors!
Anyone been watching this again in the English? I just popped it on and now I’m keen to see the whole thing again - I really enjoyed it in Welsh and so far it seems very good in English too. I think, if I was forced to pick, I would rather have that song in Welsh though.
And why do you think the secretary has changed from Betsan Llwyd to Suzanne Packer? If they filmed all the scenes for both languages at the same time, that must have been strange to swap out just one character, mustn’t it?
I think on the whole, I enjoyed the sound of the people speaking in Welsh more, even when I couldn’t understand it. However, I think Cerys’s acid put-downs sound even better in English.
More than once though, I couldn’t catch what Faith was saying (in English!), and had to go back and watch with subtitles!
The change to English hasn’t improved DI Williams at all …
I am… must be… the least observant person in the known universe! I noticed Suzanne Packer, but I totally failed to twig she hadn’t been in the Welsh version! Why they swapped her??? Could it be that they cast it, did the first few takes with her and found she didn’t have the confidence to act in Welsh, so got Betsan in to do it?
p.s. I finally noticed that dragging Faith into copshop in middle of night came immediately after nasty topcop hears from Tom! So…nasty lady briefed by nasty boss man!
I have a feeling that the client who had been arguing over a strip of land 3 feet wide or whatever for 9 years, was also a different actor, although I’m not 100% sure. However, it’s not so important for these occasional characters, but “Delyth” was a more important character, wasn’t she?
It will be interesting to see if the real “Mr Lloyd” shows up.
I hope we get the English version here at some point - I’d like to see the differences between the English and the Welsh versions. It’s interesting reading all your comments!
I’ve just re-watched the first two series of Y Gwyll/Hinterland in Welsh (on DVD) in preparation for watching the third series, which we started watching in English on Netflix last night. I have to say, it is really bizarre to listen to everyone speaking English after having watched it all in Welsh! I prefer it in Welsh - it just feels different emotionally. Darker, somehow - not sure how to put it into words. I can’t wait to see how it all comes to a conclusion, but I’m going to be sorry when it’s over!
And tonight is the last episode of Craith…waiting for that. too!
Gosh, yes! I seem to be much more invested in these Welsh serial things - I think because of the added joy of the language - so when they come to an end, I’m dumbfounded. I can’t wait to see what happens in Craith but I really don’t want it to end!
Right - so watching in English now, I think I notice a lot more, and of course, I’m watching a story for the second time so I’m picking more up in any case. I didn’t twig that Evil Cop was Tom’s friend the first time round - I was probably looking for my phone under the dog or whatever, but I didn’t associate the bloke chatting with Tom about Evan’s business, with the bent copper later on! Talk about missing vital chunks![quote=“henddraig, post:148, topic:10116”]
So…nasty lady briefed by nasty boss man
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I missed that connection!
The other thing I wondered - the mystery BMW that was seen outside Faith’s when she went on her wild goose chase to the bar and grill - could it be the same one that turns up later with little blond copper from Swansea?? Will have to watch out for the number plate WN11 SXT - I seem to remember you get a good long look at the number plate when the car arrives at the scene of the exploding dentist.
It was easy for me to spot him, but he played nasty man iin Celwydd Byw about politics and poluticians at the Senedd ib Cardiff Bay. My problem was, I kept telling myself I must not label this new character with the faults of the actor’s last part! I got distracted and missed lots of nuances. This time I knew he really was playing another baddy and noticed the timing!
Richard Elfyn. I have become quite a fan of his, actually (the actor, not the bent copper!). He’s been in quite a few Radio Cymru things as well, in the time I’ve been learning Cymraeg; very often comedies/dark comic dramas, funnily enough. I was slow though, to figure him for a wrongun in “Un Bore Mercher”. Just took him at face value as a friend of Tom’s. Although it was interesting that Faith gave him short shrift, when he came offering “help”.
I seem to remember he has played someone lovely and innocent in a children’s cartoon series onS4C … it got mentioned when he was a guest on another show and I was amazed because it gave me a whole new view of him! But now I cannot find it, so I may be totally wrong!
I’ve just re-watched episode 1 of the English language version with my grown up daughter (who is a convinced Scandi-noir fan, and other kinds of “noir”). I’m delighted to say that she loved it, and promises to continue watching it in future (when she has time…).
Do you remember when Faith went out to Tom’s Carvery because “Gareth Tacsi” had seen Evan’s car there?
A mysterious man looks into the window of Faith and Evan’s house. We only see him for a fraction of a second in the reflection in the glass of the window. I have to say that it looked a lot like Steve Baldini, although later in the series, he swears blind it wasn’t him.
