Hi All, I’ve just heard that there is an apparent move to rename the second severn crossing as the “Prince of Wales (ie Charlie Windsor) Bridge”. As a passionate Welshman and Republican I am absolutely disgusted by this idea. I have just signed an online petition against this on the ‘Republic’ organisation website. As far as I am concerned the last Prince of Wales was Owain Glyndwr.
Surely if the bridge needs a name that a name with some kind of combination of Cymraeg / Saesneg would be appropriate.
What do the good folk of SSIW think?
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So how about the Owain Glyndwr Bridge?
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I like Pont Hafren, after the princess who was drowned in the Severn by her wicked stepmother (aren’t they always!).
I call it the Second Bridge to distinguish from the Severn Bridge (or the old [but still very functional and necessary] bridge), although most people still call it the 'new bridge.
There has also been Pont Beca suggested, in reference to the Rebecca riots, where men dressed up as women (any excuse for us Welshmen to do this really) to destroy the hated turnpikes, as the Bridges have been very expensive to cross. As Rob Brydon often says, ‘the bridge may be expensive, but once you’re in Wales all the rides are free’.
Surely there should be some public consultation over a new name for the bridge, rather than some inappropriate suggestion imposed?
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Public consultation is best. Maybe say in advance that it will NOT be Ponty MacBridgeface or any varient of that! Me, I fancied Pont Cymru Rhydd / Free Wales Bridge. Because there will be no tolls!
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I’d call it the Eight Crossing (but maybe I really am dyslexic after all).
Seriously, why does it even need a blinking name, especially not the one that’s apparently been proposed?
Just more tabloid tittle tattle I reckon.
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It’s name is Dai.
(Pont Hafren 2)
…I’ll get my coat.
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Well this whole debacle has at least taught me that the River Severn is Afon Hafren. So there reason for places like ‘Hafren Furnishers’ around Llanidloes way is that the source of the Severn is nearby.
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I’ve been seeing suggestions elsewhere that are, let’s just say, more punning than most examples here (apart from @siaronjames’), and rather more Cofi-sounding… Although Bolycs Cymraeg did also suggest Bonti Ap Bontwep.
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Whenever anyone mentions Pont Hafren, I think of this, which is on one of my lunchtime cycle routes. It’s not the first bridge over the river (there are several upstream, including one at the car park from where you can walk to the source), but I think it has a real practical character to it.
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Just spotted on an OS map that there’s a rock below the middle of the bridge called Gruggy (from creigiau perhaps?), so I’ll be thinking of it as Gruggy Bridge from now on 
… but a quick look at OpenStreetMap reveals that someone has already renamed it Owain Glyndŵr Bridge: http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/51.5750/-2.7025 
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If the second crossing has to have a name, so does the first. But it’s lived this long without…
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Very interesting responses from all. I like ‘The Owain Glyndwr Bridge’, ‘Pont Hafren’ and ‘Dai’ as my favourites so far.
The link to sign the petition against naming it The Prince Charles Bridge’ is www.change.org/p/alun-cairns-mp-stop - 29,000 signatures so far.
Iechyd pawb.
Is not the ‘old bridge’ called ‘The Severn Bridge’ (as opposed to A bridge across the Severn)?
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That link isn’t working for me, It says the petition isn’t there. Is this because I’m not in Wales?
Is it working for anyone?
(I wasn’t going to bother until I read Rod Liddle’s comments…)
EDIT: this link worked for me:
Just as a point of information, The Prince of Wales Bridge is the proposed (in as much as a fait acompli can still have the status of ‘proposed’) name. Nevertheless, it’s being made clear to which prince this is referring.
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I don’t want to comment directly on the new name for this bridge, since that’s far too political for me, but the way the language gets interleaved with online discussions is something that worries me.
I would guess that 99% of people here are learning Welsh for absolutely no political reasons whatsoever and politics has little if anything to do with the interest in the language.
Wouldn’t it be nice one day to be able to give Welsh names to things with everyones blessing, widespread support and without ridicule or a political backlash.
I love the language above all else and I would love to think that one day we might think of Welsh language place names and the like as something that is simply nice - we might not choose them, but we it would be nice to be able to suggest them without being viewed as politically motivated.
Politics just seems to get in the way all the time and I don’t expect everyone will ever find the desire or want to learn Welsh, but hopefully one day it won’t attract quite such derision and negativity.
I worry also about why we have to have English versions of dramas like y gwyllt and why the language is so unpopular in certain audiences. Some people do seem to be uncomfortable hearing Welsh and I’d like to understand the psychology of why that is. French and Italian are seen as beautiful languages (and they are) and worthy of subtitles. All languages are beautiful in their own unique ways, but Welsh certainly triggers different emotions in some people and I’d really love to know why.
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@Toffidil I suspect the answer to your last question would involve the very politics that you wish to avoid, and which we do mostly try to steer clear of on SSIW as the slope could quickly become very slippery. In general terms I think one can say there’s no accounting for the vagaries of human nature.
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I know, I can’t even whisper these things without being viewed in a political way, but I really don’t have any political agendas when it comes to the language, with the exception that I’d like to think that there could be apolitical ways for it to prosper.
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Well I think it’s fair to say that things have improved markedly since I was a kid in school in Caerdydd a fair few decades ago - when if any kid should try speaking Welsh or speak up for Welsh culture in any way (beyond supporting the rugby team), they would tend to be laughed at by the others. However much one may wish it, one cannot divorce any facets of our lives, including culture and language, from their political aspects. There is no language in the world where this is not the case, whether it be Catalan, Tibetan, or the disappearing languages spoken by tribal peoples. And English itself does not come without a political agenda of course, it’s just that it’s so widespread that the cultural assumptions that go with it are taken as read.
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Let’s face it, Politics is intertwined with daily life, because that’s what it does. Yes, we do prefer to keep away from Politics on this forum, but there are times when there is a good link with learning Welsh (etc.) and in those cases, moderators do keep a closer eye to “steer” things back to an SSIW track if needed.
So be reassured, a kindly word of moderation to maintain the excellent, friendly atmosphere is ready to be said!
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