Pocaloca

I think you'll find they were removed because they were "rojos" - their parents had supported the republic. The official church in Spain supported Franco so was happy to cooperate.

These fairy stories are a good way of duping people wherever they are used. The British government sent 10,000 orphaned children to Australia after the war to help keep the colony of "good white stock". Many of them were forced to do hard labour at the hands of the Christian Brothers.

Pocaloca

Amazing how these stereotypes linger! Chapel choirs vs Gavin & Stacey ... hmm, difficult one!

agoreira

Geddaway! That makes it OK then? Don't forget the 4,000 Basque kids that were very grateful to be sent to UK.
http://www.euskalkultura.com/noticia...anguage_sync=1

Domino

AAHHH ! !

So South Wales doesn't have the education ? ?
Look at the list http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ities_in_Wales
I have cousins who have passed through those hallowed halls.
Wales will always be "unconventional" when compared to Cambridge, Oxford, it isn't even in the same country ! !
So you are perhaps starting to understand what "association" can do for you.

Shirley Bassey came from Tiger Bay, a huge area of docks back in the day, where along with Newport and Barry, the output of high quality coal from the South Wales Mines was exported to the world, keeping the wheels of industry and shipping turning. Tom Jones, Richard Burton, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rob Brydon and others came from the mining valleys and associated areas. Including my father and a very large family.

Perhaps if "we the guiri's" were to make such stereo-typical comments about certain parts of Spain you would want us to get educated - but where ? as Spain is now our home and are all ruled by the Catholic church and its warped teachings controlled by Rome.

At least South Wales has electricity - most of the time

See how easy it is ??
`

lurchio

I see..... problem is if you shout 'South Wales' the sterotype 'How green was my Valley' jumps to mind, I'm afraid. I have been victim of this, even though I come from a background of Mining Engineers and I am a Chartered Mechanical Engineer thats works all over Europe (currently Malta, and if you thought Spain was bad........). I find it easy to forgive,however, its just like a Lancashire stereotype of 'Dark, satanic mills' and back to back terraces. (Try it on someone!!!!). Its just the way that the Country and area has been portrayed in films and media, and people bought it en masse.....just like the Bible!!!!

Anyway, not to bang on but we do have several 'proper' Universities and Schools of Law, flushing toilets and yes, electricity!!!! We also have our own language (which I speak), but thats another story!!!! We are also Worldwide as you said, but still the majority ARE Atheist as far as I am aware.

Its all a culture thing, we have a saying 'Gorau arf, arf dysgu' (The best weapon is the weapon of learning) so there you go. We are also a gentle lot, until someone pi**es us off!!!

Domino

yes, Malta, forward thinking Malta, more ruled by the papist oppressor than Spain.
the last time I was there you could still see the bullet holes in the tops of walls from strafing German fighters - so got alot of work to do to catch up.

No Star (or is it too early?)
`

lurchio

Its not too early now!!! Thanks!

Malta, progress and ambition held down by the legs.............an ecclectic mix of modern and ancient, and ancient refuses to quit!

Pocaloca

Of course it doesn't make it OK. That sort of ethnic cleansing is never OK.

And how do you know those Basque kids were "very grateful"?

Young refugees fleeing Nazi bombs in the Spanish civil war found a mixed welcome in the UK after a nightmare voyage

Pocaloca

OK point taken, though just to be pedantic, Rhonda and Blaenau aren't university towns. Was there always a strong atheist tradition in the valleys, when your father was growing up? Or is it a more recent thing?

agoreira

The UK certainly didn't beg them to come, they could have stayed in Guernica if they preferred. That's if the church didn't steal them first.

Pocaloca

But they were evacuated to save them from the bombs, nothing to do with religion. The organisers were careful to make sure they rescued kids from both Republican and Nationalist families. I think we've lost the plot!

lmj50

you Welshies, what does no star mean?

lurchio

Good night! (Thats what it means!) Classic welsh is Nos Dda, but I knew what was meant and the kind gesture!

lmj50

Yes but lets be proud of our language and not anglicise it!!
Present-day Wales is both religious and secular with this make-up being too complex and multi-layered to be explained in a handful of statistics.
Feliz año nuevo a todos.
Blwyddyn newydd dda i chi gyd. Hyd yn oed i chi Rugbymat.

lurchio

Diolch yn fawr, a chi, ar eich teulu. Oddi wrth, Lurchio.