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Watch: Man's impassioned plea over lack of St David's Day visibility

By David Owens
Nick Stradling's impassioned speech

On St David's Day one Welshman has hit out at the lack of visibility in the Welsh capital that today is our national day.

Stood outside Cardiff Central Station, language tutor Nick Stradling posted what he described as 'an angry video' taking issue with the fact that if anyone visited Cardiff today they would have no idea it was St David's Day.

Nick, who also runs the Wales in the Movies YouTube channel, said: "I'm here at Cardiff central train station, that's Cardiff as in the capital of our country, Wales, and just like every other day of the year, this is what it looks like.

(His phone pans around to show an empty space)

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He continued: "We waited 15 years for this central square. Visitors see absolutely nothing to tell them. A. This is Wales, which is different from you know, the other places, or B. This is St David's Day, Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant, nothing at all.

"I'm an English language tutor. And today I had five new students from Guatemala and Saudi Arabia, and all five of them who have already been here for a week, until they met me, thought they were in England - and who can blame them because there's nothing here to tell them otherwise, is there?

"You often hear words like pride, I'm proud to be Welsh and all that stuff. To be honest, I've never liked that. And for many reasons, one of them being I just don't think the word is communicative enough. So I'll give you a much better word, a much more useful word, a much more practical word, and that's visibility. It's very important to be seen, and it's very important to be heard. Without it, there's no access to pride or any of the other things is there.

"Cardiff Council, Welsh government, what are you doing? This is an embarrassment? Look at today there's just nothing here. It's our National Day, and you wouldn't even know it."

Watch Nick's full rant below.

#DyddGwylDewiHapus

Drink in the Welsh atmosphere

👏🏽 @cardiffcouncil

f pic.twitter.com/rQaQgaJlvY

— WALES in the MOVIES 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🎥🎬 (@MoviesWales) March 1, 2024

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12 comments

Mab Meirion

There is no surprise there, with the Government celebrating Indian St David's Day anywhere but Cymru for whatever reasons...

Reply
Garry Jones

Nick, I share your dismay at the low level of public engagement with Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant. However, many of us did mark the day as we marched with our flags and banners from City Hall at 12:30 to St David's Hall on The Hayes. Others stood by with daffodils and cameras to show their support as we passed. Maybe we should have continued to Central Square.

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Nia James

It's just Cardiff being Cardiff, really! As a friend from Nottingham always tells me, "Cardiff is a Western English city, except when it dresses up for international day and rakes in the cash."

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Keith Parry

There were no Labour Senedd Members or Cardiff Labour Councillors to be seen at the St David's Day Parade in Cardiff. The Labour Party is a British Nationalist Unionist Party.

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Riki

“English”. How can they be British if they support Anglo ideals. The Anglo isn’t British! The British are thee Welsh.

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Jim rugby nobody

The British Labour party in Wales have conned the Welsh public for too long. They have denied us our history for a fear that we'll want independence. They will be known in the same breath as the 'Welsh Not' for denying the teaching of Welsh history - shame on the British Labour party in Wales.

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Riki

Because we are “Welsh” aren’t we. Foreigners on our own island! God forbid we upset anyone for celebrating our past before we were ever known as “Welsh”. This is what it’s all about, we have been conditioned to give up our pre Empire history because it makes the Anglo uncomfortable and points out the actual origin of Britishness. The Cymric people of Wales have, and always will be the real Britons!

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GwennoDafydd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7vgqqJjDus&list=PLL5kFg0P4DspmjllkG3c6KVsHft3bVPQy&index=1

Reply
Glen

Need to rename it St.Davids pride day and fly some rainbow flags, the council and WG would chuck money at it then

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robin campbell

Swansea had two or three years of incredible marches with thousands attending about 7 or 8 years ago, really colourful, well organised. Then Labour council leader Rob Stewart decided that it was 'political' and a 'protest' and succeeded in destroying it by ensuring it was 'council run' and insisting the name 'Aberdewi' was eliminated. Like many Labour unionists, his belief in 'internationalism' doesn't include the participation of Cymru on the map of the world. Yesterday's parade consisted of a Scottish band (City of Swansea), a metal dragon, a traditional Chinese group and a group from Ukraine. I believe the people dressed up as Micky and Minnie Mouse outnumbered the Welsh flags.

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Mab Meirion

What no Samba Band !...

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Cwm Rhondda

I took part in the St David's day parade this year in Cardiff. A huge missed opportunity for the city, its shops, restaurants, and hotels could be packed making millions for the city's businesses. Let's face it though, thanks to their Tory masters in Westminster the local authority are broke.

Reply

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Swansea had two or three years of incredible marches with thousands attending about 7 or 8 years ago, really colourful, well organised. Then Labour council leader Rob Stewart decided that it was 'political' and a 'protest' and succeeded in...

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