Our Welsh heritage can be more than bread and circuses

WHEN the Roman satirical poet Juvenal wrote: “Give them bread and circuses and they will never revolt” he was referring to keeping the people of Rome happy and passive by distributing free food (wheat) and staging spectacular events.

A similar Spanish expression – ‘Bread and Bulls’ – was more recently used to describe the role of the bullfight as a diversionary tactic among the ‘common people’ to avoid social upheaval.

Juvenal was demonstrating his contempt for the declining heroism of the contemporary Roman and a disinterest in political involvement.

Now I would, of course, never suggest that the recent Jubilee celebrations fell into that category or that balcony adulation was somehow a sign of political apathy, naivety and secular idolatry (even if it was), but as a citizen and not a subject, I was interested to hear last week the comments of businessman Sean Taylor, director of Zip World, to the Welsh Affairs Committee.

The committee is responsible for scrutinising the expenditure, administration and policies of the UK Government which impact on Wales.

He was critical of the way in which tourism in Wales was being overshadowed by the other UK nations: “You’ve got the Royal Family down in London, you’ve got tartan and Loch Ness in Scotland and in Ireland you’ve got Guinness.”

He’s right. We can’t compete with the celebrity royal cult, there is no Celtic monster lurking in a Snowdonian lake and the beauty of the head of a pint of Guinness cannot be replicated.

The Welsh brand, Sean Taylor suggested, is weak. Certainly anyone who has returned on the ferry buzzing from a colourful Gaelic experience of music, mythology, folklore, dancing, literature and the mischievous leprechaun will have entered into a bland and uninspiring cultural landscape.

What we have in the traditions and industrial heritage of Wales is unparalleled. However, mountains, rugby, stunning scenery visited in the rain is not quite enough.

A poor infrastructure cannot cope with mountain climbers and the lack of creativity in the presentation of the Welsh identity betrays a worrying lack of confidence.

It’s no time to be sheepish about our heritage.