Welsh pub faces boycott after English rebranding

DRINKERS have been urged to boycott a Welsh pub after it relaunched with a “slapdash” English translation of its original name.

Pen-y-bont in Abergele, Conwy, reopened on St David’s Day, March 1, with its new name, The Bridge Head, prominently displayed on signs outside. Its Welsh language name appears in much smaller writing underneath.

Dylan Rhys Jones, a local who is a senior law lecturer at Wrexham University, said the rebranding “disparages the Welsh language”. He said: “This is some kind of slapdash translation, which is unacceptable. What an absolute disgrace. I hope the people of Abergele vote with their feet.

Gareth Bolton, another local, questioned the sense of “mindlessly changing names from Welsh to English”.

Mr Bolton told the BBC: “At the end of the 19th century, Abergele had 16 pubs, all of them with an English name apart from Pen-y-bont and the Gwindy.

“The names of these institutions are woven into local culture, identity and history. The savage act of erasing our language is atrocious.”

Michael Warton, the pub’s new manager who oversaw its refurbishment, praised the “makeover”, saying: “It looks a hell of a lot better.”

He defended the name change, stressing that they had retained the original Welsh. “We have kept the Welsh names here and the feedback has been very positive. It’s been all good,” he told the Daily Post.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith, a grassroots organisations which campaigns for the preservation of the Welsh language, said: “We see Welsh names as communal property and as an integral part of heritage, which should be protected for the sake of future generations.

“However, the Welsh Government have not legislated to protect these, which leads to cases like the renaming of Pen-y-bont pub and countless others.

“In the absence of Government action, Cymdeithas yr Iaith have established a voluntary scheme with draft clauses and documents for registering Welsh place names in cases of sale or inheritance called Diogelwn, or ‘We’ll Protect’.”

The Telegraph has approached Mr Warton for comment.

In recent years, there has been a growing move in Wales to rename landmarks and national parks with Welsh language names to promote the country’s history and culture.