MORNING SERIAL
AT Caernarfon, two members were killed on the previous day when the gelignite they were carrying exploded. On the day itself, another bomb exploded harmlessly near the garden of the chief constable of Gwynedd. Four days later, a 10-year-old holidaymaker lost a foot after tripping on explosives planted in an ironmonger’s yard which Charles had earlier passed. Another bomb was left on Llandudno pier but failed to explode. Later that year, two men were arrested; they went on to be sentenced to 10 and six years in prison for their part in the bombing campaign. Not many agreed with the method but the violence did ensure Wales could not be ignored by government. The calls of the moderates, for more political and language rights, now had more weight because they could be seen as concessions that would avoid the more sinister violence on the horizon. Demands were also bolstered by a more pronounced sense of Welshness in many other walks of life. Rugby, enjoying a golden age on the pitch, became particularly virulent in its expressions of national sentiment in the 1970s. The language itself began to be seen as more modern. It became a medium for pop music, sex and other icons of the age, freeing it from its associations with the oldfashioned chapel culture that was in its death throes. One result was a growth in Welsh-medium education and adult education classes in English-speaking areas. Even what Wales meant was being redefined. As traditional industries slipped into terminal decline, they began to be considered as part of Welsh history and heritage. Working-class culture was now being celebrated as having a clear Welsh dimension. As Plaid Cymru targeted this, the Labour government began to realise the dynamics of the UK were changing and in danger of slipping beyond its control. > Wales: England’s Colony? by Martin Johnes is published by Parthian in the Modern Wales series www.parthianbooks.com