SIR,

Mr Bradley in his letter to you last week, worries unnecessarily if he thinks that the authorities require him to speak Welsh.

Furthermore, the cost of printing the material he is so concerned about is minimal as, in most cases, the Welsh section is printed on the rear of the English, so that they can both be thrown away together when finished with, or kept if needed.

I believe Mr Bradley when he says that he has heard very little Welsh spoken in the town of Monmouth in his lifetime, but it is not the same further west in the county.

My father was born in Waun Llwyd, near Ebbw Vale, in 1921 and can remember being caned in school when he was caught speaking Welsh, such was the shameful policy of British government at the time.

As I stated in a previous letter, the promotion of the Welsh language by successive governments over a number of years has gone some way to redress the situation and Mr Bradley is wrong when he states it is all the doing of the Welsh Assembly Government.

That is why the use of Welsh is on the increase, especially among the young. Mr Bradley may not like this situation, but I am afraid he is stuck with it.

I fully agree with Mathew Hall that the debate on whether Monmouthshire is an English or a Welsh county has gone on for years, and far be it from me to come down on either side.

I know brothers in Chepstow, one considers himself English, the other Welsh.

Having said that, try telling the good folk born in Newport, Cwmbran, Ebbw Vale, Pontypool, Abertillery or any other Monmouthshire valley town that they are English, and you do so at your own risk.

P Young

(Chepstow)