Sian Lloyd, a Welsh woman and well known British TV presenter, took to social media and complained that she was disgusted by the fact that a group of people had been thrown out of a pub in Wales for singing in Welsh. The landlord of the pub was interviewed and explained what had happened.
It seems the group in question had sung the Welsh national anthem – in Welsh – which he described as having been ‘very beautiful’, and when they finished he asked them to tone it down to avoid disturbing other customers. They didn’t; instead they carried on until people found the noise objectionable and began leaving the establishment without finishing their meals. Eventually they were asked to leave.
He was also at pains to point out that the incident had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that the offending group were singing in Welsh; the problem was entirely a matter of them being rowdy. But the BBC reported this with the headline:
People ejected from Welsh pub for singing in Welsh
The BBC often carries articles about the harm that is done
and friction caused by people spreading misinformation on social and other
media. (The riots currently plaguing the UK are a notable example.) Yet here
they are doing the same thing
This is just one example of the steep decline in standards at the BBC over the past decade or two. The BBC used to be highly regarded for the standard of its journalism, not only in the UK but in the world generally. I could write a whole post on the subject, and maybe one day I will. Or maybe I won’t bother because it’s merely one aspect of the many cracks appearing in British culture.
Off to read some more of my latest book now. Had enough of being earnest for one day. Thank you and goodnight.
(Oh, forgot to mention: tonight I met the Shire’s newest dog – a lovely, 7-month-old lady Labrador called Red. Such encounters matter.)
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