Holiday Traffic & Noisy Neighbours....

[MusicMan]

Point made, naz, thanks!

 

[Mark A]

1. Can you speak Welsh
2. Are you or any of your family Welsh
3. Do you know any locals
4. If none of the above ... do you think you'll fit in?
5. If not, do you think that will be a problem ?

(My wife's dad was Welsh, his grandchildren, who now live there on a smallholding, not so much)

Not sure about rural Carmarthenshire, but round here on Gower there are far more English than Welsh. Priced out of the market by people from the Home Counties who see the beaches on TV, come here on holiday and decide it's a nice place to live.

House prices have rocketed in recent years.

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[graduate_owner]

Hey MusicMan,
I don't think the ability to speak Welsh is such an issue. I was born in Carmarthenshire and have lived in the county all my life except for 1 year away. I am not a fluent Welsh speaker, but can get by if necessary. We made sure my daughter is totally bilingual.
Nearby there are as many non Welsh speakers as there are Welsh speakers. In fact there are probably more families that have moved here from across the Severn bridge than there are Welsh families, and Carmarthenshire is comparatively high on the scale of Welsh speahers. There are no anti English issues that I am aware of. I think fitting in is more to do with personality than place of birth, same as anywhere else I suppose. If you get on with people, if you are easy going etc then I wouldn't worry about it. On the other hand, people who are generally difficult to get on with. For example if you immediately argue with your neighbours about trivia ( such as complaining about tractor noise when they are flat out haymaking, or about the noise their sheep make calling for their lambs when the lambs have been separated, they haven't cut their hedges on a weekly basis etc) then don't expect to be popular. No doubt you will find some in your chosen neighbourhood who are friendly and helpful, others who are not, just like anywhere else.

I found a local farmer who trims my hedges in the autumn, another who offered me a load of timber after he had cut down a load of trees where his hedges had got out of control after years of unrestricted growth.

What I have found is that you don't just pop round for a chat and a cuppa because your next door neighbour farmer is likely to be out and about on the farm, or else busy with some repair work etc.

Try talking a holiday here and sound it out. ( No, we don't do holiday accommodation).

K

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Not sure about rural Carmarthenshire, but round here on Gower there are far more English than Welsh. Priced out of the market by people from the Home Counties who see the beaches on TV, come here on holiday and decide it's a nice place to live.
House prices have rocketed in recent years.

Try Cornwall - since 1971 the birth rate has dropped, and the population has nearly doubled. People move from the large cities because they have become strangers in them (ironic, really), come here and then moan about the wind, the rain and that there isn't a bus every five minutes and the only shop within five miles has shut. The village I was born near has a smelly harbour - it's been smelly for a century or more, and people move in and immediately start to moan. You need about £200,000 for a small bungalow (I saw one the other day for £185,000 - my father built it and sold in 1960 for £999) and much of the population would be delighted to earn £20,000 p.a. top line, and in a local pub your are as likely if not more so in some areas to hear an estuary English accent than a Cornish one.

 

[MusicMan]

I did speak Welsh a bit before I spoke English. I only have a smattering now, but would hope to rectify that. Thanks for all the points made. Access to good healthcare is certainly an issue and I'd like to know what the Hywel Dda healthcare trust is like.

I'm not planning on active farming other than large allotment plot/orchard, but if I get a spare field I'd want to rent it out for grazing rather than let it lie idle.

We're planning a holiday near Llandeilo in ten days time to scout round more.

Keith

 

[graduate_owner]

Where in Llandeilo are you staying? Interested because I used to live in the town. It's quite a nice market town. There are several villages nearby ( mostly with a church or chapel, and a pub but no other amenities) but again, nice areas. There is a National Trust property called Dinefwr in the town which is well worth visiting.

Are you thinking of moving soon? Regarding properties with land, there is likely to be a good choice in those nearby villages I mentioned ( Taliaris, Salem, Talley, etc - take a look online ). The Towy valley overall is nice. I am biased here, but I would say the nearby Amman valley is not as nice, but property tends to be cheaper.
I hope you enjoy your stay, and good luck with the weather !!

PM me if you want my opinion - for what it's worth - on the surrounding area.

K

 

[MusicMan]

Thanks for that, K. We're staying at Golden Grove, west of Llandeilo. It was a visit to Dinefwr for a family party recently that ignited the flame!

cheers, Keith