A Bit Of Friction

Trelawnyd isn't " Walnut Grove" or " Walton's Mountain".....even though I often give the impression that it is. Historically it is a working class Welsh village that has it's spats and fall outs like any other community and it may come a surprise to a few when I say that there is at least one village character that I would find difficult to piss on if they were on fire.
Oh of course I WOULD piss on them....it's only a figure of speech, but I guess you get the gist of the matter.
Now we share a tight lipped " hello" on meeting, but I am still sure it was them that reported one of my village fete . " open allotment days " to the district council on " health and safety " reasons. This anonymous whistle blowing necessitated a red faced official visiting the field before the day to check if I had completed the relevant risk assessment paperwork.
" Someone doesn't like you" the council clerk said in way of explanation " we get a lot of these kind of petty reports "
The Red Faced Welsh farmer gave me some advice at that time....
" Get proof if you can....always get proof....... Failing that give ' em a hard smack On a dark night"

The RFWF centre at the Jubilee Carnival

When the Red Faced Welsh Farmer was alive, things in Trelawnyd were much more exciting. He would delight in stirring up the Community council meetings with robust tails of political and personal shenanigans whilst bellowing like Robert Newton in Treasure Island.
He made enemies as easily as he made friends, and the dry -as- a - nun's - chuff agendas were delightfully colourful when he was alive.
Cross the RFWF and you risked getting a punch in the face....but you always knew where you stood with him.......it was a testament to him that when he died, the large church as Bodelwyddan was over filled with hundreds of mourners.

There is still a group of characters in the village that would stand by your side in a fight. Wise, measured individuals who would and do " have a word in an ear" if the need arose. Luckily for me, I think, I stand in their corner

I was thinking about this when I was passing the untidy house with the black bin bagged windows in the centre of the village today. Two staffy crosses were loose in the garden and both were barking loudly behind fences that didn't look too safe and an unseen character was shouting at them to be quiet. I hope that the new family integrate themselves into the community .....for there has been friction before with inner city English families being " parachuted" into quiet areas of social housing here with interesting results......

Luckily " The word in your ear" approach seems to have worked wonders when antisocial behaviour reared it's ugly head.

See...its not all scones and bara brith! 

25 comments:

  1. A bit of village friction is the spice of life :)

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  2. You cannot beat a tad of community friction my good man, especially the sort that warrants the 'quiet word in the ear'. Like I always say John...."speak softly, but carry a bloody big stick"!

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  3. I totally loved Robert Newton :)
    When we , " the North Americans " moved into our new home, in Buenos Aires, we had no doubt that some of the neighbors shuddered every time they whispered the words Norte Americanos.
    In a building that had 2 apartments to a floor and our neighbor who was the child of the owners of the building when it was a private home .. I was so on my best whispered behavior to be sure to make the best of first impressions.
    For the next 7 years, we were treated like a family member by everyone who lived there ...I hope these people are not what everyone fears, that they turn out to be sweet new additions to your village and that the dogs are just nice mutts. ( I admit to fearing the sight of one of those dogs) ...

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  4. I like the quiet word in the ear...but I also believe in Karma!

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  5. "A hard smack on a dark night" -- LOL!

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  6. Yes, I also live in a place where there are groups who support the "quiet word in the ear" approach. They also make it known when they'll go immediately to the "hard smack on a dark night."

    It's an effective way to get things done.

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  7. I hear that Trelawnyd has been earmarked for 2000 Syrian immigrants.

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  8. Anonymous2:04 pm

    Good solid advice from the RFWF.

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  9. I grew up in small towns and rural areas which sound very much like this... not so in the cities, not even this small one.

    I belong in the country!

    Our staffie, Abby, is a 'talker', as most staffies are; she makes the widest range of sound I've ever heard from a pooch. She is protective in a "I'm going up and down the stairs beside you and keep you from falling" kind of way. =)

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  10. I look forward to being able to open my big mouth and tell people what I really think, but until I win the lottery or something, I have to be nice to stay gainfully employed.

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  11. But maybe scones and bara brith delivered on a tasteful plate might do the trick in this case (if anyone dare run the gauntley of those staffies).

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    1. An extra scone for each of the staffies might even win them over, too!

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  12. Granny had a saying, "Kill them with kindness"

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  13. We didn't for a minute think it was .... well maybe for a minute ... or two, you do paint the rural village life scenes SO well :-)

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  14. It's sad, but true, some people have nothing better to do than cause trouble. They positively revel in it.
    By now the whole village must be intrigued to know what's going on behind those black bin bags - I know we all are !!

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  15. Hope it all turns out well ... most people are doing about the best they know how, with what they know or learned or were taught as they grew up. Maybe they can learn some new, good ways from wiser neighbours. What does Auntie Glad think about the whole thing?

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  16. It's the "black bin bags" .... the new people are nothing to get excited about but the bin bags .... oh my ...

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  17. Anonymous6:23 pm

    Its not what you say but how you say it - apparently!
    JP

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  18. I am laughing at the thought of you (or someone else) setting the person you are not fond of on fire just so you CAN piss on him.

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  19. Anonymous9:20 pm

    Village life sounds mostly good, but not for anyone who does not 'fit' even though they may lead a quiet life.

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  20. Round here it might be scones, bara brith and a whack round the back of the head with a piece of blue alkethene on a dark night, but only if you're a cow . . .

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  21. after 4 yrs my neighbors are still the new people...

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  22. I am going to go be a New People again.

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  23. Poor staffy crosses....

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  24. So I've had to Google bara brith, and I've learned my bit for the day. Thank you, Master Teacher.

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