Monday 2 May 2011

Googling Anglesey

In case there was any doubt that the Royal Wedding was a giant advert for Ynys Môn, see the below graph of the volume of searches for "Anglesey" on Google for the past three years:

Relative volume of searches for 'Anglesey' on Google from 2008-present

See more detail here.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

A huge irony given the amount of money spent promoting the Welsh princes...nada, then along comes the old enemy and puts the place on the map in a matter of months.

Don't mention the invasion.

kp said...

Lessons to be learnt I feel.

Richard Sletzer said...

Yes indeed. ...So now, with tongue only partially in cheek, may I suggest that we abandon the name "Ynys Mon" with its unfortunate overtones of the Roman conquest (and the corrupt and unlamented county council) and instead mark the re-birth of the island by adopting the formal title - "Royal Anglesey".

We already, of course,have the "Royal Anglesey Yacht Club" which received its Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria in 1885 .

The Anglesey Agricultural Show should, of course, be renamed the "Royal Anglesey Show".

Beaumaris should also, of course, also revert to its proper title the "Royal Borough of Beaumaris" - in line with the Royal Charter granted to the town by Prince William's predecessor Edward I in 1296.

But I also think that the place with the most royal connotations in Anglesey is Aberffraw which, of course, was the capital of the Kingdom of Gwynedd from c.860 AD until c.1170. The "Llys" or "court" in the village was the seat of the Kings of Gwynedd and the most important political centre in mediaeval Wales. Surely Aberffraw (the first place visited by "Tywysoges Catrin a Thywysog Wiliam" - as (groan)I suppose we should now call them) is entitled to be called "'Beffro Brenhinol" - "Royal Aberffraw"? I think it has a rather nice ring to it.

kp said...

Richard, I do so agree with all you say regarding the re-branding of the island.

Ynys Mon in Welsh, Royal Anglesey in English. Fantastic for tourism, fantastic for goods branding, fantastic for agriculture, fantastic for promotion of all and everything, including each and every resident of this island.

And, best of all, it's absolutely true.

Photon said...

I agree that names are changed for often silly reasons these days. It's much better to be true to the history of the place.

We had 'Biwmares' as a welsh replacement of 'Beaumaris' some years ago, which is anyway a French name, not English, which seemed to be the subject of protest amongst the 'Welsh Nash' at the time.

Then 'Y Fali' for Valley, when Valley could have been Irish 'Baile' ('Bally'), or just a name for a quarried valley. The Council eventually dropped 'Y Fali', and most silly it was from the outset, too.

Above all, drop the entirely spurious 'Isle of Anglesey', which says 'The Isle of Angles' (or Ongul's, depending on which history you prefer) Island'. Again, most silly.

Is it mandatory to say 'GOOD LUCK PAUL!' now? There, I said it.

Rhys Williams said...

You failed to mention that the largest increase in searches has been from within UK, not that there is anything wrong with that fact.

I know many English couples, who have in the last few years been on a staycation to Anglesey and would recommend it to their friends.

I have long argued that tourism is important for the island, and the need to encourage more restaurants and hotels to open.

The ‘Prince William’ factor is important, but lets not forget the excellent beaches, the wonderful views and the friendly welcome available on Ynys Môn.

P.S I have been suprised by the number of searches from the USA for Anglesey Scotland

Berffro. said...

ABERFFRAW...ironic is it not that HRH lives within the historic Aberffraw/Bodorgan area, I wonder whether he is aware of the irony, probably not ?

An Eye On... said...

Beaumaris is not it's proper name anyway. It's proper name was Porth y Wygyr from when the Vikings kept a raiding fleet there for raiding Ireland.

The current name is a mispelling and mispronounciation of Beaux Marais (beautiful marsh) which is the name given to the area by the french construction workers that built the castle, preparation for which the local population were ethnically cleansed and forced to relocate to the Newborough area.

The Royal Charter is little better than a racist & anti-semitic document and should be looked at with nothing more than open contempt. It's certainly nothing to long for.

Paul Williams said...

Photon - not compulsory, but always welcome! ;)

Not only but also - People searching for "Anglesey Scotland" shows what a mountain we still have to climb...

Richard Sletzer said...

THE RED FLAG: BEAUMARIS You are right about "Porth y Wygyr" - although obviously this settlement was not on the actual site of the later walled town. "Gallows Point" was originally called "Osmund's Eyre" (Osmund being a Viking).

Obviously, from a personal point of view , I am well aware that one of the provisions in the original 13th century Royal Charter prohibited Jews from setting up businesses in the town - but this wasn't a "racist" exclusion, it was purely a religious one imposed by the Roman Catholic church and was also imposed in several other towns in Britain.

In any case the exclusion did not last long. Despite the provisions in the Royal Charter, Jews did set up business and have lived in the town for many hundreds of years.

Beaumaris was established as a Norman-French town by the Normans. The castle was designed and built by a Frenchman, James of St George from the French town of Contamine.

All I am saying is let's not attempt to wallpaper-over the past in some kind of absurd socialist history-erasing "Year Zero" programme but recognise the facts for what they are and work with them to build a better future for the island as a whole.

An Eye On... said...

Richard, the anti-semitic bit refered to the jews.

The racist bit was the banning of Welsh people from carrying any form of weapon, holding any form of civic office, holding any form of assembly or gathering, purchasing land or buildings anywhere within the borough. Not that there were that many as they were all forcibly evicted out of the borough anyway.
It's you by ommitting to even mention what happened to the Welsh inhabitants that is attempting to wallpaper over the past.

Anonymous said...

And just who were the Welsh at this time?

An Eye On... said...

At that moment in time in that area, the disenfranchised Briton subjects of the subjegated Kingdom Of Gwynedd

Anonymous said...

"Ynys Mon" has been searched for so few times on google there isn't even enough data for a graph.

David L said...

@Red Flag - you are right about the mis naming of Beaumaris but you missed the point the locals were relocated to a place called Tre Rhosyr ;)

An Eye On... said...

David L another settlement renamed without consent you mean and the original townland name relegated to a street name.