Staff at North Wales’s biggest Boots store are putting their best foot forward to learn the language of heaven ahead of this year’s National Eisteddfod in Wrexham.
Soon there will be a warm welcome in Welsh as well as English at the branch of Britain’s best known chemist at the town’s Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre.
It’s the brainchild of store manager Carys Davies who is one of 14 members of staff who have started a course of regular Welsh lessons at the store.
The first lesson was, fittingly, on St David’s Day and Carys said: “It was the fact that the Eisteddfod will be here in August that prompted me to make enquiries but it is something I’ve had in mind for a while.
“When I was in the store at Plas Coch in Wrexham we did have a couple of members of staff who spoke Welsh but I realised that there wasn’t anyone here who did.
“My mum and dad were both Welsh speakers and I was born in Bwlchgwyn but when we moved into Wrexham when I was a child I stopped using Welsh.
“I’ve regretted that and when I moved down to South Wales and had children of my own we sent them to a Welsh school and they both speak Welsh.
“We do get a lot of customers from Welsh-speaking areas, from places like Ruthin, Denbigh, Corwen and Llangollen, and it would be nice if we are able to respond to them in Welsh, especially when the Eisteddfod comes to town.”
Among the learners is Sue Spencer, from Chester, Team Manager at the Eagles Meadow store, and she said: “I’m from Chester and I’m English but if you work in Wales I think you should make the effort .
“We do get Welsh speaking customers and it will be good to be able to meet them halfway and at least offer them a greeting in Welsh.
“I’m really looking forward to it and a lot of the staff have done Welsh in school so I’m sure they will help people like me.
“My husband is from Nottingham and he thinks it’s great that I’m learning Welsh.”
Carys canvassed staff at the store and found that so many were interested in learning Welsh that when she contacted Wrexham Borough Council about providing Welsh lessons the tutor was happy to come and conduct the classes, funded by the Council’s Economic Development adult community learning scheme, in-store.
She said: “I was delighted at the response. So many of the staff said they would love to be able to speak Welsh.
“I think it will give them a bit of confidence as well in dealing with people and I’m sure they will be keen to try out their Welsh and they should get plenty of opportunity, especially during the Eisteddfod.
“It’s a feelgood thing as well for the staff involved, it’s good to do things like this together and I would think other stores in Eagles Meadow will be interested in doing the same.
“I am sure our customers who speak Welsh will be delighted to try and help us out with pronunciation.
“Personally I understand Welsh quite well but I have plenty of Welsh-speaking relatives in Melin y Wig and Betws Gwerfyl Goch and it will be nice to be able to try out my Welsh on them.”
