What’s different in Wales to England?

[ItsMyLasagna]

Apologises if I’m being stupid here, I have googled but I’m getting myself confused.

Myself and DH are moving to Wales imminently to be with his family. I’m English and have only ever lived here. DH is Welsh and lived there until 12 when his parents divorced and his Mum took him back to his home town.

As he didn’t spend any of his adult life there he has no idea what’s different. I know prescriptions are free but is there anything I need to be aware of? I know Scotland has many things different to England but is Wales?

Why does every thread about moving to Wales descend into people going on about the people of Wales being mean about the people of England?

OP's husband and family are Welsh and she doesn't seem to have any trouble from them.

Just waiting for ubiquitous shop/pub/cafe story to crop up.

Sidoli's ice cream.
Free hospital parking
Welsh cakes

I am from Wales but don't know what Joe's ice cream or rissoles are?!

Or Sidolis ice cream

Or Sidolis ice cream

Yes as another poster mentioned all Gwynedd schools are welsh medium

Anti English sentiment is not universal but is definitely a real thing.

Nor me!

And many don’t OP. Don’t worry. People love to jump on threads about wales with negativity about the Welsh- it seems inevitable on mumsnet.

I get my faggots from Mair Harris, stall with a red canopy. Opposite where the hot Welsh cake stall was (much missed).

@Baconmaple & @Mochynpinc Joe's "Everything else is just ice cream" originated in Swansea in 1922, the first parlour on St Helen's Road, Swansea, another in Mumbles.

Rissoles - corned beef, onion and mashed potato covered in orange breadcrumbs in a ball shape usually sold in chip shops but a staple in school canteens in the 80s eaten with chips and baked beans.

Ah thanks. I’m in the north- maybe that’s why I haven’t heard of the ice cream. Not sure why I haven’t heard of the rissoles!

I just googled and it seems rissoles are also a south Wales thing but also in Yorkshire apparently

Joe's ice cream is immense. Whenever we have icecream my partner always says 'its not Joes' lol

Waitrose has stores in Monmouth and Abergavenny, too.

Yes, just as there is anti-Welsh, anti-Scottish sentiment in England. There are bigots of all sorts everywhere, sadly, so not sure why Wales is always singled out. But it is.

The Welsh people occupying most of the seats in my local (English) NHS hospital waiting rooms tell me that they get seen really quickly and don’t understand why my mum’s waited 14 months for a first appointment. They don’t mind the short drive over the border and being able to drive more than 20mph makes it quite exciting, apparently.

I was brought up in England by parents from South Wales. I know exactly what a rissole is and I absolutely love them, along with Sidoli's ice-cream.
Another very important issue is that of chip shop curry sauce, obviously. Growing up in Manchester there was one type, the Chinese type BUT in Wales you can get fruity curry sauce and it's the best thing ever, especially eaten on a rissole and chips at the seafront in Porthcawl.
I think that's probably all you need to know to be honest.

On the subject of anti-English sentiment, there was a superb documentary series on the BBC called Firebombers , about Meibion Glyndwr. I highly recommend it!

And remember you can get 'alf an' 'alf, @Iwiicit - curry sauce with 'alf chips and 'alf rice.

I'm suddenly feeling peckish!

We're going to need a Mumsnet coach party to Chippy Lane in Cardiff, @Iwiicit ... 🚌🍟😋 Must all remember to say 'THANKS, DRIVE!' as we get off...

The savings limit before you have to pay for residential care is higher - £50k vs £20-something K in England

No right to choose in the NHS. Lots of 20 mph speed limits. Weather is NOT like Cornwall, it’s colder and wetter (but glorious in the sunshine).

There are some awful areas for education and health care but depends where you are.

As a Welsh person living in Wales there absolutely is a lot of Anti English feeling. Especially in Gwynedd where if you are Welsh and don’t speak Welsh you are considered English. Anyone who says otherwise is either naive or fibbing. You will always, always be incomers. Learn the language, immerse yourself in the community and culture but you’ll still be viewed and stand out as English. There is a lot of bitterness still regarding historical wrong doings against the Welsh People and they still hold a grudge (all the way back to 1277). An ex lived in Porthmadog and was spat at by his neighbours even though his profession was protecting and saving Welsh lives purely because he is English.
Flint is a dirty depressing hole full of Polish people. It is rough. There are pretty areas of Flintshire though.
Yorkshire is far friendlier, hospitality is second to none and people are more welcoming.