Living in the border lands
It is totally undefended and passage in either direction
is entirely unregulated. There are no “border controls” and it is only on the
major roads that there is even a sign to tell travellers that they have crossed
from one country to the other. Any English or Scottish person can move to live
and work in Wales without permission.
To an outsider this casual approach might seem rather strange
especially once they realise that Wales now has its own Parliament and some of
its laws are different from those that apply in England. The Welsh people even have
their own language, and in a few areas it is still the first language of the
residents, though everyone also speaks English.
It is thought important to preserve the language, so all road signs have
both languages as soon as the border is crossed, and children in Welsh schools
are taught the Welsh language.
There are many castles along the border between Wales and
England that date from the time when the English and Welsh felt the need to
build defences against each other. Some
are almost total ruins, others are well preserved, and all are now popular
tourist attractions, many on hilltops and in isolated positions. In 1282 King
Edward I of England won control of Wales, though some hostility continued for
another 200 years.
Our passports declare that we belong to The United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain is the largest of the British Isles and to the west of it
is the island of Ireland. Great Britain is comprised of England, Wales, and
Scotland and all three used to be politically separate countries.
