Great Western Coffee Shop

Glorious Herefordshire, an island of old England undesecrated by developers. This is the land I love and long for when away: woodland carpeted with bluebells, the scent of roses and lavender and butterfly bushes in bloom, rivers clean and sparkling as Perrier water. We don't do satanic mills. Gastropubs are for the home counties. Herefordshire serves great grub in a green and pleasant land. Distances are small, so there's no need for cars. Pedal or paddle power are perfect, or a gentle stroll along a hedgerow ripe with blackberries. Look carefully and you'll discover tiny violets and geraniums in the shade, perhaps a wild orchid or wild strawberries. Pause a moment and listen to the birdsong. These are the pleasures Herefordshire offers the visitor ^ and a gentleness of pace far removed from the scurry and bustle of more populous counties.

We are protected from those in a hurry by a blessed paucity of transport links. The M50 briefly enters the southern corner of the county en route for Wales and the county is served by only four working railway stations: Leominster, Colwall, Ledbury and Hereford. True romantics should unload their bikes from First Great Western at Great Malvern station in Worcestershire, puff and pant up the Malvern Hills and cross into Herefordshire at the Wyche Cutting. Herefordshire lies below ^ a gentle landscape of wooded hills and valleys, small paddocks and narrow lanes, a land of hidden treasures, of black and white villages and of redbrick Georgian, aglow in evening sunshine.

From The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/enjoy-england/quiet-delights-herefordshire):

No mention of the social problems caused by the massive influx of Eastern Europeans looking for seasonal work, then?

The good thing about Worcestershire, Shropshire and Herefordshire is that they have no/few London motorway links like other counties, so they stay quiet.

Could you be a little more specific on the 'social problems' these workers (contributing taxes, by the way) cause.

Sorry, BNM - I only just saw this. I was only really going by comments made by good friends of mine  who work in social services and the teaching service respectively in Leominster, both of whom regularly report having a terrible time of it during the summer months when their workloads go through the roof with seasonal workers, often with very little command of English, making significant demands on their time and already over-stretched budgets.

It's really kind of you to offer to take an interest though. Thanks for that! Although as I say I'm not personally involved, if you'd like to contact me off-line I'm sure I could get you the more specific details you request, or at least an idea of the numbers involved if not actual names.

Thanks again!

P.

And I can also comment about a friend of mines daughter - who found 10 non English speaking children in her year 5 class this spring - of course they were only there for one term..........or the fact tht - and this may sound ittle England but Ludlow would be the last place you would expect it - So many non-English speaking people in Tesco that the polish car washers were acting as interpreters at the check outs....

Cities can cope with large(ish) influxes - rural communities cannot

Local governments should make efforts to encourage migrants to learn English and integrate.

That's why I get a little annoyed when signs and leaflets are translated all the time. It hinders integration and thus helps no-one in the long term.

Does that apply to local authorities in Wales as well? ;)

Ah, you should have used the tongue in cheek or simle/grin one! Wink indicates "that was obvious" or suchlike to me! ::)

Oh dear, I can't believe I'm analysing similes! :o Perhaps we should write a pinned thread called "Guidelines for smilies and their use"... :-\

Since when were Welsh people classed as immigrants? ???