Horrified by the far-right riots (Report, August 1) I couldn’t help but marvel at the irony of seeing the cross of St George with the word England taking centre stage. I was reminded of Tony Blair’s election mantra in 1997 — education, education, education.
For I wonder how many of the rioters are aware that their country’s name literally means the Land of the Angles — a Germanic tribe that settled there in the Middle Ages. It’s a terrible human affliction to think that things as they are now is how they have always been, and therefore should always remain.
Living in Cardiff, I spent many years working just over the bridge in Bristol in various financial institutions. It never ceased to amaze me that not once did I meet a person who knew that the river Avon acquired its name from the Welsh word for river — afon.
Cultures and languages flow like rivers, they change direction, evolve and some disappear to the sea. We should be tolerant and welcoming to all people. Stating that “enough is enough” is a meaningless expression in a constantly evolving world. No person or government can change this reality.
Iestyn Thomas
Cardiff, Wales, UK
