‘The simplest way to explain the behaviour of any bureaucratic organisation’ claimed Robert Conquest ‘is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies.’ If that is the case then the Brecon Beacons National Park must be run by a veritable junta of saboteurs. Park bosses have today announced that it will no longer be using its historic English name, dropping it in favour of the less well-known ‘Bannau Brycheiniog’.
The reason for the name change is to signal a ‘commitment’ to the Welsh language, which is spoken by less than a third of the population. Catherine Mealing-Jones, chief executive of the authority, is quoted in the Times as saying that the name ‘doesn’t really make any sense’ given that it does not mean anything in Welsh. ‘Reclaiming our old name reflects our commitment to the Welsh language. We understand people are used to calling the park by the name everyone’s used for 66 years so don’t expect everyone to use Bannau Brycheiniog at least straight away.’
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