'Mark Spencer' comes to town

Submitted by bethanwilliams on Sad, Mai 11th am 7:38 pm

As 20 members of Cymdeithas yr Iaith picketed the Carmarthen M&S store today over its lack of Welsh during the rebranding, a Cymdeithas member introduced himself as "Mark Spencer" and, dressed in an M&S suit and bowler hat proceeded to tell shoppers through a PA system that "his" company could not be bothered with "petty" concerns such as the Welsh language, and that they should be grateful for a store such as M&S selling the "best pants" in the world. As part of the street drama in the entrance to the shop. Cymdeithas themselves have rebranded the Carmarthen store as "Methiant & Siom (a Failure & Disappointment).

Long-standing campaigner, Hazel Charles Evans, said:

"As well as making a laughing stock of Mark Spencer today, we are launching a campaign calling on Marks and Spencer to take the Welsh language seriously. We are announcing a series of protests and events over the coming months which will start with a major demonstration outside their Carmarthen store on Saturday 29th June at 11 o'clock. We shall be asking people to bring pants with them to the protest next month to demonstrate that their language policy is "pants". They can also drop the pants in to the Cymdeithas stand at the Urdd Eisteddfod.later this month so that there is a collection to decorate the M&S store.
 

"We've had problems for years with Marks and Spencer. Recently some of the staff from the shop met with us before rebranding the shop in Carmarthen. Although they did not say they intended to do everything we were asking for we were quite optimistic. But new signs went up in the shop, without a word in Welsh – apart from “Talwch yma” (“Pay here”)  This is a step back for the company. They've Failed and we're Disappointed. So we will be rebranding them "Methiant & Siom".

"The character, Mark Spencer, has come to Carmarthen today to demonstrate the company's attitude towards Carmarthen and the Welsh language - they have no interest or respect towards us, their main interest is profit."

Cymdeithas yr Iaith is calling on Marks and Spencer to ensure:

1. Both permanent and temporary signs are bilingual;

2. They recruit Welsh speaking staff;

3. They make bilingual tanoy announcements;

4. That Welsh produce is labelled as produce from Wales rather than Britain.