Redheads around the world
- theamc
- Feb 17, 2017
- 3 min read
Redheads around the world: first stop - Wales, UK.
I have a few friends across the globe that are giving me the low down on the gingers in their respective countries, whether there are any famous titians, festivals to celebrate them or a specific attitude towards them. My first minion has got back to me, so here we go!
Wales will always have a special place in my heart as that is where I have lived for the past four years, completing my university degree in Bangor (north-west Wales). If you haven't been, I urge you to visit! It is such a beautiful place full of rolling hills, crazy town names, a wonderful accent and all things Tom Jones. If you are a fan of the heat, Wales won't be your first choice destination, but I can personally reassure you that the sun does shine on occasion but the rain is perfect for redheads - less chance of sunburn! (A few of my own pictures to show you how lovely it is at the bottom of this blog post).
Perks of being a ginge:
With all the name calling, pale skin, constant risk of sunburn amongst other things, many would think that there are not many perks to having a mutated MC1R gene. However, at a gourmet burger restaurant in Prestatyn it pays you to be ginger! The aptly named Ginger's Grill offers a 20% discount on meals to any "genuine redheads"!! This idea is the brain-child of owner Mark Linaker who believes that "redheads deserve a break". The grill boasts a fantastic menu of burgers, hotdogs, chicken dishes and milkshakes, the link is below if you fancy a look. (Please note: genuine redheads only, please do not attempt to dye your hair just for the discount...that would be a bit weird).
Gingers on tour:
Sailor Alex Thomson, from Bangor (yay), made headlines in January for coming second in the Vendee Globe after being pipped-to-the-post by the French winner Armel Le Cleac'h. Thomson completed this year's Vendee Globe in 74 days 19 hours 35 minutes and 15 seconds, just 30 minutes behind Cleac'h.
The 42-year-old has just confirmed that he will try for glory again in the Vendee Globe round the world race in 2020, aiming to be the first British person to win the title. Good luck Alex!
In stranger news:
As many of you know there are festivals all around the world to celebrate all things scarlet. Unsurprisingly, in August 2016 there was an
event that took place in Crosshaven, County Cork in Ireland. Ireland boasts one of the highest concentrations of redheads, alongside Scotland.
Throughout the event various prizes are given out as a celebration of typical coppertop characteristics. Welsh redhead Molly Murphy picked up the award for "most porcelain skin", beating over 1000 other event attendees to the title, with some people coming from as far as Frankfurt and California! That my friends, is dedication.
The founder of this festival Joleen Cronin, teams up with the Irish Cancer Society every year and has raised over €30,000 for the national charity to date. Not only does this event evoke pride in redheads but also raises awareness as it has been found that people with ginger hair are one of the most susceptible groups to melanoma and other skin cancers. Keep up the good work Joleen!
I wouldn't be a linguist without a little language lesson:
Sinsir = Ginger
Coch = Red
Cochyn = Redhead (literally "redling")
*Special thanks to Iwan for being my minion in Wales!!*
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