Every family that traces its origin to Wales should see the following movie: The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995), starring Hugh Grant, Tara Fitzgerald, Colm Meaney. (rated PG) The narrator begins the story: "For some odd reason, lost in the mists of time, there's an extraordinary shortage of last names in Wales. Almost everyone seems to be a Williams, a Jones, or an Evans. To avoid widespread confusion, Welsh people often add an occupation to a name. For example, there was Williams the Petroleum, and Williams the Death. There was Jones the Bottle, and Jones the Prize Cabbage..." One reviewer does make the comment that, "Actually there is a known reason: as part of their increased domination of Wales in the 16th century, the English abolished the Welsh system of patronymics and introduced surnames arbitrarily." The basic story begins in 1917 when two English Cartographers arrive at the Welsh village, Ffynnon Garw, to measure the mountains height. On British maps mountains were only depicted if they were 1000 meters or taller, otherwise it was only a "hill". This offended the village people, who stated that their sons were fighting and dying fighting the Germans (in WWI) and if they came back they would find the English have taken our mountain. "This can't happen--this is a national emergency!" So this movie tells the commic tale about how the village defends their mountain. Last thing, Williams, the Petroleum (gas station mechanic) "is asked about a broken part he has removed from a car, and replies "I don't know what you call it in English, but in Welsh we call it a bechingalw". Bechingalw means "whatjumacallit"." Blockbuster lists it among the 100 movies you must see before you die, and I highly recommend anyone with roots in Wales to see it. --Scott Williams