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this. A sharp rise in the suicide of young people in the Bridgend area of South Wales. Variously described as a "pact" (in a town like Bridgend, everyone knows everyone... doesn't make it a pact) or the "Bebo suicides" (show me 7 young people *not* on a social network).
South Wales is a strange place, and South Waleian kids are a strange bunch. I don't know Bridgend very well, but am extrapolating from my experiences of the valleys and (especially) Pontypridd.
There's a hell of a lot of raw talent, but this is linked to a kind of self-undermining bitterness and an extreme sense of being "of the valleys". Not many who are born there leave. The upshot of this is that there is a really sense of community, but this can act as a constraint rather than a support. And in a lot of places there is literally nothing. No jobs, no facilities.
The rise in suicides seems ominous, somehow.
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Anonymous comments are moderated, and are never displayed unless an author is clearly indicated. Comments from other LJ users are welcome, but may be deleted if I feel like it.
Personal stuff (stuff that is of no interest to you unless you either know me as a person or want to) is behind a friends only filter - squeak if you want to view it. All the more general stuff is open for all to read.
These entries may contain the occassional sweary word and what you may think of as blasphemy.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License.
If you want discuss other licencing terms please give me a shout.