Bryson lies-son

I am currently reading Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue - The English Language (Penguin).  I've been reasonably keen on his writing since reading his first book Neither Here Nor There while on holiday 10-ish years ago, but kinda fell out with his travel writing after being mildly annoyed by his Notes from a Small Island book (can't remember why, just remember thinking "oh fuck off" several times, maybe he came over as smug, I dunno).

Anyway on the advice of my sister-in-law I read his book on the development of the English language in America (Made in America) which I enjoyed hugely.  So I decided to give Mother Tongue a go (not a sentence I'd anticipated writing), as it deals with similar subject matter (the development of English as a whole).  I started off enjoying the book until I came to the following statement (p.34):

Almost 80 per cent of all Welsh people do not speak Welsh.  Although the country is officially bilingual and all public signs are in Welsh as well as English, the Welsh language is spoken hardly at all in the south, around the main industrial cities of Swansea, Cardiff and Newport, and elsewhere it tends to exist only in pockets in the remote inland areas.

This statement is presented as fact in a glib fashion, with no referencing, and indicates to me that Billy-boy has asked a mate (one would assume from North or West Wales) what he thinks.  It is this type of lazy shite that has seen South Wales denigrated as a suburb of England for years now, and I'm sorry, but it's inaccurate.  My parents and grandparents spoke Welsh in the house, and all kids in schools in Wales  have attended Welsh classes compulsorily up to equivalent of year 9 for many years now (since mid-late 70s at least).  I would accept that when I was in school Welsh lessons were right up there with trips to the dentist on the enjoyability meter, but even language numpties like me picked up a basic grasp of the lingo (swearing particularly).  I would also agree that as a language spoken in main public areas Welsh is in a minority, but still I remember Welsh being spoken around our town.  The present situation (Bryson wrote the book in1990) has seen the Welsh language (and I would add pride in Welsh culture) go from strength to strength, with Welsh language schools unable to meet demand for places, so even from my medieval schooldays things have improved.

He does make some good points about previous suppression of the Welsh language, and when the book is dealing with the English language alone he is an interesting read, although I'm no authority.  There are some other gaffes also, for example regarding Australia (p 103):

When the first inhabitants of the continent arrived in Botany Bay in 1788

No aborigines then Bill?  A shame really 'cos it is an entertaining book it's just sloppy and offensive (see last example) as well, which leaves a bad taste throughout.

Oh and Dolgellau is pronounced "Doll-geth-lie" not "Doll-geth-lee" arsewank (pronounce that).