My Cancer and Me

A lost post from Feb...

bbc.co.uk

It's not often you hear the ins and outs of terminal illness. The BBC doc 'My Cancer and Me' told us not only what it was like to battle it, but what it was like to try and explain the explainable to our closest friends. It was not as somber as the title would lead you to believe. In fact, she even takes pleasure in organising her own funeral, trying out caskets for size dressed as wonder woman. It's not every day the morgue gets to fit a living human into a box, especially not every day they get asked to make it comfy. We follow her send-off plans behind the curtains of a crematorium which was far more clinical than most would expect. It felt almost disrespectful as we peer into the flames of someone's burning relative with Rowena commentating, saying things like, 'it doesn't seem that bad'. It's not like they will know about it though I s'pose. And at least Rowena has a say in where she ends up, unlike most of us!

mirror.co.uk

We do, along the way, get brief glimpses of pain through the comedy and see just how important our friends and family are, even if they will never quite understand fully. We visit other cancer sufferers, where we discuss bucket lists, love and what's most important. Apparently in our death bed the things we regret most is not the things we wish we could have done, but the people we wished we'd spent time with. It was not sentimental, as you would think. It was an in your face emotional display, Filtered through comedy and her outrageous laugh. Rowena keeps us at arms length. She does not dwell on relationships and marriage, nor on the things she never got to do. She has to find happiness in the little things, to stay strong and see each day through, she must muster strength we can't imagine and pass incredible sadness off with a smile until her 40th birthday, a day she thought she'd never see.

mirror.co.uk

She's a young woman with dreams, just like me and it was sad to see how easily our lives can be cut short. If she's taught me anything, it's not to dwell on the little time we have here, not to hold back and wait around, but to appreciate the world and the friends and family around me. A nice change to bbc1's usual output, going far beyond the medical studies and statistics and humanising the story of our everyday victims of cancer, reminding us that every moment in life counts, and the moments are ticking away.

Meantime

On a freezing cold Tuesday evening, hidden away behind the 1898 plaster facade of Greenwich Theatre is an intimate studio space that boasted the best of Greenwich's new writers.

10 x 10min plays, rehearsed over 7 days and performed over 2hrs on consecutive evenings. I had no idea what to expect but I was blown away by the quality of the writing and the varying styles that they each took to. Here's just a brief few words on each to try and illustrate what I mean. All I'll say is that these writers are definitely ones to keep your eye on and they've even inspired me to put pen to page too!

londontheatre1.com

Show One

New Beginnings, Yazmin-Mai Obisesan
Well-spoken young girl, Edith thinks she's arrived in the ghetto when she starts at university. Animal Rights activist India approaches this fur-wearing foreigner and immediately they take a dislike to each other. After a show of hands and splash of paint, the girls find out they're room-mates. As Edith struggles at the simple task of making her bed up, India decides that they should start again and takes her pillowcase from her to help. It seems that it doesn't matter how we find them, or different we are from one another, friendships can start anywhere.

Fruit, Stella Jane-Odoemelam
Evelyn has had a bad day, she hasn't heard back about the job she applied for. Her wallet is stolen. Then she is accosted by a plucky salesman and cocky market seller who thinks he knows how to teach this boy something about selling things, 'it's in the blood,' he says. Evelyn's in no mood to be taken for a fool and as our market seller tries his best to teach the salesman a thing or two, she takes a free bite from his apple and clears his crates of fruit ono the floor. Nothing's for free, someone's always trying to sell us something.

Pig In A Poke, Charlotte Gray
Social media investigator Carmen is on a blind date with Samuel West, a man with no online profile. The best she's found is his surname. Which way is right, which of them can we trust? Maybe we're just in a world where both can co-exist and neither is right or wrong. A statement about the privacy of our lives online and off.

techgyd.com

Star Things, Vicky Olusanya
Astrology student Charlie, choses to study meteor showers, instead of the moon (like everyone else does). She struggles to gather the data she needs for her assignment as the moon is too bright in the sky to see. She tells assignment partner Al, of the first time she saw a meteor shower, and she was reminded how small she was. How small her problems were. In seeing the shower she'd realised the beauty of being so small, the power that comes with it. Supervisor Samuel decides to changes the co-ordinates. The team happen upon a supernova, another point for the power of the small. Although we're small, we have such huge potential for light and beauty, even in death.

Dudes Scare Me, Michael Boateng
A world were we are looked after by invisible guardians. Guardians can see each other but we cannot. Carlos is Henry's guardian, and has been encouraging him to take a leap of faith, to step outside his comfort zone. Andie, a girl he knows, tells him it's ok for something not to be your scene. Turns out his guardian might look out for him more than he thinks.

Show Two

Iceberg, Paul McArthur
I can't remember much beyond the fact that this was one of my favourite pieces. I thought with that, I wouldn't have to take any notes as I'd remember it. Alas, I didn't and now I feel eternally apologetic to the playwright! I do remember a girl with a brilliant monologue. There was a moment with testing customers fussing over their food and drink orders - oh the monotony of social servitude. I wanted it to be longer, I remember that, I could listen to it all day. I hope Paul takes it further, next time I'll make sure to take notes and give the piece the credit it deserves.

Television, Jesse Petrie
A clever two-hander. A couple (I think) watch television and speak almost in tongues as they watch. The words leak out sounds like BANG, the sounds of that flickering box we've grown up listening to. They back and forth, driving each other to despair. We have become insensitive to those we know. He, ends up stabbing She, and resumes watching cartoons. Cartoons and television, communication lost, empathy lost, lives lost in front of the TV. A powerful statement on our disassociation with the real world.

Sell A Door Theatre Company - Facebook

Blackout, Louise Ogunnaike
A powerful short piece about people trafficking. Maria is on a journey and recounts the memory of a job gone wrong. She recounts the horrible moment she opened the doors of the van to bodies, people who had suffocated. She tells us of their dreams, their journey and their end. A relevant plea to humanity in a world where people's lives are traded for money.

Automatic, Lori-Jane McLare
A Black-Mirror-esque future where operating systems run our homes. Our alarm clocks dictate our every move, from pouring our morning coffees to the milk we buy. We are required to remember nothing, not even our anniversaries. Though in an eerily plausible world, Tammy can't take it anymore. She cannot take the mundane routine of life, the unfinished conversations because it's time to put on her shoes. Only, she can't stop. She is merely a puppet on her schedule's strings.  Both a metaphor for how we all run our lives on time, and the technologies that emerge to make us think less for ourselves.

Pirates of the Peninsula, Antonia Bici
A fun, adventure tale for young audiences. Thomas visits the Cutty Sark with his mum and is transported back in time to meet a real pirate, Olivia. He assists her on her treasure hunt but it seems that the only real treasure worth finding is family, as she is reunited with her brother and Thomas with his mother in the present day. A fun and educational family tale with a heart.


If you're not convinced after all that, then I'm out of words to change your mind. Sell A Door young writers program has produced some brilliant 10min plays here and I can't wait to see where these writer's progress to next. I hope to try the program myself! To find out more about it and how you can get involved, click here: https://www.selladoor.com/development/young-writers-program

Collabo

Yesterday night, my friend invited me to celebrate 10yrs of East London Dance at Stratford Circus event, 'Collabo'. It was an evening of live interpretations, collaborations, hybrids and even Jade Hackett's brilliant #dancemarch film. It explored everything from deepest fears, to passing stories through generations and a brilliant duet 'Musiac' in which the dancers seemed to transform into music themselves.



It was a night that gave voice to what dance can do, that inspired energy and expression and even left me attempting to express myself as I got back to a lamplit flat. Here's the nonsense that tumbled out my brain...

Underground
Does it ever feel like, the world's run rife with pain,

And whe'er you look you see the city's blood freeze cold again,

And savaged saints are running wild, tear strips from one another,

Friends turn on friends in protest of their hate upon 'the other'?

Do you ever see a world beyond the smog that skies may shatter,

A world where lives are precious metal, raised above the chatter?

The noise of man so in demand so overwhelming and

The sand of time, runs right through hands clutched hold of distant foreign lands

Is this sensational idea worth man's life or two?

A man pry eyed, widening divides, that trap me against you,

Rhythm ensues, power rises, within this golden Trojan,

Be not mistook, for where you look, I stand among the chosen

We spill our blood at money men on glass eyed plinths of steel,

Ask, arms outstretched if a greed-filled globe can be a beast less real,

We plead our dreams are silent in a city bright with flame

Of innocence shunned and blunted, among corrupted ideas of fame

Well amongst our concrete shields I raise my arms, as my heart wrote,

I clear my throat for this heist of heaven, of words aloft, afloat,

And biceps scarred, release themselves from tension, hate and noise.

I hear the cherubs sing and men on men retreat their poise

My poison slain, heart beats again, its hands pummel at my breast,

And now this smothered city sick of noise begins its rest,

For a world brimmed bold with pain regains the love it once did feel,

For moments shared with people, nothing cold, no lies, just real.

Tamed tentacled technology weeps, as man's flawed fingertips

Take hold of wonder, taste their tears and brandish softened lips,

We, the shadows, the mirrors of time, claim silence as our own,

We clasp our hands, signal the strays and dance our reflections home, 

The gales of gluttony whisper as they seek the sense of sound,

As stifled sobs much louder burst, erupt through cracking ground,

On this our night, this concrete cave fills dark with echoes of life,

Breeding deep within the city sick. Calling always to you, and to I.


We forget ourselves too often in a world consumed by social media, by money, by fabricated versions of ourselves. I didn't realise how angry I was at how it stifles us until I wrote this. I might not be able to dance but you don't need to, to be inspired by an event like Collabo. Here's to 10 years and gone and the many more to come!

13th

13th, is a documentary about the administrations and prison systems of America, about injustice, racial prejudice and anti-black rhetoric. What follows in this post is only part of the argument that I gleaned from this poignant film and I can't recommend that you watch it enough to understand the bigger picture. If you're nervous about this week's election result, then watch this film and understand that there is a lot more to worry about than we realise, that there is a lot of work still to do and that the fight for civil rights and liberty continues to this day.

Number 13, unlucky for some and perhaps surprisingly, unlucky for anyone who believes in justice, freedom and racial equality. The 13th Amendment was the amendment to the US Constitution that abolished slavered and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime.

"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

LAWCHA

But although the amendment abolished traditional slavery, the latter clause was one that would shape a future of negative racial rhetoric against black people through to the modern day. The probability of a white man going to prison in their life in the US is 1 in 17. The probability for black men stands at 1 in 3. Black men account for 6.5% of the US population but a huge 40.2% of its prison population.

The adamant racism of members of the American administration, have manifested a rhetoric over time, utilising the exception of freedom if punishable for a crime. On the abolition of slavery, black people were arrested for the smallest of crimes, such as vagrancy and interned as labourers, and importantly, as criminals across the South. Popular culture aided this negative campaign against blacks, by painting them as criminals, as rapists and as violent savages who are not to be trusted with their white women. They even lynched a 14yr old boy to death for supposedly flirting. Brutality towards young black men of course, is not something that we, in 2016 are unfamiliar with.

aglfblog

When, during the civil rights movement, black people headed a power shift over this criminalisation by deliberately getting themselves arrested in standing up to the state, the rhetoric then manifested into dog whistle politics concerning a mostly-fabricated 'War on Drugs', in which black people were painted as the problem. The War on Drugs became one of the most important battles of Nixon and Reagan's administrations, all the while coveting and condoning racial prejudice and the targeting of black Americans by law enforcement services and the deliberate over-represented depiction of black Americans as criminals, monsters or 'super predators'. And black communities themselves bought into the lies spread about their own children. The Central Park 5 were interned for sexual assault and murder, just one example, of an outrageous number of unlawful and racially driven arrests. Never mind that the facts point at the higher percentage of interracial rape being of white men towards black women, than black men against white women. Public opinion made these boys guilty before they were even handcuffed.

Columbia.edu

Den Of Geek

Over decades, the generalisation that black men and black people in general ARE criminals had become veined as a social norm. It had manifested over years, not just in whites, but in black people too. It became a primitive fear, the same fear depicted over decades since the abolition of slavery, abused as part of the Bush presidential campaign by publicising his opponent's support of the weekend release of Willie Horton, a black American and felon, serving a life sentence for murder. This was followed by Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in favour of the death penalty to tackle crime, followed by mandatory minimum sentencing without parole, and a three-strike rule that saw prisoners given life sentences for their third felonies, a rule that put immense strain on prisons, forcing the LA Sheriff's Dept. for example, to release 4200 prisoners every month, held for misdemeanors. A rule that saw crimes such as shifting cocaine put people away for life, without parole. A rule that prompted the building of more prisons and more police on the street. This was, in effect the beginning of the militarisation of policing that is exactly the problem that black Americans face today. A rhetoric that has turned law enforcement into a weaponised mafia on the understanding that black people are, and have always been, the problem. But Bill Clinton apologised - so it's all ok.

Los Angeles Times

But it isn't ok. The prison population is higher in 2016 than EVER before. Ordinary people can take the law into their own hands, murder an innocent young black man simply because they feel threatened by their presence and be excused of their crime under the Stand Your Ground law, written by a private group (ALEC) made up of politicians and corporations. A law that could basically mean that if I so wanted, I could declare that I felt threatened by the old lady across the street, so I shot her. Of course no-one would believe that. But if my target were black, particularly a black male, I could probably get away with it. So corporate lobbyists have their sticky hands in key US legislation and old a great deal of leverage over their result. It gets more unbelievable the more we dig. The corruption runs deep, fast and thick throughout the 50 states. Turns out, the minimum sentence, the 3-strike rule - all of it came through ALEC, including SB1070, a law that allowed police to stop anyone who looked like an immigrant. A lot of people have become very rich on this falsified notion of criminal punishment and THOSE people, should be held accountable. As the rhetoric continues to manifest itself, to slip through the cracks of federal and state law, we must be on our guard to challenge its every move.

"If you look at the history of black people’s various struggles in this country, the connecting theme is the attempt to be understood as full, complicated human beings. We are something other than this visceral image of criminality and menace and threat to which people associate with us."

newyorker.com

Today, young black people are arrested on a whim on the street for petty crimes and charged bail amounts of thousands, which they cannot afford to pay. Often, even if innocent, they will take a plea bargain to plead guilty for a reduced sentence, in fear of the mandatory minimum sentence still operating from the Clinton administration. The Central Park 5 fell victim to this. Khalief Browder decided not to take the plea deal and take the decision to trial. After 3 years of awaiting trial behind bars on Rikers Island, after attempting suicide several times, the charges were dropped and he was released. They had nothing on him. He was innocent. And it seems to the masses, that no-one with any political leverage is challenging this kind of injustice. Justice isn't justice unless it's universal. In 2015, after his release and a battle with psychotic episodes probably associated with the trauma of having been wrongfully incarcerated and beaten for 3 years of his young life, Khalief Browder hanged himself at his home in the Bronx. His mother found him.

And today we witness the US election result, Trump or Clinton. Now is the time to share this film. Now is the time to challenge corruption. Now is the time to end this heinous era of criminalising black people and the privatisation of prison services that trades sweat shop labour for phone time. Corporations, under the blanket of self-improvement and rehabilitation, are operating inside prisons and making millions from the labour of the interned. Now is the time to demand human rights for those imprisoned, and those released having served their dues. But most importantly now is the time to realise, that this is ingrained in our society, it has been channelled directly from the days of slavery, and it can no longer go unnoticed, unchecked or unchallenged.

Grierson Documentary Awards - The Winners

Here's the complete winner's list. Well... I got a few right (see results in red):

Best Doc on Contemporary Theme (Domestic): How To Die: Simon's Choice
Best Doc on Contemporary Theme (International): How To Change the World
Best Doc on Current Affairs: The World: Outbreak - The Truth About Ebola
Best Arts Doc: Amy
Best Historical Doc: Attacking the Devil
Best Science Doc: Oak Tree: Nature's Greatest Survivor
Best Natural History Doc: The Hunt: The Hardest Challenge
Best Entertaining Documentary: Secret life of 4, 5 and 6 Year Olds
Best Doc Series: The Murder Detectives
Best Constructed Doc Series: The Real Marigold Hotel
Best Cinema Doc: Cartel Land
Best Newcomer Doc: Where You're Meant To Be
Best Student Doc: Women in Sink
Best Doc Presenter: Paul Mayhew-Archer
Grierson Trutees Award: Louis Theroux

It's been another great year for factual film and television, providing me with all of the inspiration I need to grow my own factual career. These are the best of the bunch and I can only watch and learn from them all in the hope that one day, I might be even half as successful.

Grierson Documentary Awards - The Nominations

With the Grierson Documentary Awards happening tonight, I thought I'd look back at some of the stand-out nominations.

Among the films nominated for Best Doc on Contemporary Theme, is My Son the Jihadi (MSTJ) and Breaking into Britain: The Lorry Jumpers (BIB).

channel4.com

MSTJ was the perspective we'd been waiting to hear from the first instance of Brits leaving to fight with IS. Who are these people, why are they leaving, how can their families let this happen - the doc gave us answers to most things, how easy it was to find yourself trapped, how it felt to be a part of a cause (a feeling you'd never felt before) and how grooming takes place bit by bit so that it doesn't seem so extreme. I'd seen a play earlier in the year 'Losing Our children to Islamic State' where this viewpoint was further explained. The only thing missing from both, was someone who had been there, who had joined IS and who had defected. I wanted to hear all the answers from them personally, because listening to a loving mother unable to understand the actions of her son, and mourning the loss of his life, twice over - just asked more questions. It was a documentary that explored the makings of how ordinary men and women spiralled towards extremism.

squareeyed.tv

BIB is another highlight. There was some great covert film-making at work here by Leo Maguire. The stakes were high, the risks obvious. Our cameraman even finds himself physically attacked by a police officer despite his journalist status. We meet men and women desperate to jump the border, regardless of the risks that accompany the crossing and the filmmaker doesn't shy away from that risk. It was a tough watch, but a good one too. Either of these films deserve the title for me.

okayplayer

In the Best Arts Doc category, Amy soars to the top of my list. For someone who never truly appreciated her talent (I was only 11 when she sprung to fame) this was the side of the story I never got to hear. It portrayed the instant tabloid madness that came with her fame, and the overwhelming attention paid to all aspects of her personal life. It's a story about a young girl who just wants to sing. The things that come with it are often unwanted. The failure of those around her to recognise her suffering. The way that the success of her shows was put well before her well-being. It's a tragic story. Even on retreat across the ocean her father brings a camera crew - she's over it. Tabloids have long painted Amy in a negative light, as a bad egg, and Amy the film totally transformed the headlines I'd been fed throughout my teenage years about her. It's sad, I feel we all realised that too late.

dailymail.co.uk

Best Historical Doc lines up My Nazi Legacy and Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners. Although it gave glimpses of investigative brilliance, I was disappointed with the latter I have to be honest. David Olusogo did a worthy job, but it felt very static. I wanted dynamic, it is slavery we're talking about after all. It felt a bit restrained to artefacts housed in stale environments and although the concept excited me, the content failed to match. My Nazi Legacy is top of my watchlist at the moment, so it'll be interesting to see how it does at the awards!

netflix.com

For Best Science Documentary, it's no doubt My Beautiful Broken Brain that comes out on top (& it's now excitingly on NetFlix). The visuals were immersive, the story was intimate and the ups and downs were made all the more powerful with that. It explored the after effects of suffering a stroke that I'd never thought about and Lotje is completely inspiring. The fact this documentary exists is testament to her resolute ability to carry on, despite the hardships and emotional challenges that we witness throughout the film. It was a fascinating from start to finish and so well presented, a definite winner in my opinion.

bbc.co.uk

Best Natural history and Best Documentary Series, goes to The Hunt for some great wildlife cinematography, some intense life or death chases, some great music - need I go on. I don't need to say anymore than the Gogglebox contributors have already given us on screen - particularly following the scene of monkey vs monkey survival (I honestly had no idea that they ate each other). Best nature series we've had in a while I think.

evolutions.tv

Best Entertaining Doc, Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6 years olds by a mile. I can't actually pin down what's so brilliant about it. I find kids entertaining anyway, but there's something about the psychology of it that absolutely fascinates me. I find myself thinking I'm a child psychologist in every episode. The challenges are brilliant, the fixed rig cameras expertly placed and the children brilliantly cast. It's just a great format and having  run around with a C300 shoulder rig for a taster tape for a similar idea, I have even more respect for the team that manages to construct and capture the brilliance.

It's nominated for best constructed documentary series too, alongside the tough opposition of Gogglebox and Hunted. Gogglebox gives us all of the emotions we like to experience through television in one sitting. Hunted likes to allow us to think we could escape the state way better (when actually we'd all probably be worse). And Secret Life, is well, see above. This is a tough category for me and I think any of the three deserve the prize.

netflixlife.com

Best Cinema Documentary is hands down Cartel Land for me (now on Netflix too). I went to a talk about acceptable risk on productions at Sheffield DocFest last year and then saw this film, which blew the 'should-dos' out of the water. Watching Matthew Heineman capture gun fights made me hold my breath sure that the camera would hit the ground. Heineman evokes hope in his audience, in a rising leader against the cartels and a hardened vigilante member whose face told a thousand stories of its own. A doctor and family man, the story feels like your common good vs evil, and only towards the end do the lines appear to blur. It's got some great cinematography and the story is brilliantly crafted to allow the audience to witness the same feelings of fear, hope and hopelessness as the Mexican people, from the comfy seats of a cinema. He won the Tim Hetherington Award for a reason and he deserves this one too.

bbcstore

The last category I mention, is the Best Doc Presenter. Louis Theroux's Drinking To Oblivion just pulls itself above the others I think. To watch as Louis was powerless to help as a young man discharges himself and heads to the local off-licence - we wait in hope that he returns without a bottle. Louis conveys exactly what the professionals, families, friends of alcoholics feel every day. They hope, they support, they wait, they worry - it's a constant see-saw of ups and downs, never knowing at which point they'll get off. Seeing the young man walk through the doors and tell Louis he decided against it was a moment of victory for 'man vs addiction'. Great honest work from Theroux again. Give the man a Grierson.

That's it from me, over to the judges to announce the worthy Winners tonight, 7th Nov, 2016!

A Londoners Guide to Cardiff

Moving to Cardiff felt a little like moving time zones at first - from the fast-paced 'I need to run everywhere and I'm covered in everyone else's tube-sweat' London, to Cardiff where your lungs feel so full of Oxygen it hurts a little bit. It was refreshing and with so little time to enjoy the area, I wasted no time in exploring the sights. With 8 weekends in the city, here's a little list of 14 best bits (I couldn't quite narrow it down to 10).

1) St. Fagans
Just outside the city, about an equidistant 10min drive from Llandaff and Canton, is a gem I didn't know was there. An entire village made up of buildings dating from 14th century Wales to the modern day - and most with a hearty burning fire to welcome you through the door. I felt like I'd fallen into a time capsule, you can buy bread at the bakery there, watch a blacksmith at work, it's the kind of place you could fill with actors and you would fully believe you were there for real. There's plenty of birds flying around, some wonderful buildings and some great bits of history. I particularly liked the tannery, the school and the woollen mill where I got talking to one of the guides. He told me all about his years in London and we traded tales of the city and how nice it is to find ourselves in peaceful Wales at this moment in time. I explored the building's exhibits and on sticking my head in to say goodbye, he said to me very sincerely, 'follow your dreams gal'. What a lovely thing to depart on. I was so blown away I never told him how nice it was, so I hope someone will!

2)Big Pit
If it's a day of Welsh industry heritage for you, then Big Pit is a great day out. With my grandad's background in mining, I wanted the experience for myself. The new multi-media exhibition is great, giving you a feel for what the machines were used for, in the position they would likely have been used. Then you get into the cage with about 20 odd people and journey down the shaft to the mine itself. The beauty of Big Pit is that it's authentic, you're led around by retired miners, so they all know exactly what they're talking about. Although we did learn that mines aren't comfortable places for a man of 6ft 3" - Kamal will testify to that. Head to the showers to get to know more about the personal lives of these men.

3) Taff's Well - Gates to the Valleys
Taff's Well is a cool blast from the past but the downside is you can no longer take a dip. The well is the only thermal spring in Wales. Visitors during the 1800s would enter the brick building that still surrounds it, walk the spiralled staircase within and take a spiritual skinny dip in temperatures that average approx 21 degrees. It's considered to be spiritually significant for it's healing qualities and although you can no longer submerge yourself in the South Wales waters, it's still worth a visit.

4) Castell Coch
Just a stones throw from Taff's Well (2 miles approx) is Wales' own fairytale castle. It was built by William Burges for the 3rd Marquess of Bute, it's pink stone enchants anyone travelling North out of Cardiff. After driving past it on my way to Ystrad Mynach for weeks on my way to football, I finally decided to pay it a visit. I didn't go inside, I had no money with me and it costs £6 to get in, but it was the outside that captivated me. And I bet it looks great in the snow - although I did spectacularly somersault over a hidden tree-stump when backing away to take a good photo, so watch out for those!

5) National Museum of Cardiff / City Hall
If you like animals, then there are a few stuffed ones to get up close and personal with here. The museum is a large space that I'm not convinced is utilised to it's full potential, but it definitely has an impressive collection of art, Welsh pottery and fossils. My favourite painting being the portrait of the blind harpist, John Parry as he appears so lost in the music he is playing.
Its external is impressive, sat alongside the similarly attractive City Hall opposite Gorsedd Gardens which hosts a statue of the famous David Lloyd George, which is also the name of the road leading from the centre to Cardiff Bay. It doesn't take a whole day off your hands but it's worth a couple of hours for sure.

6) Cardiff Castle
As fun for adults as it is for kids. Make sure to grab a headset near the entrance to assist you on your tour. You can walk the walls that acted as an air raid shelter for more than 1800 Cardiff citizens at any one time during WW2, climb the keep and spot original etchings in the plaster half way up, explore the Banquet Hall and Arab Room. One of my favourite things about Cardiff Castle is eyeing up the animals on the surrounding wall, designed by William Burges and carved in 1891 by Thomas Nicholls, who made the eyes so life-like and captivating. Also see if you can spot the red bricks on the outside wall, which act as a marker to show where the original bricks end and the newer rebuilt sections start. I also like the slightly Snow-Queen-esque gothic tower. And if it's military history you're after, then don't miss the Museum of the Welsh Soldier just by the entrance, it's easy to miss!

7) Bute Park/Taff Trail

The plan originally was for me to cycle to work at the BBC but with so much I wanted to see and do, I thought it best to travel by car instead. But I did get out and about on the bike and on foot too. 4 days after moving, I cycled the Taff Trail through Bute Park and across Pontcanna Fields where I'd started pre-season football training with Cardiff City Ladies. The river is safe and shallow enough to paddle out to the middle and lots of families paddle across the weir midway through the park. I spent a few of my afternoons in Cardiff walking around a sun-filled Bute Park, with some nice views of the Castle, a wart-hog made of plants, Pride Festival in August, Roald Dahl's centenary in September and lots of lovely ladybirds when Autumn arrived. There are 3 cafes, Pettigrew's Tea Rooms, The Secret Garden and the Summerhouse with the Summer Street Food Circus in nearby Sophia Gardens. It's definitely a haven to walk around in and there's usually lots going on. And the Taff Trail stretches 55 miles from Cardiff Bay to Brecon, so that's lots of weekends covered!

8) Coffee Barker

If you want the most amazing desert you've ever tasted, then it's a sin not to head to Coffee Barker just opposite the castle. They do a mean breakfast but their deserts are enough for a meal on their own. Twice I headed there for lunch and ate only desert - it's that good. My favourite was definitely the Chocolate Brownie sandwich, with banana and cookie dough ice-cream, crushed oreos and hot chocolate fudge sauce. My mile walk home wasn't enough to walk it off, but it was worth it, to feel European, to sit in the fresh air and enjoy a good feast.

9) Cardiff Bay / Restaurant / Gallery
Cardiff Bay is my favourite part of town and in my opinion, the most picturesque. It's within walking distance of the city centre, but I walked from Canton via Atlantic Wharf. I visited the Norwegian Church Art Gallery which was featuring a craft-fair and local photography exhibition with some great Welsh landmarks. I then revisited when my partner came to stay, after a day of football and very large appetite. We opted for the Bosphorus Turkish Restaurant which juts out on it's own pier over the water. Great food with a glass of wine for reasonable prices, even if the convenient Mermaid Quay parking was a bit on the pricey side. It's a lovely place for a breath of fresh air and the calm of the waves. During summer there's even an artificial beach and ferris wheel too.

10) Ystradgynlais / Cwmtrch
My maternal grandad was born in Upper Cwmtwrch and grew up at the George IV Inn paddling in the stream there. As a young man he then worked down the Ystradgynlais coal mine, following in the footsteps of his father who managed the pit at Abercraf. Cwmtwrch is a pretty village in itself, with a hill to climb to get a better view, but nearby Ystragynlais has lasting reminders of it's coaling past. You'll find a coal truck, lift mechanism and steelwork remains which serves as an ideal picnic spot before heading to the nearby National Showcaves (which you should note closes at 3pm - we just missed them).

11) Henrhyd Falls

Not far from Ystradgynlais, there's time for a short walk. A hilly stroll to Henrhyd Falls is either a way to make sure the kids sleep in the car (which you can park in the free car park) or your antidote to a week's worth of being office-bound. Either way it's worth it. You can even have a climb behind the falls or a paddle if you're feeling brave.

12) Canton
Living in Canton it seems was a good choice. It has arts spaces on offer, as well as a large dining area with live bands and craft beers. Speaking of Craft Beers, just off Cowbridge Rd East, is the Crafty Devil Cellar Bar and Shop, which hosts live bands and events too. I tried and love two of their beers. Their coffee stout 'Safe As Milk' and literal hop-heaven 'White Riot'. I recommend both. If it's cocktails you're after, then Vivo Latino on Cowbridge Road serves an amazing Pina Colada and the staff are friendly too. If all that alcohol leaves you peckish then Calabrisella is he best pizza place in town, and open until 10pm each day. The spinning plates it's served on make it a tough challenge for a meal out for more than two, but once you've managed to cut a piece, you won't mind the effort one bit. I recommend the parma ham and parmesan. If it's somehow too early in the day for pizza, then the Brutons Bakery is cheap and delicious. The cheese and onion pasty is my choice. MMMMMMM.

13) Llandaff 

Llandaff is a village hidden in the city. It's marked with a village green and a beautiful cathedral with a history dating back to the 12th century. The ruins of the original are visible, and the newer 18th century building stands proud, although it's also undergone reconstruction and rebuilding. There are some stunning headstones, and some that make you feel as though you've travelled through time to meet the deceased. Parts of the graveyard are overgrown and overcome by nature, but it's authentic. When the sun shines on the sandstone it glows. There's a memorial stone laid in memory of the bomb dropped on January 2nd 1941 during the Blitz raid that claimed 165 Cardiff lives, injured 427 and destroyed parts of the cathedral. The village square is a nice place for a walk, the old Castle gatehouse is nearby. There's a nice Cantonese restaurant on the corner near the green and an artsy gift shop too.

14) Victoria Park / Creperie
On my last morning in Cardiff my parents and I took a stroll to Victoria Park, where I'd already explored on a day I was feeling particularly lonely. There were these beautiful mushrooms hidden amongst the grass and I spent a little too long perhaps, muddying the knees of my jeans as I tried to get a decent photo of them. I'd eyed up the creperie then, but wasn't hungry enough to enjoy it. This time, mum, dad and I ordered two each for good measure. We all had a savoury for starters and a sweet for desert. I had cheese, spinach and tomato, then banana and Nutella. It's definitely worth a visit - particularly if you're feeling hungry or need something to warm you up now Autumn's here. It's family friendly, with books and colouring for the kids, and comfy dining both inside and out. We also happened to sit opposite Suzanne Packer (Tess Bateman from Casualty) so that secretly made my mum's day too!