On 1st February, Mouth of the Ystwyth travelled down to Cardiff to meet Gair Rhydd, Cardiff University’s student newspaper. We had a tour of the BBC Cymru Studios, where we learnt the ropes of journalism and broadcasting. It was very interesting to see how things operate and how they work in collaboration with BBC London. We then tried to visit the School of Journalism, Media and Culture, but were denied access due to us not being students at Cardiff University. After this, we had lunch at Spoons, sitting near a group of rowdy Welsh fans who were excited for the Six Nations Rugby game. Later in the day, we had a joint workshop where Gair Rhydd showed us their printing process and how they format their paper. After this, our President Hope White-Heath led a workshop on comedy reviews, which is very fitting as Aberystwyth has a lively comedy scene.
It was a pleasure to organise this event. I started by contacting Edward Sutton, the Editor-in-Chief of Gair Rhydd, in September 2023. It took months of planning and back-and-forth to make sure this event could happen and to ensure that it went smoothly for everyone. As social secretary, I organised the Airbnb where we stayed, transport, the timetable and the attendees for the trip. This was somewhat stressful, but rewarding in the end when I could see that everyone enjoyed the trip and see how many opportunities we’ve gained from it.
After an eventful day of touring the BBC and workshopping, we enjoyed a social at the Misfits Social Club in Cathays. The atmosphere was vibrant with good music and priced drinks. I would liken the bar to Harley’s sister that went a little off the rails in her teenage days. However, despite the Six Nations game and many fans in the bar, we managed to enjoy a night of dancing and socialising.
The next day we had a look around Cardiff, and some of us may have spent a bit too much time in the high street. We eventually took the T1C bus back to Aberystwyth. We were all worried that the Six Nations game going on that evening would mean we’d be stuck in traffic forever, but that was not our reality. We managed to get home in time despite the long journey.
I would like to thank Edward Sutton of Gair Rhydd for helping to organise this event. I would also like to thank our President Hope White-Heath and the rest of our team for an enjoyable trip. I hope that the relationship between our two Welsh student papers continues to prosper, and that next year’s committees will pick up the baton.
