The Tenovus Cancer Care Goodnight Walk 2016

The annual Tenovus Cancer Care Goodnight Walk is an event that is as inspiring as it is fun. Its a chance for all those who have been affected by cancer to come together and literally light up the night. As people of all ages came together and walk to raise money to fight cancer and to support each other.

The 2016 event was no exception as it was a night of fun, dancing, community and frivolity with at its a heart a serious message of hope for the people whose lives had been touched by this disease.

At the event as people geared up for the walk there were hula hooping, dancing, music, beauty stalls, a selfie mirror, our very own live choir singing and and more joyful entertaining then you could shake a stick at. As I wandered the event people dressed in outlandish outfits, amazing colours and bright lights wandered past.

Then with a whoosh they were off, setting off to make a loop of the five and ten miles walks. People of all ability and physically fitness setting off to make a difference for themselves and others.

On route they were given the opportunity to light candles in brightly coloured jars in memories of those they were walking to support.

As a volunteer I was given a lift to one of the station where we set up a bright, light and welcoming beacon for our walkers complete with water and a bathroom break to refresh and reinvigorate them.

As the night drew to a close and the last of the participants past I was left with a feeling of warmth that only came with the knowledge that we were really helping people. That in no small way we had all helped to light up the night in the face of cancer.

If you still want to make a difference there is still time as there is another Goodnight Walk being held in Swansea on the 16th of July, interested? Then follow the link below:

http://www.tenovuscancercare.org.uk/get-involved/sign-up-to-an-event/goodnight-walk-2016/

Tape Cardiff: The RSPB and Migrations promoting nature through art

*As a important note I would like to state that all photos and views on this blog are my own and therefore do not reflect the views, official photography and opinions of the RSPB as an organisation.

If you had gone down to Bute Park over the month of August, you might have noticed something strange in the woods. A gigantic spiderweb suspended between the trees of Bute Park.


Made entirely out of sticky tape and brought to life by Migrations, RSPB Cymru and the City of Cardiff Council, this great events gave adults and kids alike the chance to explore a spider's eye view of the natural world first hand.

As a volunteer at the event, it was great to see something like this set up that so directly engaged the general public. Children ran around the exhibit excitedly, people would stop randomly to take pictures on their phones and the looks of delight on people's faces as they left the exhibit was palpable.

Being actually able to crawl round the structure like a spider in its web or a moth in a cocoon was enormous fun and really gave you a childlike sense of wonder, joy and a sense of discovering the natural world for yourself. One of the great parts was knowing that this whole structure was entirely renewable, as afterwards it would be taken down and turned into perfectly usable plant pots.

There was also a strong sense that the installation had a serious message behind it as well. Set up in Bute Park as a way to encourage adults and children to think about and connect with the nature that surrounds them.

So after this structure has been taken down and recycled, how can the public promote the welfare of nature in their own homes? Well perhaps they can set up piles of wood in their back gardens to give spiders, moths and other insects a place to live. Or they could think about putting out bird feeders (particularly over harder winter months) that they can clean and refill regularly in order to help birds in the area. They could think about digging a pond in their back garden to help animals like frogs, newts and toads. Finally if they have a hedge or fence in the garden and the neighbors approve a small hole could be put in it to create a nature highway through which animals like hedgehogs could move freely.

For more ideas about how to help the natural world and to find out more about what the RSPB are doing you'll find a link to their website below.

https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/givenatureahomeinyourgarden/

Cardiff Pride 2015

"My mom, she’s a fan of Saint Thomas of Aquinas. She calls pride a sin. Saint Thomas saw pride as the queen of the seven deadlies. She saw it as the ultimate gateway sin that would turn you quickly into a sinaholic. But hating isn’t a sin on that list. Neither is shame. I was afraid of this parade because I wanted so badly to be a part of it. So today I’m marching for that part of me that was much too afraid to march. And for all the people who can’t march. The people living lives like I did. Today, I march to remember that I’m not just a me. I’m also a we. We march with pride.  So go (explicit) yourself, Aquinas." - Jamie Clayton in Sense8

Pride had once again come to Cardiff and being the out gay man that I am I decided it was my patriotic duty to get off my arse and attend the event. As usual it was the perfect mixture of high camp, colour, glamour and most of all a feeling of pride to be part a larger gay community.

What I've always liked about pride in Cardiff is the sense that for one day the city is transformed into something approaching a massive party. Everyone seems friendlier, the town centre is transformed into something that is colorful and bright and everywhere you go you get the sense that life has gotten a little bit brighter and more exciting for a moment. Its great to think that the gay community can share this larger then life moment and enliven the world around them.

Coopers field in the Cardiff was definitely the centre point for this filled as it was by rides thumping out dance music, shops and stalls selling brightly coloured gay paraphernalia, delicious food and several stages filled with dance acts, singers and comedians.

Everywhere you looked wandered people dressed to the hilt in brightly coloured costumes, leather gear, over the top drag outfits and even a few people in very little at all.

There was however a very serious side to Pride as attested to by the numerous stalls such as amnesty international, the faith tent, the police and army tents to name just a few. All delivering the important message that ignorance, hatred and homophobia are still very much a part of our world both at home and abroad.

And so it was also a time to stand up and show the world that we as the gay community are not filled with shame or self hatred, we are not to be loathed and feared and we will welcome the world with open arms and we will do it with pride.

Tenovus Cancer Care: The goodnight walk

 Its a sad fact that one in two of us will at some point in our lifetime develop some sort of cancer. This is has gone up in recent years from one in three of us doing so.

Why is this the case? Well there are a number of factors such as the amount we drink, our diets, if we smoke, how much exercise we get and how much we decide to expose ourselves to the sun.

But as sad as these figures are there, there are organisations out there willing to tackle cancer and its effects on society and Tenovus Cancer Care is one such organisation. As one of the leading cancer charities based in Wales, Tenovus has worked tirelessly to educate, reasearch and support efforts to alleviate this illness and those suffering from it.

But to do that Tenovus needs the support of the general public and thats where fundraising activities like the goodnight walk come in. The money raised from this event and events like it will go into funding things like the mobile cancer support units. Vans designed to go out into the community and give direct treatment to those struggling to get to their appointments at their local hospitals.

Or Tenovus Cancer Care's own support line which is there twenty-four seven for those suffered from cancer or for those whose lives have been effected by this disease. These are just a few examples of the things that Tenovus are doing to fight and one day overcome it.

The night itself (set in my very own city of Cardiff) was a fun, vibrate and exciting event, filled with music, colour and festivity all designed to light up the night. There was group zumba, a choir, sparkly fashion, a selfie corner and on a more serious note the walker's wall where walkers could leave a messaging dedicating the walk to those that they had lost or were still fighting cancer. It was also a great success, helping to raise at the very least £40,000 for those suffering from cancer.

So next year if you've been effected by cancer or want to make a difference to those who have please feel free to come and fight the good fight for the goodnight walk.


Below I've included a link below to Tenovus Cancer Care, follow it if you want to know more.

http://www.tenovuscancercare.org.uk/

My 5 tips for first time travelers

One of the most common things that people say to me when I talk to them about traveling is; your so brave I could never go off like that by myself or I wouldn't even know where to start. Equally sad is when you hear about a fellow traveler's first experiences at being scammed, pick pocketed or ripped off over something that could have been avoided with a little more knowledge, street smarts or research. As someone whose done a fair amount of traveling by now here is my five tips for first time travelers.
 

1) Relax, you are not alone: I remember my first time sat alone in a hotel room in India, I had had a shit first day (India kinda specialises in that department) and I was wondering if I should just fly home. But instead I put on some music from an ipod that my friends had brought me and relaxed. The next day I found a backpackers cafe where I met a ton of awesome people and by the next week I was soaring through the Himalayas with a bunch of my fellow travelers. The truth is everyone worries that they won't make friends or have shit days when traveling. But there are (literally) tons of fellow backpackers just like you out there to befriend, party with or just cheer you up when your having a bad day, so don't stress and just go with the flow.

2) Please don't feed the touts: Doing just a bit of research can make a big difference to any trip, even if you don't have a travel guide try to read up on just some of the scams that are more common in each country. I remember just how annoying it was being led into a 'tourist office' only to leave in disgust after they tried to convince me my hotel wasn't safe and that for only £50 they could help me find a new one in  a better area. Some of the more common ones include being taken to a wrong (and more expensive) hotel or hostel by your tuk tuk driver, having people approach you in the street (usually with the chorus lines "Hello my friend, where you from, England?") being overcharged for a relatively short journey. Over time you'll develop a sense for this and get wise to any tricks that they might use on you. Having said all this...

3) Not every local you meet will be trying to rip you off: Speaking from experience, there are many many locals out there on the road who will be genuinely interested in you, want to help you and listen to what you have to say. With a little common sense you should be able to start being able tell the difference between the two (rip off merchants generally aren't that subtle).

4) Get tips from fellow traveler: Generally speaking if you're a touch unsure about where to go or what to do next your fellow travelers can be great sources of advice and guidance. They can tell you about cool places they found, things to avoid and where to get the best deals or give you ideas about experiences that you might want to try yourself at some point. You might even find yourself falling in with a few like minded travelers or groups for a little while if you like the idea of where they are headed. And remember conversely if you find yourself not enjoying the company you're with or the crowd that a particular place attracts you can always just got somewhere else.

5) Have fun but at the same time be safe: Traveling is fun and you should take the opportunity to enjoy yourself and have a good time. But at the same time theres nothing wrong with using a bit of common sense. Getting plastered can be awesome, getting plastered to the point you can't get home or lose all your stuff not so much. Be aware and use your common sense. The same is true when it comes to budgeting you can have all sorts of awesome experiences each day and still have a rough idea of how much you might want to spent  At the end of the day as with most things in life its about balance.

Hope this helps to get your travel juices going. After all its a big, fun world out there.

Koh Phangan

I arrived in Koh Phangan after a boat ride from hell, where the first boat we took to Koh Tao had be large, fast and spacious this one was small, cramped and slow. The weather had turned by this point and so the ship was lined with backpackers all throwing up over the side of the boat. We arrived safety though and that day i spent relaxing and preparing myself for Koh Phangan's biggest event, the full moon party.

After coating myself in copious amounts of UV paint and downing a bucket of rum and coke I set off to the party. The beach was full of revelers all dancing, swaying and partying and as I walked down the beach I passed wave after wave of reggie, techno and trace. Eventually I decided to head up to the appropriately named mushroom mountain, where I enjoyed one of their finest milkshakes and a dance at the night club overlooking the sea. After this I spent the next few hours shooting the breeze with random people, being bemused by people having rather public sex in the sea (with multiple people taking pictures to put on facebook), having my hat stolen, debating the nature of God with a random party-goer while staring at the waves and dancing like a loon to random trace music. After all this activity I fell asleep on a bench and woke just as the sun broke over the island.

The next day was one for a serious chill out and I spent it relaxing by the sea, swimming or snoozing in a random hammock surrounded by friends.

I also took the opportunity to explore the island on foot and after following signs for a Buddhist temple was rewarded by the sounds of bells, chanting and a beautiful collection of Buddhist statues and art.

After all this partying and relaxing I decided it was time to head on to pastures new. So I decided upon the jungle.