Team Phillips' UK Tour: Brighton, Bath and Beyond

Travelling abroad to explore foreign shores and different cultures is an annual tradition for my family. We've visited the south of France and the winding roads to Monaco, travelled from the storybook land of Florence to the heart of Rome and relaxed in the sleepy seaside towns of Cape Cod before entering the hustle and bustle of New York City. What we have failed to see as much of, are all the wonders that Great Britain has to offer.

 

For my 20th birthday in 2014, I decided that my parents' present to me could be a trip to Brighton. So, off we drove to the land-of-cool, perched on England's east coast....and eight hours later, we arrived. Yes, we could have made it to NYC in that time and sat through the first half of a Broadway show, but this funky seaside enclave for the country's boldest, bravest eccentrics was an exhilarating and refreshing stage which the Big Apple could not compete with. We stayed in the most beautiful Airbnb marina apartment, visited the pleasure palace and walked underwater amongst the sharks and turtles at the aquarium. I found some bargains in The Lanes, my mother re-embraced her hippy side, my sister got to say that she'd visited the set of Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and my father enjoyed the street food and sunshine. We had an amazing time, and I was adamant that we were going to do it again.

 

 

 

Last weekend we embarked on the 2016 instalment of the Team Phillips UK Tour, and arrived in Bath in just over an hour. Indeed, it was a lot colder than our August adventure at the seaside and reminded me more of a school trip behind the Iron Curtain. Yet, the beauty and charm of the city took the sting out of the Arctic weather. Bath is the UK's only world heritage site, and I can understand why. We looked around the Assembly Rooms and imagined the dances and dalliances which must have occurred underneath the sparking chandeliers during the days of dowagers and debutants. Underneath the ballrooms, the Fashion Museum also provided my sister and I with the opportunity to exercise our creative  muscles at its colouring station. We created whacky and wonderful high fashion designs, whilst a queue of primary-aged children formed waiting for us to finish our trip down memory lane.

 

 

 

Our next stop was The Jane Austen Centre, which offered insight into the author's Bath. We were shown around by a man who purported to be Mr. Darcy, but who unfortunately bared more resemblance to the less charming and equally less handsome, Mr. Collins. We discovered that Jane resided at numerous addresses in the city throughout her life, and despite her well-documented dislike of the city, it appears in all six of her novels. Northanger Abbey and Persuasion are almost entirely set in the ancient city. Failing miserably at writing with an old-fashioned quill and having browsed the shelves at the Colin Firth gift shop, we returned to the 21st century to enjoy the fine Italian cuisine at the restaurant next door. I can guarantee that Jane would have liked Bath a whole lot better if she'd have been able to try the pasta dishes on offer at Nonna's.

Freezing our socks off at the top of an open top bus, we then watched the streets fill with Bath rugby fans, proudly wearing their blue and white shirts, and lost count of the number of Range Rovers and Porsche's which whizzed by. We spent time taking in the best postcodes within which we'd never afford to live, and ate enough of Sally Lunn's buns to feed a Roman army.

 

The Roman Baths were without a doubt the highlight of the trip. Being a modern historian, I thought I would be more interested in the stories of the macaronis of Bath who dressed in flamboyant clothing and sky-scrapping wigs.  Yet, the Roman architecture and the mystical properties of the hot springs bewitched me. The wind was howling and showers of rain were tricking through the clouds, yet the hot springs continued to bubble and dance, casting a magical warm mist over the emerald pool. I dipped my fingertips into the water, and began to believe the ethereal tales woven into the water's history. Its reserves are believed to have cured ailments from leprosy to infertility. Even my father, who is renowned for sneaking off to the nearest coffee shop or factoring in a sneaky snooze when it comes to historical stops, was visibly impressed by the unexplained natural wonder. These springs are still a source of mystery to modern scientists, and there is a peaceful satisfaction in the uncertainty of its powers.

 

 

 All in all, Team Phillips' Bath adventure proved to be a success. I managed to get my culture fix, explored a new city and spent time with my family. Other than  being wowed by Mr. Darcy himself, what more could I have asked for from a weekend? 

Goodbye Neverland: All You Need Is Faith, Trust and Pen and Paper

 

As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to write. As a child, I would write bedtime stories for my little sister, I wrote a poem to Blue Peter, a letter to the Prime Minister and I was always the one in English class who wrote a novel rather than a page of work. I just loved words, the magic of stringing them together to create a story from the beads of my imagination. For a painfully shy young girl, putting words onto paper gave me a voice when I couldn’t speak.

 

 

 As I’ve grown up, my ability to communicate verbally has vastly improved, yet the magic of putting pen to paper still enchants me. I am now studying Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University and am lucky enough to get to waltz with words every day. I love being able to use my internal hard drive of memories, inspirations, observations and strange encounters to create a narrative, shed light on important issues and inform and entertain readers.

The world of journalism can be a competitive arena. There are early starts, late nights, strict deadlines to meet and there’s always a race to the finish line. Sometimes, my body functions only off caramel lattes and pure delirium. Yet, when I think back to the little girl who dreamed of writing for a living, having her work published and being able to meet and network with remarkable people, I have to pinch myself. I’m no longer Wendy, dreaming of an escape to Neverland, but am a woman who is almost grown-up and living her childhood dream.

 

A few weeks ago, the dream seemed a little closer to my grasp as I, and a few of the Magazine Journalism girls embarked on a mini-road trip to Bristol for an Immediate Media open day. We made our way to Tower House ready to explore the Olympus of the magazine world and listened to all the tips and tricks that magazine editors had to offer. After the introductory talk, we were taken upstairs to meet with teams from different titles and a banquet of magazines were laid out for us to browse through and keep - and feast we did!

Everyone was extremely approachable, friendly and happy to help, answer any questions and give out contact details. People were so friendly in fact, that in the process of breaking the world record for the greatest number of people to fit in a lift at one time, we managed to network with a lady who provided contacts and content for our MA magazine project. It was as if Zeus himself had aligned the stars in the shape of our urban craft and home decor magazine, Urban Chic!

 

In one afternoon, Immediate Media had confirmed my hopes that the magazine business is as creative and cool as 13 Going on 30 portrays it to be, and restored my faith in travelling via flying metal box. I also managed to speak with the editor of Mollie Makes, Cath Dean. We bonded over our strong Welsh accents, our experiences in Cardiff University's 'Maglab' and our love of home decor and craft. I scribbled down her contact details on a crumpled up piece of paper, and left pleased knowing that I had been able to network without knocking over any warm liquids, or mumbling, stuttering or rambling. Today, she offered me work experience at the magazine over Easter. So, despite the early starts and late nights and strict deadlines, days like this remind me of how far I’ve come and how close I am to achieving the end goal of becoming a fully-fledged magazine journalist. It makes me think that maybe Peter Pan wasn’t right about pixie dust after all, because all I really need to succeed is faith, trust and pen and paper.

James Bond Boat Rides, to a Real Life Casanova: The Hearts Behind Cardiff’s Independent Businesses Share their Most Memorable Romantic Experiences

This Valentine’s Day, if your favourite chain restaurant is more densely packed than a One Direction concert and queues for stuffed animals and roses span the length of the Trans-Siberian Railway – fear not, I have the solution for you. Cardiff is renowned for its independent arcades, markets and restaurants. For every Starbucks in sight, there is an independent coffee shop waiting to tickle your taste buds with decadent Kenyan coffee beans. There are chefs ready to blow you away with their great-grandmother’s bolognese sauce recipe, and a family run florist on hand to sculpt you a bouquet that would make da Vinci scowl with envy.

Independent businesses are the beating heart of British entrepreneurship and can provide a more personalised and unique experience. Yet, they can often be treated like the ugly sister of mainstream chains. It’s about time that these independent businesses are given the fairy-god-mother treatment they deserve, and are transformed from being a pumpkin into a carriage, ready to transport Welsh lovers to the ball. So, if you’re looking for inspiration for where to celebrate, Cardiff has a variety of locations to suit couples going on their first coffee dates, through to planning a proposal. I investigate the best independent businesses you should visit this Valentine’s, and uncover their staff’s most charming, humorous and unlikely ‘once upon a date’ experiences:

Giovanni Malacrino, 48, Managing Director of Giovanni’s Restaurants

 

I’m a romantic Italian, and if it was up to me, I’d celebrate Valentine’s every week or month. One of my most memorable Valentine’s experiences was in Venice with my partner. We spent all day there eating, drinking champagne and feeding the pigeons in St Mark’s Square. We went on a gondola with a motor attached to it, so it was a bit more James Bond style. We also took a trip on the Orient Express. I got this note sent to me on the train which said, “Malacrino, what are you doing?” I thought it was from a hitman. My paranoid mind said, “I’ve come away for a romantic break, and I’m going to be murdered on the Orient Express!” I used to work on luxury cruise liners and it turned out that the maitre d’ was my ex-assistant waiter. He had sent me the note to get me thinking! We were really spoilt by him. Other passengers were asking if we were royalty or famous because we were getting so much attention. I think people forget how easy it is to stir up the romance. We need to appreciate each other, leave social media alone and focus on family - that would make life more romantic in general.

Address: 38 The Hayes, Cardiff, CF10 1AJ

Phone: 02920 220077

Website: http://www.giovanniscardiff.co.uk/

Email: onthehayes@giovanniscardiff.co.uk

 

Emma Hutchinson, 23, Supervisor at Buffalo Bar

 

I don’t know how to explain this story. My boyfriend was a bartender at Buffalo and saw me from across the bar. He’d said to the manager that he thought I was perfect! He wouldn’t let me leave. I was hungover, so he kept bringing me water, which then turned into Martinis! I’d recovered by then. He even made me a crown from blue paper towels, and then walked me home. This was back when we were romantic. He’s now the events manager and I’m the supervisor here. We’ve been together three years now.

Address: 11 Windsor Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BY

Phone: 029 2031 0312

Website: http://buffalocardiff.co.uk/contact/

Email: Contact@buffalobarcardiff.co.uk

 

Clare Baldwin, 35, Goldsmith at Brooklinde Designer Goldsmiths

I’ve been with my husband, Matt, since I was 17. We met at a local pub. He was dating my best friend at the time, and we went on a double date to Barry Island in his old Fiat car. My friend wasn’t fussed on him though. I left my umbrella in the back of his car, and he thought it was a sign. My best friend is now engaged to Matt’s brother and they have a little boy together! My husband isn’t really a romantic guy compared to some of the men who come into the shop and have these amazing stories to tell. My birthday is on the 11th of February, so it often combines with Valentine’s. For my 30th, we went to Nice in the south of France. It was so beautiful with the blue skies, mountains and sea. We’d been married a while and had been trying for a baby for about a year and a half, and I got pregnant on that trip.

Address: 20 High Street Arcade, Cardiff, CF10 1BB

Phone: 02920 232 854

Website: http://www.brooklinde.co.uk/contact.html

Email: contact@brooklinde.co.uk

 

Kasparas Alisauskas, 27, Manager of Waterloo Tea

 

When I was a teenager back in Lithuania, there was a lot of dating going on – good and bad. Once, I was dating a girl and her best friend at the same time. We’d even been out the three of us together and neither one realised! It wasn’t going to end well, and it didn’t. I tried to calm the situation down, but that didn’t happen. I had two girlfriends and ended up with none. I was a bit of a gigolo back in my day. At that age, you don’t know what you want. You move on to another girl and realise you liked the one before better, but you can’t go back – the door’s closed. Dating gives you experience and confidence. Bad things can always become good. You should take what you need from the situation. I learned the skill of juggling the conversation. There are no rules in love. If it works, it works. With my girlfriend now, it’s so easy. We moved in together after two months of dating.


Address: Wyndham Arcade, The Hayes, Cardiff, CF10 1FH

Phone: 029 2037 6249

Website: http://waterlootea.com/pages/contact

 

Donna Bridgeman, 30, Proprietor of Secret Garden Florist

I met Nicholas four years ago on a dating website in Cardiff. We’ve had a fantastic four years together so far. Last May we went away for a surprise holiday for my 30th, or so I thought. I found out the destination at the airport. We were going to Florence, Italy! He booked a fabulous hotel and we had the master suite overlooking the famous Ponte Vecchio Bridge on the bank of the Arno River. It was an amazing view. We had a couple of amazing days sightseeing and tasting the wonderful foods. Then on the Saturday we went to Giardinodell'Iris, a local botanical garden. We walked down to a pretty area where there was a bench, overlooking the whole city. There, Nicholas got down on one knee and recited Mark Twain’s ‘These I Can Promise’ poem, which he thought defined our relationship. He asked me to marry him, and of course, I said yes! He proposed with a handmade ring, that he had designed for me at a local independent jewellers in Cardiff. It was gorgeous. That night, we went for a lovely taster menu meal with lots of champagne to celebrate, as the owner already knew what was happening that day.


Address: 129 Cardiff Indoor Market, Cardiff, CF10 1AU

Phone: 029 2034 4419

Website: http://www.floristincardiff.com/

Email: secretgardencardiff@hotmail.co.uk

All Aboard the Hogwarts Express: A Delayed Journey to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

It might be a shock to fellow millennials, but I have an embarrassing confession to make. I, Jessica Phillips have never read the Harry Potter books.... until now! To be perfectly honest, I don't know how I missed the Hogwarts Express which would have transported me into the wizarding world of Harry Potter at least a decade ago. I've always had my head tucked in one book or another, but I somehow managed to jump from The Glitter Girls straight to Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird without coming across a single broomstick, owl, chocolate frog or invisibility cloak.

 

One of the reasons which could explain my late arrival to the magical universe is the fact that on a school trip to watch Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, I was gripped with fear when the boy with the statement piece glasses and lightening shaped scar came face to face with his arch nemesis. Whilst my classmates left the screening with imaginations full of trolls, spells and magic wands, I left with a prescription for a week's worth of nightmares. It's safe to say that my delicate constitution was not looking particularly well-equipped to deal with the terror and turmoil which was to ensue as Harry navigated his way through life at Hogwarts.

 

Now at 21, I am finally getting around to joining the illustrious Harry Potter fan club. I can honestly say that I'm glad I waited to experience these books for the first time as an adult. Having waved goodbye to childhood a good few years back, there's something heart-warming and nostalgic about seeing the world through a child's eyes and embarking on the juvenile adventures of three best friends. As we all grow up, we're all guilty of falling prey to the pressures of modern life. We're slaves to the ticking clock, we let stress dominate our daily lives and feel like we've been shoved onto the treadmill of life without an users manual, unable to get off without falling flat on our faces.

What these magical books provide, is not only light relief and amusement, but an escapism from the drudgery and tedium of modern life, and a chance to travel into a world without limits, and for me, a youthful mindfulness which I thought I had lost. Reading J K Rowling's tales remind me of what it used to feel like to fly when I  fell asleep and encourages me to believe in the impossible again.

There's somewhat of a timeless appeal to these novels which enchants and educates readers of all ages. Whether you're starting school or picking up your pension, you'll laugh at the absurdity of the Dursley's, remember the Hermione Granger of your class and dream of what it would be like to cast your first spell. As an 11 year old, you think that your carefree existence filled with games of make believe will last forever. Reading these adventures now remind me of how important imagination can be and provides a release at the end of  a long day of living in the muggle world.

These tales have injected the right amount of magic back into my almost-adult life and take me back to the days when I would pretend to be a spy or hide in my airing cupboard, thinking it would transport me to the Other Realm. Although I no longer secretly practice my James Bond skills, or believe that my airing cupboard has any other purpose bar drying clothes, reading these magical tales are reminding me that I was most happy when I was drawing treasure maps, casting spells and catching bad guys. I was most me when I let my imagination run free, and didn't stress all that much about ticking clocks and treadmills.

Confessions of a Rugby Girl: The Return of the Six Nations

To most people, February means the end of long dreary nights which commence at 3pm, it’s the time of year when loved-up couples pay for Mr. Hotel Chocolat’s holiday home in St Barts and pancakes are launched from frying pans with more force than NASA's latest spacecraft. For me however, February doesn’t symbolise a time of year to show my appreciation, respect and admiration for one man, but  for 15. For me, this time of year is only about one thing – the return of the Six Nations.

 

Rugby is in my blood. My grandfather, father, uncle, cousins and sister  have all played rugby. Although I myself do not play, I am a commentator, referee, and number one supporter all wrapped up in one. I take as much pride in donning the red kit as I would in meeting the Obamas and sing "Bread of Heaven" with as much passion as any X Factor finalist. For those who haven’t experienced the atmosphere at a home game, it is hard to put into words the feelings and emotions that come along with watching Wales play. Once I enter the rugby ground, it’s as if a surge of electricity hits me and I become the best version of myself. I’m easy-going, I speak to passers-by, join in with chants and Mexican waves  - rugby girl mode is activated.

 

For some girls, their Cinderella moment comes when they get to dress-up and go to the ball, and I too enjoy the paraphernalia that goes along with picking a dress and choosing the right shade of lipstick. But, nothing beats wearing jeans, vans and the scarlet jersey. I feel no more at home and comfortable in my skin than when I’m part of the sea of red. It’s safe to say that my favourite type of ball is the oval kind which meanders between two posts.

 

Last year’s Rugby World Cup was all I dreamed it would be. Being at the epicentre of the rugby action in Cardiff was a privilege. I would walk through the city centre and be greeted by a wall of black jerseys and Dan Carter towering over the awed crowds. I joined in with the 'ball in the wall' fun and spent the best part of ten minutes trying to master the illusion of holding it in mid-air. I was there when Georgia scored their first ever try against New Zealand and giggled with delight watching  Argentinian players and spectators alike celebrate victory by bouncing from pitch to post. I cheered on the Brave Blossoms as they defeated the Springboks and participated in Cardiff’s harmonised roar which reverberated around the city when Wales held their nerve to beat England on their home turf. I can say that I was there and I loved every moment of it.

 

After a well-deserved break, I can’t wait to see the boys back in action on Sunday. I can’t wait for the buzz, the energy, the comradery. I can’t wait to smell tipped beer, hear the rapturous sound of the national anthem, see trailblazing tries, drop goals and fancy footwork. Most of all though, I can't wait to watch the Welsh underdogs storm the Aviva Castle in their first battle to be crowned Six Nations champions once again.