This is an excerpt a multi-part travel log I have published on my Instagram account. Visit @iestyntudorwriting on Instagram to read the full account. I am the editor-in-chief for Aberystwyth University’s student newspaper, The Mouth of the Ystwyth. We met with Gair Rhydd and visited the BBC Cymru Wales studio in the city. We also held a joint workshop session before going out for a night. We had a brilliant time. I hope Gair Rhydd enjoyed having us.
02/02/2024 10:42AM
We’ve met the editor-in-chief of Gair Rhydd and two other members of the Cardiff student newspaper. We’re in the BBC Cymru building. The tour guides are showing us around all of the studios, and we’ll be going up floor-by-floor. All of this technology is mind-blowing. Extremely bulky modern cameras surround the desks in each studio. There are more cameras and bulky speakers in the ceiling, looming over each room. Most of these rooms are absolutely gargantuan. Wynne Evans just waved at us as we passed him in a recording booth. He’s famous in Wales for the GoCompare adverts, which at this point are considered crucial British culture. I wonder if we’ll see any other familiar faces.
Now we’re in a radio studio, the largest in the building. They usually get bands in here when they interview them. There are microphones and computers situated around a large desk in the centre of the room. It’s such a nice little setup. I listen to a lot of podcasts. I can imagine that this is how some of the higher budget podcasts are recorded—in a studio with the best microphones available.
We are now in the main room where they present BBC Wales Today. There’s the desk in the centre and gigantic screens across three walls. The fourth wall is actually glass. Through it you can see the journalists and researchers at their desks, sifting through information. On another wall there is the live weather board. We had the chance to take photographs of us standing in front of the main camera as though we’re on TV. It would be funny if we’re actually on air right now, our confused wonder on display for the entire country to see.
We’ve visited other parts of the studios—the scheduling room, a little history corner, a small lounge on the top floor—but they’ve concluded the tour. It has been illuminating. I’d love to work with the BBC at some point. It’s fascinating to see what goes on behind-the-scenes. It’s so easy to forget that there are actual production considerations behind the camera. This has been a fantastic tour. I envision myself revisiting these studios within the next few years. The building is directly opposite Cardiff Central train station. The last time I was in Cardiff, they were still building it. I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to see inside.
2:48PM We’re at the Cardiff Student Union. They have a great bar called The Taf. I ordered mac and cheese with some chicken and a side of garlic bread. We all enjoyed eating there.
We’ve held a joint workshop session between the Mouth of the Ystwyth and Gair Rhydd. We used their student media office, a large room upstairs in the Cardiff Student Union building. It’s lovely to meet some more of their members and learn about their process.