ALT.CARDIFF If it’s offbeat and in Cardiff then it’s in here
December 2020 Issue 1
Coronavirus creates turbulence for cabin crew Swapping red lipstick for scrubs
By Kellie Williams
NEWS
Welsh band Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons release new album following lockdown
The un-scripted podcast begins by researching prior to the show what is new in the drinks industry before a discussion and finishing with an alcohol tasting session that the three have called, ‘What the fuck are we drinking?!’
Tipsy Friday night talks
The Friday Night Handover by three eager Cardiff bartenders
Behind-the-scenes gossip from The Friday Night Handover podcast
Admitting alcohol consumption on the podcast can get out of control, Matthew complimented Max’s ability to keep the three on track, as “[Alex] Mills goes off on a tangent.” “The alcohol we try on the show is the type you’d find in the back of your nan’s cupboard” said Matthew. Rhiannon Ware, an experienced bartender in Cardiff who tuned in to the podcast said she is “instantly a fan!”
“It’s certainly a podcast I would enjoy on a Friday night at home, now that the 6pm curfew has closed bars
Tune in to the new podcast during the Welsh lockdown Noticing a gap in the market, the lockdown inspired podcast The Friday Night Handover has just released its third episode. The podcast is run by three bartenders who work at the infamous Lab 22 cocktail bar in Cardiff, the forefront of cocktail innovation since the bar opened in 2012. Matthew Jones, Alex Mills and Max Hayward are the three 20 to 30-year-old, Cardiff based bartenders behind the new podcast that discusses all things alcohol and the industry. Aiming to appeal to a wider audience, Matthew also known as Welly said, anyone from experienced bartenders to those who like a “lime in their G&T” are able to tune in to the weekly podcast, that was initially created during lockdown as “a bit of fun.” In episode one, Max described the podcast as a “behind the scenes chat” that the three charismatic cocktail makers would have, at Lab 22 on a late Friday night. The Friday Night Handover is a universal saying for bartenders before closing for the night, explained Matthew. “It’s the last communication between the team, who prepare stock on a Friday night before Saturday service.”
Matthew announced a Christmas special show featuring guests that will feature on the 25 December on Spotify. What was once an “experiment,” now is an ongoing podcast with season two planned.
South Wales town gives the green light to new refill shop, desipite pandemic
Welsh band Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons release new album following lockdown
The Green Refill shop opened its doors on 28 September in the Welsh valley town Merthyr Tydfil. The zero-waste store aims to cut the plastic habit of Welsh people and create an eco-friendly environment. Sian Bullen, the owner of the shop said the start-up store in the town centre has begun to take off.“Now that lockdowns lifted, I’m hoping people will come and see what we’ve got,” she said. In store customers can get their hands on a variety of products including fresh fruit and vegetables, glass-bottled milk, wooden toothbrushes and a selection of fresh vegan pastries.The prices of items in store “work out close to supermarket prices,” smiled Sian. Customers can purchase a fruit and veg’ box for delivery. The box consists of 12 unwrapped items for £12, feeding a couple for a week, explained Sian, another step towards a plastic-free environment.
Welsh band Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons have released a new album ‘We’re the Bastards,’ after a difficult lockdown for the rock industry. The five-piece band from South Wales released their new album on November 13 following eight months in local lockdown. Phil Campbell of Mötorhead and his three sons, Todd, Dane and Tyla Campbell form four members of the heavy metal, hard
rock band; the fifth being vocalist Neil Starr. The album ‘We’re the Bastards’ is a spinoff from the band’s name, ‘Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons.’ After a fan of the band tweeted, “#We’re the Bastards,” the Welsh band felt it was the perfect album title. Due to the restrictions, the band was unable to hear the £8.99, 13-track digital album develop through the usual step-by-step process.
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A creative lockdown for a South Wales artist
INTERVIEW
Photographer Gavin Smith turned the lull of lockdown into a creative project
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typical schedule for a touring photographer is a busy back-to-back day, not like your usual nine to five. Gavin Smith, Cardiff ’s well-known man behind the camera says his lifestyle is built on friendship and trust with the band members he works for and lives with. A lifestyle that changed suddenly in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Having worked in the media industry snapping images of bands for six years, Gavin started at the merchandise desk, followed by working as a tour manager. The 36-year-old admits his passion for the music industry led to his desire to work as a professional photographer for rock bands. Gavin said, “I wanted to be involved, I wanted to be in a band.” Eager to work in music but feeling like he didn’t have the talent, Gavin’s lack of confidence didn’t stop him chasing his dreams. “I found a way that allowed me to still be involved in the industry without having to learn an instrument,” he laughed. Gavin’s love of photography is rooted in his childhood. “I have fond memories of my father taking pictures” smiled Gavin. Following in the footsteps of his father, a semi-professional photographer, Gavin developed his interest into a career. A successful career before the coronavirus sent the world into lockdown and Gavin returned to his hometown of Saint Nicholas.
“I had this idea for a while, I want to show them off!” smiled Gavin. The first of the two zines is “landscape based”. Electronic Dust is a collection of places Gavin has visited on tour, many of the images in the zine are taken in Canada. The second zine Seven Days in Kingston is an album of “candid images” of the band ‘The Glorious Sons’, taken during a rehearsal in Canada. The beauty of the images is found in capturing the band “off-guard” Gavin said. “Fans get to see [them] as real people; seeing the band in a way they’d never normally.” The titles for the zines were inspired by the 2017 movie Kodachrome. There’s a quote in the movie that describes how images disappear on social media within seconds, that hit me, I felt that.” Both zines are on Gavin’s website, Electronic Dust can be purchased for £12 and Seven Days in Kingston for £20. The zines are an added income for Gavin who has been working as a freelance artist through lockdown. “I’d never put a book together before!” he laughed. A proud accomplishment for Gavin, who struggled to choose what images to include in the zines. He concluded, “If one person buys my zine, it was a success!”
“It blew up while I was on tour” In contrast to Gavin’s on-the-road single lifestyle, being confined to Cardiff has been a mental shock. “It blew up while I was on tour.” Within the hour Gavin and his fellow travellers were sent home for the next nine months in lockdown. Without work, without an income and without routine, he revealed the struggles of losing the lifestyle he knew Gavin Smith proudly presenting his two lockdown and loved. “I’m used to travelling, to being up late and working picture zines that were released September 2020 strange hours,” he said. Gavin struggled with keeping his mind Want to get creative? active and felt he lacked a purpose through the tiresome, Gavin Smith’s recommendations on turning lockdown into a never-ending lockdown of 2020. positive experience • Be creative Taking control of his own income • Find yourself a purpose Using the time to get creative, Gavin designed a collection of • Find a new way to explore your niche his images with an aim to produce his very own zines. “It was a • Don’t feel bad if you aren’t learning each day! You don’t have to good, fun project for me, it filled my time,” said Gavin. • Find a project you can give your time to, one you can be proud of The project presented his life’s work and the images he is proud ALT.CARDIFF
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Destination: NHS
The coronavirus surges flight attendants into unemployment and other job sectors
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Credit: Kellie Williams
Feature
C
abin crew have unpinned the wings from their uniform and placed them in retirement; switched makeup and a neck scarf for pyjamas and a laptop, to endlessly scroll job vacancies in a desperate attempt to regain an income following the devastating flight attendant redundancies across the UK. Welsh flight attendants have been left struggling to keep afloat during the challenging times of unemployment after the aviation industry plummeted following the coronavirus pandemic, forcing former cabin crew into other job role sectors. Covid-19 has caused mass redundancies across the UK since March 2020 and continues to puncture the aviation industry. The UK Government acknowledges the “unprecedented strain” on airlines in a special report it commissioned this summer, as airlines were forced to tighten their belts and make further spending cuts. In a study with 84 flight attendants, 61 said they had changed sectors or aimed to change careers to the NHS since being made redundant from their role as cabin crew between March and December 2020.
‘Cabin crew prepare for landing’
Careers Wales reported 426 people in Wales were employed as cabin crew in 2019. Since the pandemic, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) report show employment in the transport industry across the UK fell by 12 percent leaving many Welsh flight attendants without an income. Neither the Welsh Government, Social Survey, Board of Airline Representatives (BAR) or the Labour Market were able to provide figures on cabin crew redundancies in Wales following the impact of Covid-19. A former Cardiff International Airport flight attendant who wishes to remain anonymous said, many cabin crew are now “left unemployed” with “no support.”
Crushing the dreams of future generations
The coronavirus has caused the future generation to change their chosen career path from cabin crew. Merthyr Tydfil College lecturer Nicole Richard-Jones said the Travel and Tourism course has seen a “significant decrease in enrolments” following the fall of the aviation sector with “over 13 plus spaces left available” in the 2020 cohort.
Fears for further redundancies
The New Economics foundation (NEF) said, “Workers will need to permanently transition out of employment in aviation.” Cerianne Draper, a 27-year-old flight attendant from Cardiff fears for the safety of her job with British Airways. Cerianne explained that BA used a “point system” to determine who would be made redundant.
“If you were below the number [BA determined], you were up for being made redundant”
“I feel forgotten about [by the aviation industry]” The former Cardiff flight attendant of 18-years was made redundant in September and since has “struggled” with her mental health. Following her redundancy, the Cardiff route worker remains unemployed and reliant on the Jobseeker scheme for an income until she’s able to get a job in the care sector. Another crew member has been forced to move to London to work as a hairdresser following his redundancy after failing to secure a job in his hometown Cardiff.
Cabin cr direct ew chang e ion an d hea career d for the NH S ALT.CARDIFF
for nish ar v nail red o t e dby e NHS g goo er in th n i y e Sa w car a ne
The perfect shade of red lipstick is no longer a part of the uniform
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Feature
Welsh cabin crew hang up their uniforms
With love from Cardiff
A silver lining for cabin crew
With over 5,000 members, Crew Businesses and NotJustCrew have joined together in force to establish a central hub on Facebook for flight attendants to share support and job advertisements. Aviation Action, a charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of former UK aviation employees was set up in May 2020 by founder Chris Wild, the head of airfield operations at Manchester Airport. Simon J Marton, author of ‘Journey of a Reluctant Air Steward’ and a volunteer peer support member of Aviation Action charity said many former cabin crew are seeking support to venture into the NHS.
“We provide supporters
who can empathise and give realistic advice to former aviation workers who find themselves in desperate times”
Wizz Air Wizz Air announced on 3 December, 2020 in a press report its expansion to Cardiff International Airport in Spring 2021. The investment in the Airport will open nine routes of travel, creating 40 direct jobs and over 250 indirect jobs, saving the capital from further unemployment and raising hope among the Welsh aviation sector. Qatar Airways Qatar Airways will also make its return to Cardiff International Airport and will recommence service on 28 March, 2021 after a difficult lockdown for the airline. A spokesperson from Qatar Airways said, the “painful decision to reduce head-count [was] sadly unavoidable.” As the airline returns to Cardiff, many former flight attendants remain hopeful to regain employment.
2020
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1ST 2020 NHS stamp
Words and images by Kellie Williams
The charity offers one-to-one support with a mental health professional, group support, CV writing tips and many other services. As former Welsh cabin crew prepare to put on a new uniform and launch themselves into new industries, many are excited for new career paths and futures in the NHS, others are prepared to support themselves through their own businesses with the hope to return to aviation and a large majority continue to search for a new income and remain supported financially by the Welsh Government.