We are Aberystwyth’s Student Newspaper, reporting on anything student or Aberystwyth related – it can be art, photos, poems, short stories, comic strips, articles, reviews. If you have something you’d like to publish that is not listed above, feel free to message our Instagram or email our mailbox.
Ever since MOTY’s visit to Cardiff for the Student Publication Association Awards, we have been working hard on instating a bit of a revamp for our own publication. We’ve decided to tailor our aesthetics of our publications more; becoming something of a combination between a magazine and a newspaper. Read on to see how it’s turned out!
A Note from the Editor: A Note from the Editor:
We’ve had a changeover recently and I thought I’d introduce myself a little bit, as well as doing an overview of the entire edition. I am Kate Stepanova, an English and Creative Writing major. I’m an international student and have been a part of the newspaper as long as I’ve been in university; it’s very much an honour to have been given this position!
This is our Easter Issue, featuring an Easter themed wordsearch and an article comparing various Easter eggs. We also have a variety of articles covering different Varsity competitions, as well as a few event overviews. I wanted to thank Iestyn again for everything he’s done so far this year – I hope to be able to carry on this society’s wonderful legacy!
Reign & Shine Reign & Shine Reign & Shine
A Fun Night A Fun Night A Fun Night
Y Cŵps, also known as The Coopers Arms, is a pub all of us have walked by, if not gone in to. Located right at the foot of the hill, it’s very difficult to avoid walking past it on your way up to class or down to get groceries, depending on where you live. Here, on the 28th of March, a new studentcentred recurring event called Reign And Shine debuted. The aim of these events is to “try and build up a safe space for artists, weirdos and queers as community is incredibly important and you have to be able to foster it” (Effy) and that “it’s absolutely amazing to be giving people a space to express themselves and engage with the stage” (Spiritually Elsewhere). I was incredibly excited to attend this multi-performance, multi-medium event as, due to Aberystwyth being so small, it often feels difficult to find new events to engage with.
Despite the poster’s declaration that the doors opened at 7pm, when my friends and I arrived there was no one else in the main pub area. The performance takes place upstairs, but you only get to ascend to the next floor around 10 minutes before the performances start. As you can imagine, the downstairs got quite crowded as we waited for the event to start.
We had more than enough time to chat, mostly about the most common student ailment – lack of money and the worry that brings. Eventually, though, the doors opened and everyone flooded up the steep stairs to the stage area.
My friends and I managed to snag a small leather couch at a perfect middle distance from the stage. As the lights went down, the first performer took the stage…
Eve, in a shimmering white gown that stood in sharp contrast with her dark hair, took the stage. We had been told that there were to be a variety of performances at this event, so no one was quite sure what was about to happen. When she started singing, all doubt disappeared – everyone was absolutely blown away by her astounding vocals. She performed a cover of Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood with enough passion to give me the shivers.
Effy
She was followed by Effy, in layers and layers of lace that gave the outfit a 1920s flair. Again, I was unsure of what to expect, but the fact that they took a little time to clear up the stage clued me in to the fact that it might require a lot of room. As it turned out, it was a lipsync dance performance, with a burlesque flair. Their moves were sharp and clean, and their enthusiasm contagious to the crowd. A section of the dance even took them off stage and into the crowd.
Effy was followed in turn by Ashton, a debuting drag king dressed in an all-black ensemble with sheer and gold embellishments. They too performed a lip-sync dance performance, a perfectly choreographed rendition of Time Warp from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. They were perfectly on beat with the lip-sync even while performing the more than a few jumps that the dance called for. It was an electrifying performance, and I hope they continue performing in the future.
Ashton
Birte
With a switch up from the two dance numbers was Birte. Dressed in a drop-dead gorgeous sequined gown with a matching red feather boa that left specks of crimson in her wake, she performed a cover of ABBA’s Dancing Queen. A classic song to go with the show stopping dress, she absolutely took the stage by storm. The joy of performance had her glowing in a way that spread joy to everyone in the room.
Spiritually Elsewhere was next up, with yet another switch up. They were going to do a few live performance songs, two covers and one original song. They are a bard and a storyteller, and for the duration of their performance we were transported to a different land and time. We heard varying myths and legends sung to us in a siren-like voice that made it hard to come back to reality.
Spiritually Elsewhere
Lip-sync battle
The next performance was a competition for the audience to participate in. A lip-sync battle to ROSÉ & Bruno Mars’s ‘APT’ ensued between people picked from the crowd. [Allow me a moment to address the participants: I am sorry if I didn’t catch your names correctly or didn’t spell things right, I wish I’d gotten the chance to catch you after the performance.] There was William, who’s outfit they was described as a mixture of Shakespeare and Pirates of The Caribbean. There was Chris, a film student dressed in a fashionable cropped shirt, and Chaos, whose outfit was something of Mad Hatter mixed with drag king. The prize was a free drink, which William ended up claiming.
Then, it was time for a 20-minute break before Act Two, for which I did not manage to stay because I felt ill. However, I will certainly be attending future renditions of this event, as it was a vibrant and enjoyable experience.
Varsity: AFencing Experience
Andboy,didIhavean experience
WrittenbyCharlotteBulling
Boy did I have a day. I had one hell of a bloodyday.
I feel some context may be needed for this particular article. I’m part of AberystwythUniversity’sfencingclub,and have been for the last 6 months At the beginningofMarch,Imadearrangements to go to Varsity with fencing Later that sameweek,Iplacedmynameforwardto report on the fencing for Mouth of the Ystwyth This led to what I can only assume was a miscommunication within the Student Union when assigning me a coachtoBangor Mydaywasofftoarelativelygentlestart, despite only getting an hour and 29 minutesofsleep I’dgottenintomybeda little(quitealot)laterthanIintended The Mountain Rescue Crew had a performance in Cooper’s Arms and I wantedtogoandsupport Myprofessoris inthebandafterall Andsleepdidn’tseem like much of an option I struggled to locate sleep, and I arose from it relatively quickly,surprisedtofindthelackofsleep didn’t seem to affect me. I’d made sure I hadeverythingpackedoreasilyaccessible to me so I didn’t have to risk a sleep deprived panic before departing my house.Itwouldbeprettydifficulttofence withoutmymaskorswordafterall.Asto leaving, everything was on track - at least formeanyway.
I was on campus a solid 30-45 minutes beforeIneededtobeandI had all of my fencing equipment I was grateful to be upearlyandexcitedfortheadventurethat layahead-butIdidn’tknowtheadventure that I was about to embark upon If I did, I’m not quite sure I would have agreed to any of what I was about to experience It wasn’t long before the other fencers arrived Somebody comes over to make sure we’re all there There's vague confusionasshereadseveryone’snames
butmine.
Thisappearstonotbemuchof an issue as she gets me to just write my namedownwithinthefencingbox.Thisis when I remember I had also made vague noisesaboutwantingtoreportonVarsity forMouthoftheYstwyth
“Oh My name might be down for the Newspaper?”
She flicks the wad of paper to another sheet Shescansdownthenames “CharlotteBull ”Sheseemsunsureasto mysurname
“Charlotte Bulling Yep That’s me ” accompaniedwithalopsidedgrin ThisiswhereIfindoutthatI’mapparently meanttobeonacompletelydifferentbus With the rugby teams I try not to think aboutittoomuchatthispoint Becauseat least I’m getting to varsity And I have a seat I’mnothavingtositnexttoanybody -especiallynotanybodythatIdon’tknow So my headphones are returned to my head, my book opened and my pen in hand. I settle into the seat and begin reading, hoping I’m not on the coach for too long. At this point, I’m still relatively oblivious to what’s to come. My fellow teammateshavemysword-aptlynamed Mandy Patinktink - and are keeping her safe for me. The bus I’m on leaves 30 minutes before my teammates and I end upinBangoraboutanhourbeforethem.
Two and a half hours later, I’m at the stadium in Bangor This is not where I’m meant to be I’m not meant to be in the stadium I’m here for what a lecturer of mine called the “stabby stabby” I’m also not here to report on the rugby or the football I’m here for fencing An hour beforetherestofmyteam Andinentirely the wrong spot I feel it’s important to mention here that I’ve never been to Bangorpriortothe22ndofMarch2025
ThemomentI’moffthebus,Iclockthatthefencingis most definitely not happening here. So I locate the nearestadult.
Andaskforhelp-arelativelynewandhardthingfor me,acripplinglyanxiouspersonwhodesperatelytries to figure it out myself before the notion of help even occurstome TheadultsIaskarealsoconfusedasto what’shappening Soafteramoment,I’mbackonthe busandtakentoanotherpartofBangor I’malsonot meanttobehere Wedon’tknowwherethesiteI’mmeanttobeactually is I’m then taken to the accommodation for Bangor University This is where the gym is located I’m also notmeanttobehere Great ThreelocationsandIstill don’t know where fencing is taking place I still don’t knowwherethebuildingactuallyis Iendedupwalking around Bangor for roughly an hour, finding the university, and nobody there was much help either Theydidn’tknowwherethestuffwaseither Fantastic I end up walking back to the accommodation and finding a shuttle bus Perfect! And a genuine one this time ThiswillgetmetowhereIneedtobe Hopefully No IttakesmebacktowhereIwas2hoursprior At this point, I’m bordering on tears and suppressing a desperateandratherwillingpanicattack Itakeadeep breath,runmyhandoverPhillipe-myfencingmaskandleantowardsthedriver,askingifhecantakemeto thebuilding.
Finally, somebody who knows where this building is andiswillingtotakemethere.
So,yetagain,Itakeoffinthehopesofgettingtowhere Ineedtobe.AndIarrivedjustintime.I’mgreetedby the president of AUFC, I run in, and I’m greeted with the fencing team. I get a hug from our wonderful Wellbeing Officer as I sniff back the tears and make vaguenoisesaboutthemorningIhad I place my backpack and mask down, locate my sword,Mandy,andkitup Ikitupratherquickly Now, wegettothepartIguesseveryoneisactuallyreading thearticlefor
Thefencing
Now,fencingwasalsoanexperiencewithinitself,butI found this a lot more enjoyable of an experience. Especially after the morning I’d just had. The fencers whocompeteddidaphenomenaljob.WelostinÉpée andSabre,butwoninFoil.
Wefinishedoffwithasetoffriendlies ThiswasoneI gottofencein,andIhadagreattime Igottwobouts and, unsurprisingly, didn’t win either of them We kit downearlyandmadesuretotalktothePresidentof the Bangor team It may be important for me to mentionherethattheBangorteamwaslovely,atruly wonderfulgroupofpeople
So we packed up our stuff, ensuring we had everythingbeforethankingthecaptainandheadingto thebusinthehopeswecouldleaveourequipmentin the bus Thankfully the driver was there and let us leaveourstuffinthebus’luggagedepartment Wehad roughly2hoursand50minutesbeforeweneededto bebackonthebusesandheadbacktoAberystwyth A small group of us spent that time together getting foodbeforeweheadedback Iwasgratefultobeabletogetthisjourneybackwith my fellow fencers. It was 18:30, my headphones returned gratefully to my head, my book opened on my lap again and we began our journey back to Aberystwyth.
We got back to Aberystwyth around 20:40, acquired ourkitandwentourseparateways.
20 minutes later, I’m on the phone to my parents recounting the entire, rather chaotic day to them, somehow still awake, standing and not even close to feeling sleepy It would be a further hour and half before sleep took me So Varsity was definitely an experience
The women’s basketball team tookthecourtquicklyafterAber men's basketball, who had unfortunatelylosttoBangor The warmupsranbyfastsinceitwasa running clock for the game The starting five for Aber were Fran E, Gabby S, Becka B, Emily S, andEvieG
Bangor won the tip off and took advantage of the loud chaos to putthefirstpointsontheboard. The game was in their favor for more than half of the time but quickly Aber turned things around with their intricate plays and strong defense. From the steals to rebounds they gained pointsuntiltheysecuredathreepoint lead for the remainder of thesecondquarter.
Just before half time more and more spectators filtered into the gym from the other sports events. The crowds made it impossible to hear anything but the drums and horns of the Bangor Student spirit Each time Aber went to shoot free throws Bangor would cheer until you couldn’t hear a player inch from your face It created a choking intensity for the game, an intensitythatmostoftheplayers hadn’tseenbefore.
In the third quarter the two teams fought hard to take the lead away. Aber women’s team worked diligently since Varsity
wasafew oftheplayers’ lastgamewiththe University. They wanted to leave awinbehindintheirlegacy The fourwomen(referredtoas“Old Girls”)wereBecka,Fran,Gabby, and Ellen, and Aber women’s secondcoach(stolenfromAber Men'steam)Caleb
Aber fought hard to win the game, but it just wasn’t in their favor. The players were constantly switched on and off to ensure everyone had enough energy and play time to finish thegame.The points were held at 18-17 to Bangorforseveralminutes,until the last two. Bangor had taken thewin.Thefinalscorewas22-17. Both teams had outstanding sportsmanship toward each other despite the aggressive game. The teams applauded each other's efforts and Aber congratulated Bangor for their firstwinoftheseason Abertook theirteamphotostoremember how hard they played and left thecourtwithsmiles
TheSmackDown(Aber Volleyballvs.BangorVolleyball)
WrittenbyMelainaPellin
Aber and Bangor’s Women’s volleyball warmuplookedstrong Eachsetandhit landed within the green court lines It looked to be a pretty well-matched game Each team did their cheers and tookthecourt.
The first point was given to Aber since the other team missed their first serve. Aber quickly took advantage causing a long rally. Aber fought to maintain the lead,butBangorwonapointwithalucky lineshotfromtheiroutsidehitter.
ThefirstmatchwenttoBangor,butAber still had four more matches that they could fight for. With a moment to regroup, they recollected themselves andswappedsides.Theplayerssetback up on the court ready to begin the next portion.
The second match started in Bangor's favorsincetheycarriedthemomentum from match to match Aber Volleyball hadtouseatimeouttoattempttothrow the team off balance Bangor came out strong with their serves despite Aber’s strategy to use a timeout to collect themselves
Eveninthesmallhallthespectatorswere so loud. They had horns, cranks, speakers, and a mini megaphone to showtheirschool'sspirit.
Aberwonitbackafteratoughrallywith their strong receivers and precision shots.Betweentheserves,hits,digs,and setter dumps; the points went back and forthforthesecondmatch.
Aberquicklycaughtup,findingtheirown momentum in their team and from the student spectators' encouragement. It was a battleofstudentspirit and in the
moment, Aber might have been small, but they were mighty! Despite the attempts, Bangor took the second match The match scores were 2 – 0 to Bangor
The teams switched sides once again (something they did after each match finished) and started the third match Aber started with the serve. It was a grueling rally which resulted in a dangerous dive toward the sub bench near the sideline. The rally gained pace astheballwentbackandforthbetween greenandred. Eachonegainedpointsbeforetheother could gather a strong lead and sweep the court. Sadly, Bangor took the third matchresultinginanoverallwinwashing both the fourth and fifth set. The matchesendedin3–0.Thegamewent toBangor Abercongratulatedtheteam Theygatheredtheir belongingsand went to the nextevent withlaughs andsmiles
GOHARD GOHARD ORGOHOME ORGOHOME
WritttenbyMaiaPatemanova
Thenightbefore a competition means different things for differentpeople
Some sleep, others don’t. Some people triple-check their lists and bags, others perform their rituals – whether that’s a 16minute shower, preparing ham-andPhiladelphia croissants, or packing lucky charmssuchasoctopusdolls
Oncethenightisover,it’stimetogetonthe coach At roughly 3am on the 8 of March 2025,threeofAberystwythUniversity’sdance clubstravelledtoNottinghamfortheGoHard or Go Home championships. This group consisted of Aberystwyth Kpop Society, PanthersStreetDance,andShowdance While Panthers and Kpop had competed before, it was Showdance’s first time going to an externalcompetitioninsteadofVarsity
The Royal Concert Hall was intimidating; the foyer was crammed with suitcases and elaborate costumes, and various teams were doing barre exercises while we scrambled to gethairandmakeupdone.Themorningwasa blurofbronzer,hairnets,hats,rushedwarmups,andcostumealterationsrightbeforethe first round, which was Ballet. The routine ‘Gwyllion’ was choreographed by myself and President Jess Garratt It was a story of necromancy and betrayal, with me and Jess dressed as evil green fairies while the other dancerswereinblack,toactascorpseswho hadcomebacktolife.
Next,wehurriedthroughthemazeofdressing rooms to get ready for the Lyrical dance ‘Maybe’, choreographed by Modern Coach Fae Chadderton. We twirled in sky-blue dresses and matching hair bows as the emotional song pushed us to perform our best double turns and fishtail rolls. This was proceeded by Tap Coach Erin Woozeer’s ‘Uptown Funk’, which demonstrated sharp technique mixed with fun hats and colourful shirts ThefinalShowdanceroutinewasFae’s
Jazz dance, where two teams – one crimson, onecobalt–battledfiercelyacrossthestage After Showdance had finished, Aberystwyth KpopandPanthersperformedtheirenergetic routines Beautiful dances from other universitiesincludedanAlice-in-Wonderlandinspired contemporary routine (University of Plymouth Dance Club), swarms of glittery ballerinas, cultural dances such as Irish and Bollywood, and a memorial performance in memory of Eva Darold-Tchikaya (Essex BladesDanceClub).
When I asked my fellow coaches about the day, Erin says her favourite moment was winning First Place for Beginner Ballet “Fae waslike‘wherethehell’sMaiagone’whenwe weredoingtheawardsandIwaslike‘Faewe’ve won ballet!’ and then we started jumping up anddown!”
Our streak of success continued, as we placed Second in both Beginner Tap and BeginnerLyrical.Faeexpressedhernervesfor the jazz routine, as there were five other teams to compete with and a much lower chance of winning “I didn’t even expect to placesoIwasveryhappywithmyselfandmy team” Despite this, we ended up in Third PlaceforBeginnerJazz
As for me, a moment that stands out to me was after we returned to our team with our trophies, feeling extremely proud for earning an award for each dance. However, we’d forgotten about something: extra awards We listened to more announcements for Costume,TeamSpirit,People’sChoice,butit took a moment to process that our ballet dance had also earned us First Place in Beginner Choreography Screams of “THEY’REONTHEIRWAY!”fromShowdance’s members surrounded us as Jess and I sprinted down two floors, through crowds of people,andintothestagewingstoclaimour lasttrophy–I’veneverrunsofastinmylife
TFor some dancers, such as Treasurer and third-yearElanorMalyan,itwasamemorable finalcompetitionwithShowdance.Elanorsaid that she loved the “ very supportive environment, very big stage” and that seeing thedifferentstylesinspiredher Forfirst-years such as Jacob Such and Gracie Day, the competition provided a new challenge and alsosolidifiedtheirbondswiththeShowdance team. Jacob commented that “Everyone’s goingtohaveabitofmotivationbehindthem and that bit of excitement because of what we’ve achieved”. Gracie said: “We were spending a lot more time together and also thedaywassomethingwecouldallcelebrate together”
The last few weeks before the competition werestressful,andFaesaidthatshefelt“really nervous, really paranoid” because of the unfamiliar environment. There were many factorstoconsider,suchasnotknowinghow slipperythestagewouldbe,worriesaboutnot everyone being able to attend classes, and having less weeks to rehearse than we would withVarsity InregardstogoingtoNottingham insteadofBangor,alotofdancersfeltitwas
therightdecisionandbeneficialforthe club SocialSecretaryOskarLeighsaid the competition was “ a good opportunity”, andothermembersthoughtthattherewasa distinctdifferenceinatmosphere Erinsaid:“It was just lovely, the way everyone was supporting everyone, whereas I feel like in a comp like (Varsity) you support your team everyonewascheeringforeveryone”
Fae agreed: “It was more relaxed and we felt like more of a team, and I could watch and experienceafullcompetitioninsteadofbeing behindthecurtainthewholetime.Itmakesit more fun because you have more people to goupagainst”
Erinwentontosay:“Itwasaverylongdaybut weallexperiencedthattogether.Weallwoke upattwoo’clockinthemorningandweallsat on a bus for five hours We felt closer as a team.”
Asfirst-timersatthecompetition,Showdance never expected to win five trophies for four dances.Thisisanexcitingnewchapterforthe club,andoursuccesswillhopefullyinspirenot only next year’s group, but anyone who eventuallybecomesapartofShowdance
Ranking last overall and not winning any categories comes the ‘traumatised’ Kinder Bunny with a score of :
4.06/10
“Lovelylady”
“OhIhatehim”
“Iszeroanoption?
“Itlookstraumatised”
“Itlookslikeit’sgoingtokillme”
EASTER CHOCOLATE REVIEW
By Mouth of the Ystwyth
“adorable”
The reliable Cadbury’s Twirl egg surprised us all by being rated the second lowest, only one above the tremendously terrifying Kinder Bunny, with a score of:
5.46/10
“alotofpurple”
The classic Lindt Bunny reigned supreme in all categories except one, value for money, where it came last with a score of 4.6/10. However, its delectable taste and exquisite appearance pushed it high on the leaderboards, with a score of:
7.18/10
“reallyexpensive”
“Iwanttobuyonerightnow!”
“favoriteappearance”
“Ilove kinder chocolate”
“smellssogood”
“canIhavealittlemore?”
“wrinklyegg”
“It’salright”
“Iusedtostealthese”
*enthusiasticeatingsounds*
LINDT BUNNY
TWIRL EGG
“IusedtoeattheseuntilIgotsick”
“Tastednuttyandabitstale”
Maltesers was the favourite egg for value of money with a score of 7.4/10. Its overall score was:
5.64/10
“Tasteslikecardboard”
“Tastesreallygood”
“It’sgivingoatmeal” “Ilikethisone”
“Thatssopretty,Ilikethered andgold”
Mini eggs, a household staple around the Easter holidays, failed to make much of an impact on our members It scored:
5.54/10
“Realgood”
“Expensiveforsofewinapack”
The beloved Christmas treat of a Terry’s chocolate orange, but in egg form! This was greatly enjoyed by our members, taking second place by storm! The score was:
“Ilikethis”
“Idolikethepackaging”
6.46/10
“Youcanbreakoffthelittlehexagon pieces”
MELLT MELLT
written by Blue Marsh
Hey readers! My name is Blue Marsh and I’m a live music photographer from Aberystwyth! Being a live music photographer is amazing, intense, wild and stressful in equal measure. Transform Wales was absolutely no exception. Between the flashy, catchy songs and the crowds enjoying every second I was thrilled to even be at the festival
I’d managed to squeeze in a pass (huge thanks to Sophie for that!) and while I didn't do Friday on account of already being booked I arrived at the Arts Centre on Saturday, nervous and over an hour early totally not feeling awkward and out of place at all.
One thing that stood out to me was the unapologetic Welsh culture: every band had Welsh ties or appreciation and they weren’t afraid to show it. Aberystwyth is known for its Welsh culture and the Arts Centre flaunts these ties with flair. Even outside of the festival there’s always something great going on. After getting into the event starting with the fabulous Mwsog, I ran into a few other photographers (literally my apologies to the one I stepped on while trying to get a photo) I felt a bit out of place since they all had far better gear and more experience. Still, I kept working and after Mwsog I headed to the main hall to get some pictures of EYE and Red Telephone. The back-andforth rush between rooms became my routine.
Every set was exhilarating, and reminded me why people use knee pads: shuffling around on your knees for your best shot while staying out the way is no easy task. I definitely owe a big thank you to the café staff, they allowed me to pass over my charger so I could charge up my spare batteries while I covered the fantastic Afro Cluster and took a much needed break. Every set brought me new challenges and experiments. My personal favourite had to be YAANG; incidentally, my photos of them are also my favourite photos from that day.
During the day I realised I could do more than go behind the barrier I could climb it! Which is how I ended up getting my favourite photos of Fat Dog (and bruising my knee for the millionth time on my way back down, but that’s less fun). The whole time I was flying blind. Volunteering meant I had no guide for how to shoot or even what to shoot. Still, I can't thank the staff enough, especially Sophie and the security, for being incredibly kind and patient with me.
All in all the festival was amazing and I got to meet so many awesome bands! I’ll definitely be there again next year, hopefully with shin pads and more spatial awareness.
When most people think about the concept of subversive forms of media, it will likely be in the form of one or more renegade artists, either in the visual or auditory mediums. Artists like Frida Kahlo, Tupac Shakur, Bob Dylan, Eminem, Jackson Pollock, and Banksy, amongst others, have in their time produced transgressive media that directly confronted and criticized both societal and cultural norms Despite the enduring popularity of these artists and their art, other forms of rebellious media have been forgotten in the broader public zeitgeist, with this in large part this being due to the increased popularity of other mediums that have since risen to occupy the position that they once had. One such form of subversive media that has in large part been superseded by others would be that of Pirate Radio, with things like Internet Radio, Video on Demand (VOD) services, and Social media having come to seize the audience that would otherwise engage with pirate Pirate Radio over its existence has also been subject to regulatory measures that have explicitly targeted it and made it more difficult to carry out clandestine broadcasts, or simply just criminalized it, with the widereaching 1967 Marine Broadcasting Offences Act being a prime example of this .
[3]
[4;5]
Despite its loss of popularity, Pirate Radio still has forged itself an enduring legacy, with it being inseparably tied to an image of Cold War era civil disobedience, with DJs, be they
stationed at the top of a block of flats in London, or on an old trawler of questionable seaworthiness anchored off the coast, broadcasting music and commentary free of the suffocating constraints of approved mainstream stations.
With that being said, the image in the UK of pirate radio as being a form of media synonymous with civil disobedience has been predominantly applied to England, as stations like Radio Caroline and Solar Radio have come to characterize the discourse surrounding pirate radio The same attention has never particularly been applied to other parts of the country, and it is because of this that many aspects of the history around pirate radio have been neglected, despite being vital to the current media landscape that we find ourselves in today. Pirate radio has been a staple of the Welsh media landscape in the same way it has been a staple of the English media landscape, with it following the same trends in both countries, as well as maintaining the same subversive and clandestine nature One of the most major pirate radio stations in Wales would be that of the Radio Cockerel, a political radio station that played music, and provided commentary on current events from an overtly Welsh Nationalist perspective, with it later being joined the same year by the similarly oriente the country’s airwaves . [6;7]
¹ Lahaye, Michaelle “Frida Kahlo, Teresa Margolles, and Death as Transgression” Yiara Magazine (2024)
² Blanche, Ulrich, Banksy: Urban Art in a Material World - Tectum Verlag Marburg (Baden-Baden, 2016), p 192
³ Mann, Larisa K “Race, Class, and Sonic Autonomy in the Tower Blocks: Pirate Radio’s Exilic Possibilities” International Journal of Communication (2021), p. 1648
⁴ Ibid, p 1648
⁵ Rudin, Richard “Why the British elites were determined to suppress ‘pirate’ radio” International Association for Media and History (2018)
⁶ Shipton, Martin “How a group of Welsh nationalists became pirate radio pioneers” Wales Online (2014)
⁷ N/A “Glyn James: Plaid Cymru leader in the Rhondda Valley and pioneer of Radio Free Wales” The Independent (2010)
¹
¹
¹
These stations, while small, were the subject of a notable amount of attention from local print media, with one edition of the Evening News (London) running the headline “The Crowded Air” and stating within that the station was a vehicle for the “brave but hopeless aims of the Welsh Nationalist Party” with another article titled “Nationalist to help plan Welsh ITV“ conveying the ambitions of the nationalists by stating that “Welsh Natlonalists, who have made pirate radio broadcasts and have campaigned for a voice on television, now have an interest in a commercial TV company”[8;9] The majority of those partaking in the illegal broadcasts were activists, most of the time being members of Plaid Cymru, which although not having officially stated that it endorsed the creation of pirate radio stations to spread their message, did have many members from within their ranks act independently and establish them anyway[10] While it can be argued that the lack of support shown by the party towards these renegade broadcasters could be viewed as displaying a certain amount of gutlessness, this has to be understood in the context of the prevalent attitudes towards separatism coming from the UK’s constituent countries at the time, as throughout the late 1960s, there was a dramatic spike in both republican and armed separatist activity from within Britain Most notably, this was the case in Northern Ireland, as British troops were deployed in Belfast and Derry in mid-August of 1969 in response to a request for military intervention from the
⁸ Evening News (London), September 1964, Page 8
¹
⁹ Daily Express, June 1951, Page 9
Northern Irish Cabinet after riots that the Royal Ulster Constabulary were not able to adequately deal with As a part of these operations undertaken by the British Army, dubbed Operation Banner, media institutions in Northern Ireland that aligned with sectarian (predominantly republican) messaging were the subject of crackdowns and censorship which limited not only what could be said, but the guests that certain shows could have, and even the attitude to which broadcasters could approach such guests . [11;12] [13]
Adjacent to this, nationalist sentiment in wales was also steadily increasing during the late 1960s, primarily in response to two major events, the first being the creation of the Llyn Celyn Reservoir, which involved intentionally flooding the village of Capel Celyn, one of the only remaining Welsh-only speaking communities, being done to provide Liverpool and the Wirral in the wider Merseyside area in England with water The second was the investiture tour of the, at the time, Prince of Wales, which saw multiple bombings being conducted by the Movement for the Defence of Wales (Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru), which, while only resulting in the death of two of the groups members, did constitute a serious security threat being demonstrated by Welsh nationalist groups Taking this into consideration, it is not difficult to see why Plaid Cymru, under its leader at the time Gwynfor Evans, would have wanted to distance themselves from any illegal hardcore nationalist pirate radio stations that condoned any actions by militants This was especially the case thanks to the fact that Evans himself had just been elected as the [14;15]
⁰ Shipton, How a group of Welsh nationalists became pirate radio pioneers, (2014)
[16]
¹¹ Gearson, John “Operation Banner Primer: An Account of the British Military’s Deployment to Northern Ireland, 1969-2007” KCL: Centre for Defence Studies (2022), p 16
¹² Ibid, p 14
¹³ Moloney, Ed “The Story of the Broadcasting Ban” CAIN Web Service (1991)
⁴ Atkins, Ed “Building a dam, constructing a nation: The 'drowning' of Capel Celyn” Journal of Historical Sociology (2018),p 5
⁵ Kate Woodward “'Reservoirs of the Subconscious of a People': The Local, National, and Global Resonances of a Lost Hinterland” in Planetary Hinterlands: Extraction, Abandonment and Care, Edited by Gupta, Pamila, et al , Palgrave Macmillan Publishers (London, 2023), p 198
⁶ Humphries, John, Freedom Fighters: Wales’s Forgotten ‘War’, 1963-1993 - University of Wales Press (Cardiff, 2008), p 123124
¹
¹
¹
party’s first MP in Westminster only 3 years earlier in 1966, and throwing their weight behind a fringe militant minority at a time when the party's membership had almost doubled was seen as more harmful than potentially advantageous[17]
Despite this, nationalist pirate broadcasts continued in Wales through the 70s, with calls for further representation of the welsh language in british broadcasting becoming so prominent that in the run up to the 1979 General election, both the Conservative and Labour parties pledged that that if elected to power, they would establish a fourth national TV channel which would only air programming that was in Welsh One of the main groups campaigning for a fourth channel were the Welsh Language Society (Cymdeithas ir Iaith), which upon having the promise renaged on by the Conservatives after their victory in the election, took to the streets in protest, taking down english only road signs, and interestingly, utilizing the equipment owned by sympathetic pirate stations to disrupt normal programming . It would be this campaign of protests and disruption by the Language Society as well as other individuals and groups, including the previously mentioned Gwynfor Evans threatening a hunger strike, would eventually pressure the government into establishing Sianel Pedwar Cymru (S4C), and create the basis for Wales’ own distinct media landscape
[18]
[21]
[22;23]
[19] [20]
In the years since, Wales has gone on to become one of the primary centres of media creation within the UK, especially in regards to television, with Doctor Who, its spinoff Torchwood, Sex Education, & His Dark Materials all being produced in Wales Wales has also become the home of a number of film studios like those of Bad Wolf Studios, and Red & Black Films, with it being called the “Hollywood of the UK” in Parliament, this also being in conjunction with the Senedd offering subsidies to fund both major, as well as independent productions . It is because of all of this that I believe Welsh pirate radio is due more than a little credit, as it was not only able to act as not only a creative outlet, but also a political one, being used as a form of protest both in terms of the discourse that it facilitated, as well as acting as a means to disrupt standard programming at a time when welsh representation in media was being neglected by those in power It can also be seen at least partially responsible for prompting tangible action from the government by being used to disrupt broadcasting, and thus can be thanked in part for the establishment of S4C, as well as the vibrant media landscape that exists currently within Wales, as its contributions continue to resonate, and leave a lasting impact.
⁷ Evans, Rhys, Gwynfor: Portrait of a Patriot - Y Lofta Publishers (Tal-Y-Bont, 2008), p 264 ; Ibid, p 268 ; Ibid, p 304
⁸ Price, Elain, Broadcasting for Wales: The Early Years of S4C - University of Wales Press (Cardiff, 2022), p. 28
⁹ Ibid, p 32
²
⁰ Jones, R Merfyn “Beyond Identity? The Reconstruction of the Welsh” Journal of British Studies (1992), p 355
²¹ Bevan, Nathan “Sex Education: Locations in Wales bring Netflix show to life” BBC News (2023) ; Jones, Alun “Why His Dark Materials and Doctor Who used Welsh Government HQ” BBC News (2020) ; Birt, Elizabeth “His Dark Materials praised for Welsh work, featuring Llyn y Fan Fach” South Wales Guardian (2023)
²² House of Commons, UK Film Industry, November 9, 2010, Hansard, accessed 25th March 2025
²³ Creative Wales, Production Funding, accessed March 25, 2025
1.
Lahaye, Michaelle “Frida Kahlo, Teresa Margolles, and Death as Transgression” Yiara Magazine (2024)
2
Blanche, Ulrich, Banksy: Urban Art in a Material World - Tectum Verlag Marburg (BadenBaden, 2016), p. 192
3
Mann, Larisa K “Race, Class, and Sonic Autonomy in the Tower Blocks: Pirate Radio’s Exilic Possibilities” International Journal of Communication (2021), p. 1648
4.
5
6
Ibid, p. 1648
Rudin, Richard “Why the British elites were determined to suppress ‘pirate’ radio” International Association for Media and History (2018)
Shipton, Martin “How a group of Welsh nationalists became pirate radio pioneers” Wales Online (2014)
7. Evening News (London), September 1964, Page 8
N/A “Glyn James: Plaid Cymru leader in the Rhondda Valley and pioneer of Radio Free Wales” The Independent (2010)
8. Daily Express, June 1951, Page 9 9
10.
Shipton, How a group of Welsh nationalists became pirate radio pioneers, (2014)
Gearson, John “Operation Banner Primer: An Account of the British Military’s Deployment to Northern Ireland, 1969-2007” KCL: Centre for Defence Studies (2022), p 16 11 Ibid, p. 14 12.
Moloney, Ed “The Story of the Broadcasting Ban” CAIN Web Service (1991) 13
14.
Atkins, Ed “Building a dam, constructing a nation: The 'drowning' of Capel Celyn” Journal of Historical Sociology (2018), p 5
15
Kate Woodward “'Reservoirs of the Subconscious of a People': The Local, National, and Global Resonances of a Lost Hinterland” in Planetary Hinterlands: Extraction, Abandonment and Care, Edited by Gupta, Pamila, et al , Palgrave Macmillan Publishers (London, 2023), p. 198
16
Humphries, John, Freedom Fighters: Wales’s Forgotten ‘War’, 1963-1993 - University of Wales Press (Cardiff, 2008), p 123-124
17.
Evans, Rhys, Gwynfor: Portrait of a Patriot - Y Lofta Publishers (Tal-Y-Bont, 2008), p. 264 ; Ibid, p 268 ; Ibid, p 304
18. Ibid, p 32
Price, Elain, Broadcasting for Wales: The Early Years of S4C - University of Wales Press (Cardiff, 2022), p 28
19
20.
Jones, R. Merfyn “Beyond Identity? The Reconstruction of the Welsh” Journal of British Studies (1992), p 355
21.
Bevan, Nathan “Sex Education: Locations in Wales bring Netflix show to life” BBC News (2023) ; Jones, Alun “Why His Dark Materials and Doctor Who used Welsh Government HQ” BBC News (2020) ; Birt, Elizabeth “His Dark Materials praised for Welsh work, featuring Llyn y Fan Fach” South Wales Guardian (2023)
22
House of Commons, UK Film Industry, November 9, 2010, Hansard, accessed 25th March 2025
23
Creative Wales, Production Funding, accessed March 25, 2025
Three Sources amalgamated under citation 17 are 15, 16, & 17 and turned into: Evans, Rhys, Gwynfor: Portrait of a Patriot - Y Lofta Publishers (Tal-Y-Bont, 2008), p 264 ; Ibid, p 268 ; Ibid, p 304
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