Travel

A Coastal Reset: Digital Detoxing on the Gower Peninsula

Growing up in an increasingly digitised world has increased the importance of self care breaks and digital detoxes. When I want to unplug myself from technology and social media, I take myself to the Gower Peninsula, South Wales. Having been there every summer since I was born, there is no better sanctuary than the beautiful miles of beaches available. From a surfer’s haven at Llangennith, to tucked … Continue reading A Coastal Reset: Digital Detoxing on the Gower Peninsula

Contributing Writer
Photo of different medicine packets with a grey tinge.
Columnist

Struggling With Chronic Pain: My Experience

Imagine you start getting a pain in your knee every so often, you don’t think anything of it. But then that pain turns to both knees, hips, ankles, shoulders and wrists. And it’s just a twinge here and an ache there until it’s not. Until it’s excruciating, shooting pain coming from all of your joints simultaneously. Except this isn’t some hypothetical or imaginary situation, this … Continue reading Struggling With Chronic Pain: My Experience

Ella Collis
Travel

Roots and Routes

Being Bangladeshi was never an essential part of my identity. My connection to Bangladesh was mostly through stories from my parents, traditional (delicious) food my mum cooked at home, and the Bangla I spoke with them – though, to be honest, it’s more of a Bangla-English mashup that they’ve learned to understand after years of hearing their kids mix and match both languages. I finally … Continue reading Roots and Routes

Contributing Writer
Features

Best Places for Valentines in Cardiff

  Getting the date right on Valentine’s Day can be stressful, whether it’s to celebrate a longstanding relationship or to woo a situationship, the time, place and atmosphere can be crucial for making a memorable Valentines. A table for two is the staple hallmark of a Valentine’s date- after all, with all the love in the air, who has time to cook?   If a candlelit … Continue reading Best Places for Valentines in Cardiff

Contributing Writer
Features

Love Languages Explained: What’s Yours?

The five love languages of ‘Quality Time’, ‘Giving Gifts’, ‘Words of Affirmation’, ‘Acts of Service’ and ‘Physical Touch’ are all special in their own ways showing the varied ways we express and receive love! From Quality time to Words of Affirmation and Giving Gifts, it’s funny how humans love differently despite our similarities. My love languages evolved over the years and continues to shift through … Continue reading Love Languages Explained: What’s Yours?

Contributing Writer
Travel

Third Culture Kids: Identity Across Boarders

‘I was born in England, but my mum is from the Netherlands and my dad is Syrian.’ It is a sentence I’ve uttered countless times throughout my life. But the answer to the common small talk question ‘where are you from?’ was far from simple for me. Born and raised in the UK until the age of 5, living in Aleppo for 2 years, and returning to … Continue reading Third Culture Kids: Identity Across Boarders

Contributing Writer
Culture

A Look Into The Digital Camera Frenzy

As uni students, we are living the best years of our lives. Yes, we capture those moments, taking out our phones and snapping a shot with an intentional aesthetic edge, uploading them to a highlight named ‘second year’ and moving on. It’s a simple and easy way to look back on key moments, but it is not unique, sentimental, or even natural. My camera, a simple … Continue reading A Look Into The Digital Camera Frenzy

Charlotte Hardie-Watts
Literature

Connecting with Poetry: Finding Emotion in Experiences

Sappho – Fragment 147 – Written by: Samira Abbey Sappho’s fragment 147, ‘someone will remember us / I say / even in another time’, resonates with me as more than just a poetic reflection on legacy; it’s a subtle, powerful reminder of resilience. Queer people, who have navigated history often overlooked or erased yet unquestionably present, will find this message especially relevant. Sappho’s words transcend … Continue reading Connecting with Poetry: Finding Emotion in Experiences

Contributing Writer
Fashion

From TikTok Star to Style Icon: Addison Rae’s Style Evolution 

Among the wave of TikTok influencers who have rose to stardom within the last five years or so, Addison Rae somehow stands apart from them and is in a league of her own. From filming dance TikToks in the infamous Hype House bathroom to attending red carpets such as the VMAs, Addison Rae has transformed from a viral TikTok sensation into a recognised fashion icon, … Continue reading From TikTok Star to Style Icon: Addison Rae’s Style Evolution 

bhaminikhandige
Film & TV

Review: Conclave (2024)

The pope is dead, the throne is vacant, and Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is left in charge of finding a worthy successor. This is the main conflict of Edward Berger’s two-hour epic Conclave, a pressure-cooker concept where the natural progression of a religious institution may lead to its destruction.  Two years ago, Berger became a household name with All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), … Continue reading Review: Conclave (2024)

kirasutton
three women embracing, watching the sunset
Film & TV

Female Friendships Representation in Film and TV

Gossip Girl TW – Mentions of eating disorders  There is a common misconception about Gossip Girl. For a show with such a title, the honest-held belief of many fans is that Serena and Blair are the pinnacle of female friendship in TV. I’m not sure if many people base their opinions on Tumblr, or only half-watched the show, but as iconic as the Upper East … Continue reading Female Friendships Representation in Film and TV

kirasutton
Blueberry topped pancakes - Image credits to Ellen Hollingshurst (@a_bakingmess).
Food

Pancakes Please!

An ode to pancakes.   Crepe pancakes. The simple French tradition that harps back to infant days and begins our journey. The thin runny batter that ultimately scrambles the first time because of childhood impatience, but is soon guided by a mother’s skilful hand, to create piles of soft cakes, whose edges were slightly crispy. Swiftly adorned with spoonfuls of sugar, lashing of lemon juice and handfuls … Continue reading Pancakes Please!

ellenhollingshurst
Cheeky Habibis playing at Club Ifor Bach
Live Reviews, Music

The Cheeky Habibis: Tuning into Cardiff’s Music Scene

CLWB IFOR BACH. January 25th 2025. I stood in a dimly lit room, surrounded by the community of Cardiff’s underground music scene. The crowd, large and diverse for the setting, included not just alternative students and young adults, but also parents, loved ones and friends of the performers. All eyes focused on the band performing on stage, who were illuminated by a neon glow of … Continue reading The Cheeky Habibis: Tuning into Cardiff’s Music Scene

jennyalgieri
Love

Holding out For a Hero

Are there any heroes left in the modern age of dating?  In this modern age of dating, something very interesting can be observed: the simultaneous celebration of both intentional abstinence and sexual exploration. This duality represents not a contradiction in how we are approaching our love lives, but instead an evolution in how individuals claim agency over their sex lives, making narratives that transcend traditional, … Continue reading Holding out For a Hero

Contributing Writer
Music

The Wombats: Two Decades of Indie, Tour Life and Sonic Photographs

The Wombats have carved out their place in indie music history, building a reputation for infectious energy and introspective lyricism. Now, as they gear up for the release of their sixth studio album, Oh! The Ocean, Quench’s Jenny Algieri sits down with drummer Dan Haggis to talk about music, nostalgia and the ever-evolving nature of their craft. Oh! The Ocean is an album of reinvention, … Continue reading The Wombats: Two Decades of Indie, Tour Life and Sonic Photographs

oliviagriffin