Skinny Black Franklin

Keeping up the quarantine moral again by taking some time to reflect on the outstanding Vegan food that I’ve missed since the lockdown started.

One of Cardiffs newer vegan eateries, Got No Beef really came out swinging with their hearty and filling menu. Offering burgers, fries, hotdogs and more!

A family run business that spent a few years building the brand at food festivals and events…

Remember going outside and buying food made by other people? yeah I miss it too. hopefully we’ll get back to that soon, but in the mean time I’m gonna write about the places I’m missing.

Arguably Cardiffs first vegan junk food spot, Greazy Vegan really hits the spot.

I can be found here a few times a month scuttling away with a bag filled with vegan Buffalo wings, one of their outstanding…

With everything that’s going on right now with lockdowns and COVID-19 I’ve found it difficult to really find new things to write about.

With this in mind, I really felt that now is the time to drum up support for the independent vegan businesses that are getting hit hard by this pandemic. The vegan community, especially in Cardiff has seen such growth in the last year. So many brilliant and…

We finally went to Hogwarts!

I’ve sat on this article, just waiting for the right time to post it. Christmas-based posts are usually pretty time/season sensitive. However with what’s going on in the world right now, with COVID-19 and the resulting lockdowns and restrictions in place, it’s made everything very doom and gloom. Hopefully this will act as some kind of a pick-me-up both for myself and for anyone reading it.

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It’s been a slow journey which started with me being a fairly voracious carnivore, happily taking on any ridiculous burger challenge I could find or making the most un-godly Internet foods my skill set could muster.

Fast-forward to the present and I wouldn’t have believed the changes I’ve made. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not by any means a healthy eater, it’s just that all the junk food is now vegan! When I was in high-school I tried to go vegetarian and barely made it a week. Although people who were vegan did exist, the term wasn’t as commonplace as it is now.

I can credit the transition to some major contributing factors that helped me with making the change over the last year. The first is having the love and support of my partner Holly who is almost a lifelong vegan that had the ability to help me open up my palette to try new foods, also the massive cultural shift we’re currently seeing that has brought veganism into mainstream consciousness, specifically the options now available to order in restaurants!

While I’d rather keep to companies that are completely vegan, it’s not always possible. So in the list below you’ll find a mix of completely vegan businesses, as well as some of my favourite options from other establishments in Cardiff.

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Greazy vegan is a vegan junk food restaurant at the entrance to Castle Arcade. I’ve found myself going here for lunch up to 4 times a week while I’m working in town. My top items from them include their Doner Vebab and Hot Wings although their burgers are nothing to turn your nose up at either! (get the Vacon Double Cheeseburger and thank me later) they also do monthly specials from time to time!

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Blanche bakery is a regular haunt these days. I’ve consumed what can only be described as an unholy amount of doughnuts from them. The owners are fantastic and dedicated to their business and it really shows.

It’s not just doughnuts either, they serve full sized meals including Cardiff’s first (and to my knowledge, only) vegan mac and cheese as well as rotating their doughnut selection with new and creative doughnuts all the time!

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Anna Loka has, IMHO One of the best “chicken” burgers in Cardiff!! Another restaurant that is 100% vegan from the ground up so there’s no shortage of choice on their menu!

A new place that’s just been flooding my radar recently is a place called Wild Thing a vegan and low/zero waste food joint in Grangetown. From what I’ve heard, I’m gonna have to visit and make a full review post of my own very soon!

The Grazing Shed is something of an institution as far as burgers are concerned. They were one of my favourite places to eat back when I was a full-time meat human. And I’m glad to say that they have stepped up their game when it comes to vegan food. Their menu consists of 4 permanent vegan burgers and at the moment also featured the Dirty Vegan burger by Pritchard of S.W.Y.D. another man who has seen the vegan light!

Corn fritters

Tofu bites

Buffalo hot wings (top) salted caramel (bottom)

Corn fritters

Tiny Rebel is one of my favourite bars in Cardiff and they now serve seitan wings in a variety of flavours, all the way from buffalo to salted caramel (don’t knock it til you’ve tried it, think battered mars bar) the menu is actually pretty substantial, including (as above) tofu bites, corn fritters and cheesy fries. They also have burgers and pizza!

YO! Sushi are so good that they almost bankrupt me every time I go in. They do an outstanding tofu katsu curry as well as a few other favourites including the spicy pepper cauliflower and inari taco (ask for the old recipe if you order it!) also you if you’re particularly hungry they do a larger version on the Katsu! They also do “Green Wednesday” when all vegan dishes are only £2.30 each!

Other places in Cardiff are releasing vegan options faster than I can write a post about it. This article got started 3 months ago and since then it’s blown up even more. Companies such as TGIFridays, Frankie and Bennys and even eds easy diner in st Davids 2 have all released vegan items since January 2019! In fact this post keeps getting set back because new items keep getting released. Even KFC and burger king are trying to stick their oars in.

It amazes me how fast something can catch on. In 2018 the UK released more vegan food than any other country and it was the biggest food trend of the year. source

Even as I finish writing this post, I know more and more vegan products are coming to market every day, and if I don’t post this now, it’ll never be finished because I won’t be able to keep up with the constant influx of new options!

Keep an eye out, because I’ll be doing full in-depth reviews on each of the restaurants mentioned, covering everything from their menu options to their company ethos and the design of the restaurants themselves!

I remember opening my first mountain bike one Christmas. I couldn’t tell you anything about it apart from it being black with yellow tires.

I remember going for my first ride with my mum walking along side me and my brother. This is when a stranger stopped us to say my handlebars were on backwards.

What happened to that bike I have no idea. Like many of the bikes I had growing up, it most likely ended up a rusting hulk in the garden because we didn’t have the space to keep them inside.

Anyway, fast forward a about a decade and many bikes later. I’ve amassed a small fleet of custom bicycles that have occupied my spare time over the past 4 years.

The first one on the list would be my Duracell mountain bike. I got this as it was being given away as a promotional item. I don’t remember what exactly because I’ve owned the bike for at least 10 years in total now.

I used it a handful of times when I was 17, but living in a hilly valley town made it difficult to use and thus it was resigned to the garden until I moved to Cardiff in 2015.

As I’d moved to the city for university and work. I figured I’d need a mode of transport, Cardiff being a fairly flat city made the idea of cycling fun and easy. That’s when I decided to dig the Duracell bike out of retirement.

Needless to say, the bike was completely seized. I remember there being a puncture in the rear tire when I last used it, but being sat in the garden for all that time had taken its toll.

As I was unfamiliar with bike maintenance and repair (I had never even opened a puncture kit) I was unsure if the bike was worth saving or if I’d have to just buy a new bike, however having a limited budget at the time made looking for a new bike difficult.

So seeking some professional help, I went to my local Halfords store to see what they could do.

As it happens a friend of mine worked there and gave me the news that he could bring the bike back to life and have it in working condition for £55… Bearing in mind I had to carry this bike into the store because it was completely seized up.

Fast forward a week and here’s what I got back!

They had replaced the bottom bracket, brakes, brake levers, brake pads, inner tubes, brake cables and housing, gear lines and housing, front and rear derailleur arms and the rear cassette…

For all of you that are unfamiliar with bike anatomy, that’s basically everything that makes the bike move!

Of course. As happy as I was with the resurrection of the bike, I just couldn’t leave it in its stock setup. I had to make this mountain bike a useful city commuter that can take the urban and the mud. I started out by adding pannier racks and bags.

Ultimately the pannier bags above lasted about a week and the handlebar bag even less. They didn’t suit my needs, and keeping things on your bike while it’s locked up on the street just isn’t a great idea.

My modifications from this point had whole practical influences. I changed out the bars for a straight bar from Brick Lane Bikes and swapped out the horrid grip shift gears for some new combination Shimano EF41 quick shifters and brake levers. Finished off this some gold bar tape… Just because. This setup was then improved with the addition the Takeaway tray, another item from Brick Lane Bikes.

This setup helps me I’m the city because it makes the bike so narrow. I can filter through the heaviest traffic without worrying about accidentally scratching other vehicles, and the tray on the front has come in handy on so many occasions.

last items while moving out of old flat.

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carrying prints for exhibition

bluetooth amplifier in the summer

cages on back with backpack

Later additions came in the forms of a Pendleton satchel bag for my everyday use, and some metal carrying cages.

While in uni, using the duracell bike. I realised that sometimes I was taking out a really heavy bike built to carry things when all I really needed was something simple and lightweight to get me from A to B. So as a result of this I ended up buying a new bike from ebay.

Brand new this bike only cost me £160 including delivery.

A nice, simple, single speed bicycle with nothing unnecessary weighing me down… The only problem was, I hated the bars on it for some reason.

I already knew what I wanted, dropped racing bars and 2 position brake levers like I’d seen on vintage 10 speed bikes.

I found it a great bike and took its place as my main ride depending on if I knew I’d need to carry anything heavy or bulky.

When I had these 2 bikes up and running my commute to work was only around 500 meters or so, I made a point of living close to my workplace. In fact, some mornings it would take me longer to get the bike out of my flat than it would take to cycle to work.

However, in February 2017. My place of work changed location. Which meant that my 500m trip to work became a 7 mile round trip. Needless to say this was a massive step up in regards to my previous cycling endeavours.

The first few weeks were hell and I still couldn’t work out which bike would be better to commute with. A lighter bike with only one speed, or a heavier bike with the ability to adjust the gears… over time and with a lot of practice I was capable of cycling the route in a best time of 15:30 with either bike. I still believe I could have got that down to less than 10 minutes if it wasn’t for the 10 sets of traffic lights on the way. My health improved massively and my asthma almost completely disappeared. I was in the best physical shape I had ever been. My thighs muscles had even doubled in size!

As of this post I have started a third bike build for the sake of fun. This project bike was actually acquired as the same time as the duracell mountain bike and was in pretty much the same condition when I dragged it out of the garden at my family home.

I proceeded to strip off all the parts I didn’t want or were too damaged to use. This left with the frame and forks, wheel set, front crankset, pedals and rear cassette.

The plan is to get the bike up and running as a single speed cargo bicycle for now, with the intention to eventually get an 80cc engine kit and make it work as a cargo moped! I’ve only got as far as to get the wheels re-wrapped with City jets and I’ve also already started to cover the frame with stickers… Because it’s my project and I want to… other parts I’ve been looking at including this flat rat handlebar rack by Brick Lane Bikes

I know this post isn’t for the purist cyclists put there. Nor is it for the mountain bike crowd, or even the city commuter crowd. These bikes are built to my own, very weird specifications. They all serve a purpose that I need them to. And honestly I do it for the fun of building. There’s nothing more rewarding that looking at something you’ve created with pure glee and pride. Here’s to running these bikes for years to come!

I’ll admit I’ve been in denial about it, holding on to it for no other reason than I considered my hair to be such a large part of my identity and confidence for so many years. I’ve grown it long, cut it short, spiked, coloured, mohawked and even curled it.

Ten years ago I had my own Britney breakdown on New year’s eve and started shaving my head while blind drunk. Obviously I needed some help finishing it off.

What followed was months of regrowth; it took about 6 months for me to have any kind of recognizable hairstyle. This happened back when the barbering/hairdressing industry was a very different place, before the resurgence in popularity of the barbering profession over the past 6 years.

I first noticed my hair thinning around 5 years ago. At first it was a few photos from unflattering angles, followed by the odd comment and even having my crown poked with the words “What’s that?”.

My hair has thinned to transparency throughout my crown area, and the front hairline has receded as well, making the remaining hair half the thickness as it is on my sides and nape.

Although I’ve looked into processes such as hair transplants, micro-needling and trying to make changes to my diet and lifestyle, I’ve found that the options available to me are either ineffective or prohibitively expensive to have done.

Although I can style my hair well, it takes a level of effort that I feel no longer pays off with how thin it has become. Almost like trying to style smoke in some parts.

The only way forward I see for myself at the moment is to simply shave my head. The main difference this time is that I have 10 years of experience in hair AND I have a beard!

After a long chat with Matt, one of my colleagues at Keep The Faith Social Club, we decided to take it down as short as possible using the Wahl Cordless Detailers and then tapered in the neckline with a foil shaper.

We also ended up blending the beard out rather than creating a point. (This decision was made using one of those Wheel of Fortune style apps).

This post and decision may seem very sudden or even drastic, but this post has taken me months to write. The past 4 years have been a long journey for my hair to say the least. Now it’s finally done, I feel like there has been a weight lifted, obviously physically but I also now feel like I don’t have to worry about what my hair looks like.

I was expecting it to feel so alien to me and yet it just feels alarmingly normal, which is something I didn’t even account for. I guess that’s the difference between taking the time to prepare yourself for a big change, rather than being a drunken mess, yeeting your hair straight into a bin on New Year’s Eve!

I’ll admit that I’m still not sure about it. I even forget about what I’ve done sometimes until I see myself in a mirror. But I still believe it was the best thing I could have done!

Not all changes have to be big or drastic, sometimes something small can equal big change.

Changing your shopping habits is something so subtle and accessible that you’ll hardly notice a difference, and you’ll save some money along the way!

Single use plastic in particular is almost at a crisis level. In 2016 we produced 335 million metric tons of plastic, half of which which was exclusively for single use packaging. [1]

Ripple is among the first zero-waste stores in Cardiff. Allowing you as a consumer to purchase your everyday items such as pasta and washing powder without having to shell out for unnecessary single use packaging!

The store is stacked from floor to ceiling with all kinds of products. All in handy, well-marked containers that are easy to access. They stock all kinds of dried food, spices, cereals, grains, sweets, and household products. They also stock some zero-waste lifestyle products and clothing as well as some cosmetic supplies.

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The whole concept of zero-waste living can come across as being quite lofty and unattainable. But in fact it’s actually helped me be more organised when I shop and in my kitchen at home, and is nowhere near as expensive as I’d been led to believe.

The great thing about it is that you can use any container you own to purchase your products. For example I have an old bottle of Jack Daniels filled with Faith in Nature shampoo as well as an empty tin of Uppercut Deluxe that I stash raw chocolate raisins in for work.

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One of the most handy things I’ve bought is their all purpose cleaner. As with all of the other items in the store, you can fill your own container by weight. But being a cleaning product, you ideally want to keep the information written on the bottle for reference. So what they did was make bottle for it. On your first purchase the bottle and cleaner cost £5 which seems a little pricey. However if you bring the bottle back when it’s empty, a refill only costs you £2!

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Ripple has really pulled it out of the hessian sack. Their store is stunning and very well stocked with pretty much everything you need to start and maintain your zero-waste journey. By changing my habits and phasing out single use packaging I’m saving myself money and more importantly. Reducing my reliance on single use plastic!

There are many different styles of facial hair, ranging from clean-shaven to the full Alaskan lumberjack and everything in between.

I actually let my own beard grow out just to make this post for you guys so you’d better appreciate it, because it was a pain in the ass.

Right side.

Straight on.

Left side.

Above was taken after I had my hair cut. As a result, my beard no longer matched my hair and made me look untidy. Now, I’m a fan of a style called “The Ducktail”. This beard style is blended from the sideburns down into the length of the hair at the wearers chin. This creates a smooth and distinctive tapered shape that resembles the tail of a duck.

To start I used this beard wash from Lush called Kalamazoo to make sure I had clean and debris free facial hair to work with. It is loaded with Pineapple enzymes and apricot kernels. This leads to clear skin without stripping away the skin and hairs natural oils. I’ve been buying this beard wash for 3 years now and I cannot recommend it enough.

Beginning at the edges of the facial hair, I use my Wahl Detailer to line up my cheeks and neckline. Taking care to remove enough hair to leave me with a clean, strong perimeter line. The next step involves using your preferred beard oil (Mine is Iron Horse by The Oil Can Grooming) to assist in blow-drying your beard. I use a small round brush and my dryer to smooth out my beard. Blow-drying the beard allows you to get a true sense of the shape already there. Carefully I use the Detailers to sculpt the shape, freehand.  To finish I use scissors to polish off any remaining strays. The last step is to use a straight razor to shave the trimmed part such as my neck and upper cheeks. To prevent irritation I use Kiehls Smooth Glider Shave Lotion  the product allows the blade to just glide over the skin without any resistance, leaving clean shaven skin underneath.

In order to really complete the look on longer beards, it’s worth investing in a beard balm. My choices are any of the ManMane range (I have the Jardin Du Monde) and the new Beard Balm from Uppercut Deluxe. Both will help to really seal in the style by allowing you to manipulate your beard and great a smooth shape. Oils are good for maintaining the condition of the hair, but ultimately don’t have the hold and control of a balm.

My own beard has gone through its fair share of updates and changes over the years. As I gain more experience as a professional, I find better ways to achieve the required results. This post has been drastically overhauled since it was first posted back in 2015.

If you need any help with your facial hair then check out my work and book a visit from The Bike Barber or you can also get a cut from me at Keep The Faith Social Club in Royal Arcade, Cardiff!

I’ve moved into an amazing room in a modern, clean 7 bedroom house.

I got a first floor bedroom with a bay window. It lets in so much natural light that I haven’t had to turn on the spotlights until 9pm in the summer. The room came with a fitted desk, built-in wardrobe, a Malm chest of drawers and an en suite bathroom.

I lost no time making myself feel at home! I set up my IKEA Kallax units in the corner to create a display and storage wall. This whole setup allows me to display most of my cameras as well as my most useful and refered-to books. Any items I don’t want on display I keep in the boxes on the lower shelves. The Kallax units I’ve had for two and three years respectfully, they’ve come with me all the way from my first flat, a testament to the longevity of cared-for flatpack.

At the moment this is one of my favourite parts of the room, my tower of power! The triangle shelving unit was from Flying Tiger, it displays my cameras perfectly without making the space feel cluttered. The Moppe drawers are great, I wanted to use them to organise small items, in particular my collection of unused camera film. I find old film quite frequently, often in a bag of old cameras that’s been given to me or when express imaging has some interesting emulsion floating around in their “last chance” jar. I painted them with chalkboard paint in order to write the contents of the drawer with a chalk pen, handy if you have every changing small items in storage like myself.

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The bathroom is a decent size for an en suite, nice modern fitting by Porcelanosa with a heated towel rail, sink and storage throughout. The shower in particular has more than enough space with a glass door and a fixed waterfall head. Let’s just say it’s a lot easier to get out of bed living here!

The house also has a pretty big kitchen and a nice split level garden, a great space that I was able to host my Vegan BBQ in!

All things considered I’m so happy in my new place. Being in such a clean, organised space does wonders for my ability to create. I feel free in my room to do whatever I need to do, all my books and equipment are on hand and easily accessable, even the stuff thats hidden out of the way is still really easy to get to. Heres hoping I get to stay here for a while!

Packing to go anywhere can be a royal pain. No matter what, we’ll always forget something and there’s nothing more annoying than getting to a hotel to find out you’ve left your toothbrush and toothpaste in your bathroom at home!

I found that this happened one to many times so I created a solution: my grab tin.

A while ago I got this Dove Men+Care giftsetthat came presented with this study metal…

Boys don’t cry (and look at where that got us)

So this year I’ll be taking part in the Distinguished Gentleman’s ride* for prostate cancer and men’s mental health.

1 in 4 men die from suicide. 510,000 men die every year. Most of us know somebody who is already a victim, and if you don’t? Then you’re very lucky for the time being.

I may seem blunt on this post, but this is a blunt problem. Unfortunately men, from the cot to the coffin, have…

I’m a fanboy for Dr Martens….. I just need to say that out loud, admitting you have a problem is the first step!

My love for Dr Martens started with my parents. My Mother, an avid DM wearer for years and my father who I inherited my first pair of boots from!

My first pair were black, 10 hole, steel toe capped DMs they were lurking in my father’s shed. So naturally I adopted them as my own and…

This is my Mutt! There are many like it but this one is mine!

I’ve always wanted to ride a motorcycle. Ever since I was a kid watching Masked Rider (Kamen Rider) I wanted to be able to ride and be a hero. This only became more prevalent growing up. Terminator 2, The Great Escape, The Walking Dead; my life has been littered with heroic characters on two wheels!

There’s something effortlessly cool…

I love to barbecue, there’s nothing quite like it! I don’t know if its the charcoal, or if it’s just the novelty of cooking outside but food never seems to taste better than fresh off the grill. I decided to try my hand as hosting a vegan BBQ!

I set to work cleaning up my trusty Barrel BBQ.I first bought this about a year and a half ago from tesco, at only £40 it has been so worth the money. It…

Unfortunately I’m a sucker for army surplus. My belief is that these items still have life and use in them, and if it’s good enough to survive, then I’m sure my civilian life will prove no challenge.

I picked up this bag from a bargain bin in an army surplus store in Aberdare. I’d always wanted one for things like festivals and camping trips but had no idea I’d use it as much as I have.

It’s found use as a camping backpack. Capable of holding a full size, 5 man family tent, sleeping bag and food for 5 days. It was also amazingly useful while moving house, I loaded this bag up with everything from clothing  to my barrel BBQ (not at the same time, that would be a hideous mess) I’ve used it for festivals, general transport and sometimes as a storage solution.

Fully packed this bag can be a little unwieldy to say the least, luckily this version came with backpack straps to make it easier to use. Other versions of it came with an extended closure clip strap as a carrying handle. The small pocket on the outside is handy for keeping hold of small items that you need access to: keys, folded documents, or even your passport!

reinforced backpack straps

Fastening system

small document pocket and carry handle

original markings

As you can see, my bag came in fairly used condition. It still had its US markings as well as some letters on the bottom of the bag that had been painted over in white. If anyone has information on what these markings could be then I’d be delighted to find out!

Obviously I was lucky finding this bag in good condition for the price, being military surplus makes buying online a constant gamble. This bag only cost me £5, and while I can’t find a reliable link for one as cheap as mine, I did find a new version of the duffel bag, made by Mil-Tec that you can buy from eBay!

Over the past few years I’ve seen a few wooden watches online, but not knowing much about them I sort of admired them from a distance.

But I managed to get hold of a pair of watches from a company called Kerbholz. A German company started by two friends on a backpacking adventure in 2011. While travelling South America they fell in love with the way wood was being used to design beautiful furniture.

The Antique Sandalwood watch comes in the darker tone with Antique style brass fittings. A really nice and understated watch with something that also catches the eye.

The same watch in Rosewood is so much warmer and brighter. More immediately recognisable as being made from wood on the first glance. This finish really shows off the detail and natural lines of the wood grain.

Both of these items work so well as part of any outfit. In particular I’d pair the sandalwood watch with more formal looks such as the this outfit. I feel the rosewood watch works better as either a casual piece for every day wear or as a statement piece on an otherwise toned down outfit.

Overall both of these watches are just beautiful timepieces. Perfect for everyday wear as well as a smart addition to any design fans collection.