Darkness On The Edge of Town?

"I live on the edge of town, on the other side of the tracks - hang on; that sounds like a Bruce Springsteen song.

Although I do live on the edge of town - it's called Cathays, and a lot of it lies behind a railway line - so it's probably what he was thinking of.

Maybe Bruce parked his chevvy on Crwys Road, wandered down Fanny Street - making a joke about the name like everyone else - and found his way to Park Place, leaving behind the grey and being soothed by the warmer colours.

Then further along until it blooms into Cathays Park. But it isn't Bruce's short walk into town, it's mine!

Maybe it's the rush hour crawls of old that give this ordinary stroll its magic, because I can feel the beauty of the city upon me and town becomes my garden.

These journeys and routines often strangle our days, and as such hang off the edge of memory, barely in our consciousness.

But here I feel a simple tranquility, brought about by the surroundings, but at the same time I find it annoying that the same care and attention isn't given to every other route. That each building that rises up isn't one to please us, or calm us, or challenge us in some way.

There are a lot of good things about living on the edge of town, but like most suburbs, the buildings aren't on that particular list.

Maybe this was what Bruce was on about when he made 'Darkness on the Edge of Town'. Unless he meant the faulty lamppost on Woodville Road!"

Please tell us a little about yourself.
I am 29 years and 72 months old and have always lived in Cardiff, and eschew the constricting and subservient nature of a career - I am unemployable. Neighbours describe me as a quiet man who keeps himself to himself.

What's your story about?
It's about the quiet thrill of living on the edge of town; taking a walk to the centre and having the beauty of the city rise up around you as you go. It's also a disguised rant about bland, suburban architecture.

Why did you choose to tell this particular story?
I wanted to try and highlight something from the everyday and the ordinary and because the rest of my life is quite dull.

What did you find most rewarding about the workshop?
It was a great week all round! But it was good to learn a new skill and create in a way I hadn't before.