Making Bakewell tarts with my own pastry and jam. Cooking up a storm, and dancing with my girls.
Everything I do is for them.
And yeah, it’s tiring, and it’s noisy, and it’s messy all the bloody time. But I’m blissful in my chaos, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
I’m a big kid at heart. I love my gadgets, old-school rock, PS5 shoot-'em-ups, and Lego Technic. I had a sensible teacher job once, and even then I roped the whole school into making a zombie film with me (Spielberg’s been real quiet since “School of the Dead” dropped).
I love out-and-about adventures: dog walks, hiking, skiing. I used to ride a motorbike too, before fatherhood turned me into Captain Sensible.
But as much as I’d like to be all Kerouac-cool and ride off into the sunset, really I just want to be at home with my family.
I live a happy life in Wrexham with my two little whirlwinds, Maggie and Penny, my beautiful wife, Lowri, Nancy the Labrador, Ginny and Rosie the cats - and me, the family golden retriever.
Hi, I’m Mat.
Me and my stories
We found one of him on our wedding day, leaning on a chair in his giant NHS specs. Grumpy-smiling like the old man from 'Up'.
When my grandad died, the first thing we did was dig out the photos.
It’s having something you can cuddle-up to in thirty years’ time - pointing out faces and half-remembered details. Being right back there with the people you miss.
And more than anything, that’s what I want to give you. Your memories- your people- preserved carefully as they are.
Occasionally spectacular, often beautiful, sometimes flawed. But always, and above all, true.
And what kills me is that we don’t have any videos of him.
I’d love to watch him shuffling around the dancefloor, or see him hugging us after our ceremony. To hear him laugh again, hear his voice. And it wouldn't bother me if those moments weren’t perfect. I’d love them for him.
And I guess that’s the thing about making wedding films…
For all my arty, creative, ‘energy-in-movement’ bollocks, it's the genuine stuff that really matters.
"Mathew felt like family, made me completely comfortable despite my nerves, and captured our day beautifully with an amazing teaser."
- Charlotte Tydd
We cosy up in bed together; cartoons, cuddles, and a good strong coffee.
I dressing-gown downstairs, picking my way through an assault course of clutter. The dog bounding with me; the cats rubbing against me in their thinly veiled quest for food.
White-hot pain. I kick Barbie across the kitchen and shout wildly as rage consumes me. I breathe. I feed the cats.
I take Nancy Pants for a walk around our little village, over the hills and far away.
We return to a house of chaos (“Siriiiii? Play Pink Pony Cub! PRAY PRINK PRONY CRUB!”). We dance around the kitchen, and make pizzas together.
“It’s your turn to put the girls to bed”, I convince my exhausted wife. They go straight to sleep (here we stray into fantasy).
We cuddle up to a classic movie: snacks, wine, and our body weight in chocolate. Nancy sits with us, and falls asleep.
The bitch leaves (Nancy, that is).
Eight hours later, my noisy family wakes me up.
Like my little story?!
My noisy family wakes me up.
