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In spring 2015, I made my way to a private house in the Tawe Valley to meet Sadie, a transvestite who had set up a transgender support group called ‘Tawe Butterflies’.

I’d noticed that while there was an increasing number of transgender stories and issues appearing in the press, very few, if any, were coming from south Wales and I wanted to explore why.

I didn’t really know what to expect from the meeting. The Tawe Butterflies’ monthly meetings were always held at Sadie’s house. When Sadie wasn’t dressed as Sadie, she was a tough talking ex-builder, in her late 60s, called Paul.

That meeting opened my eyes to the diversity of the transgender world. There were transvestites and transgender members, as well as some wives and partners. It was clear that they all found these meetings a great source of friendship, laughter and support. For some, the meetings were also a life-line and the only time they were able to really be themselves. Some were there alone and hiding the truth from their families.

This initial, enlightening meeting set me on a path that would ultimately lead to two documentaries, filming over the best part of two years, to new friendships and a steep learning curve about the diverse individuals who come under the transgender umbrella.

With Sadie’s help, I started exploring whose stories to tell in the first documentary - - and that’s when I first made contact with the family of 15 year old Llyr Jones from near Aberystwyth in west Wales.

Llyr comes from a traditional Welsh-speaking farming family and had only recently identified herself as transgender. I realised how courageous it was for Llyr to take this step in such a rural community where her situation was certainly not ‘the norm’.

Her mum Diane had contacted Sadie asking for advice and in the first programme we saw Llyr dress as a girl in public for the first time when she attended ‘Swansea Sparkle’, Wales’ biggest transgender event. This shy girl made quite an impression that night, winning the title of ‘Miss Swansea Sparkle 2015’. It boosted her confidence enormously.

We also saw how her mum, Diane, and father, Huw, were coping with the changes. Diane was taking a very practical approach and Llyr had confided in her early on. She was determined to support Llyr and learn about the transition process.

For Huw, a traditional cattle farmer, I could see it was a baptism of fire. The word ‘transgender’ was alien to him. He was struggling to come to terms with the thought of his son becoming his daughter and he feared the reaction from the community. He thought they would all be ostracised.

My first interview with Huw in his cattle shed really moved me. You could see the dilemma etched on his face. Llyr being transgender had blindsided him and yet he said he always knew that Llyr was ‘different’ and that all of the things he had noticed about Llyr growing up weres now starting to make sense. I knew that having Huw in the programme was vital. He truly embodied the internal ‘dilemma’ faced by parents and his questions and concerns would likely mirror those of some of the audience who would also be learning about transgender.

After the first programme was broadcast in March 2016, Huw realised that his fears had been unfounded. The community generally reacted well and the various generations of his own family have slowly accepted Llyr too.

Soon after that programme, I pitched a follow-up documentary that would continue to track Llyr’s transition in the year that she turned 16: .

I’m so glad that ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Wales supported the idea, as over the last year I have seen Llyr flourish from a shy 15 year old to a confident young woman who is bravely carving out her own destiny.

Throughout, my goal was to reflect the truth; the joy and the uncertainty that they all experienced. Huw remains a very honest voice about the struggle he has faced. There is no ‘handbook’ on how you react and cope in their situation but Huw and Diane have done the very best they can for Llyr. The three of them are such strong and contrasting individuals but together they are a robust family unit.

When you spend this much time with a family, you get to know them, care about them and there is a real trust formed. I feel privileged to have been able to tell their story. I will be staying in touch with Llyr, Diane and Huw and I very much hope that Llyr’s future will be as she hopes, “surrounded by people she loves and happy”.