Karina is available for commissioned work, reviewing caravans, motorhomes, campers and any other presenting work. Coasteering is an incredibly fun and full-on way to explore the rugged stretch of coastline, through the combination of swimming, climbing, cliff jumping, clambering and possibly some belly-flopping! It gives you the opportunity to experience normally inaccessible hidden coves and secret coastal caves of the magical Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland. Get in touch with Causeway Coasteering to find out more. Yes, you read that correctly! There are designated spaces for motorhomes at the bottom of the main car park. And after 6pm it’s totally free.

And this part of the road trip would take in yet another great route, voted one of Britain’s favourite roads… The A470 – one of Britain’s favourite roadsThe little guidebook we’d found said nothing about narrow roads right on the edge of deep, dark-water reservoirs! Spending the night inside a caravan during Grade 3 insulation tests. Temperatures in the climate centre dropped as low as -30’C So, less than two months later we returned to explore the area fully and complete the drive in a more nimble vehicle, our trusty little Skoda Fabia estate. Michael and Frances write a monthly destination feature and a monthly technical feature for the magazine under their own names and write for other industry magazines under a nom de plume. Home to the fastest zipline in the world and the longest in Europe, Penrhyn Quarry on the edge of Snowdonia National Park is unlike any other average zipline you’ve ever been on before. Named Velocity 2, Zipworld will have you soaring like a bird, as you zoom head first, for over a mile, 500 metres above the bright blue quarry. Afterwards you can learn all about the history of the quarry on the Penrhyn Quarry tour.

Building on the hard work and success of the previous Awards Co-Ordinator Terry Owen, the Awards were updated this year to include new criteria for both the entry qualifications and the judging process. Crossing a 10km stretch of frozen Baltic Sea with a caravan, reaching an island that’s only accessible by ‘road’ for a few weeks each year. A grand total of 16 entries were received for the Douglas King Award for Journalism, encompassing both established magazine titles and personal blogs. It was delightful to see so many writers enter the Awards for the first time. All entries were judged by an independent panel who assessed many aspects including structure, presentation and accuracy of facts, grammar, and level of engagement and creativity. It led to an interesting discussion about which is best for road trips: motorhomes or cars. Assessing the pros and cons of each, for us the motorhome wins every time – until you come to a hill!A470 heads north, following the river Wye as it meanders its way from the Brecon Beacons National Park up into the county of Powys in Mid Wales. Runner up in this award was Andy Barnett of Motorhome Adventures Vlog. Together with his wife Michelle, Andy produced an excellent video which was praised for its ‘excellent camera work’. As the only finalist who was not a CWG member, the committee was delighted to offer Andy one year’s Associate Membership of the Guild. Michael has been successfully selling his writings since the 1970s and specialises by writing about travel as it relates to Superyachts, Yachts, Campervans and Motorhomes. Photographs by Frances Howorth always accompanies his writing and frequently appears independently in other publications, calendars, postcards and posters. As if mountains, waterfalls, and crashed WWII bombers weren’t enough on this road trip, a short drive north would lead us into yet more spectacular scenery…

We were down to second gear round the hairpin bends but overall our VW Cree managed it without an issue. The main distraction for the driver are the views. We simply had to pull over a few times and take it all in. Nigel is Swedish company Alde's first Brand Ambassador, working closely with both Alde UK and Alde Sweden. He has also produced features for both the Caravan and Motorhome Club and the Camping & Caravanning Club. Nigel is a lifelong caravanner (and I mean life-long!), and together with his wife Kay, they have toured extensively in both the UK and on the Continent. Having successfully negotiated the roads around several of the spectacular reservoirs and dams we now sat staring at a hill ahead of us that was probably beyond the van’s capabilities.has been a whirlwind year for a relative newcomer to the industry, Karla Baker. In a short period of time, her writing skills, enthusiasm, and her passion for inspiring others has earned her commissions with high profile magazines across different markets. It was a touching piece written for the Caravan and Motorhome Club Magazine that won over the judges and saw Karla win the Douglas King Award for Journalism 2019. The road is in great condition with many sections having been resurfaced over the last few years. You can get a real move on but there are some twists and turns to look out for and it’s best to take your time anyway as the scenery is beautiful in places. There is a poignant reminder of this at the Visitor Centre where 27 large stones stand like sentinels, each reminding us of the villages that were lost forever when the taps were turned on and the water filled the valleys. 27 standing stones, each representing a village in the Elan Valley that was lost under the water The old metal mines at Cwmystwyth Both Michael & Frances are additionally members of the British Guild of Travel Writers, the Travel Writers Alliance, and the Yachting Journalists Association. It was such a pleasurable 20 mile drive that we turned around and did it the other way. You’ll probably want to as well.

From Left to Right, Chris Apperley (Guild Chairman), John Sootheran, Nigel Coppen (Business Development Director of Vantage Insurance). Nigel served for thirty years in the Police, spending fifteen years on Traffic and the final twelve on Forensic Collision Investigation, providing highly detailed reports for various Courts, where he and his colleagues were classed as “Expert Witnesses”. After popping in to the Elan Valley Visitor Centre where we acquired a free map, we set off and spent a glorious autumnal day negotiating the tiny roads that led to the five dams: Claerwen, Craig-goch, Pen Y garreg, Garreg ddu, and Caban-coch. Excerpt: ‘Not only has all this fresh air had a postive impact on our physical health, it’s been good for our mental health, too. It has given me a sense of adventure and freedom that I never imagined possible, and it goes to show that having a disability doesn’t have to be a barrier to getting out there and exploring new places. With determination, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.’

Associate Members

Natasha previously worked in the motor industry and her passion for all things automotive seamlessly transferred over to the leisure vehicle industry. In 2019, Natasha (and Jon) were loaned a motorhome for 12 months by the Erwin Hymer group to tour and share their experience via social media. From the Beacons you’ll reach Rhayader within 90 minutes in a motorhome. Then it’s a left turn onto the B4518 that will lead you right into the Elan Valley. Little did we know that we’d got to within 100 yards of a crashed Wellington bomber that remained hidden from view in the mist! The story of the dead airmen stayed with us for a few days. To help lay the ghosts to rest we did something Hobo Gav had been keen to do for some time; drive our old motorhome along the ‘Top Gear’ road where they test drive many of the cars for the TV show.