Friday Fix – 17 Oct

Posted on in Announcements by Sarah Rodrigues

Hello!

Have you all had a good week? Here’s hoping so!

I’m at the airport on my way to Prague but, earlier in the week, I had the rather random experience of having two people, one on my train up to Nottingham, and the other, several hours later, on the train back, both reading Charles Bukowski.

I do believe in signs, but I’m not sure how to interpret this one. I shall simply leave you with a quote from the man himself:

“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”

Happy weekend!

Sarah

BGTW Algarve Trip 6-10 November

If you have been able to, or are close to securing, a commission for the BGTW Algarve Trip (6-10th November; itinerary here), this is your final call to update charlotte@bgtw.org or request a place; the last places will be confirmed next week.

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Buy Your BGTW Gala Tickets for 3 November 2025 Today

Haven’t ordered your Gala Dinner ticket yet? Time is running out (especially for those with dietary requirements, which are required by Monday). Order your tickets here using the password: 202565.

There are still a handful of super-discounted £65 members’ tickets available for what promises to be a glitzy evening with PRs, DMOs, and Editors in attendance who are all keen to network with you! Plus, a sparkling reception, three-course dinner, free-flow drinks package, charity raffle, entertainment, launch of the 65th Anthology “Around The World in 65 Years” and of course, the Members’ Excellence Awards. 

We promise you that it’s going to be a spectacular night celebrating the Guild’s 65th anniversary. 

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Sri Lanka/ WTM

Sri Lanka would like to invite Guild members, especially those who went on the Sri. Lanka convention, to their press conference at WTM.
To book a place please use this link.

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30th October Webinar – Free for Members: Travel Writing Webinars: What makes you a good ‘sustainable travel journalist’?

Sign up using the code oct25bgtw to “purchase” on this link to either attend the live webinar or receive the recording and resources afterwards (This webinar is free for BGTW Members only; please do not forward this email or share the discount code outside the Guild)Topic: With so many journalists exploring, writing about and specialising in sustainable travel, are we asking the right questions to ensure we can confidently call ourselves s

ustainable travel writers or journalists with ‘expertise in sustainable travel’? From carbon to culture, what should we be asking of hotels, tour ops and providers? (full description)Date: Thursday, 30th October at 2pm-3.15pm GMT Live (also recorded)Moderated by Meera Dattani, BGTW Member, the founder of Travel Writing Webinars, executive editor at Adventure.com,

 and a freelance travel and culture journalist.Panellists: Justin Francis OBE, co-founder and executive chair of Responsible Travel; Lebawit ‘Lily’ Girma, multi-award-winning travel journalist and founder of Tourism Lens Media; Mirjam Peternek-McCartney, founder of Lemongrass PR, specialising in meaningful change in travel communications. 

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Reminder: Complimentary invite to Bradt Guide’s Latin America Travel Festival (8 November)

Bradt Guides – in partnership with Wanderlust magazine – is hosting the inaugural Latin America Travel Festival at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington on 8th November (at the end of WTM week). And they are offering BGTW members complimentary tickets! To claim your free member ticket, email marketing@bradtguides.com directly with BGTW in the subject header.

Several members of the Guild are participating in the festival. Nori Jemil will be giving a photography masterclass; Shafik Meghji will be speaking about his new book, Small Earthquakes; and Mary Anne Evans will be interviewing some of the contributors of Latin America tales to the Guild’s very own anthology, which is publishing that same week. Come along and give them your support!

Others on the festival line-up include TV director Rory Jackson, who will describe what it was like living with the Waimaha community for an episode of Bruce Parry’s Tribe, and Mary Ellen Moriarty, contestant in the celebrity series of Race Across the World. Hilary Bradt, Lyn Hughes and many others will also be speaking. It promises to be a colourful and entertaining day. For more info, see the website here.

As well as providing complimentary tickets for BGTW members, Bradt is also making available some discounted tickets for BGTW friends and associates – these give access to the festival for £15 (70% off the standard price of £50). If you know anyone who might like to attend, please ask them to book tickets here and enter the code BGTW15 at checkout. Feel free to circulate the offer via social media feeds too – it would be great to drum up support for the festival, given the Guild’s involvement!

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Tim Bird’s book: Happy Land 

Tim Bird’s new book, Happy Land, is available for pre-order from Waterstones. Use code October25 for 25% off – but be quick, as the offer ends today! 

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Christmas Cheer in Newcastle

Many thanks to member Stuart Forster who has kindly stepped up to lead a Christmas market gathering in Newcastle city centre on Wednesday, 17 December 3.30-7.30 pm. He’s suggested a dusk stroll to capture photos of the festivities followed by a couple of drinks. Meeting point TBD. Please RSVP to Alicia at alicia.sheber@bgtw.org if you’d like to come along.

If any other members are interested in helping organise and host regional, pre-Christmas socials to celebrate the season with Guildies in your corners of the UK, please get in touch with Alicia.

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Oxford Visit

BGTW’s visit to Oxford on Monday, 27 October is planned to begin at 3pm and last until 5.30-6pm, although members may opt to stay on for dinner should they wish. We’ve planned an earlier end for those of us with long train commutes to and from Oxford. However, anyone wishing to spend the night can enjoy a discounted rate of £150 at the new-ish luxury hotel, The Store, which is kindly hosting us for coffee, tea and cake in its private dining room. 

It’s a chance to discover some of the city’s unexpected treasures thanks to the Oxford Guild of Tour Guides. The deadline to RSVP is Friday, October 24th, and no commission is required. If you’d like to go or have any questions, please get in touch with Alicia Sheber at alicia.sheber@bgtw.org


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Member Congratulations 

I’m so sorry for the oversight, but when listing AITO finalists last week, I missed Abi King. Congrats and best of luck, Abi! 

Winners of the Travel Media Awards were also announced this week, so congratulations to: 

Sophie Morgan: Accessible Travel Writer of the Year

Meera Dattani – for adventure.com‘s award for Online Consumer Publication of the Year

Karolina Wiercigroch: Photography Award

Domhnall O’Donoghue: Regional Publication Feature of the Year

Mike Unwin: Specialist Travel Feature of the Year 

Ellie Cobb: Sustainability Travel Feature of the Year

Nathan James, founder & editor of Intrepid Times – by proxy, as his associate editor, Thom Brown, won Emerging Writer of the Year. 

Well done to all of you! 

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New Members

Please join us in welcoming new members Rebecca McVeigh, Rachael Rowe, Leon Beckenham, Sonia Taourghi and Holly Budge. We look forward to meeting you in person at an event soon, and hope you’ll get loads out of being a part of the Guild. 

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Obituary

Toby Oliver, the retired Managing Director of travel PR consultancies TobyOliver and Partners,CIB PR and Oliver Relations has been in contact to let us know of the sad passing, last of Ian Carruthers, the UK Managing Director of Brittany Ferries for a large part of the 80s and 90s. Mr Carruthers was 79 and would have been known to many members of the BGTW. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. 

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Sarah Rodrigues
By: Sarah Rodrigues Freelance Travel Writer