Following a fantastic members event at Daly’s in March (thank you to Mary Anne for organising), the first since the last AGM, and everyone settling into their new roles both on and off the Board, the next chance for everyone to get together in London is on 29th April (see details below) with some regional events soon to follow.
There’s a lot going on behind the scenes. All the Board members are working hard to make this a great year for the BGTW, and Dan and I continue working with Charlotte to tidy up the admin side while also focusing on workshops and benefits. Many of these will become obvious soon, while others will be more evident when we get closer to membership renewals later in the year.
There’s plenty packed into this bumper edition of In:House as we move to three-weekly, rather than fortnightly, updates. Keep reading for pub press stays, exciting upcoming events, and an update from Peter Jolly on the BGTW’s own vine becoming wine after seven years.
Chris Coe, on behalf of the BGTW Board
In this issue of In:House you will find:
- A helping hand
- John Malathronas’ Obituary
- Jennie Carr’s funeral
- Member survey & benefits – An update from Dan
- Awards
- Podcasts and ‘talking heads’
- Newly uploaded webinars and future digital/in-person training resources
- Photography Workshops
- Guild Modernisation & Rebranding
- Membership
- Links with PRs
- Events – An update from Mary Anne
- Summer press stays – An update from Valery
- Details of a press trip to Desert & Delta Safaris this June
- Brean: Britan’s biggest beach looks forward to a big year in 2024
- Isle of Man Coverage
- Sustainability – An update from Dan
- Website
- BGTW Vines: Drinking the fruits of his labours (contributed by Peter Jolly)
A helping hand
Lisa Kjellsson and Demi Perera have stepped forward to join a growing list of members helping and supporting the Board, and to them all, We’d like to offer a big thank you. Lisa is getting involved in the Awards, and Demi will support Renate on Partnerships and Sponsorship. The Guild relies on you to give something back and wouldn’t survive without that. So if you have something to offer, please get in touch. There are still areas we need help with.
Sarah Lee has been moderating the Facebook page for some time now (thank you, Sarah), but she would like to take a break. If you would be willing to take on this role, we’d be very grateful. Please contact Chris or Sarah.
John Malathronas’ Obituary
A well-written and heartwarming tribute to John was published in The Times last week. For those with a subscription, it can be read on this link. For those without a subscription, the obituary can be read here.
Courtesy of The Times / News Licensing.
Jennie Carr’s funeral
The funeral and ‘Celebration of Life’ for the lovely Jennie Carr was a fitting tribute to a wonderful, generous, positive woman who gave so much to so many people and organisations. Both the service at GreenAcres Chiltern and the gathering afterwards at The Royal Oak, Bovingdon Green, were full to bursting point and for many attending there was a sudden realisation of exactly how much she did for so many people. Goodbye Jennie, you will be missed.
Member survey & benefits – An update from Dan
On April 23rd, you will receive a ‘BGTW Members Survey’. Initially, this was going to focus on sustainability. However, it’s been agreed that it will cover various areas to ensure that we, as the Board, best represent all members’ views and open up conversations that otherwise would be left to the AGM.
It would be great if all members could take ten minutes to complete the form when it arrives. In it, we will also ask for feedback on the kind of benefits you would like me to work on sourcing, capturing your recently published works for promotion on the Guild’s channels, and requesting thoughts on other important areas, including how our website is used to help connect PRs with our membership for potential commissions.
Awards
Work on restructuring the Awards is progressing well. Lots of members have fed in comments and ideas to the review panel – thanks for your input – and a vibrant discussion has been going on. The panel is now at the recommendation stage and busy compiling proposed changes for the middle of April. We hope to be able to announce this year’s awards at the end of April or the beginning of May.
The Spanish Tourist Office (UK) has confirmed the shortlist for Spain’s Sustainable Media Awards 2024. Good luck to all the BGTW members who have been nominated!
Podcasts and ‘talking heads’
Jon, Alex, Martin and Chris have now met for the first discussion and have formulated a plan for a pilot episode. This will take a little time to put together, so we hope to have more news on it in the next newsletter. We are also progressing in planning to do a live recording of a ‘talking heads’ style interview with an audience as an entertaining event for members. Depending on venue availability, this will most likely be in May or June.
Newly uploaded webinars and future digital/in-person training resources
Last year, the Guild hosted two insightful webinars titled “Unravelling Greenwashing in Travel Media” and “Get Savvy with Coaching”, which are now available for members to watch for free online. To access these two recently published webinars and our full suite of videos, please visit the member-only video section of the BGTW website.
While there are no current plans to host regular webinars as we return to more in-person events post-lockdowns, we are discussing holding one on sustainability later in the year. We will ensure, whenever feasible, that any in-person training events are recorded so that all members can benefit from these.
Photography Workshops
We’ve secured a venue in Central London to hold some free members’ photography workshops starting in June and/or July. Would you like to join, and if so, what would you like the workshops to be about? You’ll also get the opportunity to find out about and try new cameras if you are considering upgrading yours. Initial thoughts are “Photography for Travel Writers” and “The Skill of Picture Editing”, but we can cover whatever you’d like to learn. Let us know your thoughts by emailing Chris.
Guild Modernisation & Rebranding
The review panel, which will make recommendations on how the Guild can best represent its members and work closer with the travel industry, is ready to start the process. Times change, especially after the pandemic, and it’s important to reflect on the organisation and its relevance from time to time, both to make it better and keep it relevant. Thanks to Alicia Sheba, Kassondra Cloos, Lisa Kjellsson and Daniel Clarke for stepping forward to do this. If you have any thoughts on modernising the Guild, please send these to Dan for the panel to discuss.
Membership
Sarah Rodrigues has now contacted all members who paused their membership last October to invite them to rejoin. The interest is there, so watch this space to see how many old faces choose to be new faces again.
There have also been a good number of new membership enquiries and strong interest in joining.
Links with PRs
Our relationship with the travel industry, particularly with PRs, is essential to the Guild. To this end, some of the Board will meet with a group of PRs later this month to get their feedback on what the Guild is getting right, areas we could improve on, and how we can work closer with them to help all members.
If you know any particularly important PRs, please email Chris with their names and contact details so we can consider inviting them. Spaces are limited, so we’d like to spread the net as wide as possible. We are also hosting a networking evening for members with PRs this month; details are below.
Events – An update from Mary Anne
Monday April 29th: Meet the PRs/Networking event. London, 6-9 pm (Venue TBC)
Monday June 24th – Wednesday June 26th: Media Getaway in Glasgow
A few final spots remain at the Travel Connection Group’s Media Getaway in Glasgow, which includes a reception, 1-1 meetings with travel companies, and short trips around Glasgow as part of its programme. There will also be a dedicated social get-together for Guild members. Find more details and apply to attend here before the end of April.
Summer Party – Monday July 1st: Fredericks Restaurant at Angel, London
Gala Dinner – Monday 4th November: Venue TBC (Note the change of date due to WTM being Tuesday-Thursday this year)
Events under discussion: Discussions are ongoing regarding regional events in the South West, Yorkshire, Durham County, and a London sustainability event in September.
Summer press stays – An update from Valery
I am delighted to announce a new collaboration with St Austell Brewery and the British Guild of Travel Writers. Based in South West England St Austell Brewery has more than 160 pubs, of which around a third have fantastic accommodation, and will be happy to host members of the Guild who have a confirmed review with an acceptable outlet.
Currently St Austell Brewery is inviting writers and journalists to stay at their newly refurbished Pier House in the harbour of Charlestown, Cornwall. More details below:
Invite to stay at St Austell Brewery’s newly refurbished harbourside pub, The Pier House
St Austell Brewery is really excited to say that its huge renovation of the Pier House in Charlestown, Cornwall, is almost complete. The historic pub is currently undergoing a partial rebuild and transformational refurbishment following a devastating fire in January 2023.
We’re sensitively exposing the history of the building, showcasing the grandeur of the structure and how it’s been used over the years. There will be a dedicated restaurant area, lots of cosy nooks to sit and watch the world go by, and a lovely new bar, fully stocked with our range of award-winning beers. The 23 rooms are also receiving a major makeover, with the introduction of new textures and materials to reflect the pub’s coastal surroundings. A selection of our rooms is also dog friendly.
With the reopening fast approaching in June we’d love to invite writers able to contribute to national papers and publications for a stay with us. We can offer two (2) nights in the Pier House from mid-July (August dates would be weekdays only, due to summer holidays) for either one or two guests. One evening meal with two drinks will be part of the complimentary package, as well as a St Austell Brewery tour if writers would like one.
St Austell Brewery are also offering to host members at any of their other pubs. Here’s a link to the website which shows a map of their managed estate pubs, where they tend to book most of their press trips: www.staustellbrewery.co.uk/pubs-rooms/managed-pubs/. We will be featuring different pubs in future newsletters to whet your appetite.
Please contact either myself for more information at valery.collins@bgtw.org or make a direct application to Charlotte charlotte.turner@staustellbrewery.co.uk
Details of a press trip to Desert & Delta Safaris this June
Desert & Delta Safaris is arranging a press trip to Botswana this June. To join the trip, journalists will need to secure a national or luxury publication commission.
For further information please contact valery.collins@bgtw.org.
BREAN: BRITAN’S BIGGEST BEACH LOOKS FORWARD TO A BIG YEAR IN 2024
Anyone interested in covering stories about Brean (a lovely spot in Somerset and Britain’s biggest beach) and potential press trips, please get in touch with Valery Collins.
There’s lot to say in terms of vintage British beach holiday, whatever the weather. But also other angles for other publications, including eco, staying in low key accommodation, back to nature as well as plenty of walks/cycling. TV tie ins just keep coming and there’s lot of new things to say – eg history tour NT and national walking trail. Food and drink is another big one, with local producers and lots of cider as well as Somerset Amaretto
Isle of Man Coverage
If you have yet to submit your published articles or media from the AGM, please send links / clippings to Charlotte.
Sustainability – An update from Dan
I will submit our annual update to the Glasgow Declaration at the end of the month. This is an annual requirement following our initial pledges last year. Much of this is just providing updates on some of the great work that has happened, such as hosting a flight-free AGM, rather than adding any new pledges, as these will always be agreed upon at an AGM motion vote going forward and involve feedback from the mentioned survey.
I know there was a lot of discussion about this, so I invite you to review the draft document here and send any comments to daniel.clarke@bgtw.org. The final copy will be signed off before submission at the next Board meeting, taking your feedback into account. We are also working on an event in September with sustainability (from conservation to commissions) at its core. I will share the date and details in the next newsletter.
Website
Simon Willmore has made good progress with identifying updates for our website’s backend to ensure it integrates with the front end. We are moving towards system testing in July ahead of membership renewals in October.
If everything goes to plan, the renewal process will be brought together and managed in a single user interface, including updating member profiles. This will allow the auditing of membership qualifications and a new code of conduct for everyone to sign up to. So, a heads-up – start preparing the articles, tear sheets, photographs, blogs and broadcasts to support your membership now so that you don’t have a mad scramble at renewal time.
BGTW Vines: Drinking the fruits of his labours (contributed by Peter Jolly)
Way back in 2017, Honorary Life Member Peter Jolly planted a vine on behalf of the Guild at the Leonardslee Estate in Horsham, West Sussex, not far from his home. Now, some seven years later, he has been invited back to taste the fruits of his labours.
It was back in 2016 that Penny Streeter OBE purchased Leonardslee with the vision of creating a spectacular wine estate covering 38 acres to provide English sparkling wine from fruit grown and nurtured in its own wineyard.
Penny Streeter is not new to the world of wine having created the highly successful Benguela Cove wine estate in South Africa. The estate produces award-winning wines under the leadership of the Leonardslee winemaker, Johann Fourie. The Leonardslee Estate includes Leonardslee House, Interlude Restaurant, The Vineyard Hotel, Mannings Heath Golf Club and Leonardslee Lake and Gardens.
The official launch of their three English sparkling wines, Leonardslee Blanc de Blanc, Brut Reserve and Brut Rose will be at the estate on June 5th and 6th.
