From Left to Right, Chris Apperley (Guild Chairman), John Sootheran, Nigel Coppen (Business Development Director of Vantage Insurance). This is where you need to know the limitations of your van. The weather hadn’t been favourable; the road was wet and even though there was no signpost indicating the percentage of the incline it looked damn steep to us! We sat there watching cars snaking their way up and around the hairpin bends in second gear.

On our first visit (in August 2020) we saw maybe only two or three other motorhomers who were brave (or stupid) enough to drive these roads. From Left to Right, Karla Baker, Chris Apperley (Guild Chairman), Nigel Coppen (Business Development Director of Vantage Insurance).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.

Nigel regards himself as a caravan enthusiast who writes about his lifelong hobby (having owned caravans for the best part of forty years and towed for a few more!), and lets his work do the “talking”.Hay-on-Wye: if you love books you’ll be in paradise. (And if you’re in a campervan or motorhome you can park for free overnight in the main car park) A desire to showcase the industry to a new audience led to the launch of Holiday Living magazine for Kelsey Media in 2016, extending that scope further to include many other leisure options including short stays, touring, glamping and UK tourist attractions. 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. 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. 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.

Every May the town hosts the ‘Hay Festival’, attracting thousands of book-lovers from all over the UK.

Karina is available for commissioned work, reviewing caravans, motorhomes, campers and any other presenting work.

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. 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. Runner up in this category was the very popular and well-known writer Peter Baber for his delightful touring feature ‘A Revolutionary Approach,’ which appeared in Practical Caravan Magazine. In the crowded genre of travel, Peter’s ‘high standard of literacy and engagement’ stood out. 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.

Associate Members

You can see why Shelley loved this place so much. Though, of course, in his time before the dams were built the landscape would have looked very different. 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. Early years were spent running her own PR agency supporting events operators, stately homes/estates, park and leisure home manufacturers, parks and industry suppliers. That led to feature writing for Park Home & Holiday Caravan, editorship of Park Home News and editing and publishing Park Lifestyle. Editor of Holiday Living and Park Lifestyle magazines, and Editor at Large for Park Home & Holiday Caravan and the Residential Parks Guide, Bella has specialised in leisure industry communications for over two decades.