Here's the latest information about members of Writers and Photographers unLimited and their travels.

Hopefully you'll find it interesting reading, but the real point is to keep you informed about WPu, whose members are all major players in the travel writing and travel photography world, all professionals. If we/they can be of service to you, please feel free to contact them direct.

SO WHAT ARE MEMBERS UP TO?

SURF UK Alf Alderson is back from winter travels in Canada and Italy to focus on a summer of surfing. First stop is Biarritz in April where he�ll be attempting to surf and ski in the same day with jaunts to the nearby Pyrenees from the coast if it goes flat (and if there�s any snow).

Then the height of the summer will see a circumnavigation of the UK coastline by campervan (oh, the carbon emissions!) to update his 1996 surf guide �Surf UK�, so if you�re looking for copy on the British surf scene or how the coastline has changed in the decade since the book was written, give Alf a call.

And if you want to actually learn to surf Alf is also your man, since he�ll be updating the award winning �Surfing - A Beginner's Manual� this summer too.

Contact Alf at alfie@alfalderson.co.uk or on 07977 057993.

ON A MISSION David Whitley has recently been staying with missionaries in the deepest, darkest Gambia, attending bizarre weddings in Senegal, ghost-hunting in Venice and learning to fire cannons in Malta. He's busy writing all of that up, as well as visits to Syracuse, Catania and Treviso. Next up is a visit to north-west France and Luxembourg in April, while discussions are underway for a big inter-railing trip through Eastern Europe. For some reason, he's decided it's a good idea to get back together with the university friends he did the big adventure with seven years ago, and relive the ordeal. David has also recently become the Feature Writer for International Events on Suite101.com. Contact: david.whitley@yahoo.co.uk; Tel: 07789 206 173; http://internationalevents.suite101.com)

A SELL OUT Christopher P. Baker recently returned from a hugely successful book promotion tour in Seattle and Vancouver, where he spoke to sold out crowds at two bookstores (in Vancouver, 200 people were turned away at the door of Travel Bug, in Vancouver), and interviewed with "Travel with Rick Steves," Canada's CBC radio, and Studio 4 TV. You can listen to the interviews by clicking on the links on Chris' website homepage: www.travelguidebooks.com.

Chris is currently working on stories about Cuba on behalf of Cuba Absolutely, the Automotive Traveler, plus Destinations. His main feature article about Cuba will run in the June edition of Caribbean Travel & Life. On other fronts, Chris has signed with Michelin to update "The Green Guide: USA West;" has been named a columnist for Editorial S.A. Endless Vacation magazine; and is currently totally rewriting and updating Traveler's Companion Costa Rica, previously authored by Maribeth Mellin.

In April, he will attend the Dominican Republic's travel trade show, DATE, before venturing to Panama to guide a hotelier and former Hollywood producer on a real estate scouting mission. Chris will be back in the DR for two months in late spring/early summer to research National Geographic Traveler Dominican Republic.

Contact: cpbaker@earthlink.net

LA PAZ TO LLANFAIR PG David Atkinson journeys from La Paz to Llanfair PG with two new guidebooks at the printers, a slew of travel stories planned and his first podcast to download to your iPods now. Bolivia: The Bradt Travel guide was published end Jan (buy it at www.bradt-travelguides.com/details.asp?prodid=161; Lonely Planet Wales will be published May 2007. Newspaper & magazine commissions so far in 2007: Lisbon (food), Scottish Highlands (winter activity), Tenerife (carnival) and Rotterdam (green tourism).

Forthcoming: Greenland for Wanderlust, Finland for The Observer and Wales for Coast Magazine, plus ideas for Switzerland (family travel), Slovakia (green tourism) and Albania (emerging destinations). Download the podcast from Reykjavik's Iceland Airwaves festival at http://www.lonelyplanet.com/podcasts/travelcasts/lpp-40-lonely_planet_iceland.mp3. David won the 2006 French Travel Article of the Year for a story about truffle hunting in the Lot Valley; read the winning story at www.atkinsondavid.co.uk. Email: atkinson.david@mac.com; Mobile: 07974 390436; Skype: atkinson.david

CONFIRMED COLUMNIST Robin McKelvie has just been confirmed as the Sunday Post's weekly travel columnist and Robin also has monthly travel columns in The Local Mag and bi-monthly in Highland Life, as well as his regular city break features in the Sunday Herald. Other published credits in 2007 include Ryanair, easyJet, British Airways Highlife, BMI Voyager, TNT and Walk Magazine. His 'Cool Camping: Scotland' guide is also out in April. Upcoming trips include Rome, Venice, Slovenia, Croatia, Latvia, Paris and Dubai.

Press trip invitations are welcome for April onwards. www.robinmckelvie.com

WITHDRAWAL SYMPTONS Claire Bowen is having withdrawal symptoms as she hasn�t been to Italy since December but is enjoying discovering other bits of Europe instead. Visited Riga in December, Malaga in January, heading off for a short break in Ghent in April and May sees me driving from Krakov to Prague via Polish mountains, Moravian vineyards and Bohemia.

Contact: 01934 862525.

GETTING MORE OUT OF LIFE There is more to life than downhill skiing � especially this season. Consider features from Judy Armstrong on snowshoeing or ski touring in the French Alps: inspirational images, can-do copy.

Thinking ahead to summer? Judy will be following the Loire River, via chateaux and vineyards, from sea to source, by bicycle. Recent material � words and quality digital images � includes exploring the Southern Alps of New Zealand on horse back, and travelling the Turkish Mediterranean by sea kayak and on foot.

To discuss feature options, contact judyc.armstrong@virgin.net, tel 01751 417371 or, until April 24, 0033 4 79 07 55 45.

PRESENTLY IN INDIA Elizabeth Hansen (ehansen298@aol.com) is presently in India where she reports she is being pampered by superb hotels and resorts. "Maharajas may be a thing of the past, but I've still felt like a princess. The Taj Mahal Hotel was our home in Delhi; in Agra, we enjoyed a view of the real Taj Mahal from our room at the Oberoi Amarvilas. And what can I say about Ananda in the Himalayas, except that it deserves its reputation as one of the best destination spas in the world." Elizabeth and her photographer husband will continue on to The Maldives before heading home to La Jolla, California in early April. She'll be writing about India and The Maldives in Ranch & Coast (www.ranchandcoast.com), where she is the travel editor, and would welcome other opportunities to share her adventures and discoveries through text and photos.

CAPITAL CITIES AND CAPTIVATING COUNTRYSIDE Just back from the volcanoes, heritage towns and pilot whales of Tenerife, Gillian Thornton is heading for Rome, Vienna and all corners of France over the coming weeks.

French destinations included Boulogne/Wimereux on the Channel coast; Vosges, including the daffodil festival in Gerardmer; and Aveyron in Midi-Pyrenees, home to the Millau bridge and more Plus Beaux Villages than any other department of France. Also in the diary are trips to the departments of Ardeche; Loire; and Hautes-Alpes.

Further details from gillian.thorntons@btinternet.com or telephone 01582 468771, mobile 07831 275889.

COLLECTING THE ESSENCE OF BRITAIN Andy Stothert is still out there somewhere wandering around in the Lake District, Cornwall and Wales with his bagful of big film cameras collecting scenes which are the very essence of Britain.

He will be moving them to the Western Isles for a month this year, plus as long as it takes to get the right stuff in Morar. After that, if the year hasn't evaporated (or more likely dissolved) the cameras will be pointed at some unexpected places such as West Yorkshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, and the glorious Eden Valley.

To prove that he isn't just a one-trick camera-carrying pony Andy has also already got commissions to write about these areas, and will, given the right incentives by the right folk, accept a few more for both photography and the wielding of his sharp knib. Are you those folk? Contact: Email: andystothert@blueyonder.co.uk.

'SPIDERS OR COCKROACHES FOR LUNCH?' There's more to Cambodia than Angkor Wat, though that's great. Then how about Phnom Penh for a stopover or a truly exotic city break? Recover in Thailand, forget Phuket, try Aonang, just as stunning but no sleaze. Closer to home, Solange Hando returned to her roots in Lorraine to take a fresh look at Metz and Nancy, prior to the arrival of the TGV Est, before relaxing in the spa resorts of Biarritz and Aix les Bains. Next trip is Cuba in April, culture, food, samba and all. Anyone interested? Words and pictures solange.travel@btinternet.com

THE ROAD TO OUAGADOUGOU Tony Kelly will spend April on the road to Ouagadougou, the vowel-enriched capital of Burkina Faso. On a two-week odyssey through the neighbouring countries of Togo and Benin, he is planning to visit the fetish market in Lome, witness voodoo ceremonies of masked dancing and trance drumming, and have an appointment with a voodoo oracle in the Beninois stilt village of Ganvie. Perhaps he will also be able to dispel a few Hollywood myths along the way.

After a couple of days on safari in Benin's Pendjari National Park, he will cross to Burkina Faso for some desert camping with the Tuareg before finally arriving in Ouaga.

Words and pictures available on what promises to be a fascinating trip.

Contact tonykellytravelwriter@btopenworld.com

ONE MAN�S VIEW Jon Sparks has just completed a book on Arthur Ransome�s Lake District and is finishing two more on Morecambe Bay and Blackpool & the Fylde. He is also planning a major project on photographing Britain�s greatest views.

Along with award-winning landscape photography, Jon is highly active in biking, walking, and climbing. He is now Cycling and Mountain Biking Feature Writer for Suite 101: see http://bicycling.suite101.com/ for more.

Jon is not neglecting print, of course, and is always ready to discuss possible commissions. Planned trips include Slovenia, to climb the mighty Triglav - the only mountain to feature on a national flag - and Zermatt, where the even mightier Matterhorn will be extensively photographed, though probably not climbed!

Email: jsparks@dircon.co.uk Website: www.jon-sparks.co.uk

DIVIDING HER TIME Sarah Woods is still dividing her time between Colombia and Panama with stints in Cyprus inbetween. She is working on projects for Spanish language TV channel Telemundo as well as Escape magazine, the Sunday Times and Bradt on a variety of themes, including bars & booze, spas & wellness, the Ticuna Indians and the Amazon jungle.

Contact Sarah on 07774 457270, email: info@sarahwoods.co.uk, www.sarahwoods.co.uk.

A TALE OF THREE CITIES Its amazing how quickly cities change and Peter Baker has a constant job keeping pace with the latest additions to the skyscraper horizons in modern cities around the globe.

Nowhere is this change taking place more rapidly than in the Asian capitals and it is hard to look at somewhere like Hong Kong or Singapore and imagine how much has changed until it is compared with the old shots which are now consigned to history.

Left: The Petronas Twin Towers

Perhaps one of the most amazing changes Peter has seen in recent years is in Kuala Lumpur. �Our photographer working in Asia has spent the last few months updating some of these places and the most recent of our pictures to go on line have come from that city. It is a few years now since I visited Malaysia, and it is important that International Photobank keeps abreast with the latest views so that our picture library does not become out of date. What I saw in these new pictures was quite amazing. The development of this city is full of grace and charm and the Petronas Twin Towers blend in well with the Royal Selangor Club in Merdeka Square whose style can only be described as old colonial. Jalan Petaling the modern shopping centre in Chinatown has such a modern feel as does the National Mosque and the Rapid Transit Monorail system. Yes Kuala Lumpur is indeed a stylish city as is Singapore, which was once a malaria ridden swamp.�

In Hong Kong, just when you could be forgiven for thinking there wasn�t another foot to build on, a new super skyscraper appears, and a little bit of extra real estate is reclaimed from the sea.

The latest of these pictures are being uploaded daily to the International Photobank website which can be accessed by clicking on the link below.

International Photobank PO Box 6554 Dorchester DT1 9BS

Tel: 01305 854145; Fax: 01305 853065 Sales email: peter@internationalphotobank.co.uk; Website: www.internationalphotobank.co.uk

SADDLING UP Saddling up for the season, horse-riding specialist John Ruler is still hoping to make an estancia visit to Argentina: he has the commission, a host and the backing of a powerful South American project agency - but no one prepared to help with flights. No budget etc. etc. Happily he will be riding in Tunisia in April and visiting the little know islands of Kerkennah - any takers ? - as well as plans to visit Northern Cyprus, Guernsey and Alderney, as well as the West Country, Shropshire and Wales.

Contact: rulered@btinternet.com.

ALAN HART WRITES After flying to Jersey and Santander in February, I had trips to Sardinia and Exmoor in March. And at the end of the month I'm off to Windsor.

The Jersey trip was extremely wet, so our press group was lucky that the focal point was the German underground tunnel network, which was not only fascinating but dry.

Santander is the port in northern Spain which most people pass through after catching the ferry from Plymouth. This was a press trip from Liverpool organised by Ryanair in collaboration with the Cantabria Tourist Board. There was plenty to see (as you will know if you were lucky enough to read my report in The People on March 11).

Another Ryanair Press Trip from Liverpool took me to Alghero on the north-west coast of Sardinia. The weather here was around 25 Celsius (that's mid-70s in old money) and once again we packed a great deal of sightseeing into a short time.

The trip to Exmoor was organised by Pat Edgar, of PR Matters, who is always happy to arrange short tailor-made tours for travel writers as long as they have firm commissions. The theme of my trip was literary - Exmoor being the inspiration for the Romantic poets, Lorna Doone and Tarka the Otter. For the last weekend in March, Pat Edgar has arranged another tailor-made short break for me, this time in Windsor. I'll be staying at the Oakley Court Hotel, which was used as the location for the St Trinians' movies. The theme of my article commissioned by The People will be the various movies and TV series which have been filmed on location in the area.

In early April I'm driving from Santander to southern Spain. At the end of that month I'm taking part in a walking expedition based in Puerto de Pollensa, Mallorca. Future trips include dolphin-watching in south-west Wales and learning to sail off Greece.

Should anyone like articles from the above, please let me know on 01625-872746 or 07747-047063.

OUTSTANDING BEAUTY IN A MINI (AND OTHER CONFUSIONS) Having spent 2006 writing about and photographing the English National Parks for a magazine series, John Lloyd is turning his attention to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Those targeted in the coming months include the Cotswolds, Suffolk Coast and Heaths, Gower Peninsula, Shropshire Hills, South Devon, Antrim and Causeway Coasts, Wye Valley, Forest of Bowland, Lleyn Peninsula, Dorset.

Other non-AONB destinations include Norwich, around Marazion in Cornwall and the Melrose area of the Scottish Borders. He is also planning a Mini Adventure, driving a Mini convertible on a European Tour during July. So far, the itinerary will take in France, northern Italy and northern Spain (Catalonia to Cantabria), but at present the route is flexible and John is open to suggestions... All articles will be accompanied by photography.

Contact: johnlloyd@solutions-inc.co.uk or tel: 01273 477421.

IF IT�S AUSTRIA, IT�S APRIL Dave Willis writes: April is Austria for a big brochure shoot in the Tirol with time to collect stock winter sports images and stories based around the alpine ski resort of Zillertal.

May is festival time in Cumbria with commissions to cover the Cumbria Cycle Festival and all things biking followed almost immediately by the 1st Keswick Mountain Festival where I shall be providing press coverage, stock images of the walking program and also running several digital imaging workshops on the hill sponsored by Paramo Directional Clothing.

June is the Whitehaven Maritime Festival with nautical images and water sports on the Cumbrian coast - again stock images and stories will be available.

July continues the water theme with the Coniston Water Festival - sailing, windsurfing, canoeing and general water fun on Coniston Water, hopefully in the sun!

August has an equestrian theme at the world famous Lowther Horse Trials so commissions for equestrian images please, and finally...

September I shall be in Sardinia - beaches, piazzas and family fun on the coast - if that's useful to you I shall be happy to help at mountainsport@btinternet.com and you can look at some samples at www.mountainsportphoto.com

VARIETY THE SPICE OF LIFE The next couple of months promise to be busy ones for freelance journalist and photographer Ron Toft who will be exploring five islands in the Cape Verde archipelago off the west coast of Africa (including Fogo, which is noted for its active volcano and wine), hill walking in France�s Drome Provencale, following Aphrodite�s cultural trail in Cyprus and experiencing the delights of rural Lithuania. Also planned are trips to Dublin, Newcastle, Liverpool, Caithness and the Norfolk Broads. Commissions welcomed for complete packages of words and high resolution digital images.

Contact: Email: ron.toft@btinternet.com

YOGA SCHOOL BOOT CAMP TO THE GANGES GHATS AT DAWN Sarah Dawson has spent the last ten weeks travelling in India, from the beautiful beaches in Goa to the most holiest city in India; Varanasi, and has plenty of material for travel articles. Sarah drank Chai with Swamis, Sadhus and monks while on a month long intensive yoga teacher training programme then pursued a 'purification' Ayurvedic programme before cruising around the peaceful canals and channels in Kerala's backwaters. Her spiritual trip around India wasn't complete without a dawn journey along Varanasi's fascinating ghats. Next, Sarah heads Down Under to Sydney and Byron Bay. To commission Sarah and find out more about her Indian journey, and forthcoming Australian trip contact her on: Email: sarah@sarahdawsonjournalist.com; www.sarahdawsonjournalist.com.

CARIBBEAN BOUND Linda Jackson, having just returned from sub-zero temperatures in Quebec's winter wilderness where she survived numerous fun winter sports activities, is about to head off to her favourite hotspot - the Caribbean - where she lived for some years. This time her foray is to Anguilla and St Martin where she will be researching eco-tourism, searching for honeymoon hideaways and savouring local cuisine and specialities; she'll have to submit to delectable spa treatments, and then play a round on Anguilla's new golf course.

If you want to know more about her escapades or need a selection of high res digital images, then contact her on 01892 822783 or 07763 105088 or linda_jackson@btinternet.com.

AFRICA'S BIG 50 ADVENTURES Jacques Marais will be up to his ears in adrenalin for the next few months while finishing off a book on Africa's 50 greatest adventures. This colourful guide to extreme activities on the Mother Continent will cover everything from B.A.S.E. Jumping off Table Mountain and off-roading the Atlas Mountains to river-boarding the Nile in Uganda. Any spare time will be channeled into building content for his www.ndorfin.co.za adventure sport web portal.

Contact: Tel: +(27-21) 78 22 849 / Cell: +(27-83) 444 5369 / email: jacques@jacquesmarais.co.za / web: www.jacquesmarais.co.za

BURREN FLOWERS Anthony Toole has spent the Winter writing about the Cheviots and birdwatching on the Northumbrian coast. In early April, he is attending a nephew�s wedding in the West of Ireland then heading on to The Burren to photograph the Spring flowers.

During the Summer, he has several features to write about the North Pennines and also has trips planned to the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands. He hopes to find the time to take on any travel/writing commissions that might chance his way.

Contact: anthonytoole@fsmail.net; Website: http://mysite.freeserve.com/anthony_toole

PROVENCE PROVIDENCE Vicki Trott is currently co-writing a new guide from Frommers called Provence With Your Family and will be off on a five-week research trip to the region in a couple of weeks. Then, later on in the summer she will be revising the Michelin Green Guide to Provence, which will probably be desk-bound. She hopes to finish the year with a trip to and some work on either Andalucia or Greece." Contact: Tel: +44 (0)7989 987867; email:victoria@victoriatrott.com

LOOKING EAST & MIDDLE EAST Dave Saunders is adding to his frequent trips to the Far and Middle East. Thailand in April 2007 is on commission for Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine. And he goes to Jordan in May as official photographer for a classic car event following in the camel steps of T.E. Lawrence through Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea. Contact: Tel: 01225 421712. Email: info@davesaundersphotography.com with requests for writing or photography.

HEADING FOR FRANCE On the brink of departing for Lake Geneva and Haute Savoie, and then Puy-de-Dome in the Auvergne, Terry Marsh is beavering away at a family guide to Ireland. Terry plans to visit Ireland in June and July, but meanwhile has those French trips to contend with, hotly pursued by yet another, this time to Tarn.

His Globetrotter Island Guide to Madeira is just published, and will be hitting the shops any time now. In the meantime he has completed a new book on Map Reading Skills, which will be available in July from Jarrold/Pitkin Publishing.

On the subject of Madeira, having fulfilled his contract to organise a walking festival in the Isle of Man for the last three years, he has now turned his attention to organising a similar festival in January or February 2008, on the island of Madeira. It�s still early days, but anyone fancy a lovely winter�s break in Madeira, and a bit of walking to boot, let him know.

Contact: terrymarsh@wpu.org.uk. Tel: 01772 321243; Mobile: 07968 122741.

BALTIC BEACHES Robin Gauldie is finishing off the new Algarve With Your Family guide for Frommer's and welcomes last minute suggestions for family-friendly accommodation, tours and activities in southern Portugal. Robin will be starting work on the Vaucluse section of Provence With Your Family in April. Other upcoming projects include updating the Globetrotter Travel Guides to Scotland and Crete; features on the Algarve, Jamaica, Luxembourg, the Black Forest, San Marino, Calabria and fishing holidays for the Sunday Mirror; features on the Algarve and Jamaica for Scotland on Sunday; a piece on Greek island hopping for TNT magazine; and a round-up of great beaches in the Baltic for the Sunday Telegraph.

Contact: RGauldie@aol.com.

TAKING THE HIGH ROAD During Spring and Summer 2007, Vivien Devlin will be exploring the Highlands and Islands of Scotland - travelling by boat and train: she will be experiencing the new Glen Tarsan, a converted fishing boat, cruising from Oban around the west coast islands and a four day journey on board the luxury Orient Express Royal Scotsman train. Other trips include a weekend in cultural, contemporary Copenhagen (new direct flights from the UK), Grenada (Peter de Savary leisure resort) and a Mediterranean cruise around Greece and Croatia.

Contact: vivien.devlin@lineone.net Tel: 0131 343 2116

LIVING OUT OF A SUITCASE So far this yearMichael DeFreitas has been on assignments to the Antarctic, Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti, and Tonga. During his brief stints at home he managed to pick up the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts 2006 Travel Media Award for Journalistic Achievement in Responsible Tourism Reporting and NATJA's 2006 Best Cover Photography Award.

Over the next seven weeks he's back on the road with assignments in the Cook Islands, Little Rock, Chicago and Quebec. His publisher hopes that sometime between these trips he'll complete the last few chapters of his latest cruise guide. His wife is getting ready to file a missing person report.

Contact: michaeld@iwritetravel.com

COOL SCOTLAND Jenny McKelvie�s latest book Cool Camping Scotland, which she co-authored with her husband Robin, has just been published by Punk Publishing. It is a coffee table book brimming with photographs and profiles 38 campsites across Scotland, which are recommended for their stunning locations and more unusual accommodation options, which include tipis, canvas Sheilings, an Iron Age roundhouse and wooden wigwams.

Jenny is also busy writing about 17 European beach resorts and luxury travel around the globe. She's also been travelling extensively in Scotland, with recent trips seeing her stay at Ardanaiseig Hotel, a luxurious country house hotel located in private grounds on the shore on Loch Awe, Dalhousie Castle, the Macdonald Cardrona Hotel in Peelbes and The Roxburghe Hotel & Golf Course near Jedburgh.

Jenny's forthcoming Scottish trips include a self-drive tour around the country, which will see her return to the borders, visit the Isle of Eriskay and Torridon in the Northwest Highlands. She will also be staying in a deluxe self-catering lodge on the banks of Loch Lomond and spending a weekend in a lavishly converted church in Crieff during the next few weeks.

You can contact Jenny by email: jenny_mckelvie@yahoo.co.uk.

A SOCIAL HISTORY OF TRAVEL Canadian travel writerLaura Byrne Paquet is preparing for the release of her 11th book, "Wanderlust: A Social History of Travel," which will be published in Canada by Goose Lane Editions in late April. To promote the book, she will be appearing at the Frye Festival in Moncton, New Brunswick, on April 28, and giving a reading at Harbourfront in Toronto on May 2. She travelled throughout southwestern Ontario in February, a trip that included covering several culinary attractions in Stratford, home of North America's largest classical repertory theatre. The previous month, her article on the Caribbean island of Montserrat (published in the Ottawa Citizen) won first prize in the "Destination Travel: International (Newspaper)" category in the 2006 North American Travel Journalists Association awards. Laura specializes in articles about "living like the locals"� anything from how to rent an apartment in Paris to how to arrange a bus trip over the Andes. And she's always ready, willing and able to write anytime about her core specialty destinations: Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and New York (city and state). Contact: Email: laura@cornerstoneword.com; Web: www.LauraByrnePaquet.com

A TALL SHIPS STORY Using the excuse that SHE will be traveling with the Tall Ships this summer Roberta Etter has armed herself with new notebook computer and feels like the Nikon D200 poster �kid�. �Don�t let anyone tell you that all this new gear is light weight! However, the results are superb and I have already agreed to a new photographic exhibition in the autumn.�

�Also, the Costa Blanca has just concluded the 2007 Fallas Fiestas and I have fabulous new stock photos on file. Check out my revised web site for details on this and other events. I have loads of new categories and links.� www.robertaetter.com

Roberta Etter Photography Denia (Alicante) Spain http://www.robertaetter.com; http://www.robertaetter.com/digitaldenia

IT�S A HARD LIFE, BUT SOMEONE HAS TO DO IT! No sooner back from a successful and enjoyable trip to the Nice Carnival and the Citron Festival at Menton, writer and photographer Paul Shawcross is now preparing to head back down again to the C�te d�Azur and the Mercantour National Park in April to research material for forthcoming articles and guides. Further trips, to Kracow during May and France during June (Aquitaine, Limousin, Midi-Pyr�n�es and Centre), are now well into the planning stage with a visit to North-West Scotland scheduled for July.

New pictures of Nice, including the Carnival, Villefranche and Menton are now available and most will be on-line soon, augmenting his already large travel image library.

For further details, contact Paul on +44 (0)191 4885313, at paul.shawcross@bigfoot.com or visit www.paulshawcross.co.uk where images can be viewed and purchased on-line. Specific image searches can be made by following this link: Stock Photography by Paul Shawcross.

HAMBURGERS AND DAWSON: WHAT A COMBINATION Having spent the last month compiling and writing destination and overseas property guides, the coming weeks sees David Cawley heading to Hamburg, Western Ireland and Cornwall to poke, probe and collect interesting feature stories and images to be made available immediately after his return. Generally his specialist subjects include: Industrial Archaeology and Local History (particularly in northern England); Scotland, Spain, European cities, Oversees Property, Cultural & Heritage Tours, Rail and Waterway Journeys and very, very soft Cycling. Commissions for print or radio on any of these subjects will be happily considered.

His face for radio has paid dividends with the BBC continually extending its invitation to talk over the FM airwaves on all things travel related while also involved as Production Assistant on a Les Dawson documentary for Radio 2 and world music and mysticism feature for BBC World Service. His local station too gives him a weekly spot to make a complete, utter and happily unseen fool of himself as presenter. Contact: Email: david.cawley@btconnect.com; Web: www.davidcawley.co.uk

RAPID SHOOTING Gordon Lethbridge has just returned from Finland where he jumped into a fast flowing river in sub-zero temperatures to shoot the rapids without kayak or raft. He took a team of huskies out into the wilderness along the Russian border. It was then off to much warmer climes the other side of the world to explore Perth, Western Australia and the beautiful coast south to Augusta where the Southern Ocean meets the Indian Ocean.

Trips for the future include walking in Slovenia along with a train journey on the Bohinj Railway, the mineral waters of Rhone Alpes in France and South Africa for whale watching, spas, native art and the game. Later in the year he will make a trip back to Western Australia on a five-day kayak expedition in Shark Bay and investigating some of the outback activities in the Kimberley.

Contact: gawlethbridge@talktalk.net

THAI INSIGHT New memberAdrian Baker writes �Asia is such a varied, and fascinating place, with so much creative inspiration staring you in the face, that I decided to make it my home, and have now been living in Thailand for almost four and a half years.

Despite the political turmoil, which many countries in the region suffer, it is still a relaxed, and comfortable place to live, and provides an atmosphere in which the creative juices can flow freely.

There have been many changes since my first visit, back in 1984, with towns in places that didn't even have villages before, but the underlying feel of the place is still here. I now speak pretty reasonable Thai, so interaction with the locals is much easier, and even more rewarding, especially when taking portraits of the people. Being able to laugh and joke with them, in their own language, provides more opportunities for natural pictures, and also makes it possible to obtain more of an insight into their lives, so writing can come from a more informed point of view. All in all, I think I'll stay.

Contact: ajb@worldimage.co.uk.

APHRODITE TO THE TOUR EIFFEL Carole French has been busily working on travel guides to Cyprus and Paris, two of her favourite places in the world. With a home in Cyprus and having once lived in Paris, the guides have been a special joy to work on. Coming up is a guide to Thailand, another favourite country, and Carole is busily planning her revisit in the next few weeks. She can supply lifestyle and real estate articles on these and many other destinations.

Contact Carole on info@carolefrench.com or visit www.carolefrench.com

SPA LAGGED Glasgow-based Angela Dewar spent the start of the year in the Spanish city of Valencia, looking at the regeneration coinciding with the hosting of this year's Americas Cup.

She's just back from a whirlwind tour of Australia - sampling spa treatments and getting close to the wildlife in Tasmania, touring the trendiest bars and discovering shopping hidden secrets in Melbourne, viewing Uluru from the back of a Harley Davidson and Kings' Canyon from a helicopter, and reacquainting herself with the city of Perth, which was unrecognisable from her last visit 13 years ago.

She'll be in Namibia in April, on safari and visiting the new breed of spa lodges. Then in May and June, she's heading north to Iceland and Greenland to experience the midnight sun and find out about Arctic wildlife.

Contact: Tel: 0141 418 2603; Mobile: 07919 735539; Email: dewarangela@yahoo.co.uk; Web: www.angeladewar.com

SIKKIM, DARJEELING, TAJ MAHAL............... Having just returned from the far flung corners of north east India, Nick Jenkins now has a number of fresh and hitherto unseen images available for publication. Areas covered include: � Sikkim monasteries � Kanchenjunga with the sun rising on the east face (from Tiger Hill) � Hill terraces, tea pickers, village life, � Village people � 'Street Life' � Taj Mahal at both dawn and dusk

Any takers, contact Nick at: nick@freespiritimages.com

CHINA ON HIS MIND China continues to be a major focus for Peter Ellegard. He has recently updated the China, Hong Kong and Macau guides for World Travel Guide, published by Nexus, as well as revising the online Weissman Report on China for US publisher Northstar Travel Media. In June, he plans to return to Sichuan province to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Jiuzhaigou, otherwise known as Nine Villages Valley and a stunningly beautiful area of China gaining increasing international attention. He is also planning visits back to several other areas of China this year, among them the resort of Sanya on tropical Hainan Island, Beijing, Shanghai, the Yangtze River, the water towns of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, and Yunnan province. The AA Key Guide to China, which Peter co-authored, is due to be published in autumn. Peter recently spent some time in South Carolina for a writing and photographic assignment to trace its musical heritage, spending time attending and photographing a blues festival as well as heading to North Myrtle Beach to learn about the shag dancing and beach music scene. During April, Peter is visiting Provence and California�s West Coast. He also has visits planned to other destinations, including Madeira, Ireland and Mexico, where he will be focusing on aspects including their golf scenes. Contact Peter at 15 Constable Way, Shoeburyness, Essex SS3 9TA. Tel: 01702 304023; Email peter@ellegard.co.uk. Peter�s photographs, including the BGTW Photographs of the Year for 2005 and 2006, plus selected examples of his work can be seen on his website: www.peterellegard.co.uk

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For further information, please contact: Terry Mash Tel: 01772 321243 Email: terrymarsh@wpu.org.uk