The mid-afternoon September sun glinted through the trees, warming my face as I sipped a deliciously strong coffee. Surrounding me were quaint, picturesque French farm buildings in a peaceful courtyard, and beyond lay a rolling forest of pines. The only sounds to be heard were the birds, the occasional clink of teaspoon on saucer and the quiet patter of French being spoken inside the restaurant where I was dining al fresco.

From the very first day I took up my desk as Club Reporter on Camping & Caravanning magazine, I have heard a great deal about the National Feast of Lanterns (NFOL). The Club’s annual national rally is one of the biggest of its kind in the country and attracts members from across the land as they gather together and celebrate great traditions and their collective love of all things camping. It’s the highlight of the year for a great swathe of campers, and as soon as I reached the site at...

Often overlooked, sometimes taken for granted, the humble awning is one of camping’s great inventions – and they have come a very long way in a short space of time. This was part of the thinking in a recent magazine team meeting when we decided to put together an awning special Gear Guide. 

It seems as fitting a time as ever to be joining the team at Camping & Caravanning.
The first breath of spring is in the air, grey is being replaced with splashes of colour, the evenings are getting longer, and plans are being put in place by anyone who loves the outdoors for how best to enjoy it for the coming season. It is a time of year filled with optimism and anticipation, which are two emotions I have in equal measure as I embark on my new role as Club Reporter.