editor David Jordan
The Editor Writes With the AGM and Big Weekend for 2025 now in the rear-view mirror, and the days getting shorter, it’ s tempting to reflect on the year gone by. It’ s a year since I took up the reins as editor of Outdoor Focus, and in that time, we’ ve featured new members, new books, a new business and even a new trail. We’ ve also looked back at changes in the industry, changes to access rights and even the history of mapping. We’ ve remembered the lives of members who sadly passed on this year too.
In this issue we have the old and the new. With great timing, Ralph Storer kindly shared an image of climbing in the days before harnesses were a thing, and Tony Howard volunteered a piece on his favourite kit, a climbing harness he developed in response to the discomfort of just the sort of rope-loop seat illustrated by Ralph. Serendipity graced us further on the Big Weekend, at the FSC Blencathra Centre, with a peek into the archive of the Mountain Heritage Trust, where David Monteith kindly dug out a pile of early climbing equipment. An axe, a piton hammer, early clothing and heavy boots with metal cleats, even a rudimentary harness. It did look rather like one of Tony’ s!
Looking forward it is clear that we live in exciting times. As I write we are approaching the 75th anniversary of the Countryside & Rights of Way( CRoW) Act Royal Assent. In April we will also celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Peak District National Park, Britain’ s first, some 79 years after the world’ s first national park at Yellowstone in the US. It was largely the voices and actions of ordinary people that led to these rights, clamouring for open space to escape the confines of factories, schools and offices. Writing that sentence it is impossible not to hear the echoes of that movement today. There are more people in Britain than ever before seeking to enjoy leisure time in the outdoors and many are questioning why so much of it is fenced off, reserved for the wealthy few.
Looking at the growth of the outdoor industry as a whole, and the enthusiasm of all age groups to spend time in the outdoors, it is not hard to imagine the weight of popular opinion getting behind greater access rights once again, and so I believe that we have much to be optimistic about as we approach 2026. In the meantime I wish you all an active outdoor Christmas, snow on the hills and mountains, and clear access roads!
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New Members This month we welcome Nicole Bukaty and welcome back Stephen Neale |
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Annual General Meeting Guild Chair Josephine Collingwood reports on the 2025 AGM |
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Seasonal Images Members images from the season and Norman Hadley considers the benefit of belonging |
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Big weekend photo album Members share a selection of photographs from the Big Weekend |
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Trespasser on the tele’ Guild vice-president interviewed on the BBC Travel Show |
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Awards for excellence Sue Viccars celebrates the winners of the OWPG’ s 2025 awards |
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My favourite kit Tony Howard still uses a climbingharness he designed himself |
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Best guidebook Lisa Drewe shares an extract from her award-winning new guide |
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The Mountain Heritage Trust Kevin Sene describes a memorable tour of the Trust’ s acrchive |
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Best feature Viv Crow shares her award-winning feature on Amar Latif, Ramblers President |
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Book reviews OWPG’ s Roly Smith reviews the latest books |
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Best outdoor book Wyl Menmuir shares an extract from his award-winning book The Heart of the Woods |
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The big weekend Kevin Sene outlines the events of the 2025 Big Weekend in the Lake District |
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Best Photography Portfolio Chris Howes shares images from his award-winning‘ Hungarian Heritage’
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OWPG outdoor writers & photographers guild
WORDS AND PICTURES FROM THE OUTDOORS
Editor David Jordan ISSN 2043 8605 editor @ owpg. org. uk Design David Jordan, Ronald Turnbull Cover‘ Beke’ from Hungarian Heritage Photographer Chris Howes
The Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild( OWPG) is the only UK-based association of media professionals working largely or entirely on outdoor subjects. Our membership covers every field of activity and all corners of the globe. We include writers, journalists, bloggers, photographers, publishers and editors, all with a passionate interest in the outdoors. For information on who we are, what we do, and where we’ ve been, visit www. owpg. org. uk – or join us on Facebook.
2 OUTDOOR FOCUS Winter 2025