John Gillham

Award-winning travel/outdoor writer, illustrator and photographer

Outdoor Writers & Photographers AGM and Awards Dinner 2011

On the 28th October I was one of sixty of the top outdoor writers in the United Kingdom who set off for Plas y Brenin  National Mountain Centre, Capel Curig in Snowdonia for their annual AGM and Awards Dinner.  What a weekend and what a dedicated and enthusiastic team Martin Chester, the chief instructor at Plas y Brenin has assembled? They helped improve the skills of our members in climbing and canoeing as well as taking us out on walks up Snowdon and in the surrounding area. My wife Nicola took advantage of the climbing wall (pictured on the right) while I did an action photography course taken by Chiz Dakin.

Well I didn’t win an award - bah.... But the dinner itself was absolutely sumptuous. Most agreed it was the best ever - even for the vegetarians, and there  was plenty of red wine for me to drown my sorrows. The following day we were treated to an archaeological walk visiting sites around Pen y Gwyrd. These included ancient hut circles, a Roman marching camp and Bronze Age burial mounds (see pic below).

After a splendid weekend I can thoroughly recommend you take a look at what Plas y Brenin is up to - you won’t regret going there, I can promise you.

Click on logo to go to Plas y Brenin’s website