Peppa Pig Pipped at the Post

Peppa Pig Pipped at the Post

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First News, the newspaper aimed at children between the ages of seven and 14, has become the UK’s bestselling children’s periodical with an average weekly combined print and digital circulation of 86,413 in the first six months of the year.

The four percent rise in circulation pushes the newspaper ahead of less news-focused titles including Peppa Pig Bag-o-Fun and the BBC’s CBeebies Magazine (which recorded an eight percent decline in sales).

Celebrating the milestone, First News founder and chief executive Sarah Jane Thomson told journalists: ‘Eleven years ago we identified a gap in the market and have been producing a quality title ever since.

‘Our plan was to bring news to children – and we have stuck to that plan, which has been our key to success. Teachers, parents and of course children themselves appreciate our non-sensational approach to national and international news.

‘However, we are aware of the potential challenges of a declining newspaper market and the opportunities available to us as a result of having built a strong brand following.

‘We will continue to develop our offering, bringing new products to our increasing and loyal customer base – whilst staying true to our roots and remaining focused on our core philosophy of enhancing the lives of children.’

As well as boasting a burgeoning young readership via individual newsagent sales and subscriptions, First News also claims that more than 50% of UK schools subscribe to the newspaper and, as a result, can also say it has a weekly readership of two million young people.

So should the newspaper industry as a whole be encouraged that young people are taking interest in a ‘traditional’ news product?

Yes and no. It’s great that First News has grabbed the attention and acclaim of its young readership but where do they go after age of 14?

No newspaper managers to target the teen and young adult market effectively, leaving ‘new’ media to scoop up the masses online.

Metro for sale

Is the Metro for sale?

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According to media reports, Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT), the publisher behind the Daily Mail is considering selling its Metro freesheet following a decline in advertising sales and profits at the newspaper.

The publisher has appointed bankers at the boutique advisory firm Cardean Bell to explore options for the title with some city sources suggesting the sale of the newspaper could raise around £35 million.

Aside from the decline in print advertising sales, the Metro’s profits have been hit hard by the fall in the value of sterling following Brexit, which has led to an increase in imported newsprint costs.

The proposed Metro sale is thought to be led by DMGT chief executive, Paul Zwillenberg (who once roomed with Daily Mail owner Lord Rothermere at University) who insists there are ‘no sacred cows’ at the company.

While talks regarding the sale of the title are still at a very early stage, it is believed that both Trinity Mirror and Johnston Press may be interested in purchasing the newspaper.

The Metro currently enjoys a daily readership of more than three million, but it faces increased competition from online media, particularly in the mobile arena. This threat to the business will increase as Transport for London (TfL) increases mobile access on the London Underground (the main distribution network for the Metro).

Wifi was introduced to parts of the London Tube network prior to the London Olympics in 2012 but little progress has been made on the network since.

However, TfL are now making renewed efforts to increase coverage and boost 4G connectivity on the Underground.

Speaking to journalists, a spokesperson for TfL said: ‘We are keen to offer full mobile phone coverage for our customers. The introduction of this would need to be commercially viable and would follow engagement with staff and customers.’

BBC London

BBC World Service expands into North Korea

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The BBC World Service is expanding its number of languages in the biggest such move since the 1940s. The Service is aiming to reach the countries that are most in need of independent news, and is backed by government funding.

A key target of the ambitious expansion is North Korea and the citizens who have limited access to unbiased content.

In an interview with the Guardian, Francesca Unsworth, the director of BBC World Service, said: ‘We are reaching an incredibly febrile, dangerous atmosphere at the moment about that whole story, and isn’t it terrible for the people of North Korea that the only information that they getting about any of this is that woman who goes on North Korean television every night?

‘We talked for many years about whether it was worthwhile doing something for the most in-need country of the world. This is right at the head of the BBC’s mission to bring independent news to people most in need – and Korea is the country most in need, followed by Ethiopia and Eritrea.’

The half-hour programme will be broadcast every night, giving the audience a chance to hear it without being caught. Unsworth claims the North Korean embassy has told the BBC not to launch the service, though she claims they’re not planning to be ‘dissident radio’.

‘We are there to explain their perspective on this, we are not there to be the voice of opposition. But of course we are not on the side of governments, we are there on the side of people. That is our remit and it always has been.’

Citizens of North Korea are broadly expected to be able to access foreign broadcasts and half the team will work in Seoul while the other half will be based in London.

The Korean service will be launched in autumn, following the already-launched digital Pidgin service for West Africa, and the upcoming Amharic, Afaan Oromo and Tigrinya services for Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Tony Hall, director-general of the BBC, was positive about the Service’s general expansion: ‘The BBC World Service is one of the UK’s most important cultural exports. In a world of anxieties about ‘fake news’, where media freedom is being curtailed rather than expanded, the role of an independent, impartial news provider is more important than ever.’

This is all possible due to a boost in funding of £289m from the UK Government, which is continuing to find a place for the country in the post-Brexit world.

Blogger Spotlight: Jane Dean, Janey On The Move

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Janey On The Move is the theatre review blog from Jane Dean. We caught up with Jane who told us about her target audience, working with PRs and being a gardening nerd.

How would you describe your blog?
Janey On The Move is an Entertainment Blog reviewing shows and touring productions from the West End right across the south coast.

Why did you start your blog?
To highlight and review shows to engage with and relate to theatre lovers across the UK.

How does your role as a PR work with your personal blogging?
I appreciate the importance of profiling a brand and gaining exposure to build awareness. In short, what’s the use of having a great product or service if nobody knows about it?!

Who is your target audience?
A mixed bag really. I tend to interact with the 40-60 year old age group but it’s an eclectic audience who appreciate live music, entertainment, lifestyle and celebrity that tend to follow.

If you can choose, what’s the best show you’ve reviewed?
Can I select two, as it’s between Wicked and Dreamgirls – both shows are smash hits.

What skills does working as a PR give you when blogging?
I appreciate the need to make my review stand out and produce engaging content, hopefully without patronising the reader.

How do you work with other PRs on your blog?
A number of PR Consultants, to include those who represent the theatres hosting the show, to working with an individual artist in the show, will contact me to carry out a review. We work well together as we understand the need for current high res images, copy and profiles/biogs.

What advice would you give to other bloggers?
My blog has been running since Dec. 2015 and I’m still learning….! I try to write it like I’m telling a good friend about a fabulous show or performance that I’ve just seen and don’t want them to miss. Just be yourself and tell it like it is.

What are your favourite other blogs to read?
I’m a gardening nerd, so I love any of Vuelio’s Top 10 Gardening Blogs UK, plus the Telegraph’s gardening posts. I’m working on my own Country cottage garden, as I live on the New Forest border so I’m fortunate enough to enjoy living five minutes from the sea but so close to the stunning picturesque countryside.

Jane Dean features on the Vuelio Media Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

cathy winston

Blogger Spotlight: Cathy Winston, Mummy Travels

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Cathy Winston is the author behind Mummy Travels, a Top 10 Family Travel Blog. The blog covers everything family-travel-related from the exotic trips abroad to fun days out in the UK. Cathy spoke to us about her love of South-East Asia, what family-friendly really means and how she likes to collaborate with PRs.

How would you describe your blog?
A family travel blog that aims to inspire and inform parents who love to travel – and prove that having kids needn’t stop you doing that. Focused mainly on travel with a baby, toddler, preschooler and the first school years, there are tips and advice, reviews of products and accommodation, and tales of my travels with my daughter, from first flights to long-haul, a road trip, cruise and heading off the beaten track in South East Asia and Africa, along with days out in the UK, beach and city breaks.

Why did you start your blog?
I’ve always loved travel and have made it part of my career – but when I became pregnant, everyone told me I’d have to stop. The blog started to try to answer that question: can you keep travelling with a baby and kids? Happily, I think we’ve proved it’s a definite yes!

What makes your blog stand out against other family travel blogs?
The mix of destinations we cover is unusual; there’s content on Cambodia, Burma and Cape Verde, but also London museums, UK seaside breaks and most things in between. I do a lot of solo travel with my daughter. Although I’m not a single parent, it’s often just the two of us for all or part of the trip, including our recent two weeks in Cambodia, so I can bring that perspective to it, as well as giving us a lot of flexibility in what we can do. I have a career as a travel journalist as well, winning several awards, so there’s that professional approach and experience as well as the personal element.

What’s the best place you’ve been as a family?
We’ve visited some amazing countries so it’s really hard to pick one. Our adventures in South East Asia over the past two years have been hard to beat though, so a tie for first place between Burma and Cambodia, I think. But I never tire of a day out at the beach, whether that’s the UK coast or a tropical stretch of sand, and the luxurious Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort was fabulous.

What’s the worst place you’ve been as a family?
Touch wood, we haven’t had any disasters – perhaps the worst was a UK holiday camp. It wasn’t the place itself, which is really popular, but it’s much better for families with older kids. My toddler daughter was too young to enjoy the activities, and we ended up rushing dinner then sitting on the bed in the dark all evening while she slept. A good reminder that family-friendly means very different things depending on your individual situation.

What makes the ideal family holiday?
My daughter would say a beach or swimming pool and ice cream! I think it has to be something which keeps everyone happy. I can’t imagine spending two weeks just lying on a beach, but trying to pack too much in is a recipe for disaster with her, so somewhere which has plenty to explore but where we can enjoy some downtime as well.

Very few places don’t work at all with kids, unless it’s very active or adrenaline-fuelled when they’re little (or the Antarctic). The big difference is often the welcome for kids: plenty of places say they’re family-friendly but children are just tolerated and it’s very hard to relax, while places where kids are the centre of attention are so much more fun, even if you don’t have the facilities you might get at home.

Where haven’t you been that you’re desperate to get to?
SO many places! My bucket list gets longer with each trip, as I always want to go back and see the things we missed or spend more time there. Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia are high up though, as we’ve had some wonderful holidays in South East Asia and I haven’t visited any of them yet. But I’d also love to discover more of South America: Peru, Belize, Guatemala, the Galapagos and Costa Rica (for starters) – along with Cuba, Namibia, Oman, Montenegro. I could go on…

How do you like to work with PRs?
Collaboration is a bit of an overused word, but I think that’s the only way to work – any project has to suit both PR and blogger to be a success. For me, it’s really useful to know what the PR wants to get out of a trip, to be really upfront about what they’re hoping it will achieve but also to be flexible, whether that’s tailoring the itinerary to the demands of a small girl or working with me to include the quirky, the unusual, the offbeat things which I think will appeal to the blog’s readers.

Lastly, I pride myself on being very professional, always delivering as promised (and more) and never missing deadlines, so having the trust from a PR about that rather than being too prescriptive, and allowing me to be creative makes a huge difference. The fact that I have some great long-term relationships, working with the same people again and again is something I’m very proud of too.

What is the one thing PRs should know about you?
I get hundreds upon hundreds of emails every day and it’s easy to tell which ones have actually read the blog, or have personalised the email. Those are the ones I prioritise, unlike the ones which use my email address as salutation or put Dear Minnie (the pseudonym I use for my daughter on the blog). Oh, and I’m not a big fan of camping…

What are your favourite blogs to read (outside of your own!)?
Almost too many to mention! I love My Travel Monkey, Globalmouse Travels, Five Adventurers and Tinbox Traveller, who all have kids a similar age to my daughter, but also The Travel Hack and On The Luce, plus Suitcases and Sandcastles and One Tiny Leap for their beautiful photography.

Cathy Winston features on the Vuelio Media Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

employment application

Not all journalists are equal

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Kaloyan Konstantinov is a Bulgarian journalist and student at King’s College London. He recently attended newsrewired and was inspired to write about his own experiences as an immigrant looking for a job and the struggles he’s faced despite his experience.

A talk at newsrewired on 19 July highlighted the Refugee Journalism Project that aims to support the re-establishment of careers for exiled journalists in the UK.

The speaker explained that the main problem facing the refugee professionals is not their lack of skills or the language barrier – but the fact that they simply do not know the right people. And while the audience, including myself, applauded the noble initiative I couldn’t help but think that such difficulties are not only limited to refugees but affect many of the foreigners in the UK educated abroad.

I arrived in England in January 2017 to study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London, starting from September. My intention was to use the time to find a job or at least manage to gain some UK-based experience in journalism. I have previously managed to balance work and study, graduating from the best university in Bulgaria and writing for one of the most prominent news outlets.

I was conducting investigations, interviewing foreign and domestic ministers, ambassadors, royals, artists and scientists, and reporting from around Europe. At the end of 2016, I received an award for journalistic excellence and became a member of the International Federation of Journalists. I have also worked as a PR for the exhibitions of Bryan Adams, Lenny Kravitz and Ulay. I did all of this before I turned 23.

Proud of my achievements, I immediately started applying for both full time and intern positions at various UK organisations, big and small. I was prepared to work for free, just to prove myself. You can probably guess that several months later there was no positive result. In fact, there was rarely a response at all.

Frustrated, I adopted a more aggressive approach by ‘headhunting’ editors and HR executives and sending them speculative applications. I lost count of the exact number of positions for which I applied, but it was more than 40. Meanwhile, some financial matters began to make my personal situation more pressing. I started applying for jobs at stores, restaurants, supermarkets and factories but I was rejected from every single one of them (again, over 40 and counting).

I was once told that my university degree is not recognisable and they couldn’t be sure whether I was telling the truth about my experience. I’m not alone, many educated and skilful foreigners struggle against such prejudice and discrimination.

I can hardly imagine how British journalism graduates, with no real experience, find a job at all.

To be honest, in the end, one place did hire me. Now I work in KFC and clean the bathrooms. I continue to apply for jobs, basically everywhere, and all the while, a nagging voice in my head insists that some people are more equal than others.

thewashingmachinepost

Blogger Spotlight: Brian Palmer, thewashingmachinepost

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Brian Palmer is the top 10 cycling blogger who writes thewashingmachinepost. Brian writes about the latest cycling goods and posts pictures of his scenic bike rides on the Isle of Islay. We caught up with Brian who told us about the joys of cycling, being friendly with PRs and the reason he doesn’t read other blogs…  

How would you describe your blog?
An overview of road bike culture.

Why did you start your blog?
To improve my writing skills.

What’s your favourite post?
The first interview I conducted with Richard Sachs.

If you were talking to a non-cyclist, how would you convince them it’s great?
Take them for a bike ride.

What’s the best cycling experience you’ve ever had?
It’s a tie between riding in Provence with Rapha and this year’s HOTCHILLEE London-Paris ride.

What’s the worst cycling experience you’ve ever had?
Probably trying to find my way round London.

What makes your blog successful?
I’m darned if I know.

What’s your favourite bike (ever)?
A Colnago C40.

How do you like to work with PRs?
In a relaxed and friendly manner.

What’s the one thing PRs should know about you?
I don’t take myself too seriously.

What are your favourite blogs to read?
Embarrassingly, I don’t read any other blogs in case they’re all better than mine.

Brian Palmer features on the Vuelio Media Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Blogger Spotlight: Victoria Bowskill, Vamper.cc

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Vamper.cc is the Top 10 Cycling Blog from Victoria and Matt. Covering the full range of cycling content, Vamper.cc also specializes in women in cycling – from suitable fitness clothing to encouraging more engagement. We spoke to Victoria Bowskill about the pair’s favourite bikes, worst experiences and how they work collaboratively with brands.

How would you describe your blog?
Vamper.cc is a cycling blog dedicated to seeking out style and performance on two wheels. We deliver product reviews, cycling tips and write-ups of our experiences on bikes in – we hope! – an approachable, personal way. We share everything that we find seductive about cycling, from the coolest kit we’ve spotted on our travels to amazing cycling routes. We regularly feature reviews of cycling kit – and they are unbiased and unpaid. Brands don’t pay us to feature their products, which makes us wholly impartial.

Victoria and MattWhy did you start your blog?
Vamper.cc was conceived to provide a platform for review and opinion on cycling fashion, trends, accessories, bikes and technology in a slightly different voice from mainstream cycling media.

While there are a number of popular news and review sites and cycling blogs, we believe their angle and bias can sometimes alienate riders who are perhaps new to the sport or who appreciate a more balanced outlook.

When we founded Vamper.cc two years ago, we also felt strongly that the representation and tailoring of content towards women’s cycling left a great deal to be desired. That is beginning to change, but we are still keen to further the reputation of women’s cycling and to raise the standard and quality of women’s cycling clothing and kit.

What’s your favourite post?
It’s a fairly old post now, but this one remains a favourite and has proved very popular – it seems to resonate with a lot of female cyclists.

If you were talking to a non-cyclist, how would you convince them it’s great?
For people who don’t cycle, it might seem incomprehensible that our best weekends involve stupidly early morning bike rides. But the greatest joy we’ve experienced on two wheels always comes from getting out at the crack of dawn while the roads are empty, and fitting in 30, 40, 50 miles before most people have picked up the Sunday paper! It’s the peace and tranquility of early morning rides, the flush on our faces after hours of exercising, and the exhilaration of fast hill descents that makes it such a fantastic activity. Even the challenge of hill climbing comes with rewards; it might hurt at the time, but the satisfaction of conquering a hill on your bike, the view from the top, and the speedy descent make it all worthwhile!

What’s the best cycling experience you’ve ever had?
We’ve had quite a few great experiences and it’s hard to narrow them down! The weekend where we completed the Huntingdon Steeplechase Sportive on the Saturday, followed by the PlanetX Oulton Park 100-mile challenge on the Sunday stands out as one of the most exhausting but also one of the most fun.

The Prudential RideLondon 100 never fails to bring a smile to our faces – the turnout of supporters along the route is a joy to behold.

And we had a fabulous outing with Yorkshire Velo Tours in the Yorkshire Dales – it was utterly beautiful, not to mention gruelling!

What’s the worst cycling experience you’ve ever had?
For Matt it has to be getting cramp at mile 67 of the Tour of Cambridgeshire. He had decided to ride the 84-mile sportive without taking a break in 28-degree heat, rode himself into the ground, and developed excruciating cramp which left him barely able to pedal. That wasn’t a good one!

For Victoria, it was riding her new bike with deep rims in Yorkshire on a particularly windy day. Utterly terrifying, she was certain she was going to be blown into the path of an oncoming lorry and had to get off and push.

What makes your blog successful?
Firstly, the two voices; we have a uniquely male/female perspective at Vamper.cc which makes the blog appealing to both male and female cyclists. Brands seem to really value the emphasis that we place on coverage of women’s cycling.

Secondly, the tone of voice; we have a conversational style that readers seem to find they can identify with. We don’t pretend to be better cyclists than we are; we don’t pretend that we don’t suffer on our bikes. We’re approachable (in life and on screen!)

Matt VamperWhat’s your favourite bike (ever)?
For Victoria, it has to be the Canyon//SRAM Ultimate CF SLX – utterly gorgeous.

For Matt, it’s the Dassi Interceptor, the world’s first (and only) graphene bike. We saw it at Rouleur Classic and we were blown away by it. A thing of beauty, with incredible, cutting edge technology. Wow.

How do you like to work with PRs?
We’ve worked with some fabulous PRs who are really proactive and passionate. We like to foster a close relationship with PRs to help to us to better understand what will bring the most value to their clients. Truly innovative PR campaigns come from a marriage of ideas and we like to think we can bring something different to the table.

We invite all pitches and approaches and we are always happy to look at any review request, trip or opinion piece to see what Vamper spin we might be able to put on it!

What’s the one thing PRs should know about you?
We have high standards. We won’t regurgitate poor press releases, and we won’t praise terrible products. If a poor product is sent to us to review, we’ll gladly pass our (constructive) criticism on via the PR so that the issue can hopefully be addressed rather than slating something online, but we won’t wax lyrical if we don’t like it.

What are your favourite blogs to read (outside of your own!)?
We’re big foodies, so we read a lot of food blogs – particularly Cookie & Kate, which is probably our current favourite.

In terms of cycling, we like the Australian blog Cyclingtips.com – it’s good for reading about cycling from a different perspective.

Victoria Bowskill and Vamper.cc features on the Vuelio Media Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Daily Mail online TV

The Mail Online – Coming to a TV Screen Near You

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The Mail Online is set to expand on its success in the US market, where it has already achieved the status of the most popular English-language news site, with the launch of a new hour-long television show which will be syndicated across the nation via a number of terrestrial TV channels.

According to a report on the Mail Online, DailyMailTV will launch Monday, 18 September and has been cleared by Sinclair Broadcast Group, Tribune Broadcasting, Gray Television, Inc., Cox Television and Nexstar Media Group to run in 96% of the United States.

It is also believed that the show will be available for sale to international broadcasters.

The Mail Online has secured the services of former American Football star, Jess Palmer, to host the show which will be filmed in New York. Palmer has previously worked as a football analyst for ESPN and for ABC News where he was a contributor to Good Morning America.

Speaking to journalists about the show, Palmer said: ‘I’m honored to be joining DailyMailTV. I’ve always been a huge fan of DailyMail.com, so to bring the world’s most read English language newspaper website to television for the first time is an opportunity I couldn’t refuse.

‘I love telling stories that engage and excite Americans and to be able to do this five days a week on DailyMailTV is a dream come true.’

In a press release announcing the launch of the show, a spokesperson for the Mail Online said: ‘From exclusive stories to breaking news, showbiz, politics, crime, health and science and technology, DailyMailTV will be must-watch television.

‘Sharing captivating stories from across the United States and around the globe, viewers will become addicted to DailyMailTV, just as they have to DailyMail.com.’

The Mail Online currently employs 260 staff in the United States and claims to publish some 1,600 articles every day.

Chequebook

Norwegian Billionaire Buys Stake in Johnston Press

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Christian Ager-Hanssen, the London-based Norwegian billionaire-owner of the Swedish version of the Metro has bought a 5% share in British regional publisher Johnston Press.

Shares in the company, which has been struggling with massive debt repayments, soared by nearly 20% following the news.

Johnston Press must pay off a bond of £220 million, used to fund a significant acquisition of titles in the 1990s, by 2019.

Ager-Hanssen believes he is in a position to help the company with the problem of the bond repayments and has lined up a number of investors who may be able to take on the debt.

Speaking to the press, Ager-Hanssen said: ‘I believe in the company and I think that they will be able to sort out the bond issue and that we can help them do that.

‘I think we need to move quite quickly. This is something that will happen over the next six months.’

Despite owning the Swedish edition of the Metro, Ager-Hanssen does not see any strategic synergies between the two brands. Instead he hopes to increase his investment in the publisher and use it as a springboard to launch new companies in the UK.

Ager-Hanssen said: ‘Where we are focused is actually building audience and we want to invest heavily into UK media. And we will do that. We will increase our stake in Johnston.

‘You can take Johnston’s audience, which is 32m, or 34m, and kick-start new companies like we did in Sweden.’

Johnston Press has welcomed the investment but is also keeping its cards very close to its chest regarding future plans, with a spokesperson for the publisher stating: ‘As a major new shareholder, and with his experience, we of course welcome a conversation with Christen and a meeting has been set up.’

Kirstie Pelling Stuart Pelling

Blogger Spotlight: Kirstie Pelling, The Family Adventure Project

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Kirstie Pelling is the Top 10 Family Travel Blogger, who along with husband Stuart, runs The Family Adventure Project. With content advocating being active and outdoors with your family, the blog’s ethos is always the spirit of adventure. Kirstie took some time to tell us about the magic of Iceland, loving cake and working creatively with PRs.

How would you describe your blog?
The Family Adventure Project is a magazine-style site that publishes feature style content about travel, adventure and outdoor activities. The site aims to share ideas, inspiration and practical advice to help people get out, get active, and explore and adventure together, whether for a day out on their doorstep or on a year-long journey around to the other side of the globe.

Why did you start your blog?
We started it because lots of people told us we couldn’t or shouldn’t adventure with kids. We kicked it off with a year biking New Zealand with our two toddlers. We wanted to connect with others who had a different view and to share our own ideas, inspiration and advice to show the amazing things that are possible with kids of all ages and experience.

What makes your blog stand out against other family travel blogs?
We have a clear focus on active and adventurous travel and broad experience travelling independently and on organised trips. We’ve been publishing a long time, over 10 years. We pride ourselves on the quality of our writing, photography and videography and have won multiple awards that recognise this. We are well connected and collaborate with other digital media professionals and collectives to extend reach and influence.

What’s the best place you’ve been as a family?
Iceland made an indelible mark. Everywhere you look magic is happening in or above the ground. And you can’t put it all down to the elves! We spent seven weeks touring the country and taking cycle trips on some of its remote roads. We can confirm that the dream road was dream cycling. We also went white water rafting, glacier hiking and Icelandic horse riding. Icelandic horses are the perfect size for kids.

What’s the worst place you’ve been as a family?
We work hard to embrace anything and everything we encounter! There are no worst places – we often pull together best as a family when we are out of our depth or in challenging terrain or environments. We always figure as long as we have a tent and the kids with us we’ll be fine anywhere.

What makes the ideal family holiday?
Going somewhere new, doing something we’ve not done before, being active and outdoors. We are also pretty fond of cake.

Where haven’t you been that you’re desperate to get to?
Alaska and Greenland. Not necessarily in that order.

How do you like to work with PRs?
We love a collaborative approach. We love to bring our ideas and experience to contribute to campaigns or to shape them in a way which will appeal to our audiences and niche.

What is the one thing PRs should know about you?
You can rely upon us to deliver.

What are your favourite blogs to read?
Alastair Humphreys, Escape Artistes and Inside the Travel Lab.

Kirstie Pelling features on the Vuelio Media Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.