Outdoor Writers Guild Awards

Crystal Award for innovation in the outdoor industry Announcing the award, Derryck Draper, chairman of the judges, said: ?GoLite is a philosophy as much as a company. “By using very light performance fabrics ? many produced by Perserverance Mills at Padiham ? cutting most of the ?frilly? bits off backpacks and designing combinations of shelter, sleeping bags and pads, GoLite has developed one of the most innovative product ranges on the outdoor market. The selection is well thought-through, properly developed and tested, and has made a major contribution to the comfort of all who go backpacking.” Outdoor Writers? Guild Awards for Excellence There were a record number of entries for this year?s Outdoor Writers? Guild Awards for Excellence, and judges praised individual members for their heart-warming and well researched entries. Top of the pile was a member who probably came the furthest to receive his awards. David Chapman travelled from Hayle in Cornwall to receive his prizes. David, a specialist wildlife photographer and writer, won both the multiple feature and photographic awards. The judges in the feature award, which consisted of David?s regular “Out & About” feature in Cornwall Today magazine, commented: “This has to be the first time that the word ?shapely? has been applied to any writing in the competition. Well thought out and excellent presentation.” Presenting the photographic award (SPONSORED BY JESSOPS) for David?s pictures in the Caradon Countryside leaflets, judge John Cleare praised David?s attention to detail and close focus skills. Jon Sparks? photographs for The Magic of the Scottish Islands (David & Charles) were highly commended. The winner of the guidebook award was Chris Craggs of Sheffield for his Peak Gritstone: East (Rockfax), and Roger Thomas?s Official Guide to the Brecon Beacons National Park (Pevensey) was highly commended.The outdoor book award went to Ronald Turnbull for his Book of the Bivvy (Cicerone), with Ian R. Mitchell?s Walking through Scotland?s History (NMS Publishing) being highly commended.The one-off feature award was won by Stephen Goodwin for his Porter Protection, which appeared in The Independent on Sunday. Outdoor Writers? Guild?s top Golden Eagle Award for outstanding services to the world of the outdoors The Outdoor Writers? Guild?s top Golden Eagle Award for outstanding services to the world of the outdoors has been won by the international mountain photographer, John Cleare. Presenting the award, an original watercolour painting of The Dru in the Alps by OWG member David Bellamy, Guild president Roly Smith said John Cleare was “simply the best.” “You can always tell a John Cleare photograph ? they are technically perfect, with a strong foreground and great depth of field. John is the consummate professional, who has had to obtain his pictures in the mist and rain of Snowdonia; white-out conditions in the Cairngorms, or the clag of the English Pennines.” John Cleare was a top-class rock climber in his day, and took part in a number of international climbing expeditions to Everest and elsewhere. He was vice-president of the Alpine Club between 1995/5; president of the Alpine Ski Club 1993/95; a member of the Alpine Climbing Group, the Himalayan Club and the Climbers? Club. He is a committee member of the British Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies, and was a committee member of the OWG from 1990/2000. Roly added: “John has always been available to offer help and advice to younger, up-and-coming photographers. We all owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude.” In response, John Cleare, who started out as a fashion photographer in the Swinging Sixties in London, said he had “only been doing his job.” And he regaled the audience with stories such as working with Clint Eastwood on the 1974 spy thriller, The Eiger Sanction.

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