A run-down of my specialist talents
News
I’ve always been strong on news stories and
features, most recently exposing the UK's licence
points lottery - an investigation into the huge
difference in local police forces' enthusiasm for
prosecutions. This was a story I pitched to Auto
Express that subsequently got picked up by the
wires and dailies. I also revealed the serious
faults behind the Scrappage scheme, also for
Auto Express. As well as regular news-writing for
AE, my news stories have appeared in Autocar,
Business Car, Car's website and the Daily Mail.
Road tests
My new-car reviews have appeared in a number of
UK motoring outlets, including 4car, Top Gear,
Autocar, Auto Express, Car magazine's website
and Business Car.
Consumer/used
I regularly write used car stories for Auto Express
- from a recent in-depth look at aftermarket
warranties to buying guides - and for three years
had my own column and consumer page in Top
Gear. Before that I wrote the magazine version of
the BBC show Right Car, Wrong Car for Top Gear
and have twice gone undercover for What Car?,
haggling at dealers and writing the subsequent
supplement. Both times I wrote up my findings
for the Telegraph Motoring section. My buying
guides have also appeared in Used Car Buyer and
Classic Cars for Sale magazines.
Editing/sub-editing
I have extensive editing experience, including a
year-long editorship of EcoFleet magazine and a
longer stint at the helm of What Double Cab? (a
pickup magazine). I’ve written, commissioned
and edited a one-off advertising magazine for
Ford, a motorbike supplement for the Evening
Standard and the programme for the latest Press
Gazette press awards. I used to be the chief sub
at Autocar magazine (the job James May was
fired from) and I sub-edit Top Gear’s Test Drive
Directory using the latest InDesign software.
Web content
I regularly wrote for Channel 4’s 4car motoring
website (including some uploading and basic
HTML coding). I also supplied content and helped
in the design of Dave’s Car of the Year 2007
website and now regularly write a blog for the site.
Photography
This is a hobby that regularly produces pics good
enough for publications such as Wanderlust
magazine, RiDE, 911 and Porsche World, 4x4 and
MPV Driver and Australian Penthouse (about an
Indian rickshaw rally – steady). I’ve also twice
sold vehicle shoots to the manufacturer to use as
publicity shots, once for Dodge (the Ram) and
once for Aixam (the Mega City electric car).
Adventure/travel features
Wanderlust Magazine published over five pages
my story of the first rickshaw rally in India. That
and my motorbiking guide to the New Zealand
South Island for RiDE magazine have been my
biggest travel successes so far, but my story
about my participation in the Plymouth-Dakar
banger rally made it into 911 and Porsche World
and Motorsport News),while the rickshaw rally was
also taken up by the 4car website.
Green technology/environment
That was the main focus of EcoFleet magazine,
which I edited for a year. Sadly just a couple of
years before its time, that one. Now I regularly
write on green issues, with clients including the
Car magazine website and Channel 4’s 4car
website, including a month-long daily eco-driving
advice feature back in Jan 07.
Copywriting
Ford, Fiat and Toyota are some of the clients I’ve
written for over the last six years or so. The work
has come via agencies, and the campaigns have
been both web and print-based. A couple of
examples I’ve been pleased with: writing pithy yet
informative and accessible descriptions of the
model range on Toyota’s consumer website; and
putting together a one-off magazine for Ford’s
business clients.
Past jobs prior to freelancing, salaried
or otherwise
Chief sub, Autocar (99-01)
Responsible for the copy in 90-odd pages of
weekly editorial. All the usual chief sub duties,
with a team of four to help me carry them out. I
also wrote new car reviews, long-term tests and a
weekly TV column.
Freelance writer, Marie Claire (98-99)
Contacts with the features editor at Marie Claire
secured me a raft of features, all far too
embarrassing to mention here.
Sub editor, TV Times (98-99)
On top of my subbing duties, I proofed pages
and, as head of the BBC desk, managed a team
of freelance subs.
Freelance writer
Travel and general features about life in Thailand.
Sub editor/features editor Thailand Times
I started on the business desk of this English-
language broadsheet daily before being made
features editor of the Entertainment section. For
the daily features page, I either commissioned or
wrote stories, as well as subbing it.
CV - the details
February 2001 – present
Freelance motoring journalist
Writing for: Auto Express, What Car? Daily
Telegraph, Top Gear, Autocar, , 4Car, AA
Magazine, Evening Standard, Daily Record, Fleet
Week, Business Car, Fleet Management, Sydney
Morning Herald, 4x4 and MPV Driver, Dave,
Toyota customer magazine, Mazda customer
magazine, Vauxhall customer magazine, 4car,
Practical Classics, Moneywise, Motorsport News,
911 and Porsche World
Editor of: EcoFleet magazine (02-03), What
Double Cab? magazine, one-off Ford magazine,
What Van? Fleet (01-02), section editor for the AA
magazine, Evening Standard motorbike show
supplement (02)
Photographs seen in: Wanderlust, Daily Express,
Daily Telegraph, the Guardian (rather small,
admittedly), 4x4 and MPV Driver, What Double
Cab?, EcoFleet
July 1999 – February 2001
Chief sub, Autocar magazine
June 1998 – July 1999
Sub editor, TV Times
January 1997 – April 1998
Features editor, Thailand Times
1990–1994
Aberdeen University
MA (Hons) 2:1 History of Art
1984–1989
St Edward’s School, Oxford
Three A Levels (English, History of Art, Geography)
10 O Levels
February 1971
Born
News
I’ve always been strong on news stories and
features, most recently exposing the UK's licence
points lottery - an investigation into the huge
difference in local police forces' enthusiasm for
prosecutions. This was a story I pitched to Auto
Express that subsequently got picked up by the
wires and dailies. I also revealed the serious
faults behind the Scrappage scheme, also for
Auto Express. As well as regular news-writing for
AE, my news stories have appeared in Autocar,
Business Car, Car's website and the Daily Mail.
Road tests
My new-car reviews have appeared in a number of
UK motoring outlets, including 4car, Top Gear,
Autocar, Auto Express, Car magazine's website
and Business Car.
Consumer/used
I regularly write used car stories for Auto Express
- from a recent in-depth look at aftermarket
warranties to buying guides - and for three years
had my own column and consumer page in Top
Gear. Before that I wrote the magazine version of
the BBC show Right Car, Wrong Car for Top Gear
and have twice gone undercover for What Car?,
haggling at dealers and writing the subsequent
supplement. Both times I wrote up my findings
for the Telegraph Motoring section. My buying
guides have also appeared in Used Car Buyer and
Classic Cars for Sale magazines.
Editing/sub-editing
I have extensive editing experience, including a
year-long editorship of EcoFleet magazine and a
longer stint at the helm of What Double Cab? (a
pickup magazine). I’ve written, commissioned
and edited a one-off advertising magazine for
Ford, a motorbike supplement for the Evening
Standard and the programme for the latest Press
Gazette press awards. I used to be the chief sub
at Autocar magazine (the job James May was
fired from) and I sub-edit Top Gear’s Test Drive
Directory using the latest InDesign software.
Web content
I regularly wrote for Channel 4’s 4car motoring
website (including some uploading and basic
HTML coding). I also supplied content and helped
in the design of Dave’s Car of the Year 2007
website and now regularly write a blog for the site.
Photography
This is a hobby that regularly produces pics good
enough for publications such as Wanderlust
magazine, RiDE, 911 and Porsche World, 4x4 and
MPV Driver and Australian Penthouse (about an
Indian rickshaw rally – steady). I’ve also twice
sold vehicle shoots to the manufacturer to use as
publicity shots, once for Dodge (the Ram) and
once for Aixam (the Mega City electric car).
Adventure/travel features
Wanderlust Magazine published over five pages
my story of the first rickshaw rally in India. That
and my motorbiking guide to the New Zealand
South Island for RiDE magazine have been my
biggest travel successes so far, but my story
about my participation in the Plymouth-Dakar
banger rally made it into 911 and Porsche World
and Motorsport News),while the rickshaw rally was
also taken up by the 4car website.
Green technology/environment
That was the main focus of EcoFleet magazine,
which I edited for a year. Sadly just a couple of
years before its time, that one. Now I regularly
write on green issues, with clients including the
Car magazine website and Channel 4’s 4car
website, including a month-long daily eco-driving
advice feature back in Jan 07.
Copywriting
Ford, Fiat and Toyota are some of the clients I’ve
written for over the last six years or so. The work
has come via agencies, and the campaigns have
been both web and print-based. A couple of
examples I’ve been pleased with: writing pithy yet
informative and accessible descriptions of the
model range on Toyota’s consumer website; and
putting together a one-off magazine for Ford’s
business clients.
Past jobs prior to freelancing, salaried
or otherwise
Chief sub, Autocar (99-01)
Responsible for the copy in 90-odd pages of
weekly editorial. All the usual chief sub duties,
with a team of four to help me carry them out. I
also wrote new car reviews, long-term tests and a
weekly TV column.
Freelance writer, Marie Claire (98-99)
Contacts with the features editor at Marie Claire
secured me a raft of features, all far too
embarrassing to mention here.
Sub editor, TV Times (98-99)
On top of my subbing duties, I proofed pages
and, as head of the BBC desk, managed a team
of freelance subs.
Freelance writer
Travel and general features about life in Thailand.
Sub editor/features editor Thailand Times
I started on the business desk of this English-
language broadsheet daily before being made
features editor of the Entertainment section. For
the daily features page, I either commissioned or
wrote stories, as well as subbing it.
CV - the details
February 2001 – present
Freelance motoring journalist
Writing for: Auto Express, What Car? Daily
Telegraph, Top Gear, Autocar, , 4Car, AA
Magazine, Evening Standard, Daily Record, Fleet
Week, Business Car, Fleet Management, Sydney
Morning Herald, 4x4 and MPV Driver, Dave,
Toyota customer magazine, Mazda customer
magazine, Vauxhall customer magazine, 4car,
Practical Classics, Moneywise, Motorsport News,
911 and Porsche World
Editor of: EcoFleet magazine (02-03), What
Double Cab? magazine, one-off Ford magazine,
What Van? Fleet (01-02), section editor for the AA
magazine, Evening Standard motorbike show
supplement (02)
Photographs seen in: Wanderlust, Daily Express,
Daily Telegraph, the Guardian (rather small,
admittedly), 4x4 and MPV Driver, What Double
Cab?, EcoFleet
July 1999 – February 2001
Chief sub, Autocar magazine
June 1998 – July 1999
Sub editor, TV Times
January 1997 – April 1998
Features editor, Thailand Times
1990–1994
Aberdeen University
MA (Hons) 2:1 History of Art
1984–1989
St Edward’s School, Oxford
Three A Levels (English, History of Art, Geography)
10 O Levels
February 1971
Born
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